Gohbara-juku (Gohbara-juku) Location: Gohbara, Hirooka, Shiojiri City Gohbara-juku was the first post town on the Zenkoji Kaido after it branched from the Nakasendo at Seba-juku. It was established in Keicho 19 (1614) when Hidemasa Ogasawara, lord of Matsumoto Castle, developed the Zenkoji Kaido (the Hokuriku side route) to connect Nakasendo’s Seba-juku with the Hokkokukaido. Rather than an existing settlement becoming the post town, Gohbara’s original village lay on the east bank of the Narai River in the Ueno land division. When the post station was laid out, the settlement was moved around Genna 5 (circa 1619) to its present site together with the Kataishi hamlet, which had been on the west bank, to create the new post town. Highlights of Gohbara-juku Houses were laid out with wide frontages of five to six ken, featuring main gabled roofs with the short side facing the street and sparrow deterrents on the ridges. Each house has a forecourt with planted trees, creating an attractive streetscape, and shop names are displayed at every residence. Sōetsu Yanagi, called the father of the mingei (folk craft) movement, praised Gohbara-juku in his essays, saying the entire post town was “a single splendid work of art.” On the north side of the post town stands Gofuku-ji, which served as a resting place for Emperor Meiji during his imperial tour in Meiji 13 (1880). Read more about the Nakasendo and the five post towns in the city here↓

The pink lotus in the second photo and the white lotus in the third photo are actually the same lotus! This variety is called kosanshoku, and its buds and early blooms look pink as in the first photo, but by the third to fourth day they change from pink to white! https://www.minamiechizen.com/en/spot/19388/...

Motoyama-juku (Motoyama-juku) Location: Shiojiri City, Soga Honzan Motoyama prospered as the gateway to Kiso Road and the exit from the Matsumoto Plain. Two-story houses with latticework fronts line the streets, preserving a strong sense of the past. The town is also introduced as the birthplace of sobakiri (cut buckwheat noodles). In Keicho 19 (1614), Shiojiri, Seba, and Motoyama were designated as new post towns on the Nakasendo. Unlike Shiojiri and Seba, which were formed by relocating people from neighboring villages, Motoyama developed from a medieval settlement. It was the 32nd station counting from Edo, situated 30 cho from Seba Post Town and 2 ri from Niegawa Inn (Niegawa-juku). The post town divided into Kamimachi to the south and Shimomachi to the north, with the honjin, wakimotonjin, and dispatch office at its center. South of the town stood Hachiman Shrine, Choukyuuji, and Joukouji; to the north was Suwa Shrine, and across the Narai River lay Ikeo Shrine, though some temples were later abandoned. Because Motoyama bordered the Owari Domain in Kiso, a checkpoint was located south of the town to inspect women and timber. In Tenpo 14 (1843) the town had 117 households and 34 inns. Compared with Seba Post Town’s three-ken frontage, many houses in Motoyama had four- to five-ken facades. The town suffered several great fires, but surviving buildings date from the late Edo to Meiji periods. Facing the street, they feature hirairi degekata construction and second-floor rooms with senbon-koshi lattices, retaining much of the post town atmosphere. Notably, three residences built around the Meiji era—the Akiyama Family (Wakamatsuya), the Tanaka Family (Ikeda family), and the Kobayashi Family (Kawaguchi Family)—are registered tangible cultural properties of Japan. The honjin, Kobayashi residence, hosted Princess Kazunomiya, daughter of Emperor Ninkō, when she married Tokugawa Iemochi in Bunkyū 1 (1861), and it later accommodated the Meiji Emperor during his tour in Meiji 13. Each house still carries its traditional shop name, offering a glimpse into the past. The town’s specialty is soba. A note by Unrin in Hōei 3 (1706) in the miscellany Fūzoku Bunsen records Motoyama as the birthplace of sobakiri. Historic sites include the Motoyama Castle Ruins on a small hill behind the town, said to have been guarded by the Motoyama Minbu branch of the Kiso clan; Ike no Gongen (Ikeo Shrine), known for votive plaques for rain rituals, sericulture, and eye disease cures, whose shrine grove is a Shiojiri City natural monument; and the Shitamachi Stone Figure Group, featuring Dosojin, Koshin stone monuments, and inscribed tablets. For articles on the Nakasendo and the city’s five post towns, click here↓

