This photo was taken at Isahaya Shrine in Nagasaki Prefecture.

The stylish transparent amulet was impressive, so I took a picture of the shrine in the background.
The heat of midsummer was over, but the wind Car of the many was swirling with the wind, and there was a cool atmosphere in the air.

Memories of Summer Enbara River 2025.08.16

The cold water of the underground water warms up with the warmth of summer, and river fog is generated, and the sun shines on it, creating a beam of light.

[Torii Pass - toriitoge-]

Overview
A roughly 6 km mountain trail linking Narai inn on the Kiso Kaido with Yabuhara inn.
In the Edo period it was famous as one of the Nakasendo’s toughest stretches, a place that made straw-sandalled travelers limp with pain.
Today it is a popular, atmospheric trekking route. Hikers from Japan and abroad walk this pass in large numbers.
From the summit you can look west to Mitakesan and east to Kiso Komagatake. Along the old road you will find numerous haiku and waka monuments and stone Buddhas, including those honoring Matsuo Bashō.
The pass saw battles between the Kiso clan and the Takeda clan in the Sengoku era, and in the late Edo period Princess Kazunomiya passed through here on her marriage procession.

Free loan of hinoki conical hats and bear bells!
This service lets walkers experience the look of Edo-period travelers, especially those walking between Yabuhara and Narai on the Nakasendo.
The traditional original hinoki (cypress) hats, hand-painted with kanji, make perfect travel companions and evoke the spirit of Edo travelers.
They’re great for the experience and for photo opportunities.

What is a hinoki hat?
A hinoki hat is one of Kiso region’s traditional crafts. It remains popular with locals and visitors as a practical fashion item and as a sunshade that traces its roots to the Edo period.

How to try them
You can try them at the tourist information centers listed below. We refund the full deposit when you return the items.
⚠ The deposit will not be refunded if the item is lost or damaged. (Items may be wet without issue.)

Loan locations: ① Narai-juku Tourist Information Center ② Yabuhara-juku Nigiwai Hiroba Enkan
③ Kiso Village Tourist Information Center

Addresses: ① 497-3 Narai, Shiojiri City ② 1019-1 Yabuhara, Kiso village ③ Lot 196, Yabuhara, Kiso village

TEL: ① 0264-34-3160 ② 0264-36-3020 ③ 0264-36-2543

Opening hours: ① 9:00–17:00 ② 8:30–17:00 ③ 9:00–17:00

Closed: ① During the New Year holidays ② Every Tuesday ③ Every Monday

Refundable deposit: 2,000 yen per item

Payment method: Cash only

On October 26, 2025, the Ontake-style Kagura Festival was held at Nogaba Park, the 'Home of Kagura' 😊

Alongside Kiyokawa Town’s Ontake Kagura and the Kiyokawa Children's Kagura Preservation Society, four kagura troupes from inside and outside the prefecture gathered to offer a performance.

One highlight of the festival was the meeting kagura.
The meeting kagura, with three troupes performing the same piece on three separate stages, delivered a powerful spectacle.
Under the clear autumn sky, many kagura fans visited the venue and enjoyed a day of bold and magnificent dances.

The Ontake Kagura passed down in Kiyokawa, Bungoono City, Oita Prefecture, is said to have begun in 1449, the first year of Hōtoku, when Ontake Shrine was founded.
It has been handed down for many years, and kagura following this tradition spread through Ono, Naoiri, the southern part of the prefecture, and as far as the Aso region. In 2007 it was designated a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.
The Ontake-style Kagura Festival has been held since 1988 to reexamine this regional culture of kagura born from Kiyokawa’s local environment and to promote regional revitalization through kagura.
As a crystallization of local culture that brings together traditional arts from each area, the Ontake Kagura centers on bold, splendid dances, and the Kiyokawa Children's Kagura Preservation Society’s graceful performances continue to captivate many kagura fans and carry the Ontake tradition forward.

