Location: Higashi-Chichibu Village Thoughts when shooting Invited by the cheerfulness, we drove around Higashi-Chichibu Village. I was surprised, "What the hell was there in such a place!?", so I parked the car and clicked the shutter many times. The scenery of the mountain villa surrounded by peach blossoms is truly Shangri-La in Japan!

Location: Okutama Thoughts when shooting Imagining what life would be like in this place, I involuntarily clicked the shutter. It was like entering the world of the sunset on 3-chome.

Location: Scenery found on the way to the old road in Okutama Town Thoughts when shooting: I felt like I had traveled back in time, and I couldn't help but feel nostalgic

Kanagawa’s 100 Famous Local Products [Crafts] "Kanagawa’s 100 Famous Local Products" is a selection made by Kanagawa Prefecture to promote its tourist appeal both within and beyond the prefecture and to contribute to tourism development. From crafts, processed foods, and agricultural, forestry, and fishery products nurtured by Kanagawa’s traditions and natural environment, the prefecture selects items recommended by residents and various organizations. The first selection took place in fiscal 1985, and a re-selection was conducted in fiscal 2006. More than ten years have passed since the last selection, and as visitor needs have changed, a new "Kanagawa’s 100 Famous Local Products" has now been chosen. We have added attractive items that appeal to inbound tourists as well as locally popular specialty foods, and we will widely promote these as important resources for showcasing Kanagawa’s charm. Yokosuka Sukajan Yokosuka City Craft A jumper originating on Dobuita Street. It is characterized by flashy embroidery inspired by Japanese motifs such as eagles, tigers, and dragons. Here is the basic information for this product Where to buy this product MIKASA An established sukajan shop founded in 1952 Address: 2-7 Honcho, Yokosuka City Phone: 046-823-0312 Prince Shokai A specialist sukajan shop on Dobuita Street Address: 2-4 Honcho, Yokosuka City Phone: 046-822-3907

Jade Prefecture Koshigaya City Katori Shrine The sound of cool wind chimes There were many wind chimes in the precincts, and I felt summer ✨

品川区 蛇窪神社, Tokyo Hanachozu ✨ shining in the quiet precincts The combination of crystals and flowers was beautiful and I was fascinated.

Kamakura Thirteen Buddhas Pilgrimage Executive Committee】 13th Edition (2024) Ume Kamakura Special Visits (Notice) From Wednesday, February 14, 2024 to Wednesday, March 27, 2024, special visits will be held at Kamakura’s temples and shrines: limited-entry visits by application, first-come first-served same-day registration visits (no application required), free visits (no application required), and guided Kamakura Thirteen Buddhas pilgrimage tours led by monks. Would you like to experience the unique charm of temples and shrines in early spring, with the scent of plum blossoms drifting through Kamakura? Temples and shrines marked [Application Required] may be visited only by those who applied (a participation certificate will be mailed). Please note that temples and shrines marked [Same-Day Registration] also have capacity limits. (Kaizo-ji’s special visit is a free visit and has no capacity limit.) * Applications for “special visits by application” are accepted by reply-paid postcard only. * The application deadline is eight days before each event date (the reply-paid postcard must reach the executive committee by that time). * Please refrain from contacting individual temples and shrines.

[Fujiya Hotel] Limited-time sale until Thursday, February 29: “Petite Pomme” and “Hakone Anzan Ensemble”! Fujiya Hotel has launched a limited-time sale of two collaborative items—“Petite Pomme” and “Hakone Anzan Ensemble”—created with students from Kanrei Shirayuri Gakuen High School, at the Bakery & Sweets Picot. The sale runs from Saturday, January 27, 2024, through Thursday, February 29, 2024. Supporting the school’s PBL (Project Based Learning) program, this collaboration came together through shared commitment to the initiative. Under the theme “Develop a new specialty to turn Gen Z into repeat visitors,” students and the hotel’s bakery chefs held repeated discussions. From the first meeting, it took about six months to reach the product launch. Prototype items were sold at the school festival, and, based on questionnaire feedback, the products were further refined. The students’ opinions guided improvements to the recipe, pricing, and promotional methods, shaping the final commercial breads. Please enjoy these items born from a collaboration between students with fresh, next-generation sensibilities and the reliably developed flavors Fujiya Hotel has refined over many years. [Sales location] Fujiya Hotel Bakery & Sweets Picot [Sales period] Limited time only: Saturday, January 27, 2024–Thursday, February 29, 2024 [Hours] 9:00–17:00

