These are the Hashigui-iwa Rocks, a natural monument in Kushimotocho, Wakayama Prefecture. Long ago, Kobo Daishi and an amanojaku made a bet over whether they could build a bridge from Kushimoto to an offshore island before the rooster crowed. Just as Kobo Daishi had nearly finished setting the bridge’s piles, the amanojaku feared losing, imitated a rooster, and tricked Kobo Daishi into thinking morning had come. Kobo Daishi gave up and left the partly built bridge behind. That is why only the bridge’s piles are said to remain, according to the legend. What do you suppose Kobo Daishi and the amanojaku wagered? These Hashigui-iwa Rocks are also selected as one of Japan’s Top 100 Sunrises.

Jōnan-gū Shrine sits in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City. This is Jōnan-gū Shrine. A pale pink plum blossom and a fallen camellia rest on green moss. The contrast of colors is beautiful. The scene felt like a magical space, as if I were in another world. (୨୧❛ᴗ❛)📷✨🌸🌼

Untying the Threads of Sakai — A World Tour in Sakai!? 🌍 “SAKAI Gourmet EXPO” Confirmed! Gather hungry on the long weekend in March at Sakai Risho no Mori (@rishonomori)! ✨ A colorful lineup of international food trucks and tents will offer a global feast 🤤 From authentic flavors you rarely get to try to family favorites that kids and adults love, six food trucks and two tent vendors will serve up fresh, delicious dishes! 🚚💨 Enjoy the open-air setting and savor world cuisine while spending a lovely spring moment. 🌸 Tag friends and family and strategize what to eat! 👇 📅 Date: Friday, March 20 (national holiday) and Saturday, March 21 ⏰ Time: 10:00–16:00 📍 Venue: Sakai Risho no Mori ※ Exhibit lineup is subject to change 🔍 Search “Untying the Threads of Sakai 2026” for details! 🔗https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20251217133435...

Himo Tokeba Sakai: Stunning Ink Art Live Painting Performance🖌️ “ICHIGO ICHIE” by Vít Kodoušek ( @squaremotionart ), an artist who served as the Ceremonial Director for the Czech Pavilion, will be held! Using ink, he captures the atmosphere of the moment on canvas in a dynamic performance. Experience the birth of art that can only happen “here and now” up close✨ 📅 Date: Friday, March 20 to Sunday, March 22 ⏰ Times: ① 11:00 / ② 14:30 (about 25 minutes per session) 📍 Venue: Sakai Risho no Mori 💰 Admission: Free 🔍 For details, search “Himo Tokeba Sakai 2026”! 🔗https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20251217133435...

Himototakeba Sakai: Sakai Risho no Mori × Czech Pavilion <Main Hall Tea Room × Contemporary Art Tea Utensils> The masterpiece "La Traviata" turned into wagashi. A special tea gathering featuring contemporary art tea utensils 🍵✨ At the Main Hall Tea Room of Sakai Risho no Mori (@rishonomori), we will serve tea using original tea utensils created by contemporary artists that were also used at the Expo site ✨ The confection is an elegant limited fresh wagashi inspired by the Czech master Alphonse Mucha’s work "La Traviata" 👀 Enjoy a luxurious time in a serene space, savoring art with all your senses♪ "Main Hall Tea Room (each session about 60 minutes)" 📅 Dates: Friday, March 20 (national holiday) – Sunday, March 22 ※ Session times vary by day, please check carefully 📍 Location: Sakai Risho no Mori 🍵 Participation fee: ¥1,000 (includes "La Traviata" wagashi) ✅ How to apply: Reserve in advance on the Sakai Risho no Mori reservation site (each session limited to 20 people) (URL: https://reserva.be/sakairishonomori... ) ⚠️ The contemporary artists’ tea utensils are limited in number. 🎁 Special experiences available!※ See the reservation site for sessions and details. ・Tea whisking experience On designated sessions on Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd, enjoy the chance to whisk your own tea 🍵 ・Shamisen performance On a designated session on Saturday the 21st, Tsuruya Musical Instruments (@tsuruya_music_instruments) will present a shamisen performance 🪕 🔍 For more details, search for "Himototakeba Sakai 2026"! 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20251217133435...

Kumanozakura, recognized as a newly identified cherry variety It blooms earlier than Someiyoshino and has deeper color than Yamazakura Photographed in the Mine District of Kozagawacho.

