In the summer of 2024, MOA Museum of Art presents the special exhibition Pokemon × Crafts: A Grand Discovery of Beauty and Techniques! What kind of “chemical reaction” would occur if Pokemon and traditional crafts met head-on? Twenty artists, from Living National Treasures to emerging creators, took on this question with full commitment. The works evoke Pokemon forms, gestures, and presences. Some trace memories from the games, such as evolution, trading, travel settings, and highly effective moves. Others lure Pokemon into everyday life as tableware, kimono accessories, and stylish obis. What will your encounter with the pieces waiting for you in the gallery be like…exciting, entrancing, smirking, or spine-tingling? Enjoy discoveries of beauty and technique amplified by multiplying powers. Exhibition title: Pokemon × Crafts: A Grand Discovery of Beauty and Techniques Venue: MOA Museum of Art Dates: Saturday, July 6, 2024 – Monday, September 9, 2024 To ensure smooth entry and a pleasant viewing experience, please purchase a timed-entry ticket in advance. (Same-day tickets will be available.) During busy periods, visitors with timed-entry tickets will be admitted with priority. Same-day ticket holders may be asked to wait before entering. *Children up to junior high school age, members of the Friends of the Museum, visitors with disability certificates (up to two accompanying helpers), and holders of invitation postcards may enter free of charge and do not need a timed-entry ticket. *Groups of 10 or more must make a reservation in advance. Please contact the MOA Museum of Art at 0557-84-2511 to apply. Ⓒ2024 Pokémon. Ⓒ1995-2024 Nintendo/Creatures Inc./GAME FREAK inc. TM, Ⓡ, and character names are trademarks of Nintendo. ⒸPhotograph by Taiichiro Yoshida and Taku Saijo For details, please check the museum’s official website.

The jacaranda, the flower that heralds early summer in Atami. Whether it will bloom or not is something you won’t know until the season arrives. The jacaranda is a bit capricious that way. Two trees gifted in 1990 from Atami’s sister city, Cascais in Portugal, have grown into more than 100 plantings today. Once native mainly to tropical regions, one of the world’s three great flowering trees has now come to announce early summer in Atami. Along the shore in June, clusters of small trumpet-shaped, blue-violet jacaranda flowers paint the sky like bouquets from Omiya Green Space to Sun Beach. Each year in early June during the blooming season, we hold the Jacaranda Festival. Legend says that if a flower falls on your head, happiness will come. How many will bloom this season? Come and see these precious purple blossoms.♪ *During the event period, light-ups will take place. Please note that blooming times may vary.* Event period / June 1, 2024 – June 16, 2024 Venue / Jacaranda Promenade (around Omiya no Matsu) Light-up hours / Daily during the above period from 18:00 to 22:00

Waterfall where Miyamoto Musashi trained This is the "Five Treasures Falls" in Gifu Prefecture It is also famous as the place where Miyamoto Musashi, who is famous as a swordsman, trained. Its history dates back to the early Edo period. It is a mysterious place where you can feel negative ions, so please visit it 😊

It is located in the Yotsuya district of Shinshiro City, Aichi Prefecture "Yotsuya no Senmaida" It has been certified as one of the 100 best rice terraces in Japan, and the original scenery of Japan is spreading. It's rice planting season, and it's the right season to Visit the site. In autumn, you can also enjoy cosmos and spider lilies. It's about 2 hours from my house, so I sometimes go there and take pictures.

Commonly known as Ise Jingu: The official name is the large Torii shrine gate gate of "Jingu". It has a history of 2,000 years and is the most prestigious shrine.

The sacred sites of the Kii Mountains, a World Cultural Heritage Site, and the Yokogaki Pass, a pilgrimage route, still have beautiful cobblestone roads. The cobblestones are made of sacred wood cjolite, which is unique to this region. In an era without machines, paved roads made only by human power are amazing.

