The staff of the tourism association has visited again!
"Seretis," located right in front of Iritahama Beach, is a popular spot where you can enjoy meals while feeling the ocean in a spacious location!✨

This time, we chose the Wagyu burger (1600 yen) and Shimoda Blue Pudding (600 yen).🍔🍮
The burger features the rare cut "Togarashi" from Shimanto Beer Beef, meticulously prepared over two days.
It's tender and juicy, bursting with the flavor of the meat.🤤
The "Shimoda Blue" used in the pudding comes from eggs of free-range chickens, known for their bluish shells.🥚
With a subtle sweetness, it offers a rich, adult flavor.😌🤎

Indulge in this luxurious gourmet experience while gazing at the sea—make sure to check it out!☝️✨

The Iwata City Tourism Association is hosting a collaborative project with Daytona Co., Ltd. called "Iwata Morning Activity Cafe" at the Communication Plaza. Enjoy morning coffee, use it as a meeting point for touring, and feel free to drop by anytime.

After the Morning Activity Cafe, we will hold a Morning Activity Market, where families can participate in workshops to experience crafting and purchase popular sweets. Food trucks will also be present, so enjoy a fun holiday at the Communication Plaza throughout the day. Iwata City's mascot, Shippei, will also come to visit!

Date: Saturday, May 9th, 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, rain or shine.
(In case of bad weather, the event will be canceled. Notifications will be posted on this site in case of cancellation.)



*A portion of the sales from the food trucks and workshops will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross as "Relief Fund for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Disaster of Reiwa 6."
*The Welcome Bikers Roadstation (WBR) project promotes a network of regions and facilities that welcome motorcyclists, calling for traffic safety and improved manners for visitors.
*The content of the stalls may change.

Cherry blossom viewing spots in Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture 🌸
A breathtaking view that spreads 360 degrees.
・
・
✅ Shishigahana Park
◎ 62-2 Ohira, Iwata City
◎ Parking: Available

📷 Taken on April 2, 2026 🌸

Date and Time: Saturday, April 18, 2026
*Cancelled in case of rain (no backup date)

Venue: Mitsuke-juku Street

The "Enshu Daimyo Procession" will faithfully recreate the scene where the feudal lords participating in the Sankin-kotai (alternate attendance) stay at the 28th station of the Tokaido, Mitsuke-juku, welcomed by the inn staff, the main inn, and townspeople on Mitsuke Main Street.
The "Mai-guruma (Dance Cart) Pulling and Fire Dance" will reenact the story of the Mitsuke Gion Festival.
In addition, various performances will be showcased throughout Mitsuke Main Street as a stage.

Iwata City tourism ambassadors will also participate in the procession wearing kimonos!

*Traffic regulations will be in effect from 11:00 AM to 8:30 PM on the day.

Photographed today, Wednesday, April 8: the wisteria at san remo park.
There are white and purple wisteria trellises; the white is in full bloom while the purple has just begun to open. The azaleas are also coloring up, so please take a look if you are nearby.
san remo park Address / Wadahaminamicho (next to Atami Port)

From a hill above the residential area, you can see many Kawazu cherry blossoms in full bloom, and from the high ground the Tokaido Shinkansen and Suruga Bay also offered beautiful views.

Ongoing events through Golden Week‼

① Ongoing until supplies last
Ihama margaret picking
https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-event-entry&event=91181&cat=18736&type=event

② Ongoing until around May 5
Strawberry picking
https://www.instagram.com/babyberry_farm/

③ March 28–April 5
Yuigahama cherry blossom tour
http://www.the-surface.com/event.html#sakura

④ April 1–May 5
Bamboo shoot picking and the takeno‑ko eatery opens
http://takenokomura.com/

⑤ April 3
Irozaki Gongen Festival
https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-event-entry&event=3725&cat=18736&type=event

⑥ April 18 and 19
Va'a Japan 4th Japan Cup in Minami‑Izu
https://www.vaajapan.com/2026-japan-nationals

⑦ April 29
Lead-horse riding experience day
https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-event-entry&event=7746&cat=18736&type=event

Spring in Minami‑Izu features both Somei-yoshino and mountain cherry blossoms, and it also offers abundant sea- and mountain-based nature experiences, so it’s surprisingly hot (exciting) just for that‼

Events across Minami-Izu Town!
https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-eventlist&eventlist=18736

I visited Omusubi Kokoro, which opened this February (^○^)

While rice-ball shops that let you pick from a display case are nice, this place shapes your onigiri after you order 🍙✨

Located near Shimoda’s popular spot Perry Road, it’s a perfect stop to grab a snack after a stroll when you start to feel peckish 🎵

For me, ume (pickled plum) is a must for onigiri, but I couldn’t decide on the second filling….
In the end I narrowed it down to simmered alfonsino, dried fish from Ogiso Shoten, or okaka from Yamada Katsuo Bushi Shop. After much deliberation I chose the simmered alfonsino.

