[Isehara Flower Report] 2026.03.03
We report on the flowering conditions around Isehara City.
Okame cherry blossoms along Ōyama New Road are at their best.
Soft pink blooms line the roadside, hinting at the arrival of spring.
In Maruyama Castle Ruins Park, a few almond flowers were seen in bloom, but
many buds remain. We look forward to further flowering.

Photographed on March 1, 2014.
I went to see the Nakamachi Tourist Information Center exhibition “Kai-awase and Hina Doll Tour.”
Today is the Doll Festival. 🎎

#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

Photographed on February 15, 2014.
This is Hanatetsu's hanachōzu (flower hand-washing basin).

On Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7, we from Reihoku will also exhibit at the “Kikuchi City and Reihoku Joint Product Fair in Fukuoka (Budoubatake),” held at the agricultural products direct sales shop Budoubatake in Minami Ward, Fukuoka City.

The seasonal best of Reihoku’s sea and mountains comes together in Fukuoka!
On the day, we will offer many of Reihoku’s proud specialty products.

🎁Fun Feature
At the venue, customers spending 1,000 yen or more can enter a prize drawing!

📅Event Details
Date and Time: Friday and Saturday, March 6 and 7, 2026, 10:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Venue: Agricultural products direct sales shop Budoubatake (2-1-1 Nakao, Minami Ward, Fukuoka City)
Program: Specialty product sales, tourism PR, prize drawing, support from Kumamon, and more.

Please feel free to come and visit us ✨

Expo Memorial Park
Myakumyaku
Senri Banpaku Park, Suita City, Osaka Prefecture
Two monuments of Myakumyaku, the official mascot of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, have been relocated to Expo Memorial Park and are now on display.

📍 Exhibition Location and Period
Location
Inside Expo Memorial Park, near the Tower of the Sun
Two figures titled “Welcome” and “Excitement”
Period
From February 21, 2026, through 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.

This is a spring scene viewed from Motohakone in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The combination of Mount Fuji, Lake Ashi, fresh green foliage, and a torii (shrine gate) looks like a painting.

Event Announcement 📣

This one-day-only event lets you enjoy natural wines from Aizawa Winery, where grapes are lovingly cultivated as close to nature as possible.🍇
Taste a variety of wines alongside handmade pizza, pasta, and cheeses.🍷

📍Date and Time: Sunday, March 8, 2026

📍Hours: 2:00 PM–8:00 PM

📍Venue: Pontise shop, 16 Nishi 3 Jo Minami 10 Chome, Obihiro City

📞Inquiries and Reservations: TEL: 0155-63-7723, Email: info@aizawanouen.com


https://tokachibare.jp/sake-museum/

❄️Mori no Snow Park 2026❄️
Here is a brief look at the recent “Mori no Snow Park 2026 in Kawayu Onsen.” There were plenty of activities, including cross-country skiing, a tipi bonfire, an Akaezomatsu (Siberian fir) distillation workshop, slide talks, snow candles, and a variety of delicious foods!!

This winter event is now an annual tradition, so if you couldn’t attend this time, please come next year. Look forward to it!

📢Program Broadcast Announcement📢
STV Sapporo's "Dosanko Weekend" will feature the town of Teshikaga! The program is scheduled to air on Saturday, March 7 at 9:25 AM.👀✨

The production team conducted interviews and filming around town, and we've been told that the program will showcase Teshikaga from various angles. We hope you'll enjoy it!❣️

Please be sure to tune in!‼

Photographed on March 1, 2014.
After the monthly ceremony at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I relaxed at Starbucks Kanetsuki‑dōri Store.
I had an Earl Grey bouquet and a tea latte, and an Earl Grey Basque cheesecake.

My first visit to Japan turned magical when I found a lone Sakura at the entrance to Ueno Park, blooming early on the first day of March. Locals, tourists, people of all ages, and even birds were enjoying the symbol of Spring.

To immortalize their joy, I simply had to photograph the birds enjoying the blossoms.

I feel proud of this photo, and very lucky to have witnessed such a magical Spring moment in the heart of Tokyo.

Today I attended the monthly ceremony at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.
In keeping with the Hinamatsuri on March 3, I received amazake and a doll and had a ritual to ward off bad luck.🎎
Because Hinamatsuri is also called the Peach Festival, I took a photo of a pink aidaimeshi omikuji (love-shaped sea bream fortune).

Photographed on February 15, 2014.
This is the hanachozu (flower-filled water basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Nana Field Road 2026 in Kamogawa City, Chiba Prefecture runs through Sunday, March 8, 2026. Feel spring in a field of four million rapeseed flowers.
Stay at a partner hotel in Kamogawa City to receive a free flower-picking ticket (10 stems).
It takes about two hours from Tokyo Station by train, express bus, or car. It is an 18-minute walk from Awa-Kamogawa Station.