The Spring Takayama Festival Sanno Matsuri is an annual festival of Hie Shrine, the god of the southern half of the former Takayama Castle Town, and is held on April 14 and 15 every year. The Minamoto of the festival is said to have originated during the reign of the feudal lord Kanamori of Hida 1585-1692, and the food stalls are said to have originated around 1718, and the craftsmanship is alive and well, such as the karakuri Dedication that shows off the skillful movements of the puppets and the return car with the gimmick. It was the first time I saw it live, and I had only seen it on the news and videos until now, and I was able to experience a very fresh and fantastic world view, and although my photography skills are still immature, I want to convey the impression of seeing it...

When you visit go sightseeing in the Kawazu cherry blossoms town of "Kawazu Town" and Please enjoy the exquisite gourmet of Kawazu Town! This time, I would like to introduce "Cafe LOAFER". ・6 minutes walk from Kawazu Station We offer our signature pasta made with homemade bacon. ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Cafe LOAFER 【Address】Yatsu, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, 419-3 Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Phone number: 0558-34-0629 【Business hours】11:00~17:00 【Regular holiday】Closed on Sundays 【Parking lot】Yes

Spend a blissful time in the beautiful town, Kawazu Town When you visit surrounded by the nature of the sea and mountains, and the Accommodations in the town! The inn I would like to introduce this time is "Matsushitatei". ・ Meals are "hand-made soba noodles" made by making homemade flour from domestic Soba seeds in a stone mill, Soba creative dishes, and the fruits of the mountains and sea. ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Matsushita-tei 【Address: Yatsu, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture 703-23, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Phone number: 0558-34-2558 Check-in/Check-out is 3:00 p.m. and check-out 10:00 a.m. 【Total number of rooms】2 rooms 【Pick up and drop off】Consultation required 【Parking lot】4 cars

The sprout-eating blue pigeon came to the trees in Iwamotoyama Park in Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture in mid-March! I hope that we will be able to maintain an environment where wild creatures can easily rest their wings in the future!

Hello to all COOL JAPAN VIDEOS viewers! This is the Nishiizu Tourism Association. Nishi-Izu Town, Kamo District, Shizuoka Prefecture is a town of about 6,300 people located on the west coast of the Izu Peninsula. We will send out recommended information of Nishi-Izu Town! Best regards!! ■Features of Nishi-Izu Town■ Tourist spots created by Nature such as the national natural monument "Tensodo" along the Nishi-Izu Coast, and the "Tombolo of Dogashima" and "Koganezaki" leading to Dogashima Landmark and Sanshiro Island are popular. There are many valuable spots that make up the Izu Peninsula Global Geopark, such as the "One color pillow lava" where you can see the oldest geological formation on the Izu Peninsula about 20 million years ago. In addition, tourist facilities such as trick art and glass museums, and accommodations such as hotels and inns where you can enjoy the scenery of Izu, the Sunset and the beautiful Sea Field are lined up along the Coast, and in Nishi-Izu Town, you can enjoy plenty of Nature and modern culture. ■ Japan's largest sunset town "Nishi-Izu Town" ■ From Izu Nishi Coast, you can Appreciation beautiful Sunset throughout the year, and Otago Coast and Dogashima Coast have been selected as one of the "100 Best Sunset in Japan". In order to enjoy the best Sunset in Japan, those who stay inn in a Accommodations in the town will be guided by a "Sunset volunteer local photography enthusiast" who will guide you to the Sunset points of the day. ■Recommended gourmet and specialty products of Nishi-Izu Town■ Seafood such as ground fish, Japanese flying squid, Ise shrimp, Haliotis, Turbo sazae, and Amakusa landed in Suruga Bay, as well as "Hon Wasabi" grown in the Fine spring water and Clear streams of Mt. Amagi are popular specialty products, and can be tasted at Accommodations and restaurants in Nishi-Izu Town. Salted bonito, a preserved food made by pickling bonito with salt, which is also served at events such as the local gourmet festival "B-1 Grand Prix", is a traditional preserved food handed down in the Tago District and is used as Ochazuke and Udon Noodles with Shio Katsuo. It is also recommended as a souvenir of Nishi-Izu Town. ■Popular sightseeing spots in Nishi-Izu Town■ Since this will be a First Post of COOL JAPAN VIDEOS, we will briefly introduce some of the most popular tourist destinations in Nishi-Izu Town. ◇Dogashima Tensodo It is a cave designated as a national natural monument with a hole in the ceiling with a diameter of more than 10 meters. You can explore the inside of the cave by sightseeing boat. You can also go to the upper side of the cave from the promenade. ◇Koganezaki The entire cape is a park, and the promenade, Lawn square, Observatory, and the Mt. Fuji view spot "Fujimi Hill" are Maintenance. You can also watch the beautiful Sunset. ◇Sanshiro Island It consists of four islands consisting of Denbei Island, Nakanoshima, Okinose Island, and Takashima Island located 200 meters off the coast of the Coast, and at low tide a road appears and can be visited on foot. ◇ Mt. Shiraiwa Mural The Honzon Konrin Butsudenson is depicted on the Quay wall of a rock-cut cave on a small hill in the village of Nishina Sawada, Nishi-Izu Town. It is said to have been made in the Kamakura period, but the author is unknown. ◇Hanbata Market In addition to fresh seafood from Nishi-Izu, Specialty products such as Dried fish, Hon Wasabi, and Shio Bonito are lined up. It is also recommended for purchasing Souvenirs of Nishi-Izu sightseeing. ■Introducing Information about Nishi-Izu Town■ In Japan's best sunset town, you can watch the beautiful Sunset that dyes the Sea Field of Nishi-Izu in a beautiful madder red color. There are many recommended sunset appreciation spots on the Coast of Nishi-Izu Town, and you can see a different sunset at each spot. In the COOL JAPAN VIDEOS, we will introduce recommended sightseeing spots in Nishi-Izu Town, so please follow us.