The hot, hefty onigiri are great for taking to your favorite spot this season or for enjoying while walking around!
Of course, you can also eat them inside the shop if you prefer (^^)

Please stop by when you’re exploring the town.

Photographed on March 4
The early winter cherry trees near Ginza Street, at the Sakimicho curve, are now in full bloom and catching the eyes of passersby.
Of the three trees, the one at the top is called the "Sakamachi Temple Cherry". It is said to be one of the trees planted in the grounds of Iou-ji Temple, which once stood here in the early Meiji period.
The tree is over a hundred years old. It survived the Honcho great fire of 1944 and the Atami great fire of 1950, making it a precious cherry tree.
Sakamachi Temple Cherry — Address: Sakimicho, Atami City (opposite Hotel Kan-ichi)

About 20 early winter cherry trees in Shinsui Park are also continuing to bloom, so please visit if you are in the neighborhood.
Shinsui Park — Address: Nagisacho, Atami City (Shinsui Park Daiichi Kouku to Shinsui Park Second Section)

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

Updated: Thursday, February 19, 2026

The 28th Minami Sakura and Nanohana Festival
Held February 1 – March 10

🌸 About the 28th Minami 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

〈If arriving by public transportation〉
Get off at Izukyu Shimoda Station and take the Tokai Bus bound for Shimogamo (Platform 3).
Get off at Kujo Bridge and walk about 2 minutes to the roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana, where the general information center is located. (The cherry tree avenue is behind it.)
The nanohana fields are right by the Hino stop.
Tokai Bus tel: 0558-22-2514
Note: Minamiizu Town has no train service and parking is limited, so please use public transportation. Services run about once per hour.
Tokai Bus link
https://www.tokaibus.jp/
〈If arriving by car〉
Please head for roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana.
There are dedicated parking lots nearby; please use them.
⚠ When visiting or photographing the nanohana fields and the nanohana along the cherry tree avenue, please do not step on the flowers!
⚠ Some people step on the nanohana growing on river slopes near roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana, but there are lighting cables and other hazards, so please do not enter these areas for your safety.
Please use the festival’s designated parking lots. Do not park at shops or on private property.

Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawaku, Tokyo Metropolis will host the annual Narcissus Festival on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8. (^○^)

The exchange began more than 20 years ago in 2005 when Shimoda City donated narcissus bulbs to Kasai Rinkai Park, and it continues to this day.
Since fiscal 2006, the Shimoda City Tourism Association has been happily taking part in special events during the Kasai Rinkai Park Narcissus Festival, selling Shimoda products such as kinme croquettes, kinmedai fish head soup, dried fish, Shimoda brand goods, and all-you-can-pack Izu mandarins to promote tourism.✨

Members of the Shimoda Taiko Traditional Preservation Society also join the event to perform traditional drumming with a history of about 400 years on stage.

If you are nearby, please stop by the Shimoda City Tourism Association booth at the Kasai Rinkai Park Narcissus Festival. (^○^)

*The booth photo was taken at last year’s event.*

On a clear, cold winter day, our family enjoyed flying kites in a park with a great view of Mount Fuji.

Photographed on January 20th: Atami cherry blossoms are in full bloom at several spots 🌸
(Kamanariya Heishichi Statue · Itokawa Promenade · Shinshui Park Third Section · Sanremo Park · Kaihin Park · Nagisa Koen Park)
Itogawa Cherry Blossom Festival runs until February 8th
https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/features/59

This is a photo of the Atami Cherry Blossoms along Itokawa Promenade illuminated on January 17th 🌸
https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/features/59

Minami-izu Town, located at the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula, is dotted with a wealth of geosites that give a sense of the workings of the Earth, including a complex coastline and dynamic cliffs created by undersea volcanic activity.

