Behind Kōgen Shrine, located along the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route's Nakahechi course, you can see a large camphor tree with a trunk circumference of over 6 meters, as well as a cluster of ebine orchids. Take your time to enjoy the Kumano Kodo while reflecting on the ancient people.

——— Floating Island in the Sky This was captured by aerial photography along with the sky reflected on the water's surface. Hinocho, Shiga Prefecture, Hino River Dam Ukishima April 2026 *Contact with the management office has been confirmed *Comprehensive flight permission for unmanned aircraft obtained from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism *Flight plan notification and flight log creation

This is a waterway (Lake Biwa Canal) constructed during the Meiji era to draw water from Lake Biwa in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture, to Kyoto. It has been designated as a national historic site.

The cherry blossom tree-lined path planted around Tōkōike at the Karako-Kagi Site from the Yayoi period in Nara may not have been seen 2000 years ago, but it offers a landscape that evokes the atmosphere of that time.

Ooiwa Slope, Dam Park Oiwa Observation Square Kissa Ooiwa Address reference: 82 Oiwa, Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture On a clear day, you can see Kansai International Airport from the observation deck! There is a parking lot for cars, as well as spaces for motorcycles and bicycles. There are covered benches and regular benches available. There are also nice and clean restrooms. Why not stop by while cycling or driving?

Aigawa Dam Aigawa Dam Management Office Seiho-chiuchi, Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture Aigawa Dam Management Office from 11:30 AM to 4:30 PM Restroom available at the management office Dam card automatic vending machine in front of the management office, available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year Kaze no Oka Zone: 56 parking spaces (including 2 for disabled users) Aigawa Dam Management Office: 9 parking spaces (including 1 for disabled users) Fee: Free After more than thirty years since the project began in 1988, completion is aimed for 2022 Aigawa Dam in March 2021 Aigawa Dam is a rock-fill dam constructed on the Aigawa River, which is part of the Yodo River system. A rock-fill dam is built by piling up rocks and soil, and its appearance and structure are quite different from that of a concrete gravity dam. Aigawa Dam also has the appearance of stones stacked on a slope. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, the total project cost for the construction of Aigawa Dam is approximately 131.4 billion yen (verification materials), while other sources estimate it at around 135.6 to 153.6 billion yen.

Dam Park Ibarakita 53-1 Oaza Namihoko, Ibaraki City, Osaka Prefecture Parking: 100 yen for regular cars per 30 minutes (maximum 600 yen during the day) Temporary parking: Free Peak crowded periods Golden Week (late April to early May) Summer vacation period (late July to August) Silver Week (mid-September) The middle day of a three-day weekend Weekends and holidays A nature-rich park located around Aigawa Dam in the northern area of Ibaraki City (commonly known as Ibarakita). It features a dog run, facilities for markets and cooking, a park center, event plaza, outdoor stage, and open spaces. At the activity park "GRAVITATE OSAKA," visitors can enjoy views of Aigawa Dam from the pedestrian-only suspension bridge "GODA BRIDGE," which is approximately 420 meters long. Throughout the year, various events are held that allow visitors to enjoy nature, with activities suitable for children. Dam Park Ibarakita regularly hosts food trucks. Bringing your own bento is allowed Vending machines are available on-site. While drinks can be purchased, food sales may be limited, so bringing your own is recommended. Pets are allowed in the park. However, outside the dog run, pets must be on a leash that the owner can control (approximately 2 meters in length). It is prohibited to leave pet waste unattended.

Expo Memorial Park Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, Senri Expo Park Adults (high school students and above) 450 yen, children free. *Revised from April 1, 2026 Must-See Attractions Tower of the Sun and Interior Tour The symbol "Tower of the Sun" created by Taro Okamoto is the face of the park. Not only can you admire its exterior, but there is also an interior tour available by reservation, allowing visitors to experience a powerful space that recreates the exhibitions from the Expo era. Japanese-style Garden This authentic strolling garden was developed for the 1970 Expo, featuring ponds, tea houses, and waterfalls scattered throughout, where visitors can enjoy seasonal flowers and autumn foliage. This area is detailed as a "highlight of the Japanese-style garden" by the park's official introduction.

