Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Epoch Festival.

📣 March 5 only! Enjoy sumo and Shinto at Ohtori Grand Shrine 🏯💪

A rare experience plan lets you watch Arashio-beya’s morning sumo practice at Ohtori Grand Shrine and attend a special talk by a Shinto priest titled “Shinto and Sumo.” ✨

👀 This is your chance to see rikishi train up close with the same intensity as in competition!
The talk on the deep ties between Shinto and sumo will make watching matches even more enjoyable. 🎤

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, March 5
💰 Fee: 5,500 yen (about 3.5 hours)
📬 Registration deadline: One week before the event date
✨ Participants will also receive commemorative gifts from Ohtori Grand Shrine and Arashio-beya!
🔍 For details and to apply, check the “Experience Tours & Plans” section via the URL in our profile.

Autumn Festival in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto City.

The world of Shuji Terayama.

Photographed 2/3/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed 2/3/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed 2/1/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Setsubun on the Snowy Day
In Japan, it is customary to sow beans the day before the Spring (seasonal milestones There are
Do you know why beans are used in the first place?
It is said to be derived from the word "mame", which destroys demons
Since ancient times, various rituals have been performed to drive away demons, which are considered to be a general term for bad things
One of them is this "mamemaki (bean throwing)"
Hit the "Mame", which is the eye of the demon, with beans to make it "Mame"
At first glance, it looks like a play on words, but Japan have believed that words have a spirit inn words
Therefore, this custom is part of Japan culture, and it is a snowy day Setsubun
In Japan, it is customary to sow beans the day before the Spring (seasonal milestones There are
Do you know why beans are used in the first place?
It is said to be derived from the word "mame", which destroys demons
Since ancient times, various rituals have been performed to drive away demons, which are considered to be a general term for bad things
One of them is this "mamemaki (bean throwing)"
Hit the "Mame", which is the eye of the demon, with beans to make it "Mame"
At first glance, it looks like a play on words, but Japan have believed that words have a spirit inn words
Therefore, this custom has taken root in Japan culture

Photographed 1/27/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed 1/27/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed 1/27/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

An abandoned company in Shirakawa City, Fukushima Prefecture, which I visited last summer.

Komainu is written by Kazuhei Kobayashi.

It is a world where the Great Devil is likely to appear.

Setsubun Festival on February 2, 2025
On Sunday, February 2, 2025, the Setsubun Festival was held at Ōyama Afuri Shrine Lower Shrine, Sannomiya Hibita Shrine (guests: sekitori stablemasters Takadagawa, Ryurai, Shonan no Umi, Teru; rakugo storyteller Sanyūtei Yukichi), and Isehara Daijingu.
The morning brought unfortunate rain, and snow fell in the cold at Ōyama Afuri Shrine Lower Shrine, but many worshippers still gathered.
At the customary bean-throwing, everyone chanted “Fuku wa uchi, oni wa soto!” to drive away demons and welcome good fortune.
There was also a lottery exchangeable for koban coins and other draws, with lovely prizes awarded, making the event very lively!

It is Japanese cedar shrine in Rice City, Yamagata Prefecture

In the early morning of January 1, I went to Kyoto Fushimi Inari Shrine Hatsumode.
They were orderly and considerate of each other, so they went well without being pushed. It's the first time I've done it. A lot of choboti

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival.
It is Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine around 7:45.

Photographed 1/30/25.
The October cherry blossoms at Kawagoe Hachimangu were in full bloom. 🌸

Photographed 1/10/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed on January 4, 25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Dousojin along the Nakasendo in Wada, Nagawacho

Along the Nakasendo in the Wada Area, you can see several dousojin 😊

Are those children enjoying a shishimai dance...? Their faces are so adorable 🥰💕

Photographed 1/21/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed 1/24/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Photographed 1/21/25.
It is Hanachozu of Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine.

Nagawacho Furumachi Toyouke Taijingū Annual Festival “Otaya Festival”

At the festival, each district presents a “dashi” that depicts a scene from folktales, legends, or historical stories. Themes change each year, and handcrafted figures and sets are built to near life-size for that year’s display. Though called “dashi,” these are not the pullable or carriable floats people often imagine; instead, they are stationary decorative stages called okiyama placed on five stages around the shrine. They blend with the surrounding scenery and draw you into the story they represent.

This year (2025) features five displays: “Bunbuku Chagama Tightrope,” “Dōjōji The Maiden Who Became a Serpent,” “The Nine-Tailed Fox (Tamamo-no-Mae) Legend,” “Chūshingura Vendetta,” and “Kōmon and His Party Traveling Through Shinano.”

The festival is held every year on January 14 and 15, when the shrine conducts the Senrei Ceremony, a dedication of the Urayasu no Mai dance, and a performance of Yanagato and Fudō Taiko drums. Food stalls line the area around the shrine, and fireworks are set off at night.

