It is a naked island located in Asamushi, Aomori City, Aomori Prefecture. There is a legend here. A long time ago, in a village in the Asamushi district, a mother worked in the fields with her baby lying in the shade of a tree. At that moment, a great eagle flew out of nowhere and flew away with the sleeping baby. The kidnapped baby was lowered to the top of the bare island, where the great hawk rested its wings. Noticing this, the mother went into a frenzy and tried to climb the rocks of the bare island with her bare hands. It is said that when he desperately scratched the rock face, the bare island, which was a smooth rock, was chipped on the side and stained with his mother's blood, giving it its current shape. It's not a flattering story, but ... However, there is no eerie atmosphere at all, and as the name "Naked Island" suggests, it is an impressive place with exposed rock surfaces. Only the island is orange because it picks up the light of nearby street lamps.

Kujukuri Beach after sunrise in winter. Waves broken by the strong wind are soaring as droplets. The backlit sea was golden and beautiful.

It is the sunrise of Kujukuri Beach in winter.

Morning at Kujukuri Beach in winter. Is it called the magic hour?

The famous shooting location of the Watarase Canyon Railway. The cherry blossoms shone in the afternoon light.

It is said that Benten Island in Nachi Bay, Wakayama Prefecture, is holding a festival of White Snake Benten.

November 2023. Noshimazaki Lighthouse in Minamiboso. The waves breaking on the shore were spectacular. It was windy.

I went to the Flower and Light Movement in Kasai Rinkai Park. I was able to spend a wonderful time surrounded by beautiful and fragrant daffodils.

It is a rape flower field in Ninomiya Azumayama Park. From the top of the mountain, when the early-blooming rape flowers are in full bloom It is a scenic spot where you can see the snow-covered Mt. Fuji, Sagami Bay, and Izu Oshima.

It is a hydrangea and torii gate on the approach to Shirawase Shrine in Fukushima City. It is located in a quiet place and is washed by the chirping of birds and the sound of trees.

It is Tatsuzawa Fudo Falls in Aizu Inawashiro, Fukushima Prefecture. In the summer, it is cool with negative ions, and in the fall, the autumn leaves and the huge icicles in the 🍁 winter are a masterpiece

Isehara Flower Report 2.19 A rainy day in Isehara. With the mild weather, flowers are starting to bloom all over. - Kawazu-zakura along Shibutagawa River…starting to bloom - Kawazu-zakura at Maruyama Castle Park…in full bloom - Plum trees at the Sports Park…in full bloom - Plum trees at Hinata Yakushi…about half bloomed - Okame-zakura along Oyama Shinmichi…buds The forecast doesn’t look great this week, so I worry whether the flowers will hold out until the next sunny day, but let’s hope we can take photos under a blue sky!

Haruichiban🌸 This photo was taken at the Matsudayama Herb Garden in Kanagawa Prefecture. Both the Kawazu cherry blossoms and rape blossoms are already in full bloom and crowded with many people! As for the parking lot, we recommend 😆 that you park near Matsuda Station Until next week, it will continue, so be sure to visit!

It is a competition of cherry blossoms, peaches, and rape blossoms.

The landscape is hazy with yellow sand.

Imizu City, Toyama Prefecture Sunset "Don't let this sunset set" It was so beautiful that I wanted to look at it all the time

Mikan picking (October–December) In Atami, you can enjoy mikan picking from October through December. The golden mikans you pick yourself taste absolutely delicious! In Atami City, you can enjoy it in the Minami-Atami (Shimotaga) area and the eastern Izu-san area, where orchards are full of mikan. Bring the whole family or a group and head out for a fun day. Nishijima Farm (Shimotaga) From JR Atami Station take the Ito Line for about 15 minutes → get off at JR Ajiro Station → about a 10-minute walk Marufuku Garden (Izu-san) From JR Atami Station take a bus toward Yugawara for about 20 minutes → get off at Kamigo Shimizu → about a 10-minute walk

