On this day, foodie Kawanishi visited Tokoro Terrace in Shiga Akanuma, Suwa, Nagano Prefecture. This stylish spot, known in Suwa for selling kanten, also houses a cafe and dining area.☕ Tokoro Terrace promotes making kanten part of everyday life with the motto “bringing kanten closer to you.” The person who introduced the shop that day was manager Kurane. Next to the shop and cafe is a factory specializing in tokoroten, so the tokoroten served here comes fresh from the adjacent factory!!! I dislike vinegar-and-soy dressing, and since I learned about kuromitsu I’ve been hooked♪ It’s virtually zero calories (excluding the kuromitsu lol)!!! Kanten comes in many forms—block kanten (bō kanten), string kanten, and powdered kanten—and it’s a versatile ingredient you can add to rice, miso soup, or salads. As a child, I couldn’t wait for the school lunch day with mandarin orange milk kanten and used to pace around the serving area... Kanten provides dietary fiber and doesn’t overpower other ingredients, so it shines in main dishes, appetizers, and desserts alike—truly the Shohei Ohtani of the ingredient world!!! That day I found a pack of 100 sticks of kanten; some customers buy that size a few times a year!!! The quantity and enormity were astounding lol At the cafe, they use that kanten in tokoroten, cream anmitsu (their most popular item), soft serve, and even the hugely popular pudding. They serve lunch (11:00–14:00), where a salad with added kanten enhances the flavors of the main dish. The place is welcoming to men and has counter seating, so you can easily enjoy a casual cafe visit or lunch.🍴 You can also enjoy coffee made from beans by Yuhigahama Coffee of Matsumoto alongside the sweets, so try them together.☕ The entire shop is barrier-free, so customers in wheelchairs can enter with confidence. Many visitors come in three generations—grandmother, mother, and grandchild—and enjoy the cafe together. Why not consider this as a souvenir from Suwa? ◎ Tokoro Terrace 📍 1545-1 Shiga, Suwa (5-minute drive from Suwa I.C. toward Lake Suwa; parking for 40 cars) ☎ 0266-52-1056 ◎ Hours: 10:00–18:00 ・ Shop hours: 10:00–18:00 ・ Cafe hours: 10:00–17:00 (Lunch 11:00–14:30) ◎ Closed: Thursdays and during the New Year holidays (Dec 31–Jan 2) ◎ Online shop available.

Isehara Flower Update: September 18 The spider lilies at Hinata are not yet in peak bloom. Some areas have already begun to bloom. A temporary tourist information desk will open at the parking area next to the Hinata Yakushi bus stop. It will operate on Saturday, September 21; Sunday, September 22; and Monday, September 23 (a public holiday). From the north exit of Odakyu Isehara Station, take the Kanachu Bus from platform 3. Take the bus bound for Hinata Yakushi; the ride takes about 20 minutes. Get off at the final stop. ※Bus service is limited, so please check schedules in advance. If the temporary desk is not open, unmanned spider lily information maps are available at the Hinata Yakushi bus stop (parking lot restroom entrance) and at the Vocational Development Center (rear gate parking lot, 8:30–16:00). They are in a can—please take as many copies as you need.

Visited on 9/12/24. CAFE ANDON's lemonade and coffee jelly sundae. It is very tasty. 😊

Akagi Kakumanbuchi Marsh in early September Period is ♪ a precious time to enjoy the change of colors from summer to autumn From now on, the autumn colors will become darker day by day. It's still hot in the middle of summer, but it's a different world here! On this day, it was about 24 degrees Celsius during the day! There were a lot of people coming to escape the summer. I also spent the whole day relaxing and enjoying the holiday.