I want to enter a photo contest and this is my first posted! Oishi Park on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi is the best time to visit kochia, so I went to Yamanashi Prefecture. On this day, there was a time when the moon did not rise, so I thought that I would Squid to take a picture with the starry sky, but unfortunately it was forecast to be cloudy on the day. After slowly taking a dip in the Hot Spring with a disappointing feeling, I suddenly went outside and looked up at the sky, and it was sunny! I suppressed my feeling of impatience and headed to Oishi Park by Car and was able to take a picture. The contrast between the cap clouds over Mt. Mount Fuji, the clouds reflected by the town lights, and the pleasant starry sky creates a good atmosphere, and as a result, it became a very favorite piece of the seasonal scenery and coincidence.

October 25, 2025Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture Okusohana Nature Garden Beech Forest The Autumn leaves of the Okusohana Nature Garden, where huge beech trees grow in clusters, It was a different world! Autumn leaves and yellow leaves! A walk in the yellow forest looking for a bright red color made me spend a luxurious time. It is a good memory of the ♪ trip

Hello, this is Jewelry Town! 💎 The most beautiful time of the year has arrived, when Shosenkyo Gorge is wrapped in deep, vivid colors. The red and yellow trees lining the valley stand out against the dramatic rock formations, shining like a painting created by nature. 🍁 After taking in that breathtaking view, please stop by Jewelry Town. Our shop offers popular rutilated quartz spheres and bracelets, along with other rare natural gemstones. Enjoy a special moment you can only find at Shosenkyo Gorge in autumn. As temperatures can swing widely at this time of year, please dress warmly when you visit.

October 23rd Azumino, where the Northern Alps and pastoral landscapes are beautiful Today’s clear autumn sky let us see all the way to the mountains of Hakuba! The rice ears have already been completely harvested, but delicious rice will be planted again next year.

October 23rd Azumino in autumn Today the sun felt warm during the day, and a walk with views of the Northern Alps was perfect! Be careful, as mornings and evenings are cold.

The Nakasendo and Five Post Towns within Shiojiri City Along the Nakasendo, there were 69 post towns stretching from Nihombashi in Edo to Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto. Although the Shiojiri area had more hills and slopes than the Tokaido, travelers could keep to their planned schedules because prolonged delays caused by river closures were rare. Within Shiojiri, the Nakasendo included five post towns: Shiojiri-juku, Seba-juku, Motoyama-juku, Niekawa-juku, and Narai-juku. 1. Shiojiri-juku (the 30th station from Nihombashi) Shiojiri-juku stood on the border between the Matsumoto and Suwa domains. A checkpoint called the kuchidome-bansho, which inspected rice and prohibited goods, was established there. Honjin and waki-honjin served officials on sankin-kotai, and by the late shogunate period the number of inns ranked second on the Nakasendo and first in Shinano. 2. Seba-juku (the 31st station from Nihombashi) Seba-juku lies at the fork between the Nakasendo and the Zenkoji Kaido. It hosted one of the Nakasendo’s three kanmearisho, offices that measured grain. A great fire in the early Showa era destroyed much of the post town’s appearance, but a stone lantern marking the old fork remains. 3. Motoyama-juku (the 32nd station from Nihombashi) Said to be the birthplace of soba-kiri noodles, Motoyama-juku prospered as the gateway to Kiso and the exit of the Matsumoto Basin. Its honjin accommodated Princess Kazunomiya when she married Tokugawa Iemochi, and later served as lodgings during Emperor Meiji’s imperial tour in Meiji 13 (1880). 4. Niekawa-juku (the 33rd station from Nihombashi) Niekawa-juku marks the entrance to the eleven post towns of the Kiso Road. Niekawa Sekisho checkpoint guarded this key transport chokepoint on the Nakasendo, and the town developed through lodging services and long-distance trade. 5. Narai-juku (the 34th station from Nihombashi) Famed as “Narai Senken” with a thousand bustling shops in its heyday, Narai-juku still preserves much of its historical atmosphere and today draws many visitors as a popular tourist destination.