TODA KOSHIRO Picture Book Museum A picture book museum themed on "Living in Harmony with Nature" Nestled in a quiet villa district of Atami City, the TODA KOSHIRO Picture Book Museum, themed on "Living in Harmony with Nature," was entirely designed by picture book author Toda Koshiro to express the world of picture books through the building, garden, and every detail. The museum displays many original picture book illustrations by Toda, educational and creative picture books, and picture book adaptations of classics such as Osamu Dazai’s Run, Melos. Visitors can read loaner picture books on the lawn, listen to birdsong, and enjoy seasonal scenery while spending a relaxed time. The attached café also offers stunning views of the sea and surrounding mountains. This is a place where Atami’s nature and Toda Koshiro’s spirit come together. Address / 1055-30 Kamitaga, Shizenkyo, Atami City, Shizuoka 413-0101 Phone / 0557-67-1107 Access / About 20–30 minutes by taxi from Atami Station (JR Atami Station) *Please note that there is no taxi stand at JR Izu-Taga Station.* Opening hours / 10:00–16:30 (last admission at 16:00) Closed / Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Open on public holidays (open daily during the New Year holidays, Golden Week, and summer season) Admission / Adults 800 yen, elementary school children and younger 400 yen, free for children under 3 Parking / 10 spaces (free)

Bougainvillea Along the Itokawa River that runs through central Atami City, between Onaribashi and Itokawabashi (about 180 meters), bougainvillea vines arch over and cover the stream. These bougainvillea produce tropical, vividly colored bracts—red, magenta, purple and more—from May through October each year. Near Itokawabashi, a staircase leads down to the river, creating a hidden photo spot. Yellow Hypericum ‘Hidecoat’ adds a splash of color and makes the scene even more lovely. The display peaks around the same time as the jacaranda, from late May to mid-June, so be sure to visit then as well. <Bougainvillea> A tropical shrub in the Nyctaginaceae family native to Brazil in South America. While it blooms year-round in tropical regions, in Japan it flowers from May to October. What looks like the flower is actually the bract; three bracts gather together, and the small white true flower blooms at their center. The bracts show leaf veins and resemble leaves. Because the bracts are thin, they flutter in the wind. Bract colors include red, white, pink, orange, yellow, and various bicolors. Address / Ginza-cho and Chuocho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture Phone / 0557-86-6218 (Atami City Parks and Greenery Division) Access ■About a 20-minute walk from JR atami station ■About a 10-minute bus ride from JR atami station toward Atami Port → get off at “Ginza” → a few minutes’ walk

The 26th Minami Cherry and Rapeseed Blossom Festival Bloom Report for Sunday, February 18 Overall, the flowers are still in full bloom *In areas that bloomed earlier, petals are drifting on the wind*

It is Daimonzaka of Kumano Kodo in Wakayama Prefecture. Rain-soaked cobblestones are good. Am I the only one who thinks that rain looks good on Kumano Kodo?

This is the view from the inside of the "Shihara Cave" in the Nanki-Kumano Geopark area.

Spring is just around the corner

Kure Volcano, Hiroshima Recommended spots in Hiroshima #Kurahashi Volcano 👈 1 from 📸 the volcano on Kurahashi Island It is a superb view spot overlooking the 360° Seto Inland Sea. There are various climbing routes here, and there are many scenic points. I want to go again! It's a wonderful mountain that makes you think! 😊 ◾️ Currently, the road that can be reached near the summit is closed due to falling rocks, and you will have to climb from the middle of the mountain. It takes about 40 minutes from the road and about 1 hour from the mountain trail, but I definitely recommend the mountain trail! The stairs are a little tough, but... 😅

Sunny weather in winter Lake Nakazenji in Nikko was dyed a dark blue. It shows a different look depending on the season and time of day. It is a fascinating attraction that will not let you get bored no matter how many times you visit.

Matsukawa, Toyama City, Toyama Prefecture The pink of the cherry blossoms and the red of the sightseeing boat were beautiful, and I thought it was wonderful that all the people on the sightseeing boat were looking at the cherry blossoms.