Osaka Temmangu Shrine 2-1-8 Tenjinbashi, Kita-ku, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture Osaka Temmangu Shrine enshrines Sugawara no Michizane, the deity of scholarship, and is especially revered for success in exams and academic achievement. It is also believed to grant blessings for prosperous business, fulfilled love, protection from misfortune, and various other benefits.

Untie the Strings, Discover Sakai: Try Traditional Techniques! Make Wagashi Sweets 🍡 Learn authentic wagashi (nerikiri) making from Sakai’s craftsmen. Handcraft two sweets: a seasonal wagashi and one inspired by the Expo. Take your freshly made treats home with you. Why not create your own little work of art? Children are very welcome to join. 📅 Date: Friday, March 20 (national holiday), and Sunday, March 22 ⏰ Times: 1) 13:00– / 2) 14:30– (about 60 minutes per session) 👨‍🍳 Instructors: • March 20: Mr. Maeda from Sakai Hosen Kashisho • March 22: Mr. Takada from Hamasaki Souka-an Minoya 📍 Venue: Sakai Risho no Mori Lecture Room 💰 Fee: 500 yen (cash only) ✅ No reservation required (10–15 participants per session, first come first served on the day) ※ Children under 3rd grade must be accompanied by a guardian 🔍 For details, search “Untie the Strings, Discover Sakai 2026”! 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20251217133435...

🌸For a spring outing🌸 Take a leisurely tour of Sakai’s old highways and relax at Kokoan with views of the Mausoleum of Emperor Hanzei🍵 How about a stroll around Sakai’s old highways during cherry blossom season?🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️🚶 A sightseeing volunteer guide accompanies the tour, so you’ll learn many new things✨ After the walk, unwind at Kokoan next to Hochigai Shrine⛩️ with sweets and tea🍡🍵 Enjoy a tranquil time in a lovely location overlooking the Mausoleum of Emperor Hanzei😌 Discover the charms of nearby Sakai you might not know, together with the cherry blossoms🌸 *Photo of the cherry blossoms at the Former Kosenji Temple Akai Site: taken on March 29, 2025* 📅 Date and time: Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Meet at 9:50 or 12:50. Reservations required at least three days in advance 💰 Fee: 4,000 yen (includes Kokoan voucher) 📍 Meeting place: Sakai City Hall 21st-floor observation lobby *On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays one person may join. From Monday to Thursday we accept requests for groups of two or more.* 🔍For details, search “Sakai old highway tour” https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/tourism/detail/201...

#Himotokeba Sakai \/ Miyakumyaku Comes to Sakai🔵🔴 Himotokeba Sakai 2026 ~OSAKA SAKAI EXPO~ Miyakumyaku Photo Session in Sakai Confirmed! A chance to take photos and videos together🌟 Relive the excitement of the Osaka-Kansai Expo in Sakai once more! 🗓️Date & Location: Friday, March 20 @ Inside Daisen Park Saturday, March 21 @ Sakai Risho no Mori, Lecture Room, 2nd Floor ⏰Times: ①11:00 / ②13:30 / ③16:00 (30 minutes each) 💰Free ✅Advance lottery system; application period: Tuesday, March 10, 10:00 – Monday, March 16, 10:00 ※Winners will be notified by email on Wednesday, March 17. 🔍Search for "Himotokeba Sakai 2026" for details! 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20260227145543...

Himeji Castle is justly famous and sees visitors from around the world. But for many, Himeji is a short trip from Osaka or elsewhere, and no sooner have they seen the castle than visitors head right back to the station. In a way, Himeji is a victim of its own success in designing around the castle, with it being directly in view the second visitors step out of the station, and the castle being so famous that it overshadows everything else the city has to offer. Well, that's fair. Koko-en garden and Engyo-j on Mt. Shosha are also well worth your time, but for someone who would only like to focus on the castle, there is one minor detour I would recommend, and that is the Senhime Trail. Directly running along the moat of Himeji Castle itself, it is surrounded on both sides by water, with excellent seasonal tree foliage at any time of year. The path is named after Princess Senhime, the granddaughter of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who lived at Himeji Castle in the early Edo period. Strangely, just a fraction of those who wish to see the castle go here and so it is not a very busy trail. It feels much more quiet and peaceful than the main castle approach, and shops and crowds give way to maple trees, waterfowl, and reflections of the castle in the water. Best of all, in light of Himeji Castle fees being newly raised for visitors, the trail is completely free! It is a hidden gem beautiful and well worth the time in any season, but especially spring or fall. For those with time to enjoy beauty, I highly recommend making a stroll of it before turning back to Himeji Station.