Like dandelion fluff. The charm of Fujikawa Town nationwide It spreads 🌼 softly

Cosmos blooming in a fallow rice field The Northern Alps are turning color, and Azumino has grown chilly in the mornings and evenings.

🌻 Tsunan Sunflower Square 🌻 Surrounded by sunflowers that bloom brilliantly in midsummer, I visited because I wanted to feel "summer". It was a masterpiece with sunflowers blooming all over the place, but I 📷✨ took a picture of some of them There is also a maze of sunflowers, and it is a Spot that is sure to be photogenic! It is a place where 🌻 families, couples, and photographers can enjoy a variety of things

[Okuyama Diary Vol.73 * Akazawa Inn, the beginning of autumn] The number of days with cool air has suddenly increased Okuyamanashi is Yakawa. I was wary that there would still be hot days. However, on this day, we stayed at Akazawa Inn, which is at a high elevation. Near dusk, the temperature plummets, The signs of autumn seemed to creep up from under my feet.

[Mt. Kiritou] Mt. Kiritou rises to 1,305 meters and is a popular destination for day hikes. It sits near the middle of the Central Divide that runs east to west across Nagano Prefecture. From the summit you can take in wide views of Matsumoto, Ina, and the Suwa area, as well as the Northern and Southern Alps, MtOntake, Yatsugatake, and even MtMyoko on the far horizon. From late April into May, delicate reddish-purple okinagusa flowers greet hikers. [Hiking Routes] Mt. Kiritou has three main hiking routes, each with its own appeal. Choose the route that suits you and give Mt. Kiritou a try! 1. Shimotonishijo Course 2. Ono Course (commonly called the Kattori Course) 3. Central Divide Course Note: In winter, crampons and other cold‑weather mountaineering gear are essential. 1. Shimotonishijo Course Access by car: about 15 minutes from Shiojiri IC on the Nagano Expressway Access by train: nearest station JR Midoriko Station Parking: about 40 spaces Toilets: one men’s and one women’s toilet at Yamanokami Nature Garden Related: Yamanokami Nature Garden, okinagusa This route starts at Shimonishijo to the north of Mt. Kiritou. From the Yamanokami Nature Garden parking area it takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. From the parking area you walk along forest paths through the Nature Garden and past Tamarazu no Ike toward the trailhead, warming up your legs before the climb. 2. Ono Course (commonly called the Kattori Course) Access by car: about 20 minutes from Shiojiri IC on the Nagano Expressway Access by train: nearest station JR Ono Station Parking: about 10 spaces Toilets: temporary toilets available (closed in winter) Related: Mt. Kiritou winter sample itinerary This route starts from Ono to the south of Mt. Kiritou. The trail passes historic spots such as the Kattori Castle Ruins and a stone monument to Ontake Daigongen. It takes about 1 hour 10 minutes from the parking area, and it is the steepest of the three courses. 3. Central Divide Course Access by car: about 15 minutes from Shiojiri IC on the Nagano Expressway Access by train: nearest station JR Midoriko Station Parking: about 10 spaces Toilets: none Related: Oshibayama, nirinso (two‑leaf anemone) The trailhead lies slightly toward Shiojiri from the watershed park at Utou Pass. The route climbs via Oshibayama to Mt. Kiritou and takes about 2.5 hours. The scenery and terrain change rapidly on the way to the summit, offering a varied mountain trail. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Requests for a safe and enjoyable climb of Mt. Kiritou Please protect plants for nature conservation. Take your trash home to help protect the environment. The Mt. Kiritou area experiences frequent lightning, so monitor the weather carefully. Do not enter any prohibited areas. Never start a wildfire. Be aware of dangerous wildlife such as bears, hornets, and poison‑sumac species.