When you visit go sightseeing in the Kawazu cherry blossoms town of "Kawazu Town" and Please enjoy the exquisite gourmet of Kawazu Town! This time, I would like to introduce "Yakiniku Tomi". ・ Old-fashioned local yakiniku restaurant The restaurant's best menu is short ribs! ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Yakiniku Tomi 【Address】Kawazu-cho Hama, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture 164-1 Phone number: 0558-32-1412 【Business hours】18:00~21:30 【Regular holiday】Closed on Tuesdays 【Parking lot】Yes 5 cars

Yellow jumps into the blue that spreads all over. It is a popular spot where you can take pictures of collaboration with Nemophila in Spring and Cosmos in autumn. It was unusually crowded this year. Inabe City, Mie Prefecture Oizumi Station

“Takenoko Village,” nestled in the center of Minami-Izu Town in the national park, is overflowing with seasonal flavors. Let your children experience the nostalgic tastes of the past—this will surely become a memorable day. Experience bamboo shoot picking across an expansive 490,000-square-meter bamboo grove. Enjoy local specialties sold on site and meals centered on bamboo shoots. The mountains offer seasonal tastes throughout the year: bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, wild mountain vegetables, amanatsu citrus, chestnuts, and shihotake (square bamboo). Take home memories of bamboo craftwork, too—every activity promises fun and a peaceful break from the city bustle. October 10–October 31 Shihotake Picking It’s shihotake season—pick the shoots of this square-shaped bamboo. Although this rare species originates from China, it tastes excellent. Depending on the weather, the season can extend into early November. May Amanatsu Citrus Picking Fully ripened and naturally grown, these fruits offer a perfect balance of tartness and sweetness that fills your mouth with delightful flavor. September Chestnut Gathering The season is planned from early September to early October (subject to change depending on summer weather). For details, please call us. November, December, and March Shiitake Picking Yields depend on rainfall, but you can enjoy the thick, natural shiitake flavor that defines true shiitake mushrooms.”

