🔪✨Sakai Cutlery Festival 2025 is here! Experience two days of traditional craftsmanship! Exhibitions and direct sales of kitchen knives and gardening shears, sharpening services, and highlights including traditional forging demonstrations and signature engraving by artisans🎉 🍎An apple-peeling contest and cooking shows will also take place!👨‍🍳✨ 📅Dates: Saturday, April 12 – Sunday, April 13 ⏰Time: 10:00–16:00 📍Venue: Sakai City Industrial Promotion Center Event Hall (183-5 Nagasonecho, Kita Ward, Sakai), free admission!🎫 Please note parking is limited and parking lots and surrounding roads may be congested, so please use public transportation if possible🚋 🔍For details, check the official website of the Sakai Cutlery Commerce and Industry Cooperative Federation

Notice about parking The snow has melted and spring is finally arriving🌸 Here is a notice about parking at Roadside Station Iwanai Please take note🚗 Parking at Roadside Station Iwanai is divided into several areas 1. Parking in front of the Kida Kanjirou Art Museum 2. Taramaru Market parking lot 3. Parking in front of the police box 4. Parking behind the Roadside Station Please be aware that the event plaza in front of the station is a no-parking zone Each year some visitors mistakenly park there We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your cooperation <(_ _)>

40th Anniversary Regular Performance Madame Butterfly “Everything begins in Sakai” 🔶 Founded by citizens more than fifty years ago, Sakai City Opera has held numerous exchanges with overseas opera houses and companies In 2006, it became the first Japanese company to co-produce a local staging of Puccini’s festival production of Madame Butterfly in Italy. On May 2, we will present a performance for young people—children who have grown through the COVID-19 pandemic and the youth who will shape tomorrow—so that their rich sensibilities can be entrusted to the future society. Madame Butterfly, a love opera set in Nagasaki, comes to Fenice Sakai, a source of pride for Sakai City. Enjoy the power of live music and the drama’s emotion this Golden Week! Ticket reservations → ticket＠sakai-city-opera.jp ★ Please contact us with “Madame Butterfly ticket request,” seat type, number of tickets, your name, address, and phone number.

📢 Monster Hunter × Sakai 🔥 A life-size tachi sword appears at Sakai City tea room Shin-an! ⚔️🏯 In Sakai City, we have recreated a full-scale tachi sword, about 2.2 m long, as seen in Capcom Co., Ltd.’s popular game series Monster Hunter, and it will be exhibited at Sakai City tea room Shin-an. 🎮✨ 📷 Plus! Show a photo of the recreated tachi at participating facilities to receive special perks in a campaign. 🎁🎉 ※The tachi displayed at the main site is a sculpted item made from metal materials and does not fall under the category of blades covered by the Swords and Firearms Control Law. 🛠️ This special piece was created for the collaboration event with the same series held in fiscal 2022. 💡 🔍 For details, please see the Sakai City website.

🌸Shūzuka Kofun Plaza "Cherry Blossom Viewing Party"🌸 Cherry blossom season has arrived! At the "Cherry Blossom Viewing Party" held at Shūzuka Kofun Plaza, many food trucks and vendor booths will be on site✨ Enjoy light meals and drinks while spending a spring moment🌷 When you visit Daisen Park, be sure to stop by!🌸🎉 📅 Date and Time: Saturday, March 29, 6:00 PM–7:30 PM 🚶‍♂️ Access: 5-minute walk from Mozu Station on the JR Hanwa Line 🎟️ Admission: Free 📍 Venue: Daisen Park (Sakai Ward, around the Mozu Kofun Group) 📞 Inquiries: PULLPUSH Planning Co., Ltd. 📧 Email: support@mycity-epco.co.jp 📱 Phone: 070-3184-0237 (Miko) 🔍 For event details, please see Sakai City’s official website

"Ume Plum" is a Ume Plum Star in Ishigaya Park, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is a park right next to the highway Akashi service area, and you can park your Car in the parking area from a distance and see it as it is, so it is an easy place to go and it is a famous place for Famous plum blossoms.

