This is the pinwheel next to the main hall of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It is said to be inspired by cherry blossoms. 🌸

I attended the monthly ceremony at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine today. These are the pinwheels in the corridor beside the main hall. The photos were taken in March.

Mud play at the “Sky Terraced Rice Fields” with ocean views! 🌿🌊 Join us on Sunday, April 19th for a one-day Rice-Planting Trial Tour—participants wanted! ✨ This special event aims to develop a future hands-on experience program. After planting in this stunning location, everyone will enjoy a delicious lunch together! 🍚🥢 Children and adults alike—come ready to get muddy and have fun 😊 📍 Location: 3315 Shiki, Reihoku (We will send directions to the exact experience site to those who register) ⏰ Time: 10:00–12:00 💰 Fee: 1,000 yen (includes insurance and lunch) Sign up via the link in our profile (Tourism Association website) or the QR code on the flyer! 📲

Photographed on March 24, 2014. The cherry trees at Rinsinji Temple had begun to bloom.

Tour plan file I recommend for Phase Two Hello, everyone! I wonder what impressions you have of Phase One This is Phase Two, and there will be a sequel! Day Three: Friday, February 6 08:30 Hotel Azat Naha 11:00 Kouri Shrimp 12:00 Kouri Ocean Tower 13:30 Okashi Goten Yanbaru Subtropical Forest = Dinosaur Park 17:30 pono118 Evening: stroll around Nago

Photographed on January 11, 2014. This is the New Year fire brigade ceremony by the Kawagoe Young Firefighters Association at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Updating cherry blossom reports for Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture! Uenoike, selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Cherry Blossom Spots, is now about 50% in bloom 😍🌸✨ Find sakura updates here 🔽 https://www.shobara-info.com/special//4472... Uenoike Address: 1 Higashihonmachi, Shobara City Night illumination: Friday, March 20, 2026 (national holiday) through Sunday, April 19, 2026, 6:00 PM–10:00 PM

The cherry blossoms in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, in the Chugoku region of Japan are about to reach full bloom! The long, cold winter has come to an end, and spring is finally awakening the trees and plants. The Bihoku Flower Picnic at the National Bihoku Hillside Park is a famous cherry-blossom spot… Shobara City has many places to enjoy spring flowers, and it’s exciting to start planning outings now! This time, we introduce takeaway gourmet foods you can buy in Shobara City—perfect for spring excursions. Prefer snacks over flowers? Not at all—let’s enjoy both the blossoms and the treats! Read the article here🔽 https://www.shobara-info.com/report/5576...

Photographed on January 11, 2014. This is the New Year’s fire-departure ritual performed by the Kawagoe Young Firefighters Association at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed on January 11, 2014. This is the New Year’s fire brigade ceremony by Kawagoe Young Firefighters Association at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Sapporo ⇔ Obihiro Intercity Bus Information 😊 From April 1, 2026, the Potato Liner between Sapporo and Obihiro will add one round trip, making travel more convenient 🎵 Meanwhile, the New Star service is also operating, so please use these options when planning your trip 🤗 Here is a brief introduction to Tokachi 📣 Tokachi lies in southeastern Hokkaido and consists of Obihiro City and 18 towns and villages centered around Obihiro. In 2024, Hidaka Mountains Erimo Tokachi National Park was established, and the region is now surrounded by three national parks—Daisetsuzan National Park and Akan-Mashu National Park among them—creating a land rich in nature 🗻 Blessed with clean water and a cool climate, Tokachi thrives on primary industries such as agriculture and dairy farming 🐄 The area offers abundant nature-based activities and campsites, including horseback riding, canoeing, rafting, and hot air ballooning ⛺️ You can also visit observation points with sweeping views of the vast Tokachi plain and surrounding mountains, as well as gardens where seasonal flowers and wild plants bloom 🌷 Fresh vegetables, cheese, soft serve ice cream, and a variety of sweets are all readily available and delicious 😍 Come and soothe your everyday weariness—please visit us sometime 🤗 https://tokachibare.jp//