The beach forms a literal bow-shaped curve about 1.2 km long, with a gently sloping shoreline and calm waves, making it a safe and enjoyable spot for couples and families. To the east, the projecting Tarai Cape offers a superb observation point with sweeping coastal views; to the south you can see the Izu Islands, and to the east and west the coastline stretches toward Tsumekizaki and Ishirōzaki respectively—one of the site’s proud features. ● Selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Swimming Beaches ● Selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Shores (Japan’s Top 100 Forests, Waterfalls, and Shores) ● Selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 White Sand and Green Pine Beaches ● One of the Three Great Beaches of Izu (Yumigahama, Shirahama Ōhama, Imai-hama)

When you visit go sightseeing in the Kawazu cherry blossoms town of "Kawazu Town" and Please enjoy the exquisite gourmet of Kawazu Town! This time, I would like to introduce "Nanadaru Chaya". ・ Experience at the attached glass workshop Tongue by tongue in a boar pot that has no smell. Tororo Soba with hot and cold symbiotic wasabi. We recommend the ripe strawberry parfait. ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name Nanadaru Tea House 【Address: Nashimoto, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, 363-4 Nashimoto, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka [Phone 0558-36-8070 【Business hours 11:00~16:00 【Regular holiday】Not opens 【Parking lot】Yes

When you visit go sightseeing in the Kawazu cherry blossoms town of "Kawazu Town" and Please enjoy the exquisite gourmet of Kawazu Town! This time, I would like to introduce "Izakaya Ofukuro". ・ Nostalgic mother's taste Fun with the taste of mom and karaoke. ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Izakaya Ofukuro 【Address】Mine, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture 495-1 Phone number 0558-32-0205 【Business hours】17:00~24:00 【Regular holiday】Closed on Wednesdays 【Parking lot】Yes 6 cars

Spend a blissful time in the beautiful town, Kawazu Town When you visit surrounded by the nature of the sea and mountains, and the Accommodations in the town! The inn I would like to introduce this time is "Hot spring minshuku Azumaya". ・A seaside minshuku with homely hospitality ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Hot spring minshuku Azumaya 【Address】Mitaka, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, 522, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Phone number: 0558-32-0238 Check-in/Check-out is 3:00 p.m. and check-out 10:00 a.m.　 [Total number of rooms] 5 【Pick up and drop off】Consultation required 【Parking lot】2 cars

Kawazu cherry blossoms on the Otogawa riverbed near Okazaki Castle It is a memorable place that you will want to go to again and again, such as going to see flowers with friends, taking pictures of friends' children, and going to see them as a couple

When you visit go sightseeing in the Kawazu cherry blossoms town of "Kawazu Town" and Please enjoy the exquisite gourmet of Kawazu Town! This time, I would like to introduce "Funado no Banya". ・Fresh seafood purchased locally Fun various nature experiences such as an open-air bath with a superb view of Sagami Bay, Barbecue of freshly caught seafood, various set meals, salt making, and tangerine jam making. ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Funado no Banya 【Address】Mitaka, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, 358-2 Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Phone number: 0558-32-0432 【Business hours】10:00~17:00LO 16:00 【Regular holiday】Closed on Tuesdays 【Parking lot】Yes

With Mt. Fujiwara, Representative of Inabe City, Mie Prefecture, in the background, a yellow train on the Hokusei Line of the Sangi Railway runs on the carpet of lotus fields. I took a picture of the spring scene in Inabe City. April 2024

Spend a blissful time in the beautiful town, Kawazu Town When you visit surrounded by the nature of the sea and mountains, and the Accommodations in the town! The lodging we will introduce this time is "Marui". ・ Since it is a minshuku directly managed by a fresh fish store, you can enjoy seasonal beach cuisine to your heart's content. ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Marui 【Address】Mitaka, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture 415, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Phone number: 0558-34-0222 Check-in/Check-out is 3:00 p.m. and check-out 10:00 a.m. 【Total number of rooms】7 【Pick-up/drop-off】No pick-up/drop-off 【Parking lot】2 cars

Koi Dance 💃 Koi fish 🎏 dancing energetically in the wind This is my favorite place where you can enjoy various things such as carp streamers, cherry blossoms, trains, and reflections. Kanie Town, Aichi Prefecture Sayagawa Sogo Park April 2024

