I visited the famous Toohoku peak MtAdatara (1,700 m). I took the ropeway from Okudake Trailhead to Summit Station, passed MtYakushi (1,322 m), and reached the summit of MtAdatara. Then I was moved by the stark volcanic landscape of the explosion crater (Numanodaira Crater), continued to Mount Yahazu (1,673 m), and enjoyed the autumn colors painting the slopes of MtTetsu (1,709 m). Location: Nihommatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture

I visited Mt. Kurikoma (elevation 1,626 m), the celebrated Tohoku peak praised as the "carpet of the gods." At the temporary shuttle bus stop, Kurihara City staff warned that "bears have been appearing on the trail for four consecutive days!" and, ringing bear bells loudly, we made the ascent. By the grace of the gods, we encountered no bears and were treated to truly stunning autumn foliage. Thank you. Location: Kurihara City, Miyagi Prefecture

Why not try Koubai-eki (紅梅液) during the hot season? Takano Shoten (高野商店), which produces Koubai-eki, is a long-established store in the Imajo district dating back to the Edo period. It's the syrup that forms during the production of their popular sweet-syrup ume paste, and amazingly the only ingredients are plums and sugar! Ume is known to help relieve tiredness and guard against summer heat fatigue, making it a good choice in hot weather.

Photographed on November 3, 2013. This is the yabusame (mounted archery) festival at Izumo Iwai Shrine.

Photographed on November 3, 2025. This is the yabusame (mounted archery) festival at Izumo Iwai Shrine.

Grab a Tokachi Sake Travel Book and tour Tokachi’s wineries and breweries to collect original labels!! What is the Tokachi Sake Travel Book? It’s a keepsake booklet you use while touring Tokachi to collect and enjoy each winery’s and brewery’s original labels. There are four ways to enjoy the Sake Travel Book😍 1️⃣ Tour and enjoy The booklet introduces Tokachi’s wineries and breweries, places to drink, shops to buy from, and accommodations where you can drink and stay. Savor the drinks as you make this your Tokachi tour book. 2️⃣ Collect and enjoy When you purchase one or more bottles (any brand) at participating wineries or breweries, present the Sake Travel Book at the register to receive that winery’s or brewery’s original label as a gift🎁🎁 There are six designs inspired by each winery’s or brewery’s features😊 The booklet includes pages where you can stick each label✨ Make it your label-collecting book. 📌Participating wineries and breweries 📍Tokachi Wine (Ikeda Wine Castle) 📍Tokachi Makiba no Ie Winery 📍Tokachigaoka Winery 📍Memuro Winery 📍Aizawa Winery 📍Hekiun Kura 3️⃣ Record and enjoy Write down your trip notes, the drinks you tried, and the snacks or dishes you paired them with to create your own memory book. 4️⃣ Read and enjoy Read the tourism information about Tokachi’s drinks to learn more about the region. The Tokachi Sake Travel Book is distributed free of charge, so please pick one up and take a look🤗 The booklet and label distribution run from November 1 to February 20. https://tokachibare.jp/sake-museum/news/saketabi-techo/...

Azumino was pleasantly warm, but a sudden passing shower arrived… When I looked up at the sky, there was a double rainbow

Photographed 11/3/25. It is the Yabusame Festival of Izumo Ihabi Shrine. It's morning.

Photographed 11/3/25. Prayer at Izumo Ihabi Shrine. It is the Yabusame Festival.

It was a change of pace. It's a gingerbread latte and an Earl Grey scone.