■■■ Access to central Bungoono City ■■■
About a 3-hour drive from JR Hakata Station, Fukuoka Prefecture
About a 2-hour drive from JR Kumamoto Station, Kumamoto Prefecture
About a 1 hour 20 minute drive from JR Beppu Station, Oita Prefecture
About a 1 hour 20 minute drive from JR Yufuin Station, Oita Prefecture

■■■■■■■■■■■■
Kyushu, Bungoono City, Oita Prefecture
Introducing sightseeing and recommended spots
■■■■■■■■■■■■

A long three-day weekend is coming soon✨
This time, we introduce autumn events and traditional festivals held in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture!✨

🔽🔽🔽We’ve picked five highlights to help you plan your three-day weekend outing!🔽🔽🔽

1⃣ The 32nd Bingi Tojo “Otoori” Parade
Date and Time: Until Sunday, November 2, 2025, starting at noon (12:00)
Location: Starting at Tojo Elementary School Ground
About: Known as the “Otoori,” this event has been organized by the Otoori Preservation and Promotion Association since 1993. The procession features a daimyo procession, warrior procession, and groups carrying horo and hanawarabe, presenting each year in early November a bold and splendid historical pageant.

Event details URL: https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5310
Highlights: https://www.shobara-info.com/report/4841

2⃣ The 18th Taishaku Autumn Leaves Festival
Date and Time: Sunday, November 2, 2025, 10:00–15:00
Location: Taishaku Community Promotion Center
About: A commemorative project for the 20th anniversary of Shobara City’s municipal merger!
Music Plaza
10:15 Niimi Wind Ensemble
11:15 Shobara City 20th Anniversary Stage Part 1 — Ryo Sasaki
12:15 Stage Part 2 — Issei Minami
13:30 Kendama performance
14:00 Singing contest
14:45 Lottery
*Performance times may vary slightly.

Food Plaza
Frankfurters, fried chicken, beef udon, sweet red-bean soup (zenzai), grilled chicken skewers, french fries, yakisoba, beef bowl, teppan-grilled game meat, vegetable tempura, deep-fried maple leaf-shaped cakes, croquettes, coffee, Yotsuba Kobo cookies, sale of locally fresh vegetables, local products, earthenware bells, and a shooting game stall.
Details URL: https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5322

3⃣ Autumn Beef Terrace | Taishakukyo Scola Plateau
Date and Time: Sunday, November 2, 2025, 10:00–15:00
Location: Spice Hall 2F Open Terrace
About: An event where you can enjoy the elusive Jinseki beef at reasonable prices.

Barbecue Set
Set Includes:
Jinseki beef, vegetables, and rice balls

Also happening:
Minna no Marche Hiroshima (market stalls)
Details URL: https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5317

4⃣ Tojo Whole-Town Festival
Date and Time: Monday, November 3, 2025 (National Holiday), 12:00–20:30
Location: Tojo Station and surrounding facilities and downtown areas
About: Besides a music event on the platform inside Tojo Station, the festival offers art and cultural programs that make use of the town’s historic streetscape, bringing together the charm of the Geibi Line and Tojo Town.

Details URL: https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5341

5⃣ The 22nd Children’s Festival
Date and Time: Monday, November 3, 2025 (National Holiday), 10:00–14:00
Location: National Bihoku Hillside Park North Entrance, Satoyama Station Shobara Furari
About: A children’s festival spreading smiles across the Bihoku Hills—everyone gather for the Children’s Festival!
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Shobara City’s merger, the stage will feature a Remick🎶 concert!
Enjoy hands-on experiences, crafts, and a stamp rally!

Details URL: https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5338

✨🎪 Five Autumn Traditions and Events in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture 🎪✨
Enjoy the full bounty of autumn at cheerful events held again this year!

From gourmet treats and hands-on experiences to stage shows and markets,
there are plenty of autumn rewards for the whole family to enjoy all day.

Please come visit Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture!

1⃣ Hiba Mountain Sky Peak Hunt in Hiroshima Prefectural Forest 2025
[Date] Until Monday, November 3, 2025
[Location] Hiroshima Prefectural Forest (registration, start, and finish locations)
[Details]
Same-day registration available! ✨
A mountain event that visits 10 summit points across the Hiba mountain range!
Participants will hunt points by checking summit checkpoints themselves.

[Details URL 🔽]
https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5176

2⃣ Tojo Stroll and Townscape Gallery
[Date] Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Wednesday, November 5, 2025
[Location] Kaido Tojo Road, a certified Yumekaido Renaissance district
[Details]
・Opening ceremony and events
・Townscape gallery
・Townscape marche
・Town sake festival
・Special exhibition at the nationally registered tangible cultural property Sanrakuso (held at Sanrakuso)
・The 32nd Bingo Tojo “Otoori” procession

[Details URL 🔽]
https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5320

3⃣ Autumn Lunch Buffet 2025 | Kyukamura Taishakukyo
[Date] Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Sunday, November 9, 2025
[Location] Kyukamura Taishakukyo
[Details] Following the popular Obon period service, we will hold an autumn lunch buffet!
This event again features the oven-baked pancake beloved at the breakfast buffet, rice accompaniments, handmade sandwiches, and original dishes for guests of all ages.