Yugawara Plum Grove “Ume no Utage” Festival!! Yugawara’s plum grove, considered the country’s finest and set against the majestic foot of Mt. Makuyama, a geosite, makes the most of the area’s beautiful natural setting. About 4,000 red and white plum trees bloom across Yugawara Plum Grove like a carpet of blossoms, filling the park with a faint plum fragrance. The sight of the landscape covered in red-and-white plums takes your breath away. [Event Period] Saturday, February 3 to Sunday, March 10, 2024 [Location] Makuyama Park [Admission] 200 yen (ages 15 and up; excluding junior high school students) ※Guests staying at town lodging facilities may be eligible for free admission. (Please check with your lodging facility.) ※Presenting a Yugawara Town resident card also grants free admission.

Odawara Flower Garden 2024 Gather, kimono lovers! Become a kimono-clad lady in a plum-blossom garden Easily transform with our kimono rental and dressing service. Families and friends are very welcome to join! Guests who arrive in kimono on the day will also enjoy special perks! Enjoy the region’s largest collection of plum varieties in Kanto and celebrate spring in splendid traditional Japanese attire.

Odawara Flower Garden 2024 Plum Festival ~About 300 varieties and 500 plum trees in full bloom~ The Keiryu Plum Garden is a vivid plum grove planted with about 300 varieties and 500 flowering plum trees, from early bloomers to late bloomers, boasting one of the largest selections of varieties in the Kanto region. This year’s theme is “The Shapes of Flowers — The Individual Charms Created by Petals.” We introduce the differences in flower shapes and blooming styles by variety. Please enjoy the delicate beauty of the plum blossoms. Focus on Red Plums in 2024! This year’s theme is “Red Plum — The Brilliant Flower Plum,” highlighting red-plum varieties. The difference between red plums and white plums is not the flower color but the color of the pith when the tree’s trunk is cut. This year we focus on this lesser-known way to tell them apart and on the characteristics of red plums. Enjoy the appeal of red plums through the quiz rally and informational panels installed throughout the plum garden.

Nature creates some of the astonishing wonders just like this. This huge snow wall is breathtakingly stunning. This time I visited lake shikotsu ice festival. Amazingly beautiful.

Winter superb view of Lake Okunikko Yuno in Tochigi Prefecture The surface of the lake that freezes in winter and the surface of the lake that does not freeze due to the flow of hot springs The boundaries were stunning For some reason, the snow masses that have piled up are also dusty It is a landscape that I want to leave for the future