Divine glow ✨ On the way back from photographing Shirataki Falls, the pampas grass lit by sunlight looked divine, so I took a picture 📷 You can see gleaming pampas grass around town right now 👀 The temperature swings between morning and evening have deepened the autumn colors 🍁 Peak foliage may still be a little way off, but you can already feel the autumn scenery and breeze beyond the leaves 🌰

Mindfulness tourism was held at Kikuchi Gorge in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture. We offered the ultimate retreat in nature’s clear streams to maximize mental and physical performance. Away from everyday noise, participants enjoyed a special experience that sharpened the five senses while feeling the breath of nature. The program featured mindfulness walking incorporating meditation and breathing techniques. Participants walked through Kikuchi Gorge together with a resident priest. At each spot, people quietly faced nature—lying on rocks, sitting in zazen, or otherwise pausing in reflection. In the calm atmosphere, attendees refreshed their minds and bodies and seemed to find new insights. On the first day, we held “Mindfulness Walking and a Tea Ceremony.” A tea master conducted a tea gathering within Kikuchi Gorge. The water of Kikuchi Gorge was used for the tea. In the silent morning space, guests settled their minds and quietly enjoyed delicious tea. On the second day, participants experienced “Mindfulness Walking and a Breakfast Gathering.” They ate breakfast in the crisp morning air while sensing the surrounding nature. They enjoyed their meal in a relaxed, peaceful state. The dishes used the soft water from Kikuchi Gorge, offering clay-pot rice and meals made with local Kikuchi ingredients. Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience in their own way. By walking and touching nature in the morning, many said they were able to forget work worries and busyness. The matcha tea ceremony eased tired bodies, and the sound of the clear stream sharpened both hearing and taste. Meditating in nature with the murmur of the river and the cool air felt pleasant. Freshly cooked rice in a clay pot and nameko mushroom soup warmed body and soul; the dishes were elaborate, truly delicious, and left guests very satisfied. These were among many comments we received. It was a luxurious time to experience Kikuchi’s food, nature, and moments of self-reflection with the five senses. Instead of letting a day pass by unnoticed, participants seemed to appreciate spending time in nature solely for themselves.

I Outbound to the Yabusame Festival of Izumo Ihahi Shrine. It is a morning event. I was even there for the ceremony, but I couldn't see the ceremony because of work.

In Kono in Minami-Echizen Town, a summer fireworks festival is held every year. The dynamic sound that reverberates off the mountains is breathtaking!

Autumn leaves on floating islands A floating island located at the Anegawa Dam in Shiga Prefecture. The Autumn leaves season is spectacular.

Photographed 11/1/25. After Prayer to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I relaxed. Strawberry Mousse & Joyful Medley Tea Latte and White Mocha Cake.

You should definitely see the flowers on rainy days at Seumo Park! It is the droplets that have gathered on the lotus leaves. Lotus leaves are highly water-repellent, so they collect water neatly. The rainwater floating on the lotus leaves sparkles like a work of art.

Photographed 11/1/25. It is a one-year cheap sea bream lottery of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It is yellow and vermilion. Vermilion has a color close to orange.

