[Announcement from Ekinaka Kururin House♪] 2024 ✨Limited-time sale of Kururin plush toys!✨ 〈Period: Friday, December 20, 2024 – Wednesday, January 15, 2025〉 Regularly ¥1,800 (tax included), now available at a special price of ¥1,500 (tax included)♪ Don’t miss this chance! ✨Kururin New Year’s Cards✨ Pleasure to send, pleasure to receive Three cute Kururin New Year’s card designs - ¥150 per card - ✨New Products Announcement✨ ◍ Ooyama Na-zuke (JA Shonan Ooyama Vegetable Growing Cooperative) - ¥400 per bag - Its texture resembles nozawana and its flavor resembles karashina Enjoy two delights in one with Ooyama Na-zuke ◍ Tanzawa Ooyama Torn Konnyaku (Ooyama Uruwashi Honpo) - ¥600 per bag - ”Flavor soaked right through” and ready to eat as is. ♬We look forward to seeing you♪ [Open through the New Year holidays] On the stairs at the north exit of Odakyu Line Isehara Station Ekinaka Kururin House (Isehara Station Tourist Information Center) OPEN 9:00–17:00 (open daily) *On January 1–3 shortened hours: 10:00–15:00*

Photographed 12/16/24. This is CAFE ANDON's Andon chicken curry. I often visit them for a walk in Kawagoe or before work.

It's 🤤 almost Christmas Christmas market 🎄 Held in in Saitama New Central Tokyo It is up to 25 days, but it is decorated with a nice tree

Here’s tourist information for Nagiso town! Tenpaku Azalea Colony (Town Natural Monument) A vast colony of mitsuba azalea blooms in Tenpaku Park. About six varieties and roughly 400 azalea shrubs grow in the garden, and among them the Nagiso mitsuba azalea is a rare species found mainly around Nagiso town as its name suggests. Bloom times shift slightly each year depending on the weather, but the best viewing period is generally from early to mid-April. Perched on a hill in Tenpaku Park, the site offers excellent views of Momosuke Bridge and Mt. Kiso-Komagatake. At the Nagiso Station side entrance to the wooden suspension bridge over the Kiso River, Momosuke Bridge, cherry blossoms also come into full bloom around early April, making it a recommended time to visit! ► Access - By car: Immediately off National Route 19. Tenpaku Park has free parking (about 30 spaces). - By train: About a 10-minute walk from JR Nagiso Station (closer if you cross Momosuke Bridge). ► Other information - It is a five-minute uphill walk from the parking area to the azalea garden. Please avoid parking in front of the garden as it blocks residents’ passage. Visitors with mobility difficulties may be dropped off near the garden, but please park the vehicle in the parking lot. - The parking area has restrooms and vending machines. - The park includes the Momosuke Fukuzawa Memorial Museum and the Mountain History Museum, where you can learn about the history of Momosuke Bridge and its builder, Momosuke Fukuzawa. - For current blooming conditions, please refer to the Nagiso Town Tourism Association website. Enjoy the vivid purple blossoms carpeting the garden!

[Notice] Akindo Market♪ Today (20th) and tomorrow (21st) — two days only!! At Roadside Station Iwanai, local Iwanai town sake at special prices! Yama 720 ml ¥2,640 ⇒ ¥2,376 Umi 300 ml ¥990 ⇒ ¥891 The flyer lists Yama 300 ml, but we ran out of stock. We apologize. Also, Asahi Super Dry Clear Asahi Kodawari Sakaba Lemon Sour are on sale too♪ Please come by and check them out 🙏 This is a monthly event where you can shop great deals at stores in Iwanai town~

In the factory on a winter morning, the air is clear and clear, and you can take more beautiful pictures. Yokkaichi, Mie Prefecture 2023/1

Photographed 12/16/24. CAFE ANDON's Cafe Latte and Strawberry Shortcake. ☕️🍰 Congratulations on your first anniversary. ㊗️🎉 It is a very nice café. 😊