Additionally, Mikomoto Island in Minamiizu Town is a world-famous diving spot where you can see schools of hammerhead sharks.
Due to the influence of the Kuroshio Current, the area is extremely dense with fish, and there is a high probability of encountering large schools of fish (hammer rivers) from summer to autumn, attracting many experienced divers from both Japan and abroad.
Located in the open ocean, you can enjoy drift diving (diving while being carried away by the current) and it boasts one of the world's highest concentrations of fish.

--

For more information about tourism in Minamiizu Town,
Minamiizu Town Tourism Association【official】

WEB：https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-entry&spot=596705&cat=18711&pageno=3&type=spot

Happy New Year
This year is the Year of the Horse (Hinoe-Uma) and the auspicious eighth year of Reiwa, a year of expanding opportunities.
Let us step forward toward the new era one step at a time.
I humbly ask for your continued support this year as well.

Photo: Irozaki Lighthouse

Happy New Year!
This year I again photographed the first sunrise from the waterfront park. There was no wind and it was not as cold as in past years, but a warm layer of clouds on the horizon kept the sky dull and dim even after the scheduled sunrise time of 6:51.
Around 7:05 the edges of the clouds began to glow, and just after 7:20 the sun finally appeared!
As every year, many residents and tourists gathered early at the waterfront park to watch the first sunrise of Reiwa 8.

May Reiwa 8 bring you a year full of happiness.
We appreciate your continued support of Atami Onsen this year as well.

Please visit Izu Shimoda Onsen in 2026 (^○^)

🌼 Shimoda Onsen Narcissus Festival
The flowers are expected to be at their best around mid-January ♬

After the narcissus,
🌸 Minamiizucho "Minami no Sakura and Rapeseed Blossom Festival"
🌸 Kawazu Town "Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival"

Both are about a 30-minute drive from Shimoda City.
Stay at Shimoda Onsen and enjoy the early spring flower relay ✨

Right now, JTB’s website is offering "discount coupons usable at Shimoda Onsen accommodations" (＼(^o^)／)

Right now, JTB’s website is distributing great discount coupons usable at Shimoda Onsen accommodations (＼(^o^)／)

No minimum fare required: 10% OFF ✨ (maximum discount 5,000 yen)

Limited quantity!
Take this chance to visit Shimoda Onsen ♨️

https://www.jtb.co.jp/kokunai-hotel/list/22219/?multiarea=22219&suggestkeyword=%E4%B8%8B%E7%94%B0%E5%B8%82&godate=&checkindate=&staynight=1&dateunspecified=1&roomassign=m2&room=1

Hatsumode in Shimoda
*The photo shows Shimoda Daruma Daishi.
● Izu Shirahama Shrine
Known as the oldest shrine in Izu with a history of 2,400 years. The enshrined deities are Ikonahime no Mikoto, Mishima Daimyojin, Mimena, Wakamiya, and Tsurugi-no-miko—five honored gods.
https://ikonahime.jp/　※駐車場あり

● Shimoda Daruma Daishi
A Soto Zen temple founded over 400 years ago. Revered as the "Daruma Ambassador of Good Fortune," it is believed to grant wishes for prosperous business, family safety, traffic safety, academic success, warding off bad luck and inviting good fortune, and attracting financial blessings. It enjoys deep devotion from worshippers. Note: parking available.

● Shimoda Hachiman Shrine
This shrine serves as the venue for the grand festival of Shimoda Hachiman Shrine. It bustles with worshippers from the festival community and local residents. The kinme omikuji is also recommended. Note: please use nearby coin parking.

Shimoda Onsen Daffodil Festival now underway 😊

This year marks the 60th festival, and the flowers have been growing well; they are expected to reach full bloom around early January after the New Year holidays.
The sweet scent carried on the sea breeze makes you want to take a deep breath.

The familiar Ho-ei stall returns to the daffodil festival venue again this year!
Their local fish dishes are plentiful and popular with both visitors and locals.