Photo from my father. 2025.11.01

[Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture] Savoring the River! Ayu, Unagi, River Shrimp, Gori! Traditional Fishing Methods That Live Alongside the Shimanto River Introducing the traditional river fishing methods passed down by river fishers on the Shimanto River. This highlights the important local culture of living close to the river and gratefully receiving its bounty. 〇Traditional Fishing Methods of the Shimanto River The Shimanto River’s traditional fishing methods have been carefully preserved by local river fishers. While their form has gradually changed with environmental shifts, they still remain part of daily life. The river’s abundant gifts—ayu (sweetfish), unagi (eel), tenaga-ebi (long-arm shrimp), and aosa nori (green seaweed)—brighten family meals with the seasons. Skilled chefs in Shimanto City also prepare them into delicious dishes for visitors, and various processed forms are enjoyed as souvenirs. 〇See the River, Taste the River A slow walk along the Shimanto River reveals traps for catching eels and long-arm shrimp seen from chinkabashi bridges, partly submerged in the water. Depending on the season, you may encounter people fishing for ayu or working from traditional river boats. Along the banks you might spot stone-lined devices for catching gori, and at the river mouth workers harvesting green seaweed. If you look closely at the Shimanto River, you’ll discover human lives intertwined with the river. In the evening, taste the very ingredients caught with the traps you saw, slowly savored at a local restaurant. It’s a distinctive, insider way to enjoy the Shimanto River. 〇Introduction to Traditional Fishing Methods ・Ayu Fire-Swinging Fishing Nets are set across the river in advance, and at night a boat swings torches from the deck. Startled by the dancing bands of flame, ayu panic and are driven into the nets. Today this practice often uses LED lights, but the principle remains the same as the traditional method. Ayu are also caught by cast nets, angling, and other methods. ・Long-Arm Shrimp Fishing From a chinkabashi bridge looking toward the water’s edge, you can see PVC pipes spaced at regular intervals. These are korobashi, traps for catching long-arm shrimp. Once made of wood, they have changed to more convenient materials over time. Long-arm shrimp are commonly enjoyed deep-fried whole, producing vibrant colors, and are treasured as a local flavor—some grow large enough to resemble cucumbers. ・Unagi (Eel) Fishing You may see pieces of styrofoam or PET bottles floating in the river without drifting away; they can mark korobashi used to catch eels. Sensitive to smell, eels avoid resin traps, so wooden korobashi are still widely used. ・Gori Fishing If stones are lined along the riverbank to dam the water, they may form the setup for gori’s noborio-toshi-ue fishing. In the Shimanto River, juvenile Numachichibu fish are called gori and are enjoyed as a spring to early-summer delicacy. They are typically eaten deep-fried or simmered in soy-based preserves. 〇Important Notices Fishing on the Shimanto River is subject to fishing rights. Purchasing an angling permit is required when you fish. Also, closed seasons are established to protect resources. Please be aware of these regulations.

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival. Shichi-Go-San.

Photographed 10/27/25. This is Hanatetsu's Hanachozu.

A very yellowtail Limited Time Hokusei Line. At this time of year, the cosmos field in front of the railroad tracks It colors the Hokusei Line.

Morning at Biwashima Shrine (Kanazawa-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)

Saturday, November 1, 10:00–15:00 ◆Ishirouzaki Lighthouse Public Opening The interior of Ishirouzaki Lighthouse will be open to visitors. This is a rare opportunity that only happens a few times a year, if at all! There will be various special features on the day. The Japan Coast Guard’s character Umimaru and Minami Izu Town’s official mascot Irozaki Baron will also make appearances! Saturday, November 1–Sunday, November 2 ◆Minami Izu Taiko Festival In October, the month known as Kannazuki, the gods gather at Izumo Taisha from across the country for a matchmaking council, leaving only the local guardian deities behind. When the gods return in November, the month is called Kamikizuki or Kamikuduki, and although many communities scaled down celebrations during the COVID-19 pandemic, grand festivals praying for a bountiful harvest are held throughout Minami Izu Town.

[Notice] From November our hours change to winter hours! Thank you for always visiting Roadside Station Iwanai. We appreciate your support. Our facility will be open from November 1 through April 20 of the following year. Opening hours are 9:00 to 17:00. The facility is closed every Monday. ※If Monday is a public holiday, the following Tuesday will be closed. Please note that the stamp rally stamps will follow the same hours and closed days stated above. We look forward to welcoming you during the winter season 😊 Roadside Station Iwanai🐟

Photographed 10/27/25. This is Hanachozu from Hara Flower Shop. Hanachozu for Halloween. 🎃

Autumn colors in the satoyama and the JR Shinonoi Line The countryside of Azumino is beginning to show its colors.

Autumn colors of the Northern Alps viewed from near the No. 2 parking area at the Mitsumata trailhead Is that Choyari standing sharply in the distance…? The mountainside foliage was at its peak!!

Mayumi Pond in Fall Colors This pond lies along the Karasu River forest road heading to the Mitsumata trailhead Its name preserves the old name for Mt. Jonen, which used to be called "Mayumi-dake" Sitting at 1,170 meters, the autumn colors have descended noticeably toward the lowlands!