[Yokohama Textile Promotion Association] Kanagawa Silk Fair (Notice) We look forward to welcoming you with a packed lineup of activities♪ ◆Event period: Tuesday, March 12, 2024 to Tuesday, March 19, 2024 ◆Time: 11:00–17:00 ◆Venue: Silk Center 1st floor special exhibition area Yokohama Scarf Sale Event hall B1F ◆Event details ★Scarf-tying workshop Participation fee: Free Capacity: 10 people per session [Advance registration available] Wednesday, March 13 to Monday, March 18 13:00–14:00 / 15:00–16:00 Two sessions per day We will teach simple, stylish arrangements you can use with your everyday outfits. [No scarves will be provided for loan. Please bring your own.] ★Personal color consultation Participation fee: Free About 15 minutes per person [Advance registration available] Wednesday, March 13 to Monday, March 18 11:30–14:00 / 15:00–16:30 Discovering the colors that suit you makes fashion more fun. ★Dyeing experience: Make an original scarf / Hand-print stencil dyeing set experience Participation fee: 1,500 yen (fabric fee only) [Advance registration available] Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17 11:30–14:00 / 15:00–16:30 Create an original scarf in your favorite colors while trying dyeing techniques. Hand-print experience: live demonstration of stencil dyeing. ★Silk scarf eco-bag making — Azuma-bukuro (traditional wrap bag) Participation fee: 1,000 yen (silk fabric fee only) [Advance registration available] Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17 11:30–14:00 / 15:00–16:30 Make a simple eco-bag using a silk scarf. ★Scarf grip making Participation fee: 500–1,000 yen (materials only) [Advance registration available] Saturday, March 16 and Sunday, March 17 11:30–14:00 / 15:00–16:30 Enjoy easy scarf styling using rings. ★Photo session with the 11th Yokohama Scarf Goodwill Ambassador and Naka Ward character Swingy On-the-day registration Sunday, March 17 13:30–14:00 / 15:00–15:30 ◆Registration & Inquiries Sumiyoshi-cho 1-13, Naka Ward, Yokohama City Attn: Matsumura Kabuuchi 080-1273-7804

Kanagawa Kenmin Hall C × Baroque Sea by Baroque Naoya Otsuka Invites You to the World of Baroque Vol.3 The Allure of Baroque Dances – French Court Dance and Music A five-concert series guided by one of Japan’s leading harpsichordists explores 150 years of Baroque music. For Vol.3, enjoy a special program featuring specialists in Baroque dance and early music. Date and time: Saturday, March 23, 2024, 3:00 PM start (doors open 2:30 PM) Venue: Small Hall Tickets: All seats reserved General 4,000 yen Students 24 and under, limited number 2,000 yen Inquiries: Kanagawa Kenmin Hall 045-662-5901 (main) Children who have not yet entered elementary school are not permitted to attend. Patrons arriving in wheelchairs or with assistance dogs should contact Ticket Kanagawa in advance for inquiries and reservations. Performances may be canceled or changed due to unavoidable circumstances. No entry is allowed during the performance. If you arrive late, please follow the ushers’ instructions. Program and order of pieces are subject to change.

Ikuta Ryokuchi Plum Blossoms (Notice) A few plum blossoms have opened; the usual peak viewing season runs from mid-February to early March. This year, plum blooming appears to be slightly delayed. Ikuta Ryokuchi has a plum grove, and visitors often come for a walk to enjoy the blossoms during the season. The approximately 2,500 m² grove features red and white plum varieties such as Michishirube and Fujibotan competing in beauty. [Ikuta Ryokuchi Plum Grove] Area: 2,500 m² Number of varieties: 25 (as of February 3, 2023) Number of trees: 86 Contact: 7-1-4 Masugata, Tama-ku, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa 214-0032 Inquiries: Ikuta Ryokuchi East Entrance Visitor Center Phone: 044-933-2300

I can't wait for spring. Please come and ride the flower-filled "Watarase Canyon Railway". Aren't you looking forward to spring? Let's ride the Watarase Keikoku Railway.

I went to Kujukuri Beach in early January 2024. I experienced two mornings, and I was so impressed by its beauty that I went crazy to shoot it. Is it an impression that it is only if you are a citizen of the prefecture without the sea? Ever-changing lights and colors. Is it a scene unique to winter?

We held a Setsubun event. The students made demon masks, and each one is unique! There were demons from Japan and demons from other countries. Which demon are you most afraid of?

Tokyo Asakusa! Snowy scenery of Sensoji Temple. Rare Tokyo snow, exciting!

Tokyo station🚉 Last night was a heavy snowfall that occurs ☃ only once in several years This time, I took a picture of the classic Tokyo station and snow. As it is a famous place, it was 🤣 overflowing with many photographers

Norn minakami is a flower paradise situated in Minakami, Gunma. Many daffodils and tulip blooms here. On backdrop a snow capped Japanese alps also can be seen. A really a memorable experience.