Ojibarako Park Spider Lilies in Bloom! There’s also an event announcement! (*'▽') At Ojibarako Park in Takaharacho, Miyazaki Prefecture, the spider lilies are now in bloom and at their best (*'▽') Legend says the first Emperor Jimmu was born and raised here, and the site is linked to the myths of Izanami and Izanagi and the story of the birth of the land. It’s about a 13-minute drive from Takahara IC and about a 10-minute drive from Takahara Station. The park has cottages on site! You can enjoy BBQs too! There are child-friendly facilities such as rainbow trout fishing, go-karts, and a wood-learning area, so kids can have fun❕ Besides the spider lilies, Ojibarako Park offers seasonal autumn foliage to enjoy throughout the year! Photos are from past seasons!! ★Event★ The 18th Pumpkin Contest will be held! Sunday–Monday, September 22–23, Reiwa 6 (2024), 9:00–16:00 Venue: Ojibarako Park (Jimmu no Yakata) Pumpkins will be available for purchase on site♪♪ Every year about 500–800 pumpkins are displayed at Ojibarako Park! You’ll see edible pumpkins and some unusually shaped varieties, and this year you might even spot a pumpkin over 100 kg!? Takaharacho’s calligrapher “Non-chan” will also sell cute brush-written pumpkins. They make nice decorations for entryways or gifts... Please come and join us (*'▽') You can find Non-chan the calligrapher’s homepage by searching online, so be sure to check it out❕

Nouvelle Bairindo Suwa Store (Confectionery House Nouvelle) On this day, foodie Kawanishi visited Nouvelle Bairindo Suwa Store (Confectionery House Nouvelle). It’s such a famous shop that virtually everyone in the Suwa area knows it! The exterior is stylish and, true to its name, evokes a charming confectionery house. Among Nouvelle’s offerings, the flagship item “Kurumi Yamabiko” is one of Kawanishi’s personal favourites. It uses fresh milk from the foothills of the Yatsugatake Mountains in Shinshu to make a slowly cooked special walnut caramel, which is wrapped in a crisp cookie. The cookie shell is not sweet, the walnut caramel inside is pleasantly sweet, and the balance between them is perfect!!! This treat is so addictive that you really can’t stop. Apart from my eldest son and second daughter, who have nut allergies, my whole family—including my parents—are huge, huge, huge fans www The company’s current president is said to be the creator of this hit product! Thank you so much for the supremely delicious Kurumi Yamabiko! It was released in 1985, so this year marks its 39th anniversary!!! The person who assisted us that day was Yudasaka, section chief of the administration department. According to him, Bairindo strongly values using local ingredients. Did you know each store also has shop-limited sweets? Here they are ↓ ・Suwa Store → Cream puffs ・Okaya Main Store → Waffles ・Shimosuwa Store → Shaved ice and pies (custard pie available at all stores plus a Shimosuwa-only original flavor) ・Chino Store → Soft serve ice cream (also sold at Okaya; Yamabiko soft is Chino-only) ・Cheesecake appears to be another store-limited sweet, so please do visit the stores! Hot on the heels of “Kurumi Yamabiko” is “Suwa no Tsuki.” The walnut caramel inside is the same as Kurumi Yamabiko, but here it’s mixed with white bean paste, making it extremely popular with elderly people who find Kurumi Yamabiko hard to swallow. Mixing in white bean paste improves the texture and throat feel, making it easier to eat than Kurumi Yamabiko — that’s why it’s so popular! It’s an impressive innovation. This conversation gave a glimpse of why it appeals to so many people. Ranking in the top three is Suwa Kurumi Caramel!!! It started with four designs representing nearby locations: Suwa → Karin, Shimosuwa → Manji stone Buddha, Okaya → Silk-rearing deity, Chino → Jomon Venus. The president was so eager to have representations for Hara Village and Fujimi that Hara Village’s celery and Fujimi’s tomato were created, completing characters for six neighboring municipalities. There’s actually a backstory behind Fujimi’s highland red ruby. A tomato grown by students in the horticulture department at Fujimi High School had been selected for judging at the Tokyo Olympics, but as everyone knows the Games were postponed by one year. When the president learned about the students’ tomatoes left without an outlet, he simply said, “Let’s use them as ingredients for the Highland Ruby!” That kind of manly decisiveness is electrifying. Those tomatoes continue to be sourced to this day. It made me think that the president’s commitment to local produce has produced these big hit items. Finally, Yudasaka’s top recommendation that day was the “Asaichi Cocco Sable.” The eggs come from chickens raised at Yatsugatake Central Agricultural Practical School in Hara Village. It’s a simple sable that remains soft while retaining a solid buttery flavour. Foodie Kawanishi’s personal top pick is the exquisite Kurumi Yamabiko!!! I learned for the first time that they also sell whole uncut loaves in their original shape, with wooden boxes or special knives included… it’s a dream product 🌟 If no one was watching, I’d probably bite straight into it www These appear only a few times a year!!! Maybe I’ll buy one as a birthday present 🎶 It’s an irresistible item for Kurumi Yamabiko lovers! Nouvelle Bairindo’s products also make wonderful souvenirs. Many sweets are inspired by or made with ingredients from the Suwa area. When my family brings souvenirs, Nouvelle Bairindo is our one and only choice w When people think of popular sweet souvenirs from the Suwa region, they think of Nouvelle Bairindo. If you visit the Suwa area or find their products at a retailer, please do buy and enjoy them!!! ◎ Nouvelle Bairindo Suwa Store (Confectionery House Nouvelle) 📍 1-2556-7 Jonan, Suwa, Nagano Prefecture 〒 ☎ 0266-54-7971 Hours & Closed days: 10:00–19:00 Closed only on New Year’s Day