Aerial footage was taken of the lower thousand cherry trees at Mount Yoshino. Yoshino Mountain, Yoshino Town, Nara Prefecture April 2026 *Obtained comprehensive flight permission for unmanned aerial vehicles from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism *Flight plan notification and flight log creation.

I visited Osaka Prefecture and Expo Commemoration Park. The cherry blossoms, canola flowers, and tulips in the Japanese-style garden against the blue sky were beautiful in spring colors, and everyone visiting seemed to be having a great time. The Tower of the Sun also shouted, 'Art is an explosion!' (I don't really know though...)

The Mongolian Folk Museum, with its larger-than-life mounted Mongol Warrior outside, is one of the surprises of the Sea of Japan coast. Inside, visitors can go inside yurts that accurately recreate nomadic life, see a variety of historical artifacts, and even try on Mongolian folk clothing inspired costumes. It is fun to have your picture taken wearing exotic and luxurious feeling clothing, and the pictures make for good memories! Hands-on activities, such as playing nomad instruments, are also available. Children may especially enjoy crafting a toy sheep out of Mongolian wool. They look like adorable little puffs! A reading corner featuring children's books with a Mongolian setting is also available. Adults may get more enjoyment out of the displays of weapons and historical insights, but there are cute crafts available as souvenirs that anyone can enjoy. Interestingly, the museum also has a look at the region's own local history, offering insight into daily life for the average resident, as well as a broader look at the region's history as a hub of silk manufacturing and its subsequent decline. The collapse of the silk industry and the attendant emigration from the Sea of Japan coast is a seldom-told story, and finding it in a Mongolian Folk History Museum is a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.

The Great Cherry Blossom Buddha at Tsubosaka-dera Temple It was a day of on-and-off rain, but I enjoyed the cherry trees in full bloom. The cherry blossoms looked beautiful lit up at night. At Tsubosaka-dera Temple, there was a temporary observation platform—apparently only for this season—that let visitors enjoy views of the Cherry Blossom Buddha. I’m grateful for it. This year, the parking lot required a full reservation in advance.

I gave up on the famous cherry blossom spot a ten-minute drive away because its parking lot was full, so I took photos along an ordinary roadside on the way back home. In Japan, spring means cherry trees line the streets everywhere, not just at famous sites.

🌈A music event at Daisen Park will take place 🎤 Many food trucks and more will be on site✨ 〈World Heritage Mozu Tombs DAISEN MUSIC FESTIVAL〉 Saturday, April 18, 2026 — DANCE & LIVE lineup Sunday, April 19, 2026 — ARTIST LIVE lineup ⏰11:00 (OPEN) to 19:00 (CLOSE) 📍Large Lawn, Daisen Park (2 Mozu Sekiun‑chō, Sakai Ward, Sakai City) 💰Free admission (some food and drinks charged) For details ➡ @daisen_music_festival

The cherry blossoms on the Hirasogen Plain in Shirahamacho, Wakayama Prefecture are in full bloom. The full moonlight revealed the blossoms, making them appear to float.

From Saturday, April 4th✨ Special Exhibition “Life with Mucha”🌈 Focusing on the home, the most familiar space, this exhibition shows how Mucha turned everyday domestic moments into something special. Please enjoy the world of Mucha’s beauty breathing through daily life🌸 Dates and Hours: Saturday, April 4th – Sunday, July 26th, 9:30 AM–5:15 PM (last admission 4:30 PM) 📍Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum (sakai municipal cultural hall) (@sakai_alphonse_mucha_museum ) 🔍Search “Sakai Alphonse Mucha Museum” for more details! 🔗 https://mucha.sakai-bunshin.com/event/mucha2026ex1/... https://mucha.sakai-bunshin.com/event/mucha2026ex1/...