Himenosawa Park Himenosawa Park, a famed flower spot in Atami, overflows with seasonal blooms all year round. It is a natural park where you can also enjoy a full-fledged adventure playground. About 600 species of plants grow within the park. In an environment that feels like a botanical garden, flowering trees such as azaleas and a variety of wildflowers burst into bloom. (The photo shows azaleas that bloom from late April to early May.) About a 90-minute trek from Himenosawa Park will take you to Jukkoku Pass, allowing you to fully enjoy nature on the way. Please enjoy the moving floral scenes to your heart’s content, where flowers welcome you whenever you visit. Address / 1164 Himenosawa, Izu-san, Atami City, Shizuoka 413-0002 Telephone / 0557-83-5301 (Himenosawa Park Management Office) Access / From JR atami station, take a bus bound for the Motohakone area for about 30 minutes and get off at Himenosawa Park Admission / Free Parking / Free (Sazanka Parking: 46 passenger cars, 3 buses) and others

Jacaranda Flowers Are you familiar with jacaranda, a member of the Bignoniaceae family native to South America? As shown in the photos, it produces clusters of purple flowers like bunches of grapes, and the contrast of green leaves and purple blooms makes it a very beautiful deciduous tall tree. In Atami City, you can find tall trees (towering overhead) and smaller shrubs (at eye level) along Route 135 (the Jacaranda Promenade in Tokaigancho to Shinshicho “Waterside Park” along the sidewalk, and inside Waterside Park). Although jacaranda’s flowering season in Japan is said to be June, it is extremely rare for it to bloom outdoors on the mainland because of the climate. Some years in Atami saw no flowering at all, and some trees bloom a second time in September or October rather than only in June. Even when they do bloom, not all trees flower; some years only a few trees bloom. Some trees produce many flowers, some only a single cluster, and some not at all. How much will bloom this season? ※Bougainvillea along the Itagawa River also reaches its best viewing at the same time, so please visit both. Main jacaranda planting locations and numbers ● Jacaranda Promenade (along Route 135, beside the sun deck) … one tall tree about 10 m, four trees 3–5 m, and 100 shrubs 1–2 m ● Along Route 135, downbound (from the Central Police Box to Waterside Park Section 2) … 20 trees 5–6 m ● Waterside Park Section 3 … one tall tree of about 2 m near the pedestrian bridge, and five shrubs on the Wada River slope Total above: 25 tall trees (non-shrub) and 105 shrubs History ・In July 1990, one tree was planted in Omiya Green Space to commemorate the sister-city partnership with Cascais, Portugal ・In 2000, 24 trees were planted along the national highway (diagonally in front of the Central Police Box to in front of the Waterside Park event plaza) (Since then, some have been transplanted and others newly planted.) ・In April 2013, trees were planted in Waterside Park Section 2 (in front of the Tourist Association) and Section 3 (three trees in Section 2 and two in Section 3) ・On June 1, 2013, the “Jacaranda Promenade” was completed in Omiya Green Space (45 young trees planted) ・From September 2013 to June 2014, Omiya Green Space (west side) was developed (planting), and a few trees were transplanted from along the national highway ・June 2014, completion of the “Jacaranda Promenade” Address / Tokaigancho to Nagisacho, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture Phone / 0557-86-6218 (Atami City Park and Greenery Division) Access / To the Jacaranda Promenade (Omiya no Matsu) ■ About a 20-minute walk from JR atami station ■ About a 5-minute bus ride from JR atami station toward Atami Port → get off at “Omiya no Matsu” Parking / City-operated paid parking (East parking lot, Waterside Park, etc.) and others

Nishikigaura One of Atami’s scenic spots. This celebrated coastline of sheer cliffs stretches about 1 kilometer south from Uomizaki, the gateway to the Izu Peninsula. (Uomizaki–Nishikigaura–Sogaura totals about 2 kilometers) When the sun rises, its light pours over the bay and flashes in five brilliant colors, so the place took the poetic name Nishikigaura, borrowing the image of woven brocade from Kyoto. Remnants of the Atami-Taga volcano remain here, and legends linked to historical figures such as Minamoto no Yoritomo and Kato Kiyomasa still survive. The cliffs tower about 80 meters high. Strange rock formations carved by the rough waves—Kabuto Rock, Bedrock, Eboshi Rock, Benten Rock—stand in a row, while Hatsushima and Oshima float offshore. For the best view, head to the area near Hotel New Akao and the cafe “Hana no Yousei.” Note: Access to Hotel New Akao’s rooftop garden is limited to hotel guests only. Thank you for your understanding. Address / 〒413-0033 Atami, Atami City, Shizuoka Prefecture (near Hotel New Akao) Access / From JR atami station take a bus bound for Ajiro for about 15 minutes and get off at Nishikigaura Parking / None

I photographed a landscape shrouded in early spring morning haze.