The National Alps Azumino Park is a national park spreading at the foot of the Northern Alps in central Nagano Prefecture. The park has two areas: Omachi-Matsukawa in the north and Horikane-Hotaka in the south. The Horikane-Hotaka area lies about a 20-minute drive from Azumino Interchange on the Nagano Expressway. In the Horikane-Hotaka area, the yellow cosmos are now in full bloom. Eight hundred thousand yellow cosmos flowers cover 2.5 hectares of terraced rice fields in a spectacular display. The National Alps Azumino Park is broadly divided into two zones, and the yellow cosmos appear in the Satoyama Culture Zone, so please be careful not to use the wrong entrance. They should be enjoyable through late September. After that, in the Rural Culture Zone, you can see 180,000 cosmos of 12 different varieties. These are expected to peak from late September through mid-October. There are photo spots, and on clear days you can see Mt. Jonen. *Two pink cosmos photos are from last year.*

Takabeya Shrine Annual Festival On Sunday, September 15, 2024, the annual festival was held at Takabeya Shrine (2202 Shimokasuya, Isehara). The event opened with the “beach sand scattering,” which uses sand collected during the Shio-kumi purification ritual at Terugasaki Beach in Oiso as a substitute for purifying salt. Despite the heat, the festival became lively and energetic!

Visited on 9/12/24. This is a hot sandwich set of avocado and shrimp from CAFE ANDON. It's my favorite combination. I'm allowed to relax before work. 😊

This is the Scene of the "Dance Nishihachi Summer Festival" held in front of the school (Nishi Hachioji Station) the other day. Although it was small in scale, it was a very lively festival and the students said they enjoyed it very much. Nishi Hachioji also plans other festivals in November. Hachioji is a good city for international students to experience Japan culture directly!

Morning of Kirigenkyo 2024.09.14 Fukushima Mishima Towns's Kirigenkyo Pass It is said that it is likely to occur between June ~ August, when the water temperature of the Tadami River is cold, and the temperature difference is high, even in summer, which has its Minamoto in Oze, which straddles the three prefectures of Fukushima, Niigata, and Gunma. River fog in the early morning when warm air streams into the river and warms the surface of the river. Background of the operation The history and boat culture of the former Township have all disappeared, and a former resident (Kentaka Hoshi, a man Famous for taking pictures of the Tadami Line 365 days a year) became the center and revived the ferry operation as the "Kirigenkyo Project" in 2010. Ferries are by appointment only. It is also possible for those who want to take pictures to make a reservation and take pictures of only the boat. Squid moves the boat with such a photo. Like that.