[Castle EXPO 2024 Announcement] Castle EXPO is one of Japan’s largest castle festivals, held every December at Pacifico Yokohama to promote and develop castle heritage and to bring together castle enthusiasts. People, castle specialists, and castle fans from across Japan gather to sell castle goods, present a variety of castle-related exhibits, and offer rare events such as specialist talk shows and lectures. Isehara City also exhibits: Maruyama Castle Oshiro-in (castle seal) sales! Isehara City currently has Maruyama Castle Ruins Park, an urban park. It is said that in the Kamakura period the residence of the gokenin (vassal) Kasuya Tota Arisuke, who had close ties to the shogunate, stood here, and that in the Muromachi period it served as the residence of Uesugi Sadamasa. ◆Date and Time: Saturday, December 21, 9:00–18:00 (last admission 17:30) Sunday, December 22, 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30) [Saturday Night Program] Saturday, December 21, 18:00–20:30 (scheduled) ◆Venue: Pacifico Yokohama North (1-1-2 Minatomirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture) and others ※Tickets are now on sale at various play guides!

Hina dolls prayed to ward off misfortune from children and bring good fortune in life. On the Izu Peninsula, hina dolls are displayed with various wishes tied into hanging decorations on both sides of the tiered doll platform. This is a long-standing custom. The 28th Hanging Hina Decorations Exhibition 🌞 January 20 (Monday) – March 31 (Monday) 🌞 🍑 In the Inatori area of Higashiizucho, there has been a custom since the Edo period of hanging a pair of suspended decorations on either side of the hina platform for the Girls’ Festival. 🍑 The Inatori Onsen hanging decorations have been passed down through generations. A charming sight unfolds as many types of hangings—such as crawling-baby dolls modeled on infants, sanbaso performers, and rabbits—link together and drape down. This scene, a winter-to-spring specialty of Inatori Onsen, invites you with a parent’s loving thoughts for their child. Venue Information Main venue / Cultural Park Hina Museum [Admission: 500 yen] Sponsored exhibition venue / Naburatoto (February 15 – March 9) [Admission: 100 yen] Futatsubori [Free admission] Hachiman Shrine [Free admission] Details Address: 1729 Inatori, Higashiizu Town, Kamo District, Shizuoka Prefecture 413-0411 Phone: 0557-95-2901 Access: 20-minute walk from Izu-Inatori Station Hours: 9:00–17:00 (last admission 16:30) Parking: Cultural Park parking lot / flat rate 500 yen Organizer: Inatori Onsen Ryokan Association Event start date: 2025/01/20 Event end date: 2025/03/31

"Shinpu Castle" from Kai Province makes its first ascent 🏯⚔️ to the "Castle EXPO"] Over the two days of Saturday, December 21 and Sunday, December 22, 2024, At Pacifico Yokohama North Finally to be Held in "Castle EXPO2024"! Shinpu Castle in Nirasaki City, Yamanashi Prefecture will ascend for the first time 🏯⚔️✨✨ At the booth, Katsuyori Takeda's banner T-shirt, NEW RELEASE! A map of Shinpu Castle was designed Original Clear File, We will 💠🤍 sell limited seal of the castle to commemorate the first ascent of "Castle EXPO" By the person in charge of excavation Please 🔥🔥 come and listen to the story of the castle fever At the venue [Castle Tour Tourist Information Zone K-90] We look forward to seeing you 🙋 ♀️✨ ———————————————————— Castle EXPO is one of the largest castle festivals in Japan, held in every December at Pacifico Yokohama since 2016 for the purpose of promoting and developing castle culture and interacting with castle lovers. "Castles", "castle specialists" and "castle fans" gather from all over Japan, and it is an Events that has gained high support. This year's theme is "Castle Fever Day"! Please come and visit us! For more information on Events and ticket Information, please check the Castle EXPO Official website. ———————————————————— 【Detailed Information】 ■ Date and time December 2024 21st (Sat) 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entry at 5:30 p.m.) 22 (Sun) 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry at 4:30 p.m.) ・Saturday Night Program Saturday, December 21, 2024 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. (tentative) ■Venue Pacifico Yokohama North (Address: 1-1-2 Minato Mirai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture, etc.) ■ Organizer CASTLE EXPO (Japan Castle Association, Jobito <Tohoku Shinsha >, Murayama Co., Ltd., Pacifico Yokohama)

Photographed 12/16/24. It is Mr. 168's breakfast (early supper). Taiwanese burger and black tea soy milk. It is a collaboration menu with Sankai Touka. The Taiwanese burger is very tasty, with tamagoyaki and beef hamburger steak. Thank you very much for opening from early in the morning. 😊

Sapporo night view in winter I have been photographing the night view of Sapporo with snow piling up in a world of -7°C While the accumulated snow created a sense of loneliness somewhere, I felt the warmth of the cityscape that gradually lit up

Photographed 12/15/24. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin.