This month's geotour will take us around the Matsudome area, where Yosano Akiko liked to stay. There are several outcrops and facilities that should be considered active cultural heritage, such as the Matsudome Power Plant.
Let's talk over a glass of wine or coffee afterwards.
The meeting time has been changed.

Mie Prefecture　
Suzuka　
Inatomi Shrine

Mr. Miyaji and Mr. Negi cheerfully called out.
The weather was good, and it was a perfect camera day.

When you look through the viewfinder, time flies by.

Takaharacho 90th Anniversary Branding Project
Okukirishima Onsen-kyo—What a Nice Bath!
Ground Golf Tournament ⛳️
Now Accepting Participants!!

Date: Sunday, February 23, 2025
Time: Registration 8:00 AM—Opening Ceremony 8:30 AM—Competition Begins 9:00 AM
Eligibility: Residents and non-residents (junior high school students and older)
Participation Fee: 200 yen per person
Capacity: 200 participants (All entrants receive a bathing voucher redeemable at local facilities)
A free shuttle bus to the onsen will be available on the day.
Application Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2025
Venue: Takaharu Town General Sports Park
709-9 Nishifumoto, Takaharu, Nishimorokata District, Miyazaki 889-4412

————————About Applications————————

You may fill in the application section on the back of the flyer and submit it in person at the Takaharu Town Tourism Association (inside Takaharu Station).
Applications are also accepted by fax, mail, or via the web form links below.
[Flyer front]
http://www.takaharu-tourism.jp/wp.../uploads/2025/01/1.jpg
[Flyer back]
http://www.takaharu-tourism.jp/.../2025/01/image11.jpeg
[Google Application Form]
https://docs.google.com/.../1jcXJI-P-N-niYcStgJ05N.../edi

————————Application Details————————

Teams should consist mainly of 4 to 6 players.
Three-player teams are allowed, but they may be combined with others to form mixed teams.
Contact Information
Organizer: Takaharu Town Tourism Association TEL: 0984-42-4560
Cooperative Organizer: Okukirishima Onsen-kyo Ryokan Association
Managed by: Takaharu Town Ground Golf Association

Okukirishima Onsen-kyo Presents ♨️
The Birthplace of Japan
Dash Through Takaharacho’s Sano Shrine! Recruiting Participants 🎉
This event, held as part of the town’s 90th anniversary celebrations, returns for its second year following last year’s event!

This year, every participant receives a day-use bathing ticket redeemable at a local onsen facility as a gift 🎁
Limited to 300 people, with perks such as complimentary hot cocoa!!
Who will claim the title of this year’s lucky man or lucky woman of fortune!? 🤩
We hope you’ll apply!

⭐︎Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 (National Holiday)
⭐︎Participation Fee: Free
⭐︎Venue: Sano Shrine ⛩️ (South Approach)
Those who reserved should check in by 8:20 AM on the day
⭐︎Application Deadline: Thursday, February 6, 2025
⭐︎How to Apply: Fill out the application form on the back of the flyer and send it by FAX or email (please include name, gender, and grade). Preschool children and elementary school students must be accompanied by a guardian.
If applying online, please use the application form below.

[Application Form]
https://fsmk.co/t/HRngF4-syzaow?openExternalBrowser=1

[Divisions]
※Those who have previously won the same division may enter but are not eligible for the title of lucky man or lucky woman.
Elementary School Grades 1–3 (Boys’ Division) (approx. 300 m) Elementary School Grades 1–3 (Girls’ Division) (approx. 300 m)
Elementary School Grades 4–6 (Boys’ Division) (approx. 300 m) Elementary School Grades 4–6 (Girls’ Division) (approx. 300 m)
Adult Division (Men’s) (approx. 300 m)
Adult Division (Women’s) (approx. 300 m)
A total of six divisions.

[Elementary Divisions] 300 m
1st Prize: Bookstore Gift Card ¥5,000
2nd Prize: Bookstore Gift Card ¥3,000
3rd Prize: Bookstore Gift Card ¥1,000
[Adult Divisions] 300 m
1st Prize: Gift Certificate ¥30,000
2nd Prize: Gift Certificate ¥20,000
3rd Prize: Gift Certificate ¥10,000

For details, please see the website (flyer) ☺️✨

https://fsmk.co/t/XexOJk-syzaow?openExternalBrowser=1

⭐︎On the day, the Kigensai ceremony for National Foundation Day will be held at Sano Shrine at 10:00 AM, with the formal ceremony scheduled to begin at 10:30 AM. Please join us 😊✨

Photographed on January 13, 25.
It is a one-year cheap sea bream lottery of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.
The New Year's limited one-year sea bream lottery is also a lookout.

Photographed on January 13, 25.
It is a one-year cheap sea bream lottery of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival.
The removal of New Year's decorations had begun.
The photo was taken on 1/13. It is a future sea bream lottery that is awarded only to new adults.