Photographed 9/15/24. It is the square of the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine direct meeting hall. It had changed from a kazaguruma to a wind chime.

Tone River fireworks festival 2024 The star mine of the feast by the four major fireworks masters is a masterpiece It was a fusion of beauty and delicacy. The 30,000 Tone River fireworks festival colored the screen up, down, left and right. Ibaraki Tone River fireworks festival 2024.9.14

The sound of wind chimes lowers the perceived temperature. But it was a 😊 hot summer Inabe City, Mie Prefecture "Kanai Shrine"

Tone River Grand Fireworks Festival Fireworks are a traditional culture that Representatives Japan. It was the first time I went to this Tone River Grand Fireworks Festival, and the night sky was lit up by 30,000 flowers, one of the largest in Japan. Ibaraki Prefecture's proud fireworks masters, Yamazaki Smoke and Fire Factory, No Village fireworks Industry, Beniya Aoki Smoke and Fire Shop, and Margaux, the four major fireworks masters one of the best in Japan, performed gorgeously, and I am grateful and grateful that this scenery seen with Kan inn Castle was born in Japan.

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival. This is the Otorii Gate. The annual festival of Yawata Shrine in the Precincts was also held.

Photographed 9/14/24. It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Prayer at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine today. It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

🦇 Halloween Sweets & Lunch Buffet 🍭 Held in a special buffet for 2 days only! Enjoy 💕 a variety of chef's special sweets and Western and Chinese dishes to your heart's content, including live cooking of "Crepe Suzette Citrus Sorbet", "Hokkaido Beef Grilled with Homemade Teriyaki Sauce", and "Authentic Chinese Fried Rice Omelet Rice" 🎃 Date and time Held in 　　Saturday, October 12, 2024 and Sunday, October 13, 2024 　　11：30～14：30 👻fee 　　Adult ¥3,800 　　Elementary school students ¥2,000 　　Children under elementary school age Free of charge 　　Sparkling wine free drink additional ¥1,000 🎃 Reservations 　　📞011-222-1522 　　Or on the hotel's website 👻menu 　【Live Cooking】 　　　・Crepe Suzette Citrus Sorbet 　　　・Grilled Hokkaido beef with homemade teriyaki sauce 　　　・Authentic Chinese fried rice omelet rice 【Sweets】 　　　・Soft-boiled pudding 　　　・Opera 　　　・Raspberry Shortcake 　　　・Gateau chocolate 　　　・Pumpkin Chiffon Cake 　　　・Montblanc Swiss roll cake 　　　・Black cream puff 　　　・Sweet potatoes with purple sweet potatoes 　　　Blue honeysuckle tiramisu 　　　・Kyoho grapes jelly 【Food】 　　　・Pumpkin quiche 　　　Homemade smoked salmon and avocado salad 　　　・Pate de Campagne 　　　・Stuffed pumpkin and mascarpone gougère 　　　・Smoked salmon and mushroom greck 　　　・Bonito carpaccio and savory vegetable salad 　　　・Grilled eggplant and courgette salad 　　　・Bagna cauda with seafood and rumbling vegetables 　　　・Onion soup & cheese croutons 　　　・Roast beef sandwich 　　　・Potato & Smoked Salmon Sandwich 　　　・Mixed leaf salad 　　　・Colored Tomatoes 　　　・Onion slices 　　　・Seaweed salad 　　　・Broccoli 　　　・Marinated root vegetable salad 　　　・Spaghetti with various mushroom meat sauce 　　　・Baked pumpkin and seafood chowder in a pie wrap 　　　・Homemade minced cutlets and roasted mozzarella cheese with special demi-glace sauce 　　　・Today's Thai curry & rice 　　　・Chinese burger with steamed bread (shrimp chili & braised pork) 【Drink】 　　　・Coffee 　　　・Tea 　　　・Detox water 　　　・Oolong tea 　　　・Orange juice 　　　・Mineral water We look ✨ forward to seeing you

Visited on 9/2/24. After Prayer to Tokyo Daijingu Shrine, we had an early dinner (breakfast) at want to Manna, a Taiwanese breakfast specialty restaurant. From the top left, they are pineapple cake, current Taiwanese toast, soy milk, and flea cakes. The Taiwanese breakfast is my favorite.

