Prayer at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine today. It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Ushiharayama Townspeople’s Forest 1. This Ushiharayama Townspeople’s Forest was created for learning about and appreciating nature, and for soothing the body and mind. 2. Stay on the trail and avoid dangerous actions. 3. Be careful with fire; smoking while walking is prohibited. 4. Cherish the natural environment. 5. Please take all your trash home with you.

Introducing Isanoura Park in Isanoura, Saikai, Nagasaki Prefecture. The park sits on the shore of Isanoura Dam Lake. It offers cottages and bungalows for overnight stays, and a campsite with a free-site area for camping. ■Accommodations require reservations; camping requires reservations and is limited to 30 groups per day. ■Meals are not provided. There is also a 5.2-kilometer cycling road that circles the dam lake, bicycle rentals (1 hour: adults 400 yen, children 300 yen), and boat rentals (from 30 minutes, 880 yen). Come and enjoy autumn in Saikai City, surrounded by nature.

Site of Aioidō This is the place where Minamoto no Yoritomo and the priest Monga met in secret to discuss the revival of the Minamoto clan. It is said that Monga urged Yoritomo here to defeat the Taira and repeatedly pressed him to resolve to act. However, after the Meiji Restoration the hall was abolished, and before long it fell into ruin. Buddha Path These statues were placed here to console the spirits of unclaimed travelers who died in this area. Every year they hold memorial services during the spring and autumn equinoctial weeks and pray for the safety of visitors. To commemorate his meeting with Monga, Yoritomo had a hall built here and enshrined Kannon Bodhisattva. This came to be called the so‑called “Aioidō.” In Kenkyu 3 (1192), after destroying the Taira and the Fujiwara and establishing the Kamakura shogunate, Yoritomo did not forget the day he met Monga and donated two hundred koku of temple land to Aioidō.

During the Edo period, an epidemic swept through the area and many people died. This monument was erected to pray for their souls, and even today many visitors come to pray for children’s health and for safe childbirth. This place is also the birthplace of Watanabe Kihei, the Izu naval commander entrusted with the important task of escorting the lord and his retainers when, 383 years ago, Ukita Hideie, a senior retainer of the Toyotomi clan and lord of Bizen-Okayama Castle (570,000 koku), was exiled to Hachijo Island along with thirteen of his vassals.

This Trowel Monument was built as a facility to enshrine the trowel, the soul of master plasterers, with the Japan Federation of Plasterers’ Associations serving as the sponsoring organization. It was completed in November 2005. The building is a cylindrical structure 5.5 m high and 3.4 m in diameter. Under the design and technical direction of Katsumi Kimoto (construction committee chair), craftsmen adhered to traditional plastering techniques, concentrating the finest plastering skills on both the interior and exterior. The work was carried out mainly by plastering artisans from the Kanagawa Prefecture Plasterers’ Association together with plasterers from Matsuzaki Town. The exterior walls feature namako-style tiling, the entire façade is finished with an arare (seigaiha) exposed-aggregate wash, and the ceiling—centered by a phoenix motif—is crafted using seven-treasure star gypsum molds. Masterful shikkui (plaster) trowel paintings depict dragons and tigers, peony blossoms, and flocks of cranes in flight. The characters reading “Trowel Monument” displayed on the front were brushstroked by then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. This nationwide-scale Trowel Monument is unique in Japan, and there is no other monument of this kind constructed by plastering work. Housed inside the shrine is a 60 cm-long “Mitama Trowel,” the only black-forged trowel in Japan, forged and dedicated by a trowel smith specifically for this monument.