The sea in Kanagawa Prefecture is wonderful! 👏 If you want to enjoy the beautiful world of the sea in the suburbs of Kanto, the sea in Kanagawa Prefecture is recommended. Among them, this time we will introduce the popular diving spot "Iwa". ------------ 🪨 The Attraction of 🪨 Rock Diving Spots "Iwa" is a popular diving spot in the Nishisho area of Kanagawa Prefecture, and the symbolic area is the Iwa Bridge, which was selected as one of the "100 best bridges in Kanagawa". It is a hidden famous landmarks for divers, with crystal clear waters and abundant marine life. The soft coral that spreads throughout the Water Unfolds like a flower field, and you can enjoy 🌸 "cherry blossom viewing during the Water". Colorful pink and purple soft corals grow in clusters, making you feel as if you have entered a fantasy world. It is ✨ a superb view Spot that is sure to be Instagrammable ------------ 🏝️ You can enjoy Hokule'a Shonan comfortably! 🏝️ Hokule'a Shonan has excellent access with about 45 minutes by car to the rock! Meet at Hokule'a Shonan in the morning, then head to the sea of rocks for two leisurely dives before enjoying 🍴 a delicious Local lunch. After that, you don't have to worry about traffic jams, and you can leave at 3pm, so you can spend a day with plenty of time. It is also very popular with repeat customers, such as "I don't feel tired even the next day after work" and "You can easily go day trip diving". 🫶 ------------ ⭐️ Beginners are also welcome! ⭐️ "I want to try diving, but I'm a beginner, so I'm worried..." If you are such a person, please leave it to Hokule'a Shonan! Our store's instructors are experienced and friendly. We will carefully teach you everything from how to use the equipment to tips in water. It's a small-group tour, so even first-timers can participate 💡 with confidence "I want to take a peek into the unknown!" "I want to touch the mysteries of Nature!" If you have such thoughts, let's dive together! 🙏 ------------ 🗓️ Make your reservation as soon as possible! 🗓️ "Water cherry blossom viewing" is one of the special attractions of rock diving. Please experience 🪸 this Spot with its high transparency and fantastic scenery ------------ 📱 📱 Contact us At Hokule'a Shonan, we provide a wide range of support from beginners to experienced divers. Why don't you casually experience the extraordinary world in the suburbs of Kanto? ------------ 📍 Hokule'a Shonan 🚃 30 seconds walk from JR Hiratsuka Station South Exit 🏝️ Small-scale, comfortable and secure diving tour Let's enjoy the charm of the sea in Kanagawa Prefecture together! #KanagawaDiving #IwaDiving #UnderwaterHanami #DayTripFromTokyo #HokuleaShonan #DiveWithUs #ExploreTheBlue #OurOceanCrew #DiveJapan

2024 Minamiizu Town Photo Contest Results Announced! We have selected six prize-winning works—Grand Prize and Runner-up—across three categories. Submission period: Saturday, June 1, 2024 to Friday, January 31, 2025. Eligible works: Photographs taken between February 1, 2024 and January 31, 2025. Total submissions: 310 entries (two winners chosen from each category). Thank you very much for the many entries that expressed such deep affection for Minamiizu. The results page is as follows. https://minamiizuphoto.mitte-x.istsw.jp/award.html?cn=52...

Ume Plum Ishigaya Park, Akashi City, Hyogo Prefecture This is a Ume Plum park where you can park your car in the parking lot of the Daini Shinmei Road Akashi service area, and since it is a highway, it is a recommended Spot in a place where it is easy for people from far away to stop by.

I've been diving in the wreck & cave of Atami! About 1 hour 🚗 by Car from Hiratsuka I went to a diving Spot in Atami, Spot Access by far the most popular from Kanagawa Prefecture! One of Japan's one of the best sunken ships, the Asahi 16, is waiting there 🚢 This wreck is one of the Specialties of Atami diving, and it is a Spot that tickles the adventurous spirit that divers should visit at least once! The wreck is Dawn! and Powerful. The depth is about 25m, so you will need to be an AOW diver. This is the next step for OW divers. If you want to go, but you're worried about ear removal, neutral buoyancy, and dry suits, don't worry! Even if you are a beginner in diving, you can practice well if you request it, so you can challenge it 😃 with peace of mind This time, a guest from Florida, USA, participated! Therefore, a Japanese ban has been issued for diving this time! The yellowtail was also done 🖐️ entirely in English If you want to practice diving in English, go to Hokule'a, an international diving school. We are also looking for people who can speak English! Diving is a wonderful opportunity to ♪ connect with the world On the way back, I had a delicious Kaisen Donburi bowl at Ishida Shoten in Manazuru, which can be reached by car from Atami, and it was 😃 a very satisfying day In fact, this day was also 🎂✨ the 43rd birthday of Our Store Representative Koike Pachiri 📸 for a commemorative photo with everyone Thank you for the many warm blessings! We will continue to do our best to bring you the charm of Kanagawa, Atami, and the wonderful diving Spot of many, so we will continue to Best regards in the future! #ShipwreckDiving #DiveAdventure #UnderwaterWorld #DiveJapan #AtamiDiving #KanagawaDiving #WreckDivingJapan #OceanLovers #ExploreTheBlue #HokuleaShonan #OurOceanCrew #DiveWithUs #BlueWorldJourney #ScubaTravel