＼👧All children enter free👦／ From Wednesday, March 25 to Tuesday, March 31, for seven days, Noah Dolphin Dome celebrates its first anniversary by offering free admission for children (ages 4 through elementary school)🎊 We have many other special anniversary programs lined up just for the occasion📢 Of course, our regular animal-interaction programs will run as usual! Make wonderful spring memories at Noah Dolphin Dome…🌸 Admission fees ◯ Regular rates Adult (junior high school and older): ¥1210 Child (ages 4 through elementary school): ¥770 ◯ Night time (entry from 17:00) Adult (junior high school and older): ¥770 Child (ages 4 through elementary school): ¥550 *Children aged 3 and under are free all day* Opening hours 10:00–20:00 (last entry 19:30) Parking None (please use nearby coin-operated parking; no partner parking available) 🔍 Search for "Noah Dolphin Dome" for details! 🔗 Website: https://www.dolphindome.jp//

A plum grove in Katsuragicho, Wakayama Prefecture, is planted on the slope of a hill. Unlike the plum groves in the Kinan Region, nets are not set up to catch the fruit at harvest. I believe the mountain visible beyond the grove is Mount Izumi Katsuragi.

Tsukigase Plum Valley Ume Festival Now ongoing! Thanks to the cold weather, the plum blossoms are likely to last longer✨ The area around Lakeside Village Tsukigase is at its best, too✨ Photo courtesy of yasunori okamoto

Himeji

Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival Now underway! At its peak♪ Please come and visit! This Sunday looks like it will be busy again. Saturday, which we worried about weather-wise, looks fine✨ Photo courtesy of Yasunori Okamoto

Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival Now underway! At its peak♪ Please come during a quiet weekday moment! It looks like this Sunday will be crowded again. The weather is a concern, but visitors who come on Saturday will likely be able to enjoy it more leisurely✨ Photo credit: Yasunori Okamoto

Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival Now on! At peak bloom♪ Please come during a calm weekday time! On the hill opposite the Plum Museum stands a splendid weeping plum tree✨ Photo courtesy: Yasuki Okamoto

#Untie the Ribbon Sakai 2026 MI-TE Sakai × Singapore Pavilion Enjoy a special moment tasting the lingering excitement of the expo along with a spectacular 80 m high view 🍵 At Sakai City Hall’s 21st floor MI-TE Sakai, the Singapore Pavilion (@visit_singaporejp) brings the wildly popular limited wagashi (Japanese confections) from Saikai Housen Confectionery (takamotimoti)! We will offer an adorable confection shaped like the official mascot Marley, a treat you can only find here 🦁🇸🇬 Plus, on Sunday the 22nd… Shamisen performances by Tsuruya Musical Instruments (@suruya_music_instruments) will also be held ✨ Relax and enjoy a luxurious time with a panoramic view overlooking the Tomb of Emperor Nintoku♪ 📅 Date and time: Friday, March 20th (national holiday) to Sunday, March 22nd, 10:00–16:00 📍 Location: MI-TE Sakai (21st-floor observation lobby, Sakai City Hall) 🍵 Participation fee: ¥800 (includes Marley wagashi) ✅ No reservation required (first-come, first-served on the day) 🪕 Shamisen performances: Sunday the 22nd at 11:30 / 13:30 / 15:30 🔍 For details, search “Untie the Ribbon Sakai 2026”! 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20251217133435...

#Himo Tokeba Sakai Sakai City Teahouse Shin-an × Jordan Pavilion The sensibility of contemporary art and desert landscapes mingle in a historic teahouse🍵🏜️ At Sakai City Teahouse Shin-an, a limited wagashi confection made by Okashitsukasa Tenjinmochi ( @tenjinmochi ) served at a tea gathering hosted by the Jordan Pavilion ( @visitjordan ) makes its debut!🍡 Enjoy a dreamlike sweet inspired by desert spaces with special contemporary-artist tea utensils that were used at the Expo🌌 Plus, on Friday the 20th (national holiday)… There will also be a shamisen performance by Tsuruya Musical Instruments ( @tsuruya_music_instruments )✨ Spend a luxurious moment amid the atmosphere of the nationally registered tangible cultural property Shin-an♪ 📅 Date and time: Friday, March 20 (national holiday) and Saturday, March 21 📍 Location: Sakai City Teahouse Shin-an 🍵 Admission: 1,000 yen (includes wagashi themed on a desert space) ※cash only ✅ No reservation required (15 seats per session, first-come, first-served) ⏰ Zashiki tea service times: 10:00 / 11:00 / 12:30 / 13:30 / 14:15 🪕 Shamisen performances: 20th (Fri, national holiday) 10:00 / 12:30 / 14:15 ⚠️ The contemporary-artist tea utensils are limited in number. 🔍 For details, search “Himo Tokeba Sakai 2026”! 🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/news/detail/20251217133435...