https://www.sakaihamono.or.jp/matsuri/index.html... Sakai Knife Festival 2026 is coming🔪✨🌸 Two days to experience traditional craftsmanship❕ Exhibitions and direct sales of kitchen knives and gardening shears, sharpening services, traditional forging demonstrations and signature engraving by artisans, and many must-see highlights👀 🍎 We will also hold an apple-peeling contest and cooking shows🍳🥬 With a kids’ plaza and the Sakai Hare-no-Hi Marche, there are plenty of activities for both adults and children to enjoy🍞🍿 📅 Date and time: Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12, 10:00–16:00 📍 Venue: Sakai City Industrial Promotion Center Event Hall 🎫 Free admission ※ Parking is limited, and the parking lot and surrounding roads will be crowded, so please use public transportation if possible🚉 🔍 For details, search “Sakai Knife Festival”！ 🔗 [Official site URL] https://www.sakaihamono.or.jp/matsuri/index.html...

Near Chikatsuyu Oji Shrine on the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route stands the Naganose Family, whose lineage dates back to the Nanboku-chō period. In the old family garden there is a weeping cherry tree that the 19th head of the family, Rokuro Kasamori Nonagase, brought from Gion in Kyoto and planted in April 1747. It rained this morning, but I photographed the tree, which is now about 60–70 percent in bloom. If you walk the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Course, be sure to see this magnificent weeping cherry. I think it will probably be in full bloom around this weekend.

Expo Memorial Park Senri Banpaku Park, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture Tower of the Sun The park’s symbol, designed by the artist Taro Okamoto. The interior of the Tower of the Sun has been open to the public since March 19, 2018, and visits are still possible now (reservations recommended). Natural and Cultural Gardens · Japanese-style garden Enjoy seasonal flowers throughout the year. A free public Wi‑Fi service, Osaka Free Wi‑Fi, is available. Expo '70 Pavilion Exhibits materials from the 1970 Osaka Expo. National Museum of Ethnology (Minpaku) A research institute for ethnology and cultural anthropology. It exhibits and opens information on the societies and cultures of peoples around the world. The Japan Folk Crafts Museum, Osaka A facility that inherited the Japan Folk Crafts Museum exhibited at the Japan World Exposition. It displays crafts such as ceramics and textiles from Japan and abroad. State Guest House During the Japan World Exposition it served to entertain distinguished guests. It is now used for various meetings, banquets, and exhibitions.

Awaji Hanasajiki on Awaji Island. Golden rapeseed flowers, the blue Osaka Bay, and a slightly hazy sky. It's already a spring landscape.

“Petals Drift on a Spring Voyage” Fushimi, Kyoto, Ujikawa River Diversion Canal. As petals scatter across the emerald-green surface, a Jikkokubune boat moves slowly. Passengers in kimono gaze at the spring scenery while cherry branches arch over the boat, creating a spring scene unique to Fushimi.

"Spring River, Boats Drifting" Fushimi, Kyoto — a tributary of the Uji River. As cherry trees bloom to cover the water with a canopy of blossoms, a jukkoku-bune (traditional flat-bottomed boat) glides slowly along. On the banks, people savor spring in their own ways, and lantern-lit boats sway as they slip quietly into a tunnel of flowers.

“Cherry Blossoms and Rapeseed Flowers: A Spring Duel” Fushimi in Kyoto, the Uji River branch. Full-bloom cherry trees arch overhead while bright yellow rapeseed flowers flourish at your feet, their colors competing vividly. Beyond the clear blue canal, the boarding point for the Jukkoku-bune boats sits quietly, and the tunnel of cherry blossoms continued into the spring light.

“Sakura Corridor, Spring River” Kyoto – Fushimi, the Uji River branch. Cherry trees in full bloom lean over from both banks and stretch their branches toward the water, forming a pale pink corridor. New willow leaves tremble in the spring breeze as a person in kimono pauses quietly. Boats called jukkoku-bune ply this canal, filling it with the essence of Kyoto’s spring.