Enjoy Taishakukyo in autumn alongside the fall foliage.

[Details URL 🔽]
https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5324

4⃣ Winter Illumination 2025–2026 Bihoku Illumi | National Bihoku Hills Park
[Date] Saturday, November 1, 2025 – Monday, January 12, 2026 (national holiday) ※closed certain days during the period
[Location] National Bihoku Hills Park ※parking and admission fees apply
[Details] Spend a special night in a shimmering world of light! Following last year’s success, the Flower Plaza (special area) returns with the “Mirror Bola” dreamlike new world.

[Details URL 🔽]
https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5326

5⃣ Sanchaya Festival | National Bihoku Hills Park
[Date] Saturday, November 1, 2025
[Location] Shobara — Sangenchaya
[Details] A festival celebrating the second anniversary of the regional family learning space will be held!

[Details URL 🔽]
https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5321

Photographed 10/18/25.
This is the Kawagoe Festival, Yoiyama.
The lanterns on the festival float are lit and the song is performed.

Shiojiri’s Two Signature Local Dishes: Sanzoku-yaki and Shinshu Soba

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sanzoku-yaki
Actually born in Shiojiri! The bold, dramatic sanzoku-yaki that’s a hit on social media

Sanzoku-yaki, a whole fried chicken thigh served with theatrical flair, actually traces its roots to a restaurant called Sanzoku in Shiojiri City.
After much trial and error, the founding couple perfected the cooking method.
They named the shop “Sanzoku” (bandit) and the dish “sanzoku-yaki” because a scene in the then-popular film Seven Samurai showed bandits tearing into a chicken, the shop stood near a mountain pass, and—believe it or not—the couple themselves looked like bandits.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soba
For soba lovers: the birthplace of “sobakiri” (cut soba) — Motoyama-juku in Shiojiri

In earlier times, “soba” referred to a dumpling-like food similar to what we now call sobagaki.
The long, thin noodles we picture today are called sobakiri (cut soba) and were distinguished from the dumpling form.

The place where sobakiri first appeared is Motoyama-juku in present-day Shiojiri City.

As a post town on the Nakasendo, Motoyama-juku welcomed many travelers, and sobakiri born there is said to have spread across the country along those routes.

Shiojiri’s climate, with large daily and seasonal temperature differences, has long suited high-quality buckwheat cultivation, so soba has been grown here for ages. The oldest written reference to Motoyama-juku’s sobakiri appears in the haibun anthology Fuzoku Bunsen compiled by Morikawa Kyoro in Hōei 2 (1705). It records: “Soba-kiri originally came from Motoyama-juku in Shinano Province and was widely popular throughout the provinces.”

This is a photo taken of the Ono turtle on Sado Island in June.

It was the time of year when the flowers called daylilies were in full bloom, and it seemed to be one of the most beautiful seasons of the year.
I Outbound it for the first time, but just taking a walk makes me feel happy, I highly recommend it!
The weather was great on this day and it was and to drive the Car to go. I would like to outbound in another season.

Photographed 10/18/25.
This is Yoiyama of the Kawagoe Festival.
A raccoon was giving sweets to a child.

Photographed 10/18/25.
It is the Kawagoe Festival and the Shinko Festival.

This photo was taken at Takayama Inari Shrine in Aomori Prefecture.
There is a thousand Torii (shrine gates) here, and you can see it from the high ground.
It shows various expressions in Four Seasons, but this photo is not from a high ground, but from a Torii (shrine gate).
The wonderful curves were impressive, and Impression of the superb view that unfolded ahead was aroused.

🍁Autumn foliage updates for Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture are being posted from October!🍁
There are six maple-viewing spots in Shobara City in total!✨

In autumn, Shobara City fills with colorful leaves. The foliage in Hiroshima Prefecture starts changing early here, so you can enjoy the colors for a long time. This time, we introduce six autumn-leaf viewing spots within Shobara City.