Meigetsu-in Temple in Kamakura, Famous for its hydrangeas Autumn leaves in autumn are also a wonderful temple The autumn view from the window of enlightenment is very cool

I thought it wouldn't snow in Tokyo this year. In March, the early-blooming cherry blossoms began to bloom, and then the snow fell. Snowy scenery of early-blooming cherry blossoms at Sakura Jingu Shrine Very cool scenery typical of Japan

🌿✨ Cleaning the shrine grounds for two 🏯🧹 – Start your day at Otori Taisha – A special offering from the “Futari Demo Sakai” campaign! ✨ Enjoy the unusual calm of the shrine in the early morning and experience cleaning the historic Otori Taisha grounds (※). ✨ ※If it rains, participate in a ritual prayer transcription experience Join a Shinto priest for the daily sunrise worship called “Nippai,” hear an introduction to Otori Taisha, and receive a special “Omamori that helps you see ahead.” ⛩️🌿 📅 Dates: Friday, April 11 and Sunday, May 18 📍 Location: Otori Taisha 💰 Fee: 6,400 JPY per pair (2 people), includes two omamori 📢 Applications accepted until one week before each event date! 🌟 Experience a special chance to purify your heart at this historic shrine—join us! 🔍 For details and to apply, search “Cleaning the shrine grounds for two – Start your day at Otori Taisha”

🕵️Solve the Mysteries of Sakai – The Spirit Kajira and the Vanished Legendary Blacksmith A roving real-world puzzle game takes place in Sakai!🎉 📜A detective story set across Sakai as you search for the vanished legendary blacksmith🔍 Walk around Sakai city and unravel puzzles as you go🚶‍➡️ Those who clear the mystery receive a completion reward🎁‼ Whether with family, friends, or solo, why not become the detective who solves the mystery?🕵️ 📅Event period: Saturday, March 22 – Monday, October 13 📍Location: Sakai Ward, Sakai City, moat area 🔍For details, search for “Solve the Mysteries of Sakai – The Spirit Kajira and the Vanished Legendary Blacksmith”

Toyooka City, Hyogo It was cold at Kinosaki Onsen Self

Toyooka City, Hyogo It was cold at Kinosaki Onsen Self

Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture You can experience various villages and various experiences while feeling like a Satoyama while in the city Aina Satoyama Park

Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture You can experience various villages and various experiences while feeling like a Satoyama while in the city Aina Satoyama Park

Toyooka City, Hyogo It was difficult on the way, but I managed to take a picture of Kinosaki Onsen during the big cold wave aiming for the timing of the snowfall.

Toyooka City, Hyogo It was difficult on the way, but I managed to take a picture of Kinosaki Onsen during the big cold wave aiming for the timing of the snowfall.

🚴‍♂️Tour de Yatsugatake 2025🚴‍♂️ Thank you very much for all your entries🙇🏻‍♀️ The entry deadline for Tour de Yatsugatake is tomorrow, the 16th❗️ We are still accepting entries, so if you haven't signed up yet, please hurry🚴‍♂️💨 The secretariat is based at Roadside Station Yachiho Kogen. *Entries are accepted via the QR code on the second page!*

📢 Locals’ Picks: Savory Eats in Sakai🍽️✨ Sakai offers not only tourist spots but also many local culinary delights unique to the area!😋🌸 We invited recommendations from residents for eateries so visitors to the Osaka-Kansai Expo can savor Sakai’s flavors!📍🍜🍣 Enjoy Sakai’s local cuisine along with the Expo!🎡✨ 🎁 Instagram posting campaign runs until June 30! Five winners will be drawn to receive Sakai specialty products🎊🎁 🔍 For details, search for “Locals’ Picks: Savory Eats in Sakai”!