Photographed on January 11, 2014. A first-fire ceremony by the Kawagoe Young Firefighters Association at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Event Announcement📣 Shintoku Town’s Takutetsukinoko Tan presents a Birch Sap Water Harvesting Experience😊 This short seasonal nature activity is best enjoyed after the snow melts and before the trees begin to leaf out🎵 You will receive a small share of the clear, natural sap water that trees draw up from the ground, and you can savor it while feeling nature’s vitality, enjoying a campfire and toasted marshmallows🤗 📍Period: Friday, April 3, 2026 – Sunday, April 19, 2026 (Closed on Tuesdays April 7 and 14, and Wednesdays April 8 and 15.) 📍Times: Morning session: 10:00; Afternoon session: 14:00 📍Location: Takutetsu Kinokotan (155 Takutetsu, Shintoku Town) 📍Participation Fee: Adults ¥2,500; Elementary school students ¥1,500 *If you wish to take sap water home, please bring one cleaned 500 ml PET bottle.* *Please note that sap may not flow or may be scarce depending on weather and temperature conditions.* 📞Applications and Inquiries Shintoku Tourism Association TEL: 0156-67-7567 (9:00–17:00) https://shintoku-town.net/2026%e7%99%bd%e6%a8%ba%e6%a8%b9%e6%b6%b2%e6%b0%b4%e6%8e%a1%e5%8f%96%e4%bd%93%e9%a8%93/...

Photographed on January 11, 2014. This is the New Year’s ladder-riding ritual by the Kawagoe Young Firefighters Association at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine. Actually, I was laid up with a cold and couldn’t go see the ladder acrobatics, the rifle team demonstration, or the boat parade on the Shingashi River. 😭

Sakuhomachi Tourist Facility Opening Information Tourist facilities on Yachiho Kogen will open for the season in stages🌿 ■ Yachiho Lake Operating period: April 17 – October 30 🐟 A popular spot for fishing and relaxing by the lakeside ■ yachiho highland nature park Operating period: April 23 – November 8 🌲 Enjoy a walk through birch groves and past waterfalls while soaking in nature ■ Flowering Tree Garden and Mallet golf course Operating period: May 16 – October 12 🌷 A casual area to enjoy the natural scenery of Yachiho Kogen Each facility has different opening hours, so please check the image for details. This season, come to Yachiho Kogen to enjoy everything from fresh greenery to autumn leaves🌱

Photographed on March 25, 2014. This is Homare-zakura along the Shingashi River behind Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It was half in bloom.

Photographed on March 25, 2014. Starbucks Kanetsuki‑dōri Store has reached its eighth anniversary since opening. Congratulations‼️㊗️🎉🌈

Photographed on March 25, 2014. Yesterday I went to see the homarezakura (Homare cherry blossoms) along the Shingashi River. Before visiting Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I took a break at Starbucks Kanetsuki‑dōri Store. I had an oat milk latte and a strawberry doughnut.

Ongoing events through Golden Week‼ ① Ongoing until supplies last Ihama margaret picking https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-event-entry&event=91181&cat=18736&type=event... ② Ongoing until around May 5 Strawberry picking https://www.instagram.com/babyberry_farm/... ③ March 28–April 5 Yuigahama cherry blossom tour http://www.the-surface.com/event.html#sakura... ④ April 1–May 5 Bamboo shoot picking and the takeno‑ko eatery opens http://takenokomura.com// ⑤ April 3 Irozaki Gongen Festival https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-event-entry&event=3725&cat=18736&type=event... ⑥ April 18 and 19 Va'a Japan 4th Japan Cup in Minami‑Izu https://www.vaajapan.com/2026-japan-nationals... ⑦ April 29 Lead-horse riding experience day https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-event-entry&event=7746&cat=18736&type=event... Spring in Minami‑Izu features both Somei-yoshino and mountain cherry blossoms, and it also offers abundant sea- and mountain-based nature experiences, so it’s surprisingly hot (exciting) just for that‼ Events across Minami-Izu Town! https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-eventlist&eventlist=18736...