🦇 Halloween Sweets & Lunch Buffet 🍭 Held in a special buffet for 2 days only! Enjoy 💕 a variety of chef's special sweets and Western and Chinese dishes to your heart's content, including live cooking of "Crepe Suzette Citrus Sorbet", "Hokkaido Beef Grilled with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce", and "Authentic Chinese Fried Rice Omelet Rice" 🎃 Date and time Held in 　　Saturday, October 12, 2024 and Sunday, October 13, 2024 　　11：30～14：30 👻fee 　　Adult ¥3,800 　　Elementary school students ¥2,000 　　Children under elementary school age Free of charge 　　Sparkling wine free drink additional ¥1,000 🎃 Reservations 　　📞011-222-1522 　　Or on the hotel's website 👻menu 　【Live Cooking】 　　　・Crepe Suzette Citrus Sorbet 　　　・Grilled Hokkaido beef with homemade teriyaki sauce 　　　・Authentic Chinese fried rice omelet rice 【Sweets】 　　　・Soft-boiled pudding 　　　・Opera 　　　・Raspberry Shortcake 　　　・Gateau chocolate 　　　・Pumpkin Chiffon Cake 　　　・Montblanc Swiss roll cake 　　　・Black cream puff 　　　・Sweet potatoes with purple sweet potatoes 　　　Blue honeysuckle tiramisu 　　　・Kyoho grapes jelly 【Food】 　　　・Pumpkin quiche 　　　Homemade smoked salmon and avocado salad 　　　・Pate de Campagne 　　　・Stuffed pumpkin and mascarpone gougère 　　　・Smoked salmon and mushroom greck 　　　・Bonito carpaccio and savory vegetable salad 　　　・Grilled eggplant and courgette salad 　　　・Bagna cauda with seafood and rumbling vegetables 　　　・Onion soup & cheese croutons 　　　・Roast beef sandwich 　　　・Potato & Smoked Salmon Sandwich 　　　・Mixed leaf salad 　　　・Colored Tomatoes 　　　・Onion slices 　　　・Seaweed salad 　　　・Broccoli 　　　・Marinated root vegetable salad 　　　・Spaghetti with various mushroom meat sauce 　　　・Baked pumpkin and seafood chowder in a pie wrap 　　　・Homemade minced cutlets and roasted mozzarella cheese with special demi-glace sauce 　　　・Today's Thai curry & rice 　　　・Chinese burger with steamed bread (shrimp chili & braised pork) 【Drink】 　　　・Coffee 　　　・Tea 　　　・Detox water 　　　・Oolong tea 　　　・Orange juice 　　　・Mineral water We look ✨ forward to seeing you

***KAMU Sound Time Schedule*** KAMU Sound takes place on Sunday, September 22! The time schedule is set, and the flyer is ready (*'▽') 10:30 AM ～ *Ritz Pritz Khao Man Gai* A village band formed last year Watch for fifth-grade drummer Ritz Also keep an eye on the elementary school dance team Pipopapo 11:15 AM ～ *LOCKHAMA* What started as a solo appearance turned into a unit before anyone knew it! Enjoy a performance by village parents and children with a guitarist from Kitami! 11:45 AM ～ *Goichi-* An idol active mainly in Tokyo and Niigata You might also see a collaboration with Setoushi-kun! Don’t miss the movements of Kumaro the Forest Park bear-robot either 1:15 PM ～ *Yura Henmi* A high school student attending Otoineppu Art and Craft High School They might use four amplifiers alone? We’re excited to see what kind of stage it will be Merchandise is pay-what-you-want 1:50 PM ～ *Essay Reading by Villager A* They stream readings on YouTube under another name This time they appear as “Villager A” and will read three essays they chose themselves 2:30 PM ～ ※Beside the mechanical organ inside the building *Koto Performance and Picture Book Reading* Two picture books will be read aloud One of them will be a large-format picture book ✨ On the day, we hope for clear weather so we can perform in the Natural Garden…! #Nishiokoppe Village #Roadside Station #Flower Park KAMU #Live #KAMU Sound #Time Schedule

Visited on 9/2/24. After Prayer to Tokyo Daijingu Shrine, we had an early dinner (breakfast) at want to Manna, a Taiwanese breakfast specialty restaurant. From the top left, they are pineapple cake, current Taiwanese toast, soy milk, and flea cakes. The Taiwanese breakfast is my favorite.

Title: The Visit of Early Autumn This photo was taken from the Mt. Hiei cable platform in Shiga Prefecture. This is the scene where the cable arrives from the cityscape of Lake Biwa and the green trees Shooting date: September 12

Title: Paddling the Valleys I photographed a small boat going down the Hozu Gorge from the Hozukyo Observation decks in Kyoto. Shot with a telephoto 400mm, further cropped and enlarged. Shooting date: September 13

I photographed the Trolley Train from the Hozukyo Observation decks in Kyoto. Shot with a telephoto 400mm, further cropped and enlarged.

Martial arts and cultural arts emphasize the importance of learning kata, the basic movements of the school, as well as the learning of a predetermined form and at the same time the mental state at the time it is done.

Photographed 9/2/24. Hanachozu of Tokyo Daijingu Shrine and wind chimes.

The port of Kobe and sailing ships. Blue sky and big clouds, blue sea and white sailing ship. It is a summer view of Kobe Port.