Photographed 9/2/24. Hanachozu of Tokyo Daijingu Shrine and wind chimes.

Hinata Yakushi Cluster Amaryllis (Higanbana) in Isehara 2024 *The shaded path is currently closed to through traffic due to typhoon damage* The higanbana season is finally here!! However, with this year’s lingering summer heat, peak bloom still seems a little way off. We have confirmed a few lone flowers blooming here and there in the rice fields. A temporary tourist information booth will open to coincide with the flowers’ best viewing. Saturday, September 21; Sunday, September 22; Monday (national holiday), September 23 Location: Hinata Yakushi bus stop terminus From Odakyu Line Isehara Station North Exit, Kanachu Bus Platform 3 Take the “bound for Hinata Yakushi” bus for about 20 minutes *Bus services are infrequent, so please check schedules in advance.* The rice paddies and fields where the higanbana bloom are open to the public thanks to the generosity of the landowners. Please follow proper etiquette and show your understanding and cooperation. We will post updates on the blooming status as they come in.

🎆 Tone River fireworks festival It is a fireworks festival that starts tomorrow. Available is the largest fireworks festival in the Kanto region, and 40,000 fireworks color the 🤤 night sky

Hello, this is Jewelry Town. The hot days continue, but the dry heat has made the breeze pleasant. When you visit Senga Falls, you can feel plenty of negative ions that soothe both mind and body 🌳 Our shop also carries many stones that give off power rivaling the scenery of Shosenkyo Gorge. Rutile quartz remains very popular! There are not only gold rutile varieties but also red rutile! Lapis lazuli, famous as a September birthstone, displays a captivating deep ultramarine blue. Please stop by during your stroll and feel the power of the stones ☺️

The TARA-FUKU guidebook is now complete! Featuring 66 listed businesses With cooperation from restaurants and snack bars throughout Iwanai-cho we have compiled each shop’s recommended menu items, business hours, payment methods, and more! *The listed information is current as of August 2024* The back pages also introduce Iwanai-cho’s local specialties and outdoor spots. Please pick up a copy and take a look♪ Copies are available at Roadside Station Iwanai and participating businesses. *Additional distribution will be rolled out progressively.*

Photographed on September 7, 24. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin. Even if you take it from a different angle, it is very beautiful.

Takabeya Shrine Annual Festival The Takabeya Shrine (2202 Shimokasuya, Isehara) will hold its annual festival. Eve: Saturday, September 14, 2024 Main Festival: Sunday, September 15, 2024 On September 7, a “Shio-kumi” purification ritual was held to collect beach sand, seawater, and hondawara seaweed for use in the festival at Terugasaki in Oiso Town. The collected beach sand will be scattered around the shrine in the “beach sand scattering ceremony” as a substitute for cleansing salt. The seaweed will adorn the shimenawa rope at the torii gate, and the seawater will be used in prayers to prevent fires. Access: Odakyu Line Isehara Station 20-minute walk From the north exit, take the bus from Platform 5 toward Aikō-Ishida Station and get off at Kasuya-Kamijuku, then walk 2 minutes. From the south exit, take the bus from Platform 4 toward Tokai University Hospital and get off at Isehara City Hall North Entrance, then walk 9 minutes. For details, see the Isehara Takagami-kai website

Photographed on September 7, 24. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin.

Takekoma Shrine in Iwanuma City, Miyagi Prefecture, one of the three major inari shrines in Japan Every year from July ~ the end of August, the "Summer Festival" is Held in, and in 2024, many glass wind chime were displayed in the Precincts approach to the temple. I'm looking forward to next year.

Photographed on September 7, 24. CAFE ANDON's lemonade and blueberry and rhubarb rare cheesecake. 🍋🫐 It has a moderate acidity and is delicious. 😊