1. The Great Ginkgo of Chichisagari on Mt. Kamitakano
2. Mt. Azuma
3. The Hiba Mountain Range
4. The Dogo Mountain Range
5. Taishaku Gorge
6. The Iroha Maple Cluster in Kamichi

Find features and highlights here 👇
https://www.shobara-info.com/report/5312

This year’s autumn foliage information is here 🔽
https://www.shobara-info.com/4758

Taste Japan’s best ayu in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture!🐟

Wild ayu raised in the pristine Seijo River in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, offer a supreme flavor that delights ayu lovers across the country.
In fact, they won the Grand Prix at the “Ayu Tasting Contest” held in 2024 and were chosen as Japan’s top ayu!🥇

When you visit Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, be sure to try the wild ayu from the Seijo River.

A uniquely fragrant and delicate taste awaits you here✊

Find retailers here🔽
https://www.shobara-info.com/5200

＼ Autumn flavors from Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture — a town of farming! 🍎

Crisp and delicious!
Want to grab freshly picked apples ✊

This time, we introduce seven apple farms with farm shops🍎

"I don’t have time for apple picking, but if I’m visiting Shobara I’d like to buy fresh apples to take home!" For those people, here are several apple farms with on-site farm shops to recommend!

Why not drive around and visit several distinctive apple farms 🚗🎶

Find out more here 🔽
https://shobara-info.com/report/5318

Gohbara-juku (Gohbara-juku) Location: Gohbara, Hirooka, Shiojiri City

Gohbara-juku was the first post town on the Zenkoji Kaido after it branched from the Nakasendo at Seba-juku. It was established in Keicho 19 (1614) when Hidemasa Ogasawara, lord of Matsumoto Castle, developed the Zenkoji Kaido (the Hokuriku side route) to connect Nakasendo’s Seba-juku with the Hokkokukaido.
Rather than an existing settlement becoming the post town, Gohbara’s original village lay on the east bank of the Narai River in the Ueno land division. When the post station was laid out, the settlement was moved around Genna 5 (circa 1619) to its present site together with the Kataishi hamlet, which had been on the west bank, to create the new post town.

Highlights of Gohbara-juku
Houses were laid out with wide frontages of five to six ken, featuring main gabled roofs with the short side facing the street and sparrow deterrents on the ridges.
Each house has a forecourt with planted trees, creating an attractive streetscape, and shop names are displayed at every residence. Sōetsu Yanagi, called the father of the mingei (folk craft) movement, praised Gohbara-juku in his essays, saying the entire post town was “a single splendid work of art.”

On the north side of the post town stands Gofuku-ji, which served as a resting place for Emperor Meiji during his imperial tour in Meiji 13 (1880).

Read more about the Nakasendo and the five post towns in the city here↓

The pink lotus in the second photo and the white lotus in the third photo are actually the same lotus!
This variety is called kosanshoku, and its buds and early blooms look pink as in the first photo, but by the third to fourth day they change from pink to white!
https://www.minamiechizen.com/en/spot/19388/

Motoyama-juku (Motoyama-juku) Location: Shiojiri City, Soga Honzan

Motoyama prospered as the gateway to Kiso Road and the exit from the Matsumoto Plain. Two-story houses with latticework fronts line the streets, preserving a strong sense of the past. The town is also introduced as the birthplace of sobakiri (cut buckwheat noodles).

In Keicho 19 (1614), Shiojiri, Seba, and Motoyama were designated as new post towns on the Nakasendo. Unlike Shiojiri and Seba, which were formed by relocating people from neighboring villages, Motoyama developed from a medieval settlement.
It was the 32nd station counting from Edo, situated 30 cho from Seba Post Town and 2 ri from Niegawa Inn (Niegawa-juku).

The post town divided into Kamimachi to the south and Shimomachi to the north, with the honjin, wakimotonjin, and dispatch office at its center. South of the town stood Hachiman Shrine, Choukyuuji, and Joukouji; to the north was Suwa Shrine, and across the Narai River lay Ikeo Shrine, though some temples were later abandoned. Because Motoyama bordered the Owari Domain in Kiso, a checkpoint was located south of the town to inspect women and timber.
In Tenpo 14 (1843) the town had 117 households and 34 inns. Compared with Seba Post Town’s three-ken frontage, many houses in Motoyama had four- to five-ken facades.

The town suffered several great fires, but surviving buildings date from the late Edo to Meiji periods. Facing the street, they feature hirairi degekata construction and second-floor rooms with senbon-koshi lattices, retaining much of the post town atmosphere.