Hinata Yakushi Cluster Amaryllis (Higanbana) in Isehara 2024 *The shaded path is currently closed to through traffic due to typhoon damage* The higanbana season is finally here!! However, with this year’s lingering summer heat, peak bloom still seems a little way off. We have confirmed a few lone flowers blooming here and there in the rice fields. A temporary tourist information booth will open to coincide with the flowers’ best viewing. Saturday, September 21; Sunday, September 22; Monday (national holiday), September 23 Location: Hinata Yakushi bus stop terminus From Odakyu Line Isehara Station North Exit, Kanachu Bus Platform 3 Take the “bound for Hinata Yakushi” bus for about 20 minutes *Bus services are infrequent, so please check schedules in advance.* The rice paddies and fields where the higanbana bloom are open to the public thanks to the generosity of the landowners. Please follow proper etiquette and show your understanding and cooperation. We will post updates on the blooming status as they come in.

Martial arts and cultural arts emphasize the importance of learning kata, the basic movements of the school, as well as the learning of a predetermined form and at the same time the mental state at the time it is done.

🎆 Tone River fireworks festival It is a fireworks festival that starts tomorrow. Available is the largest fireworks festival in the Kanto region, and 40,000 fireworks color the 🤤 night sky

Photographed 9/2/24. It is a limited time Hanachozu of Tokyo Daijingu Shrine. Ends: 9/8.

Photographed 9/2/24. It is a limited time Hanachozu of Tokyo Daijingu Shrine. I took it from a different angle. It is very gorgeous.

The moon, the clouds, and the evening sky where you can feel the majesty of Nature.

Hello, this is Jewelry Town. The hot days continue, but the dry heat has made the breeze pleasant. When you visit Senga Falls, you can feel plenty of negative ions that soothe both mind and body 🌳 Our shop also carries many stones that give off power rivaling the scenery of Shosenkyo Gorge. Rutile quartz remains very popular! There are not only gold rutile varieties but also red rutile! Lapis lazuli, famous as a September birthstone, displays a captivating deep ultramarine blue. Please stop by during your stroll and feel the power of the stones ☺️

View from the summit of Mt. Eboshi From the summit of Mt. Eboshi, at an elevation of 162 m, you can take in sweeping views of the coastline formed by submarine volcanic deposits, including Mt. Eboshi and Senganmon, as well as the beautiful shores of Kumomi, Iwaji, and Dogashima. The area is a trove of rare deep-sea life, including the giant spider crab (takaashigani). Before you lies Suruga Bay, where the Philippine Sea Plate subducts beneath the Honshu plate; its deepest point reaches about 2,500 m, making it Japan’s deepest bay. The area is a trove of rare deep-sea life, including the giant spider crab (takaashigani).

The TARA-FUKU guidebook is now complete! Featuring 66 listed businesses With cooperation from restaurants and snack bars throughout Iwanai-cho we have compiled each shop’s recommended menu items, business hours, payment methods, and more! *The listed information is current as of August 2024* The back pages also introduce Iwanai-cho’s local specialties and outdoor spots. Please pick up a copy and take a look♪ Copies are available at Roadside Station Iwanai and participating businesses. *Additional distribution will be rolled out progressively.*

The Way of the Brush Along with the martial arts, many other arts flourished, including calligraphy, tea ceremony, tea bowls, poetry, incense, and Noh drama, and a samurai needed to have knowledge of both the sword and the brush in order to be seen as a cultured gentleman.

Photographed 9/2/24. It is a limited time Hanachozu of Tokyo Daijingu Shrine.

The Way of the Brush Along with the martial arts, many other arts flourished, including calligraphy, tea ceremony, tea bowls, poetry, incense, and Noh drama, and a samurai needed to have knowledge of both the sword and the brush in order to be seen as a cultured gentleman.

Photographed on September 7, 24. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin. Even if you take it from a different angle, it is very beautiful.

Takabeya Shrine Annual Festival The Takabeya Shrine (2202 Shimokasuya, Isehara) will hold its annual festival. Eve: Saturday, September 14, 2024 Main Festival: Sunday, September 15, 2024 On September 7, a “Shio-kumi” purification ritual was held to collect beach sand, seawater, and hondawara seaweed for use in the festival at Terugasaki in Oiso Town. The collected beach sand will be scattered around the shrine in the “beach sand scattering ceremony” as a substitute for cleansing salt. The seaweed will adorn the shimenawa rope at the torii gate, and the seawater will be used in prayers to prevent fires. Access: Odakyu Line Isehara Station 20-minute walk From the north exit, take the bus from Platform 5 toward Aikō-Ishida Station and get off at Kasuya-Kamijuku, then walk 2 minutes. From the south exit, take the bus from Platform 4 toward Tokai University Hospital and get off at Isehara City Hall North Entrance, then walk 9 minutes. For details, see the Isehara Takagami-kai website

Did you know that bears get a little slimmer when it comes to summer fur? Please compare it with past posts ✨