Mizugo Park in Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki Prefecture. It is a park on the banks of Kasumigaura and is rich in nature. Tsuchiura City is the No. 1 producer of lotus root in Japan! It is a landscape that I want to leave for future generations.

It is a beautiful bamboo forest in a park in Yokohama.

Isehara Flower Report 2024.02.02 Plum Blossoms - Hinata Yakushi…starting to bloom - Sports Park…in full bloom - Maruyama Castle Ruins Park…in full bloom Under a chillier sky than yesterday, the red plum blossoms are proudly in full bloom. A beautiful weeping plum tree stands in the grounds of Hinata Yakushi, and its view beside the stone lanterns is very picturesque. There is a plum grove on the back hill. Small, charming white plum blossoms are beginning to appear here and there. I found plum trees on a slope inside the Sports Park. These are vivid pink red plums. Cherry trees surround them, making this a spot full of spring blooms. At Maruyama Castle Ruins Park, plum trees that appear over three meters tall line the area. Their overlapping petals are stunning. Some people were enjoying a stroll.

Setsubun Festival Tomorrow The festival will be held at three shrines in Isehara City. ・Lower Shrine of Oyama Afuri Shrine…Only for related parties and those who applied ・Sannomiya Hibita Shrine…Koban coin toss at 10:00, 12:00, and 15:00 ・Isehara Daijingu Shrine…Bean-throwing at 15:00 Oni out—fortune in! This ritual drives away evil spirits and prays for a healthy, happy year ahead. There is a tradition that eating as many beans as your age will bring good fortune. Lively bean-throwing ceremonies take place on the grounds of the three shrines in Isehara City. People dressed as the bean-throwing hosts line up on a temporary stage and, with calls, throw lucky beans all at once. The beans are packed in small bags with lottery tickets inside, and local children eagerly scramble to collect them. At Hibita Shrine, the demon-driving ceremony is a highlight and a traditional event. By the way, if you throw beans inside the house, don’t you sometimes find a bean you missed when doing the year-end big cleaning? For details, please see the Isehara City Tourism Association website.

Collaboration between wax Ume plum and cold red Ume plum This is one photo taken at Gunma Flower Highland in Gunma Prefecture. Wax Ume plum and Ume plum are in full bloom at this time of year, and you can enjoy spring a little earlier than Kawazu cherry blossoms. The best time to see it is yet to come, so please visit it.

Kururin House Valentine♡ ~News from Kururin House inside the station~ February starts today. At Kururin House inside the station, the Kururins welcome everyone in a Valentine mood. At the 2023 Dōkan Festival, Kururin marked 10 years since debut, and March 1, the city’s founding day, is celebrated as Kururin’s birthday. Kururin, the official image character of Isehara City, has become a true symbol of the town. He wears a top made from the traditional Oyama spinning top craft on his head. The bellflower mark on Kururin’s back represents the city flower, and they say touching it brings happiness. Responding to Isehara citizens’ fondness for Kururin, the tourism association has planned and proposed various products. The lineup now includes classic Pilot ballpoint pens, notepads and other stationery, nylon eco bags, pin badges, mugs and more. Kururin goods available only in Isehara make great gifts!

Colorful icicles This is "Ashigakubo no Icicle" held in Yokose Town, Saitama Prefecture. Every year, icicles are artificially created to give them vivid colors. It is 😄 very beautiful

[Oiso Town] The 67th Oiso Saigyo Festival (Notice) At the ceremony, awards will be presented to the winners of the haiku and tanka submitted by participants, and in the afternoon we will hold haiku and tanka contests that anyone can join on the day. Date and time: Sunday, March 31, 2024, from 11:00 AM Venue: Shigitatsu-an [Program] 1. Opening remarks 2. Incense offering, tea offering, poem offerings, musical offering, ichigenkin performance, and flower offering 3. Reading of selected haiku and tanka submissions 4. Greeting 5. Guest greetings 6. Awards presentation and prize distribution 7. Closing remarks *The ceremony is planned as of now and may be subject to change.*