🚴 Exploring the mystery of how the bicycle industry began in Sakai ♬ In Sakai, famed as "the birthplace of many things," the bicycle industry took root and flourished 🚲 Join a guided tour led by a curator to learn about Sakai’s unique craftsmanship and history 🕵️ 📢 “Untangling Sakai: Investigating Sakai’s Mysteries 2025” 🎉 🗓️ Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23, 2025 📍 Shimano Bicycle Museum 🔍 For details, please check the announcements on the Sakai Tourism Guide website. 📬 Registration: on-site, first-come, first-served 🎫 Participation fee: Free (museum admission not included) 📞 Inquiries: 072-221-3196

🚴 Delving into the mystery of how the bicycle industry was born in Sakai ♬ In Sakai, hailed as “the place where everything begins,” the bicycle industry flourished🚲 Join a curator-led guided tour to learn about Sakai’s unique craftsmanship and history🕵️ 📢 “Untying the Threads: Uncovering Sakai’s Mysteries 2025”🎉 🗓️ Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23, 2025 📍 Shimano Bicycle Museum 🔍 For details, please check the announcements on the Sakai tourism guide website. 📬 Registration: first-come, first-served on the day 🎫 Participation fee: free (museum admission not included) 📞 Contact: 072-221-3196

📢 The “Futari Demo Sakai” Campaign Is Here!💑✨ Starting Friday, March 14, Sakai City kicks off the “Futari Demo Sakai” campaign!🎯🚶‍♂️ Enjoy plenty of activities made for pairs, from journeys decided by dart throws to special Sakai-only experiences💛🎉 📅 Period: Friday, March 14 – Saturday, May 31 ✅ Free to participate 🆓 ✅ No reservation required 📆✖️ ✅ Chances to win prizes!🎁 🔍 For details, visit the Sakai tourism guide website and search “Futari Demo Sakai”! 💡 Campaign Highlights 1. Dart Trip Let fate choose your destination! Visit spots while taking on quizzes along the way🎯 Answer all questions at a spot correctly to earn a chance to play a prize-winning dart game✨ 2. Special Experiences Try Sakai cultural activities like wagashi (Japanese confection) making and tea ceremony experiences🍵 3. Digital Stamp Rally Visit any 4 of the 7 spots to enter a lottery for prizes🎁 4. Share Campaign Post photos or videos of your pair trip in Sakai on Instagram with both hashtags #futari_demo_sakai and #futari_tabi! 🏯💑💫 Five winners will be chosen by lottery from those who post to receive lovely prizes!🎁 Share your memories and join the campaign!📲✨ We have posted a reel video for this campaign on our official Instagram and Facebook. Please take a look👀

🛕 Main Hall Guided Tour & Uncovering the Mystery of Sakai Prefecture In addition to a guided tour of the city’s largest wooden structure, the Main Hall, the temple’s sutra repository will be open for two days only😲 We will explore the mystery of “Sakai Prefecture,” which existed for 14 years in the past✨ 📢 "Untie the Strings: Exploring the Mystery of Sakai 2025"🎉 🗓️ Saturday, March 22 and Sunday, March 23 📍 Honganji Sakai Betsuin, free admission! 🔍 For details, please check the Sakai Tourism Guide website news. 📬 How to apply: On the day, please speak to a nearby sightseeing volunteer guide. ※ During chanting, visitors cannot enter the Main Hall, so you may be asked to wait.

🌊 【Kanagawa】Impression experience in the suburbs of Tokyo! Diving 🌊 with a beautiful view of Manazuru's soft coral Did you know that there is a diving Spot in Kanagawa Prefecture where you can see beautiful soft corals like a painting? 🤩 Just the other day, I went boat diving to the rocks of Manazuru and the scene was absolutely fantastic! 🪸✨ Colorful soft corals vividly colored the world in Water, and along the way, we met Traditional Japanese straw raincoat scorpionfish swimming gracefully. 👀🦁🐟 🌟 There is a to all the wonderful smiling guests who had a good time with us! 🤗 We can't wait to dive with you again! 🤿 🚗 Just a 30-minute Car ride from Our Store in Hiratsuka, Manazuru Rock Boat Diving is a special Spot where you can see the Water world of Impression without long travel! ✨ The instructor will support you firmly, so you can rest assured even if you are a beginner. This Spot is also recommended for photo divers for an unforgettable diving experience near Tokyo. 🙌