"A Sanctuary Perfumed with Plum Blossoms" Kitano Tenmangu, Kyoto. Amid the moss‑covered branches of an ancient plum tree, red and white flowers vie for attention as shrine priests in white robes move quietly through the grounds. The plum trees loved by Sugawara no Michizane, the kami of scholarship, once again color the precincts this year, standing dignified and fragrant even under a cloudy sky.

“An Afternoon in the Plum Garden” The plum garden at Suishinin Temple in Kyoto. On a spring afternoon, bright red field umbrellas glow against the scene as fully bloomed red plums spread their branches toward the blue sky. At the ancient temple associated with Ono no Komachi, spring has returned unchanged again this year. The backs of people holding parasols quietly blend into this gentle moment.

“Plum Reflections of Silence” — Spring at Umegomiya Taisha Shrine’s Sacred Garden — In the sacred garden of Umegomiya Taisha Shrine, an ancient stone bridge stands quietly over the pond as blooming plum trees melt into the water’s surface. Pink and purple blossoms sway in the reflective water, where the springtime of Kyo gently comes to life.

🌷Special Exhibition “Memories of the Showa Era”🌷 ✨Celebrate 100 years of Showa by feeling Showa-era Sakai!!🌟 🌷Enjoy the special exhibition “Memories of the Showa Era” and the Museum Restart Thanks Event!!🌷 🌸Take a time slip to the Showa era in Sakai and savor spring with a packed schedule of events! 📅 Exhibition Period: April 1 (Wednesday) – June 14 (Sunday), 9:30–17:15 (last admission at 16:30) The Thanks Event runs April 1 (Wednesday)–April 5 (Sunday) 📍 Location: Sakai City Museum in Daisen Park 🔍 For details, search “Sakai City Museum”! 🔗 https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/kanko/hakubutsukan/exhibition/kikaku_tokubetsu/... syowakioku.html

📣 World Heritage Balloon Shuttle Bus Service Begins! 🚌✨ 📍Free sightseeing bus touring Sakai, the World Heritage town with a gas balloon 🎉 From Friday, March 20, you can easily hop between Daisen Park, where a gas balloon offers sweeping views of the Mozu Kofun Group World Heritage site, Sakai Risho no Mori, which exhibits items related to Sen no Rikyu and Akiko Yosano, and Old Sakai Port, a famous sunset spot! 👀 Make sightseeing in Sakai freer and more comfortable. Please take advantage of this service💕 ■ Service period: Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays from March 20, 2026 to March 31, 2027 ■ Operating hours: 9:00–18:00 (about one round trip per hour, eight trips per day) ■ Stops: ① Sakai Old Port Porto Mare (Dorsett by Agora Osaka Sakai) ② Sakai Risho no Mori ③ Mozu Kofun Group Visitor Center ■ Fare: Free From March 20 to 22, the loop-style event Himo Tokeba Sakai 2026 – OSAKA SAKAI EXPO – will be held, letting you experience the charms of Sakai. On the 20th, MYAKU-MYAKU will also appear in Daisen Park. Why not ride the shuttle bus and easily visit experience programs, gourmet food, and the stamp rally? 🚩 For information about Himo Tokeba Sakai, visit this URL 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20251217133435... 🔍 For details, search for "World Heritage Balloon Shuttle Bus"! 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/feature/detail/106...

From Hirakiso Plateau, a popular resting spot for Shirahamacho residents, you can see the Milky Way; the large red star is Antares in Scorpius. Its diameter is about 700 to 800 times that of the Sun, and it lies roughly 550 to 600 light-years from Earth. That means the light we see now left the star 550 to 600 years ago. Hirakiso Plateau is dotted with many cherry trees, and soon it will bustle with crowds enjoying the blossoms.