Have you seen the Minamimaki Village logo? When I first saw it, I thought, "What is this?", but this logo actually has a meaningful design. Against a backdrop featuring Yatsugatake (Mt. Akadake, Mt. Yokodake, and Mt. Ioudake), the symbol of Minamimaki Village, and a star motif representing the beautiful night sky of Nobeyama Highlands—one of Japan’s three best stargazing spots—the village name "minamimakimura" is expressed as "mmm." I find it to be a very well-crafted logo. We would be delighted if you used this mark in various situations to help promote Minamimaki Village! Anyone may freely use it as long as they follow the usage rules. However, prior approval is required for commercial sales. For details, please see below. https://www.minamimakimura.jp/main/mmmlogo.html...

The clear air and gentle breeze make for a pleasant autumn day Morning walk in Azumino In the distance you can see Mt. Fuji of Shinano

October 18th It’s a clear autumn day in Azumino A straight sunlit road stretches toward Mt. Jōnen

Yashagaike sits on the border between Minami-Echizen, Fukui Prefecture and Ibigawa, Gifu Prefecture. From a little higher up, doesn’t it look like some kind of shape? 💕 The view of Yashagaike from a short climb above the pond gives you a slightly special feeling. https://www.minamiechizen.com/en/spot/19456/...

Hello, this is the main building of Yamanashi Wine Kingdom 🍷 Now that it is mid-October, trees in sunny spots and places that cool off in the mornings and evenings are starting to change color. The unstable weather makes the progress of autumn foliage a little worrisome, but the feel of fall is certainly drawing near. And this season’s new wine has come out delicious as well! Please enjoy the fresh flavors crafted with great care. Mornings and evenings are getting chilly. When you visit, please dress warmly. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you ✨

“Kogane no Ume” is one of Minami-Echizen Town’s specialties. Because “Kogane no Ume” ripens later than other plums, it takes about one more month before it is ready to harvest. The green fruit turns yellow and fills the air with a sweet, fruity scent that makes you want to take a deep breath. They are sold at the Roadside Station Minami Echizen Sankairi during the harvest season.

🔮“Crystal Mikoshi: Autumn Leaves Dance” — Sunday, November 9, 13:00🔮 A message from Shosenkyatto, the relaxed mascot of the Shosenkyo Tourism Association ✨ 🔮Crystal Mikoshi: Autumn Leaves Dance🔮 In Shosenkyo, a giant crystal orb serves as the sacred object enshrined in a mikoshi, and on the 9th the mikoshi will parade along the Crystal Road around Senga Falls starting at 13:00🔮 Before the mikoshi is carried, you can actually touch the sacred crystal orb and make a wish! What will you wish for!? Maybe a sudden windfall of money?😆 📅 Date: Sunday, November 9, 2025 🕐 Time: 13:00–15:00 (held rain or shine) 📍 Venue: Shosenkyo, around Senga Falls, along the Crystal Road This event is unique to Shosenkyo, the birthplace of crystal! The autumn leaves are beautiful around that time, so please come by! We’ll be waiting for you in Shosenkyo!

[2025 Rokkakudo Kiriko Festival] Scene of the "Rokkakudo Kiriko Festival" on 10/13 (Monday). You can see the historical Kiriko exhibition up close. The works created over time are detailed and delicate... I am overwhelmed by the beauty that I can't believe is human work! At dusk, when the lights are lit in the Rokkakudo Hall and I see the local people praying, I hope that this scene will continue to be passed down in the future, along with the miracle that has continued for more than 300 years.