Notably, three residences built around the Meiji era—the Akiyama Family (Wakamatsuya), the Tanaka Family (Ikeda family), and the Kobayashi Family (Kawaguchi Family)—are registered tangible cultural properties of Japan.
The honjin, Kobayashi residence, hosted Princess Kazunomiya, daughter of Emperor Ninkō, when she married Tokugawa Iemochi in Bunkyū 1 (1861), and it later accommodated the Meiji Emperor during his tour in Meiji 13.
Each house still carries its traditional shop name, offering a glimpse into the past.

The town’s specialty is soba. A note by Unrin in Hōei 3 (1706) in the miscellany Fūzoku Bunsen records Motoyama as the birthplace of sobakiri.

Historic sites include the Motoyama Castle Ruins on a small hill behind the town, said to have been guarded by the Motoyama Minbu branch of the Kiso clan; Ike no Gongen (Ikeo Shrine), known for votive plaques for rain rituals, sericulture, and eye disease cures, whose shrine grove is a Shiojiri City natural monument; and the Shitamachi Stone Figure Group, featuring Dosojin, Koshin stone monuments, and inscribed tablets.

For articles on the Nakasendo and the city’s five post towns, click here↓

Thank you for waiting!
We are pleased to announce the dates for the 2026 Atami Fireworks by the Sea.

2026 (Reiwa 8) Atami Fireworks by the Sea Dates
April 26 (Sunday)
May 24 (Sunday)
July 20 (Monday, public holiday) · July 26 (Sunday)
August 5 (Wednesday) · August 9 (Sunday) · August 18 (Tuesday) · August 24 (Monday)
September 13 (Sunday)
October 12 (Monday, public holiday) · October 25 (Sunday)
November 8 (Sunday) · November 23 (Monday, public holiday)
December 6 (Sunday) · December 25 (Friday)

Time: 20:20–20:40
(Only in July and August: 20:15–20:40)
Venue: Atami Bay
※The event will be held rain or shine.
※The above dates and times are accurate as of October 27, 2025.
Please check the page below for the latest information.
https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/event/8

Photographed 10/18/25.
It is a festival float of a mirror lion greeting Mr. Yamada of Washi paper.

I want to enter a photo contest and this is my first posted!

Oishi Park on the shore of Lake Kawaguchi is the best time to visit kochia, so I went to Yamanashi Prefecture.
On this day, there was a time when the moon did not rise, so I thought that I would Squid to take a picture with the starry sky, but unfortunately it was forecast to be cloudy on the day.
After slowly taking a dip in the Hot Spring with a disappointing feeling, I suddenly went outside and looked up at the sky, and it was sunny!
I suppressed my feeling of impatience and headed to Oishi Park by Car and was able to take a picture.
The contrast between the cap clouds over Mt. Mount Fuji, the clouds reflected by the town lights, and the pleasant starry sky creates a good atmosphere, and as a result, it became a very favorite piece of the seasonal scenery and coincidence.

Photographed 10/18/25.
Heading towards Hon-Kawagoe Station, it is a festival float of Shintomi Town 2-chome Kagami Lion.

Kiunkaku Limited-Time “Wagakari no Niwa” and “Dark Green BAR 1919”

Kiunkaku, built in 1919 as a villa in Atami and now a tangible cultural property of Atami City, preserves the area’s changing history and culture.
The venue normally closes at 5:00 PM, but to let visitors see the Japanese garden and interior illuminated at night, Kiunkaku will offer two special evening openings on Saturday and Sunday, November 1–2, 2025. Enjoy a serene atmosphere unlike the bustling streets of Atami, with lush gardens, the sound of water, and a traditional Japanese light display created with wagasa (Japanese oil-paper umbrellas) and hand lanterns.
[Wagakari no Niwa]
Date and Time: Saturday–Sunday, November 1–2, 2025, 5:00 PM–9:00 PM (last admission 8:00 PM)
Special evening admission: 1,000 yen (tax included); no reservation required
*Because wagasa are used, the outdoor garden display will be moved indoors in case of rain.
*Entry may be restricted depending on crowding.
*Some garden areas will be closed for the special nighttime program.
*The number of lanterns is limited.

In addition, “Kissa Yasuragi,” which served as a bar when Kiunkaku operated as a ryokan, will reopen as a non-alcoholic bar for two days only. Relax in a classical atmosphere created by dark green sofas and mood lighting.
[Dark Green BAR 1919]
Date and Time: Saturday–Sunday, November 1–2, 2025; 5:00 PM and 7:00 PM sessions (each 90 minutes, rotating)
Price: BAR set ticket 2,500 yen (tax included)
*This is a combined ticket for the light-up and the BAR (one drink plus unlimited Shizuoka green tea).
*Advance reservation only (please check the reservation link below).
https://kiunkaku.jp/article/qPC6zRS0
*Because wagasa are used, the light-up will be held indoors in case of rain.