This year’s new menu is a hand-rolled sushi set 🍣
Try rolling your own and enjoy the fun and flavor♪
[How to make hand-rolled sushi]
https://youtu.be/rhaxqNB9pwE?si=0PobDLptvHwZziBM

Enjoy Shimoda cuisine along with the scent and scenery of the daffodils (^○^)

About a 10-minute walk from Izukyu Shimoda Station.
A 1-minute walk from Roadside Station Kaikoku Shimoda Minato,
The Black Ship coffee☕

Perfect for a break during sightseeing or as a companion for a stroll to the sea.
On sunny days, enjoy wandering the streets of Shimoda with a coffee in hand 😊

There is an eat-in space on the 2nd floor.
It’s a small shop, so be careful not to miss it.

Enriched dive to the shipwreck 🚢

Hello 🫧 This is Hokulea Shonan.
Today we visited the shipwreck dive site in Atami 🚢

Large schools of fish gathered around the wreck,
and we were thrilled by the dramatic underwater scenery 🤩

This time we dived using enriched air (Nitrox).
Thanks to that, my body felt much better after the dive ☺️

Enriched air is a breathing gas with a higher oxygen concentration than normal air.
Because less nitrogen accumulates in the body,
it reduces the risk of decompression sickness and allows for safer dives 👍

Another big benefit is that you get less tired ✌️

Thank you to all the guests who joined us 😊
Diving as a family was truly lovely ✨

From now on,
let’s enjoy Atami’s shipwreck more comfortably with enriched air 🥳

🌈 At Hokulea Shonan,
you can also earn the Enriched Air Specialty (SP) certification 🙌
We also welcome requests for course dates!

---
🏝️ Hokulea Shonan is a diving shop in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.

With the theme “Let’s travel to unseen worlds!”,
we share the wonder and joy of nature through diving.

We run lessons and tours more than 300 days a year in Izu, Okinawa, and overseas.
With small group sizes, beginners can join with confidence.
Request dives are also very welcome!


#Hokulea Shonan
#Enriched Air
#Nitrox
#Enriched Diving
#CoolJapanVideos
#HokuleaShonan
#NitroxDiving
#EnrichedAir
#OceanLovers
#ExploreTheBlue

🌼We have updated the daffodil blooming report🌼
The daffodils throughout the garden are just beginning to bloom🌱
In some spots, you can already see clusters of blooms appearing✨

See the latest updates on our blog📖
Be sure to check it out👇
https://www.shimoda-city.info/post/20251223

A place where you can meet sea turtles on a day trip✨

Hello! This is Hokulea Shonan 🤗

This time we went diving at Ose Cape, where you can dive with sea turtles on a day trip 🤿

Right now, among beach dives on the Izu Peninsula, Ose Cape has the highest chance of encountering sea turtles👏

Recently it also made headlines when two whales appeared during a dive!

On this dive we met a sea turtle on the first dive👏
No matter how many times you see them, the moment you meet one always gets you excited😄

On sunny days it feels great to relax in the shallow water✨

We also found nudibranchs that are popular with divers👍
Ose Cape was teeming with life and full of highlights 🥳

Thank you to everyone who joined us🙏

If you want to dive with sea turtles, be sure to head to Ose Cape🌟
We don’t know how long they’ll stay, so come soon〜!

---
🌈Hokulea Shonan is a diving shop in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture.

With the theme "Set out for a world you’ve never seen!",
we convey the beauty and joy of nature through diving.

We hold over 300 courses and tours a year in Izu, Okinawa, and overseas.
With small group sizes, beginners can participate with confidence.
Request dives are also very welcome!


#DiveJapan #ScubaDivingJapan #BeachDiving
#ExploreTheBlue #OceanLovers #HiddenJapan
#HokuleaShonan

🌼The 60th Shimoda Onsen Narcissus Festival🌼
＼2 days until the opening!／

Today (12/18) we carried out a cleanup at Cape Tsumeki🧹
About 60 people helped, and the park is now fully ready to welcome visitors✨
Planters of narcissus have also been placed at Izukyu Shimoda Station🚉🌼

📅 December 20th, 10:00 — Opening event
・Ribbon cutting
・Shimoda Taiko drumming performance🥁
・Free kinmedai nigiri sushi for the first 100 visitors
・Ikenodan nitsumiso hotpot served to the first 200 visitors

Current bloom status: “Starting to bloom”🌱
We will post occasional bloom updates on the blog during the festival📝

👉 More details here
https://www.shimoda-city.info/post/20251218

Enjoy the delicate white narcissus in winter Shimoda❄️🌼