Jewel night view of Tokyo The night view of Tokyo seen from Shibuya Suka Squid, this city, which is always diverse and dazzling, will shine ✨ even brighter in the future

The winter sea is soothed by kelp! Impression diving experience in Fukuura, Kanagawa Prefecture Every year at this time of year, many kelp is swaying 🍀 near the surface of the Water Not only for those who like diving, but also for those who are thinking of starting diving, the sea at this time of year is highly recommended. This time, we will introduce 🤿 an Impression diving experience in the sea of Fukuura, Kanagawa Prefecture ✨ The sea is crystal clear in winter! ✨ The sea in Fukuura on this day is 15 meters transparent! Impression by the world under the water that spreads out in front of me 😊 Squid may think that the sea is cold in winter, but in fact, this is the time of year when diving is recommended. This is because in winter, the amount of plankton decreases, so the water becomes very clear and the water becomes much clearer. The sunlight shining into the water sparkles, and a clear blue world Unfolds before ✨ your eyes It is 🏝 so beautiful that you feel that it would be a waste not to dive in the sea in winter 🌳 Diving 🌳 to be soothed by kelp In the sea of Fukuura, you can see 🍃 "swaying kelp" unique to this time of year Scene of the kelp swaying quietly, it seems as if healing time is streaming. When you relax in the water and are surrounded by a kelp forest, you will 😊 feel as if your daily fatigue has been blown away In addition, on this day, the water camera 📸 debuted! I was a little nervous at first, but before I knew it, I was hooked. I clicked the shutter many times at the magnificent view of the blue sea and swaying kelp spreading out in front of me. "I want to take more pictures!" and "What kind of scenery awaits me next?" The Water camera is There are fun that you can't help but get hooked on. 🙌 Hokule'a Shonan makes it easy ♪ to move around 🌸 If it's 🌸 Hokule'a Shonan Just 30 minutes by car from the shop in Hiratsuka to reach 🚙 the dive site in Fukuura The charm of Hokule'a Shonan is that you can go straight to the beautiful sea with outstanding transparency in a short time without the fatigue of traveling long distances. "I want to enjoy the sea casually but firmly." If that's the case, you've come to the right place 🤿 Recommended points for winter diving In winter, the sea is ✅ High transparency, making the scenery look clear ✅ There are few divers, and you can dive leisurely ✅ Nudibranchs and other creatures that can only be encountered in winter can be seen And, actually, there are many charms! In winter, why don't you enjoy leisurely diving in the sea of Kanagawa and Fukuura, which has outstanding transparency? Thank you to 🙏 everyone who participated We look forward to 😊 your next dive at Hokule'a Shonan

🌊 Welcome to the ✨ mysterious and beautiful world of the sea I went again this year! Annual event 3 days 2 nights tour🐋 of Okinawa Impression diving, and dreamy whale watching... It was a special experience that stayed with me all the time. The dance of the dogfish and damselfish flocking in the coral forest was a masterpiece, and it was truly indescribably beautiful. What is the appeal of whale watching? Speaking of winter in Okinawa, whale watching is not to be missed. Humpback whales appear in the waters around Okinawa for breeding in winter, and you can see their Powerful presence right in front of you. By combining whale watching after diving, you can enjoy the waters of Okinawa even deeper. 🐳 Whale Trivia The humpback whale is a large whale that can reach up to 15 meters and weigh up to 30 tons. Their graceful swimming and dynamic jumps (yellowtail ching) are spectacular. Humpback whales are also famous as "singing whales", where male whales sing beautifully to communicate with their mates. 🪸 Beautiful sea with coral forests The sea in Okinawa is also known as the "Coral Forest" where colorful corals spread all over. Corals are an important part of the marine ecosystem, and the colorful fish that live there are truly fantastic. For divers, it is truly a Impression moment to experience such a rich world of the sea up close. Thank you to everyone who participated for a wonderful three days! 😃 Dive, drink, eat... It was a great memory! smile 📅 Next held in: Early March 2026 If you couldn't make it this year, be sure to do it next time! 💪 Experience this unforgettable impression together! Thoughts 🌈 of Hokule'a Shonan At Hokule'a Shonan, we believe that diving is not just an adventure, but a journey to explore the unknown and discover a new side of ourselves. You may be able to meet a new self by encountering Okinawa's rich sea creatures and entrusting yourself to the quiet and serene blue world. "Let's embark on a journey into a world we have not yet seen." We hope you will join us on this tour. 🌊