October 4, 2025 Kami-Suwa Kaido Town Walk and Sake Stroll 2025 On that day, a major event took place in Suwa: “Kami-Suwa Kaido Town Walk and Sake Stroll.” Along the route from Kami-Suwa Station, within about 1 km along National Route 20, five of Suwa’s famous breweries stand side by side, and for the event the area from Suwa 2-chome to the Motomachi traffic lights was turned into a pedestrian zone. The five breweries of Suwa proudly served their signature sake. This year, a hinoki masu (cypress sake cup) and a participant sticker worn on the left chest functioned as the festival passport, creating an event where guests could enjoy the aroma of hinoki along with fine sake. Tickets were limited to 3,000, and popularity was so high that they sold out by September 14—half a month earlier than last year. This time, foodie Kasai couldn’t make it to the site… but a staff member from the same association kindly provided photos! Local restaurants once again showcased their skills with snack stalls, and neighborhood groups offered their own stalls as well!!! Although it rained on the day, the ticket exchange at 11:00 at Suwachao was bustling. The town began to liven up ahead of the pedestrian zone opening at 12:00, and by the official start at 13:00 lines formed in front of the five breweries as people queued for their favorite labels. The opening featured greetings from the mayor of Suwa City and the head of the Chamber of Commerce, followed by the local traditional kiyari work songs, which marked the start of the Sake Stroll. Afterward, the kiyari performers walked along the Kaido, responding to requests and continuing their songs until about 17:00. From 14:00, local dance troupes energized the venue. Stall lines were huge, offering yakitori, eel, karaage and san-zoku-yaki (mountain-bandit-style fried chicken), chicken wings, game dishes, skewers, candied apples, yakisoba, and more. The food stalls were a great success. People enjoyed delicious sake and tasty local dishes. We met so many smiling faces—thank you very much. Next year, to ensure visitors are satisfied and entertained while securing understanding and cooperation from the local community, all our staff will continue working hard to keep Suwa lively and thriving. https://nomiaruki.com// https://nomiaruki.com/machiaruki-nomiaruki/...

Commemorative photo of a solo traveler A scene from Ono City, Fukui Prefecture, at Kuzuryuko Station on the JR Etsumi Kita Line. I am traveling alone using the Blue Spring 18 ticket, and as a commemoration of coming here, I took a selfie using the mirror on the platform.

Summer is almost here During the rainy season in mid-July. At this time of year, there is still no sign of people in Senrihama Beaches, Hakui City, Ishikawa Prefecture, but it There are a scene where you can feel summer soon.

Hello 🌞 This is Gen, the shop closest to Senga Falls! 😃 At Shosenkyo Gorge, the heat has eased 🍃 and the autumn breeze has finally arrived 🍂 Although Kofu Basin still has some hot days 💦 In October, Shosenkyo’s average temperature is around 19°C 🌡️, making it perfect for hiking and trekking ⛰️👟 Stroll slowly as you take in the granite cliff faces, striking rock formations, and clear streams that create what is hailed as Japan’s most beautiful gorge scenery 😊 It’s truly soothing 💖 At Gen, we also carry a selection of rare natural stones, including top-quality amethyst 💎 (kuro-murasaki suisho, black purple crystal) Please enjoy shopping 🛍️ and dining 🍴 in the Takiue Area or along the Crystal Road after your walk♪ We look forward to seeing you all 😄👋

A child who is scared when his favorite dinosaur becomes life-size! Even so, it was 😂 very cool to see them have the courage to stand up to it

My child likes dinosaurs, so I Outbound a trip to Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum in Fukui Prefecture. I was scared that my favorite dinosaur would become life-size! I took a picture 📷 of them running frantically from the dinosaurs

Cherry blossom-lined streets can be found everywhere in Minami-Echizen! We also offer bicycle rentals, so why not take a relaxed ride along the country roads? We look forward to welcoming you around April.

The ridgeline of the Northern Alps as seen from Azumino Sky Path — 'Panorama Ginza' Traverse Hike the ridgeline from Mt. Tsubakuro to Mt. Ōtenjō, enjoying views of Mt. Yari!