The 28th Minami no Sakura and Nanohana Festival Finale

Town’s 70th Anniversary Commemoration “Night Cherry Blossoms ☆ Shooting Stars”
Period: Friday, February 27, 2026; Saturday, February 28, 2026; Sunday, March 1, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM–7:30 PM
Release section: a 400 m stretch from Harumachi Bridge to around Kinomiya Bridge
※The event may be canceled due to rain or other conditions.
※The Inoriboshi® will be released a little upstream from the Roadside Station.
※This event is expected to be very crowded.

↓If you want to avoid crowds, please join the tour below.↓
・Tour organized by Minamiizu Town Tourism Association: Night Cherry Blossoms ☆ Shooting Stars Tour (until 2/28)
Reserve/Apply here → https://x.gd/EGMCM

・Vendors will be located behind the Tourist Information Center and Yunohana Chokubaijo (Yunohana Farm Stand).
There will be special vendor stalls during the Night Cherry Blossoms ☆ Shooting Stars event from 2/27 to 3/1.

※The posted images are from 2015.
※The Milky Way Project🄬 is a registered trademark, so unauthorized use is prohibited. Commercial use by entities other than individuals is also prohibited.

【The 28th Minami no Sakura and Nanohana Festival】
Held from February 1 to March 10

🌸About “The 28th Minami no Sakura and Nanohana Festival”
https://x.gd/8BXol

🌸Bloom status (updated regularly)
https://x.gd/iyca6

🌸Parking status (updated regularly)
https://x.gd/zbToA

🌸Live camera
https://x.gd/smGtI

Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival
Now underway!
More areas are coming into full bloom♪
Please come and visit!

Photo credit: Yasunori Okamoto

The illumination of the World Heritage site Shirakawago is held only a few times a year. Lately it has become hard to get reservations, and even when you can, finding heavy snow is rare. I managed to go there twice to shoot: the first time there was almost no snow. The second time, however, I succeeded in photographing Shirakawago in such heavy snowfall that walking was difficult. I take landscape photos with gratitude for those encounters.

I went to Oshino Village in Yamanashi Prefecture for a photo shoot one early morning in February. The sky was clear, and I was able to see the magnificent Mount Fuji. The temperature was below freezing; there was no snow, but a white frost covered the ground. Corn cobs were hung out to dry and gleamed in the morning sun, so I took a shot with Mount Fuji in the background. Japan’s number one Mount Fuji shone brilliantly.

Photographed on February 15, 2014.
This is the hanachōzu (flower water basin) at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Nagano Prefecture Kirigamine Venus Line.

A snowy plain landscape.
Deer tracks led across a deep, untouched snowfield where no people had ventured.

Photographed on February 14, 2014.
These are the hana-temizu flower water displays at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Crystals of light dancing in Taisho-era romance

■Location
Ginzan Onsen, Yamagata Prefecture

■Background and thoughts behind the work
Ginzan Onsen sits quietly in the deep mountains of Yamagata. On a night when snow piled softly on the streets steeped in Taisho-era romance, I attempted something for the first time.

I used the built-in flash to capture the “expressions of snow invisible to the eye.” Until then I had cherished natural light, but that evening I felt a strong urge to make each drifting snowflake shine like a jewel.

The instant the flash fired, pure white snow crystals appeared against the dark, and the warm orange glow of the gas lamps contrasting with the cold snow created a dreamlike scene. In the subzero cold I kept shooting until my fingertips went numb, and when I saw the glittering snow on the preview screen, I felt an indescribable emotion.

Through my first strobe shoot, I rediscovered the beauty of movement dwelling within frozen time. This photograph is an unforgettable and precious image for me.

📣 "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

Tabete Fukkatsu 2026 - Kawayu Onsen Akkeshi Clam Fair

Enjoy Akkeshi clams raised in Akkeshi's rich seas - large, plump clams packed with concentrated umami! Tabete Fukkatsu!

This March, three inns belonging to the Kawayu Onsen Ryokan Association will host the "Tabete Fukkatsu 2026 - Kawayu Onsen Akkeshi Clam Fair"!

We've also featured this in our "Information Bulletin" section, so be sure to check it out ✔︎✨

Let's enjoy lots of big, plump Akkeshi clams! 🌊

16:55
Today’s sunset in Kushiro 🟠
What a beautiful color!

Let’s head to Okhotsk this spring! We present the Spring Flower Tour Campaign at Frespo Suzuran Plaza (Flower Tour Festival).

Held at Frespo Suzuran Plaza, which opened in July 2005 in Obihiro City (Inadacho Minami 8-sen Nishi 10-1), Hokkaido, this event brings you the charms of Okhotsk centered on spring flower viewing.

The event features plenty to enjoy, including pre-trip information for Okhotsk tourism, the ever-popular mascot gathering, a drift ice exhibit, a prize questionnaire, sales of local specialties, hands-on experience booths, and a coloring corner.


Discover the attractions of Okhotsk over these two days. Please come and join us!!

Photographed on February 13, 2014.
This is HK Tea’s lemon honey and a chocolate-banana egg waffle.
Chocolate and banana go so well together. 😊🍫🍌