Koyasan Trail: In the Yagiyama settlement (Yaki-yama) upstream of the Iwashina River, people once burned the mountain to clear land, so it came to be called “Yaki-yama.” From that settlement, a three-kilometer walk into the mountains brings you to a hidden, tranquil realm where sheer cliffs of strange rock rise along a mountain stream. This place is called Koyasan. Long ago it served as a practice site for shugendo ascetics of Shingon esoteric Buddhism, and many stone Buddhist statues stand here. ☆A legendary site linked to a famous priest☆ There is even a legend that Kobo Daishi once visited this place but left because the smell of fertilizer from nearby fields was impure and the valley was not deep enough; he later went to Kishu (Wakayama Prefecture) and established Mount Koya. Supporting that tale, a practice site called “Enma Shingyo” on the cliff’s mid-slope once enshrined a statue of Kobo Daishi, though it has since been relocated to Eizen-ji Temple in Yagiyama. In the late Edo period, a monk named Taizen trained at Enma Shingyo, traveling to nearby villages to perform prayers. His reputed spiritual powers earned him the honorific title O-Daishi, and his devotees grew to some 200 people. When he left the area, he left sutras and priestly robes with the local Taguchi family as mementos. The family preserved a written box inscription noting that Taizen was from Mikawa (Aichi Prefecture), that he visited in the first year of Tenpo (1830) to enshrine a likeness of Kobo Daishi, that he stayed in retreat for about a year, and that many followers gathered. Another tradition says that during the Kenkyu era (1190–1199), the priest Mongaku also stayed here in retreat; when he tried to leave after completing his training, wild roses tangled in his robes and would not let him go. Mongaku then returned to the rock cave and continued his practice. Since then, locals have called those wild roses “Mongaku roses.”

A bird's-eye view of a row of cherry blossom trees I took an aerial shot with a drone in the early morning. Ibi-gun, Gifu

Rows of cherry blossom trees 🌸 that symbolize Japan This is Fuji Cemetery in Shizuoka Prefecture It stretches for about 1 km and is lined with cherry blossom trees. It is my personal favorite row of cherry blossom trees. At the end of the 240 steps, such a spectacular view awaits. Be sure to 😆 visit

I took a picture of the cherry blossoms in Aikawa Waterfront Park in Tarui Town, Gifu. There was a carp streamer and a river, which was a good combination, so I used a classic negative from Fuji's film simulation to create an atmospheric photo.

Spend a blissful time in the beautiful town, Kawazu Town When you visit surrounded by the nature of the sea and mountains, and the Accommodations in the town! The lodging I would like to introduce this time is "Guest house Sencho". ・The lodging closest to the sea with a wonderful sunrise from the horizon. Open-air bath, private bath, observation bath available ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Guest house Sencho 【Address】Mitaka, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture 1069, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Phone number: 0558-32-0445 Check-in/Check-out is 3:00 p.m. and check-out 10:00 a.m.　 [Total number of rooms] 16 【Pick up and drop off】Consultation required 【Parking lot】10 cars

The Atami Karaoke Grand Prix 2024 Spring will take place over three days from Saturday, April 27 to Monday, April 29 (public holiday) at Shinsui Park Event Plaza. To energize Atami and Izusan, Izusan-based voice coach Turner Sensei will hold a karaoke competition in Atami. Fifty representatives of Atami, chosen through in-person preliminaries and recommendations held from January to March, and fifty national representatives selected by online audio screening will advance to the finals. With total prizes of 500,000 yen, 100 contestants will compete with their proud voices. Food and drink vendors will be on site, so please come support the performers! Atami Karaoke Grand Prix 2024 Spring Date and Time / Saturday, April 27 to Monday, April 29, 2024 (public holiday) 10:00–16:00 Venue / Shinsui Park Event Plaza (Nagisacho, Atami City) *Free admission*

Spend a blissful time in the beautiful town, Kawazu Town When you visit surrounded by the nature of the sea and mountains, and the Accommodations in the town! The lodging I would like to introduce this time is "Flower Tree". ・Excellent freshness. A lodging with a reputation for seafood dishes. ◆Detailed Information◆ 【Spot Name】Flower Tree 【Address】Midaka, Kawazu-cho, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture, Kamo-gun, Midaka, Kamo-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture 2297-15 Phone number: 0558-32-1761 Check-in/Check-out is 3:00 p.m. and check-out 10:00 a.m.　 [Total number of rooms] 6 【Pick-up/drop-off】No pick-up/drop-off 【Parking lot】4 cars