Expo '70 Commemorative Park Myakumyaku Senri Banpaku Park, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture Two Myakumyaku monuments, the official mascot of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, have been relocated to Expo '70 Commemorative Park and are now on display. 📍 Exhibition Location and Period Location Inside Expo '70 Commemorative Park, near the Tower of the Sun Two figures named "Irasshai" and "Wakuwaku" (literally "Welcome" and "Excitement") Period From February 21 to the end of May 2026

National Museum of Ethnology Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, senri banpaku park The National Museum of Ethnology (commonly known as Minpaku) was established in 1974 as a joint university research institute for cultural anthropology and ethnology, and it opened in 1977 on the site of Expo Memorial Park in Senri, Osaka. As one of the world’s largest ethnology museums, it integrates research in cultural anthropology and ethnology with museum activities. The National Museum of Ethnology holds some 345,000 items—everyday tools, traditional clothing, and more—collected by researchers from around the world. Its exhibitions are organized into nine regional displays covering the globe, alongside cross-cultural exhibits on music and language.

Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival Now underway! More areas are coming into full bloom♪ Please come and visit! Photo credit: Yasunori Okamoto

📣 "Himo Toke ba" Sakai Cycle Stroll will take place 🚲 Explore the moated area and other spots by bike using the limited "Himo Toke ba Sakai 2026 Stamp Passport" ✨ 🚩Meet the conditions and receive a "Myaku Myaku × Haniwa Chief collaboration pin badge" as a later gift! 🎁 📅 Date and time: Sunday, March 15, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 📬 Applications: Until Tuesday, March 10 🔍 For details, search for "Himo Toke ba Sakai Cycle Stroll"! 🔗 https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/kurashi/doro/jitensha/sansou/himotokebasakaisansou.html...

Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival Now ongoing! More areas are coming into full bloom♪ Please come and visit! Photo credit::Mr. Yasuki Okamoto

Our popular “Morning Yoga at the Temple” Rental mats for the session on Sunday, March 8 are now down to only 2 slots left! 🧘‍♀️✨ Spend a luxurious, quiet moment in the main hall of Myohoji Temple, listening to your own breath. After balancing body and mind with yoga, the deputy chief priest will offer ・a gentle, warming morning rice porridge that’s kind to the body 🥣 ・relaxing matcha and wagashi (Japanese sweets) 🍵🍡 as a special treat. “I’ve been feeling unusually tired lately…” “I want to reset my body and mind for spring” This is the perfect pampering plan for those feelings. Only 2 slots remain with rental mats included—first come, first served! Hurry up 💨 📅 Date and time: Sunday, March 8 — Gather at 8:20 AM 📍 Venue: Myohoji Temple (4-1-3 Nakanocho Higashi, Sakai Ward) 💰 Fee: 5,000 yen (rental mat +100 yen) 🔍 For details, search “Sakai Morning Yoga” https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/tourism/detail/173...

📣 Exhibition of works by artist Aju! ✨ We will display works by Aju, an artist living in Sakai City who designed the mural inside the Lawson Cafe at the Osaka–Kansai Expo venue, in Gallery Yanagi 2 at Sakai City Museum. 🗓️ Thursday, February 26 – Sunday, March 1 ⏰ 10:00 AM–5:00 PM 📍 Sakai City Museum, Gallery Yanagi 2 💰 Free admission 🔍 For details, search “Sakai City Aju exhibition”! 🔗https://www.city.sakai.lg.jp/kanko/bunka/art_kanrenjigyo/expo_legacy/artist_tenzi.html...

Good morning ☀ This morning in Tsukigase Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival Now on! In full bloom! February 14, 2026 – March 29, 2026 Photo: Yasuki Okamoto

Daiichi Nagisa Park at Lake Biwa, where early-blooming rapeseed flowers blossom. The contrast between the white snow and the yellow flowers is striking.

Today I visited Tsukigase Plum Grove in Tsukigase, Nara City, Nara Prefecture. The plum trees were about three to five percent in bloom.