On Monday, November 3, 2025 (holiday), a special nighttime photography session will be held by private booking, allowing participants to photograph the interior and the illuminated garden. The Atami Offshore Fireworks Festival takes place that day; guests can photograph and view the fireworks from Kiunkaku’s second floor.
[Nighttime Photography Session]
Date and Time: Monday (holiday), November 3, 2025, 6:00 PM–9:00 PM (last admission 8:00 PM)
Fee: 3,000 yen (includes admission)
*If it rains, only the usual garden light-up will take place.

Inquiries: Kiunkaku 0557-86-3101
Please check Kiunkaku’s official website below for details of each event.
https://kiunkaku.jp/

[2025 Autumn Mall Onsen Express Campaign 🚌♨️]
This year we are holding the “Autumn Mall Onsen Express Campaign” again 🍁
A 3-day, 2-night plan with a free shuttle bus from Sapporo Station and Asahikawa Station to Tokachigawa Onsen accommodations ✨

Exclusive perks await guests using the Mall Onsen Express 🎁
[Perk 1] Mix and match your accommodations freely! 💡
Guests using the Mall Onsen Express may freely combine hotels for the first and second nights (for example, Night 1: Daiichi Hotel → Night 2: Sasai Hotel)
*If you change your second-night accommodation, check-in on Day 2 will be from 14:00 onward.*
[Perk 2] Receive a “Tokachigawa Mall” bath additive (Bathclin) as a gift! 🛁
*Limited to guests staying two nights or more.*
[Perk 3] Guests staying at Ohheigen, Sasai Hotel, Daiichi Hotel, Kangetsuen, Sanyoan, or Seijakubo receive a free local bus ticket! 🚌
*Limited to guests using the Mall Onsen Express.*
[Perk 4] Otofuke Tokachigawa Onsen mini guided tour 🌾
*Limited to guests using the Mall Onsen Express.*
*Please reserve at the hotel front desk upon check-in. (Limited to the first 40 people.)*
*This is limited to guests staying two consecutive nights on the Mall Onsen Express.*
*The route may change or the tour may be canceled due to weather.*

⚠ Reservations required
(Please apply to the Tokachigawa Onsen accommodations at least 3 days in advance.)
⚠ Reservations are accepted at each accommodation.
⚠ For accommodation inquiries, please contact each lodging directly.

Why not take a soothing trip to Tokachigawa Onsen this autumn? 🍂

Photographed 10/18/25.
It is a festival float of Shintomi Town 2-chome, Kagami Lion in front of Maruhiro Department Store.

Photographed 10/18/25.
In front of the Maruhiro Department Store, three festival floats were being towed.
From left to right: Shintomi Town 2-chome, Kagami festival float, Otemachi Suzume festival float, Shintomi Town 1-chome, Iemitsu festival float.

Cruising through Dotonbori at night was the highlight of my first trip to Japan.

Photographed 10/18/25.
In front of the Maruhiro Department Store, the festival float of Otemachi Suzume and the festival float of Shintomi Town 2-chome Kagami Shion are towed.

Event announcement 📣

The Hiroo Santa Land tree lighting ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 25, 2025 😊

This annual event is held at the sacred site of Hiroo Santa Land, Daimaruyama Forest Park, on the fourth Saturday of October 🎄🎄

On the day, a Christmas market and the Santa Land Sound Festival start at 2:00 PM, and the tree lighting ceremony begins at 5:00 PM 😍
About 150,000 lights and some 10,000 wooden lanterns in the park will illuminate at the signal, wrapping the area in a magical glow.
Children in elementary school and younger will receive an early Christmas gift 🎁🎁
Fireworks will be launched after the lighting ceremony, sparkling brightly in the autumn night sky ✨✨
Come and enjoy the Christmas atmosphere if you can 🤗
Please wear warm clothing.

Date and time: Saturday, October 25, 2025, 2:00 PM onwards
Location: Daimaruyama Forest Park


https://www.santaland.or.jp/40th-anniversary/

Photographed 10/18/25.
It is a festival float of Otemachi Suzume in front of Maruhiro Department Store.