Photographed on March 24, 2014. This is Homarezakura by the Shingashi River behind Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. The cherry blossoms were about 30% in bloom.

Photographed on March 1, 2014. This is the hana-temizu (decorative floral water basin) at the omikuji distribution counter of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

I relaxed at Starbucks Kanetsuki‑dōri Store before going to see the Homarezakura cherry blossoms along the Shingashi River. I had an oat milk latte and a vanilla old‑fashioned doughnut.

Photographed on March 21, 2014. A wooden Buddhist statue exhibition was on display in the main hall of Chu-in. From the left: the Eleven-Faced Kannon, an Eleven-Faced Kannon bodhisattva statue, and the Chuguji bodhisattva.

Photographed on March 21, 2014. This is the hanachōzu (flower water basin) at Nakanoin.

Photographed on March 21, 2014. These are the weeping cherry tree and mimosa at Nakanoin. I tried again.

Event Announcement📣 On Saturday, March 28, the festival where children and adults alike can shine, “Tokachikarapute,” will be held 😊 This time’s theme is “Discovering the Future”🎵 From children’s dance performances and a kids’ festival with games and candy tossing to a wide variety of hands-on booths, heart-and-body healing corners, stage events, and a grand lottery, the event is packed with attractions😍 Come deepen your interests through many different experiences🤗 📍Date and Time: Saturday, March 28, 2026, 11:00–17:00 📍Venue: Tokachi Plaza, 1st Floor 🔶Hands-on Corners ・Cooking observation & experience・Model experience・Nurse experience・Rehabilitation experience・Hand massage experience・Sign language experience 🔶Kids’ Festival Booths ・Shooting gallery・Animal basketball・Bowling・Ring toss 🔶Heart and Body Healing Corner ・Verde・Bi-Leave・HopefulLight・Shinraku Shoku Musubi Kiki・Grandma House Riki ・Shuccho Atama Hogushi more・Murachika・Tetoteto・TeFu, a hidden salon・Tokachi Milk Peace ・Knitting Granny・Total Beauty KUSU♡KUSU・Kato Massage Clinic・KiDoAiraku ・Hand Massage Kanan・Chou Momi, Nou Momi Yuwa YUIWA 🔶Food Stalls ・Takoyaki・French fries・Frankfurters・Chocolate bananas・Tabekko Animal pancakes・Onigiri (rice balls) 🔶Stage Events＊ 11:00–11:10 Opening Ceremony 11:30–12:00 Otofuke Baton 12:40–13:00 Obihiro Rhythmic Gymnastics 13:15–13:30 True-or-False Game 13:30–13:45 Candy Toss 14:00–14:30 Yotsuba Dance 14:45–16:15 JOYFIT Dance 16:30–17:00 Lottery 📞Contact: Tokachikarapute Executive Committee TEL:080-5584-4222 https://tokachibare.jp/event/xo_event-23120/...

Delivered by the guides at Reihoku Town Tourist Information Center! Reihoku fishing seasonal update 🎣 Here are the fish you can catch in Reihoku’s waters at this time of year! Black sea bream (kurodai/chinu), mullet, squid, and more… Reihoku’s sea offers memories to last a lifetime for beginners and veterans alike. Amakusa and Reihoku are great not only in summer but in winter too. Come and visit!

Photographed on March 21, 2014. These are the weeping cherry trees at Temple.

Photographed on March 21, 2014. The cherry blossoms at Nakain were in full bloom. 🌸

Photographed on March 21, 2014. The cherry blossoms at Senba Toshogu Shrine are also in full bloom. 🌸