It’s around 6:30 a.m. at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Photographed on January 1, 2014. After visiting Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I relaxed at the Starbucks Kanetsuki‑dōri Store. I had a gyokuro matcha latte and a rich matcha tiramisu. I fully enjoyed the New Year atmosphere. 🍵🎍

It is about 6:00 a.m. at Kawagoe Kumano Shrine.

I woke up early to visit the shrine for my first prayers of the year. This is the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine’s Kawagoe sweet potato fortune. 🍠 I received a New Year’s morning ceremony blessing, and fortunately I was also given a matchmaking charm. I hope good things come to you in a chain like sweet potato vines. 😊🍠

Happy New Year! 🎍🐎 Wishing you a wonderful year ahead.

These are the Best Nine of 2025. 1️⃣The rise-up steps at Atago Shrine 2️⃣3️⃣Kakigori fortune slips and yo-yo omikuji at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine 4️⃣Tanabata at Tokyo Daijingu Shrine 5️⃣Hydrangeas at cafe andon 6️⃣The great torii and pinwheels at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine 7️⃣Enmusubi wind chimes at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine 8️⃣9️⃣Sea bream omikuji at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Thank you for all your support in 2025. I look forward to your continued support in 2026. 😊

I thought the autumn leaves were already over in mid-December, but when I went shopping in Chiba on the Boso peninsula, I stopped by a water mill while exploring the sights and found a beautiful display of autumn leaves. There was no parking lot, and the water mill caught my eye. The maple leaves were a vivid red, and the fallen leaves were beautiful too, so I enjoyed the last bit of autumn this year. Yoshii Ooido Water Mill

Photographed on December 28, 2025. This is LEC COFFEE’s original chai and a gateau chocolat.

Photographed on December 28, 2025. This is a gateau chocolat from LEC COFFEE. We are grateful to everyone at LEC COFFEE for their help this year. We look forward to your continued support next year.🙇‍♀️

Photographed on December 28, 2025. This is a set from Tomori Shokudo featuring domestic chicken spice karaage and a bamboo shoot and taro gratin. It also includes a hearty miso soup, steamed daikon with yuzu miso, simmered tamakonnyaku (ball-shaped konnyaku), and pickles—plenty to enjoy. 😊 On weekends, it’s best to make a reservation.

Photographed on December 28, 2025. This is Chabudai-san’s morning dish. It has been changed to a baked pot-au-feu. I hear the ingredients are being sautéed. It has a sweet flavor.

Photographed on December 23, 2025. This is the hanachozu (flower water basin) from Hara Florist. This is the last hanachozu of the year. Thank you for everything this year. 😊

Today I attended the New Year’s Great Purification at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. I cleansed my mind and body of impurities and sins. I feel refreshed and ready to welcome the New Year.🎍🐎

Photographed on December 21, 2025. This is LEC COFFEE’s black latte and a sweet potato Basque cheesecake.

The narcissus in Kyonan is now approaching its peak bloom. Narcissus have been placed inside Hoba Station and Awakatsuyama Station on the JR Uchibo Line to welcome visitors to Kyonan. For updates on the narcissus blooming status, please check the Instagram account maintained by the Kyonan Town Office, Regional Promotion Division (@kyonan_life). The weather has turned cold all at once. Wishing everyone a happy New Year. #Chiba Prefecture #Kyonan Town #Boso Peninsula #Hoba Station #Hota Coast #Suisen-no-Sato #Ezuki Narcissus Road #Sakuma Dam #Okuzure Narcissus Village

Photographed on December 21, 2022. This is LEC COFFEE’s sweet potato Basque cheesecake. It comes with homemade candied sweet potato sticks. 🍠 Today I am doing my last walk around Kawagoe for the year.

Photographed on December 21, 2025. This is a black latte from LEC COFFEE. What a lovely latte art. 😊

In December, Uenokouen still holds the last traces of autumn. On the way back from a visit to Tokyo University of the Arts and viewing an exhibition, I was delighted to see the autumn leaves and took these photos. I hope I pass and can come back here to see the autumn foliage again next year.

Photographed on December 21, 2025. This is LEC COFFEE’s hot sandwich set. It includes a hot sandwich with bacon, lettuce, and egg, a salad with homemade ham, daikon radish potage, and homemade bread.

Photographed on December 20, 2025. This is HK Tea’s grapefruit tea and Egg Waffle’s coffee chocolate. I love their citrus menu. 😊🍊🍋

Photographed on December 20, 2025. This is the TATSUMI special from Udon Tatsumi. I’m touring tasty spots. 😊

Photographed on December 20, 2025. This is Chabudai's morning set. It includes pumpkin soup, salad, carrot rêve (carrot salad), potato salad, and homemade bread. The bread is freshly baked and delicious.

Photographed on December 20, 2025. This is Chabudai-san’s chai. I noticed it at the Tea Festival and visited for the first time.

This was also taken in the garden of Nezu Museum in Tokyo Metropolis. I was simply capturing an ordinary scene at my feet, but when I look closely I find each natural color beautiful. The colors increase in autumn, which makes me feel that even more.

This photo was taken in the garden of Nezu Museum in Tokyo Metropolis. I captured this shot because the shimmering reflection of the autumn leaves on the water looked beautiful.

Photographed on December 20, 2025. This is a Christmas-themed hanachōzu (floating flower water basin) at Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin. 🎄

Enriched dive to the shipwreck 🚢 Hello 🫧 This is Hokulea Shonan. Today we visited the shipwreck dive site in Atami 🚢 Large schools of fish gathered around the wreck, and we were thrilled by the dramatic underwater scenery 🤩 This time we dived using enriched air (Nitrox). Thanks to that, my body felt much better after the dive ☺️ Enriched air is a breathing gas with a higher oxygen concentration than normal air. Because less nitrogen accumulates in the body, it reduces the risk of decompression sickness and allows for safer dives 👍 Another big benefit is that you get less tired ✌️ Thank you to all the guests who joined us 😊 Diving as a family was truly lovely ✨ From now on, let’s enjoy Atami’s shipwreck more comfortably with enriched air 🥳 🌈 At Hokulea Shonan, you can also earn the Enriched Air Specialty (SP) certification 🙌 We also welcome requests for course dates! --- 🏝️ Hokulea Shonan is a diving shop in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. With the theme “Let’s travel to unseen worlds!”, we share the wonder and joy of nature through diving. We run lessons and tours more than 300 days a year in Izu, Okinawa, and overseas. With small group sizes, beginners can join with confidence. Request dives are also very welcome! #Hokulea Shonan #Enriched Air #Nitrox #Enriched Diving #CoolJapanVideos #HokuleaShonan #NitroxDiving #EnrichedAir #OceanLovers #ExploreTheBlue

Photographed on December 22, 2025. cafe andon’s café latte and a strawberry and chocolate shortcake.

Photographed on December 22, 2025. This is cafe andon's Christmas-limited strawberry and chocolate shortcake.🎄 The combination of strawberries and chocolate goes really well together.😊🍓

Now that I'm free from exam studying, I wandered around Kawagoe. This is the avocado and shrimp hot sandwich set from cafe andon.