[Notice] IWANAI RESORT Open ⛷️ This Saturday, December 21, IWANAI RESORT, a ski area in Iwanai-cho, Hokkaido, is scheduled to open for the season!

Photographed 12/15/24. It is a new Torii (shrine gate) gate of Kawagoe Hachimangu.

Tokyo Tower🗼 wrapped in rainbow yellowtail This is Tokyo Tower, which can be seen from Odaiba. The lights of Tokyo Tower appear to reflect 🤤🤤 off the rainbow yellowtail It is also special 🤤 that it can only be seen in winter

Notice of Municipal Products Sale at City Hall♪ From today for two days, Isehara City Hall will host a pop-up sale of local specialties in the first-floor entrance hall★While supplies last! Cheesecake from Kashiwagi Farm; Frieden; Tanzawa-Ooyama soba from Jinenjoka; seasonal vegetables from the Katano family; shiitake mushrooms from Takei Mushroom Farm; Suzuki chili peppers; karabuki (braised butterbur stems) from Otsuya; Ryoben Ooyama manju available only on the 19th; Kururin goods; and many other tasty treats from Isehara. We look forward to seeing you! Wednesday, December 18th and Thursday, December 19th 10:00–14:00 At Isehara City Hall, 1st-floor lobby

Photographed 12/15/24. It is a limited time Hanachozu of Kawagoe Kumano Shrine. For the first time in a long time, yellowtail attended the festival of the Zenarai Benten Itsukushima Shrine.

Frozen-like illumination 📸 This is "Marigold Hill" in Honjo City, Saitama Prefecture. Squid with marigolds 🤤🤤 that can be enjoyed until winter

Yellow Leaf Reflection ✨ A large "Ginkgo" tree at Yen Tsuji Temple in Kuwana City. I tried to reflect on the roof of the Car parked in the Car parking lot. It has become a popular Spot. I'm worried about my manners in the future. Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture "Yen Tsuji Temple" 2024/12

We went on a school excursion to Tama Zoological Park! Here are the best shots taken by students. ✨

🍁Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024🍁 Please vote! [Until January 5, 2025!] Thank you very much for the many entries to the “Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024” contest held recently on the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account 🥹✨ We have taken the liberty of conducting a strict first-round selection by the tourism association staff and have chosen 12 entries from all submissions 🤔💡 From these 12 entries, we would like to decide the winners by asking followers of our Instagram account to vote 🤩👏 Please follow the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account (@gokase_kanko), then in the comments of a post with the hashtag #Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024 Vote, choose one of the 12 entries and comment the number of the entry you selected ✍ Voting is limited to one vote per account. [Voting period: Until Sunday, January 5, 2025] [Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account] https://www.instagram.com/gokase_kanko/... Please check the original posts by the entrants before voting 🤗 1 @gokase_pan 2 @kaaazuuu1123 3 @thusandleavis 4 @mitsu_yumi.0520 5 @san.shimako.1105 6 @hiroko.gf1 7 @kaaazuuu1123 8 @niidome2110 9 @sakai_0808 10 @sakai_0808 11 @thusandleavis 12 @naomin168 Ten winners who vote will be selected by lottery to receive specialty products from Gokase Town as a gift 🎁💫 We look forward to your many votes 🥰

Kurara Band Christmas Live 🎄 On Saturday, December 14th, Kurara Band Christmas Live took place at Gion Terrace Kuraraku Multipurpose Hall 😆 This was the third Christmas live, and once again a large crowd came to enjoy the show 😀 Despite the winter chill typical of Kuraoka, the venue buzzed with heat 🔥 as adults and children alike jumped and danced with excitement 😁🎵 It was a concert that brought smiles to everyone who attended, and we look forward to it happening again next year 🥰

Photographed 12/15/24. After the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival, I relaxed at the Starbucks Bell Ring Street store. On Sundays, it is crowded. It's a gingerbread latte and a chocolate cake.

Kit wishes come true — we have put up ema plaques 😍 A few years ago we collaborated with KitKat on the Kito Line and installed ema plaques then; we have installed those same ema again this year‼️ If you visit Takaharacho, please stop by Takahara Station and write your wish on one‼️😝 We will properly dedicate the ema at the shrine ⛩️! About ema — we looked into them a bit! ⭐︎Unlike omikuji, ema are things you “dedicate” ⭐︎You can write vertically or horizontally—either is fine ⭐︎Since you are asking the kami (gods), it’s good to write phrases like “May 〇〇 come true” or “I hope 〇〇 is granted.” ⭐︎You may sign with either your initials or your full name—both are OK! In fact, it used to be recommended to include your address and date of birth, but many people avoid that now to prevent personal information from leaking. ⭐︎You can write several wishes on a single ema, but it’s better to separate different prayers by using different ema. ⭐︎It seems acceptable to dedicate the same wish on ema at several different shrines or temples. This is what we found in our research, so we can’t say it’s definitive, but remembering these guidelines might help your wishes come true even more! 😍 Please drop by Takahara Station to write an ema — they are free of charge‼️🤩 Place: Takaharu Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Takahara Station) Address: 473-6 Nishifumoto, Takaharacho, Nishimorokata District, Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan Parking available (free)

Kanto's largest Ginkgo 🍁 This one is located in Ota City, Gunma Prefecture 　　　　　　　　　　　　"Jozoji" It is one of the largest Ginkgo trees in the Kanto region. The best time to see it is now and be sure to 🤤 visit it at the end of autumn

Photographed 12/12/24. It is an orange annual sea bream lottery.

Ginji Katsura Rakugo Performance Today, December 15, a rakugo performance by Ginji Katsura, who hails from Nobeoka and is also active in Tokyo, took place🪭✨ This event held the morning show at Kurun and the afternoon show at Kuraokakurara🤗 As a poster, this was my first time seeing live rakugo properly, and I was very excited to watch🤩✨ Rakugo uses almost no props! Performers remain seated, using only a tenugui (hand towel) and a sensu (folding fan), skillfully expressing characters through gestures, facial expressions, and eye contact😯 They make the audience imagine the scene, delivering stories that end with a punchline that makes you laugh out loud🤭 It was truly funny, and I listened with excitement wondering how each punchline would land🤣💫 The scene of eating soba was especially striking. It was incredible—he really made it seem like he was eating. It looked delicious🤤💕 lol In the afternoon, students from Gokase Secondary School also came to watch, and the venue filled with laughter✨ A boy of around five laughed out loud too, and I felt rakugo is a wonderful art that transcends gender and age😳 He kindly agreed to commemorative photos, and both the morning and afternoon shows provided a consistently enjoyable time🥹👏 I hope he will hold another rakugo performance in Gokase soon🤗✨ Thank you very much for today, Ginji Katsura👏👏👏

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival. Preparations for the New Year 🎍 had begun, and Shichi-Go-San's shooting spots were moving.

We are pleased to announce the annual “First Sunrise Cruise,” a refined way to welcome the New Year aboard a ship. Enjoy an exquisitely luxurious moment as you watch the first sunrise rise from the horizon in the special, unobstructed setting of the open sea. A geopark guide will once again provide commentary about the Izu Peninsula! This event requires reservations, so please book below as soon as possible if you wish to join. [From Atami Port: First Sunrise Cruise] Boarding location / Atami Port (regular ferry terminal for Atami–Hatsushima service) Date / Wednesday, January 1, 2025 6:00 Ticket sales begin (Atami Port counter) Around 6:30 Depart Atami Port for a sightseeing cruise; the ship will stop so passengers can watch the first sunrise from on board (sunrise around 6:50) Around 7:15 Return to Atami Port ※Cruise time approximately 45 minutes Vessel / Ile de Vacances Premiere or Ile de Vacances III Capacity / 250 passengers Reservations / Required by phone: 0557-81-0541 ※Reservations open from December 2, 2024 ※If cancellations occur on the day, those seats will be released for general sale. Fees / Adults ¥2,600; elementary school students ¥1,300 (preschool children free); pets ¥1,300 ※Depending on weather, the first sunrise or Mt. Fuji may not be visible; refunds cannot be issued in such cases. ※The cruise may be canceled due to poor sea conditions. ※The above information may change without notice for weather or other reasons. Thank you for your understanding. https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/spot/181...