2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival

February 6–7, 2026 Kiso town Fukushima inn, from Kisofukushima Station to the former Nakasendo area

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival

February 3, Shiojiri City, Narai inn (Narai-juku) Entire Narai-juku

2026 Ice and Snow Lantern Festival
February 1, 2026 — Niekawa-juku, Shiojiri City (within the Niekawa post town)

2026 Kiso Road Ice and Snow Lantern Festival

January 24, 2026 Kiso town Hiyoshi Miyanokoshi Around Miyanokoshi-shuku Honjin

Scenes from the 42nd Winter Balloon Meeting held in Kamishihoro Town, Hokkaido.
A blue sky and a pure white snowfield
Colorful hot air balloons rising into the air.

✨We will hold an art tea gathering in collaboration with Takahiro Koga✨

The art tea gathering that received high praise at the Osaka-Kansai Expo event hosted by Sakai City
will be held at Sakai Risho no Mori!
The venue is Muichian, a reconstructed four-and-a-half-mat tea room that Sen no Rikyu used for tea service at the Grand Kitano Tea Ceremony hosted by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
Surrounded by works from ceramic artist Takahiro Koga, active both in Japan and overseas,
you can enjoy a special experience of actually using his pieces to prepare and taste tea.
We will also offer a guided tour of Sakai Taian, the tea room that reproduces the National Treasure Taian—Sen no Rikyu’s only surviving work—in its original form.
Seats are limited and accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, so please make your reservation early.

📅 Date: Saturday, March 7
📍 Venue: Sakai Risho no Mori
💰 6,600 yen (includes admission to the permanent exhibition)
👥 30 people (first-come, first-served)
🔍 For details, search for "Sakai Risho no Mori Art Tea Gathering"!
🔗 https://sakai-rishonomori.com

📣 Morning Sumo Practice Observation at Ohtori Taisha and a Shinto Lecture “Shinto and Sumo” ✨

One day only: Wednesday, February 25!
With the Grand Sumo Osaka Tournament in March just around the corner, Arashio-beya will stay at Ohtori Taisha and hold morning practice sessions.
You’ll see rikishi training up close, sweaty and covered in clay as they clash seriously. It’s a different tension and power from the tournament itself.
We’re also holding a special lecture by a Shinto priest on “Sumo and Shinto.” Learning about the relationship between Shinto and sumo will make watching the sport even more enjoyable ✨

🔹 Participation gifts: commemorative items from Arashio-beya and a limited-time goshuin (temple seal) from Ohtori Taisha

👀 Highlights
🔹 Watch Arashio-beya’s morning sumo practice from front-row seats
🔹 Shinto priest’s lecture “Sumo and Shinto Rituals”
🔹 Shrine visit and a brief introduction to the shrine by a Shinto priest

📅 Date and Time
🔹 Wednesday, February 25, 2026 — 7:20 AM to 11:00 AM
📍 At Ohtori Taisha

💰 Participation Fee
🔹 ¥7,000 (includes a commemorative gift 🎁)
📌 Application deadline: up to 7 days before the event (first come, first served)

🔍 For details and to apply, search “Morning Sumo Practice Observation at Ohtori Taisha and a Shinto Lecture ‘Shinto and Sumo’.”
🔗 https://www.sakai-tcb.or.jp/tourism/detail/192

The Sagicho of Imao

Winter Fire Festival "Sagicho"
A rare start in falling snow?
It was bitterly cold, but the festival burned bright.

Imao, Kaizu City, Gifu Prefecture
February 8, 2026

We visited the Otaru Snow Festival on a day when the snowfall felt almost unreal, layers upon layers of snow covering everything in sight. The cold was intense, yet the spirit of the people was even stronger—unshaken, cheerful, and welcoming. Despite the heavy snow, they warmly invited us to become part of the festival, as if we belonged there all along. Though the air was biting, the kindness and smiles around us filled the atmosphere with joy. As evening fell, the sight of countless candles glowing softly along the canal was nothing short of magical—the gentle light reflecting on the snow and water turned Otaru into a living winter dream.

Good morning ☀
#This morning in Tsukigase
Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival
February 14, 2026 to March 29, 2026

Suishinin Temple
Suishinin Temple Hana no Ma

Kyoto Yamashina Suishinin Temple Hana no Ma♪ Let's go to Kyoto. (February 2, 2026 – March 13, 2026)

35 Ono Goryo-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture

The "Hana no Ma" at Suishinin Temple transforms a space usually used as the Noh room into a vivid floral display for a special event. Held annually in honor of Ono no Komachi, a Heian-period poet often counted among the world’s three great beauties, the display offers visitors soothing beauty and moving impressions.

【✨Spectacular View from Omachi Park 🏔️】
On February 4, the first day of spring in the traditional calendar, the Northern Alps were visible beautifully from many spots across the city area 🏔️ So we headed to Omachi Park, a small hilltop park on the city’s east side. Omachi Park is an easy-to-reach scenic spot by car ✨ With no obstructions, you can take in a sweeping view of the town and the snow-capped Northern Alps 😊 If you happen to be nearby, this is a view you should enjoy ✨
⭐️For more details about Omachi Park, see below 🔽🔽🔽
https://kanko-omachi.gr.jp/spot/omachipark/

Sen'en Ridge (仙塩尾根), Minami Alps National Park, Japan

🌊 A new guesthouse is opening on Shimaura Island 🌊

On Shimaura Island, Miyazaki Prefecture’s only inhabited remote island, the local community has launched a new initiative,
and a new guesthouse, Island Base Shimami, is opening 👏🏻

A guesthouse that closed about 15 years ago has been renovated to make it easier for individuals and groups to stay.
Future guests will be able to enjoy island specialties such as sea bream and greater amberjack, as well as ingredients from the newly started oyster farming, at this accommodation.

To celebrate the opening,
the following event will be held.

📅 Opening Commemoration Event
Date and time: Saturday, February 7, 10:15–11:00
Venue: Guesthouse Island Base Shimami next to Island Park
(616-1 Shimaura-cho)

🎉 Program
・Greeting by the Mayor of Miura
・Guesthouse tour and explanation of accommodation options
・Mochi-throwing and candy-throwing
・Distribution of original coffee drip bags

Anyone may attend, so if you are interested, please come and join us 😊

Also, to cover part of the costs for refurbishing the guesthouse,
a crowdfunding campaign is currently underway.
Please check the following page for details.
https://camp-fire.jp/projects/902085/view

Gala Yuzawa is one of my favorite ski destination near Tokyo. Its not only a good ski resort but also a fabulous sightseeing spots. The snow-capped mountain peaks looks very beautiful and during sunset time creates an unforgettable moments.

Updated: Thursday, February 19, 2026

The 28th Minami Sakura and Nanohana Festival
Held February 1 – March 10

🌸 About the 28th Minami Sakura and Nanohana Festival
https://x.gd/8BXol

🌸 Bloom Status (updated regularly)
https://x.gd/iyca6

🌸 Parking Status (updated regularly)
https://x.gd/zbToA

🌸 Live Camera
https://x.gd/smGtI

〈If arriving by public transportation〉
Get off at Izukyu Shimoda Station and take the Tokai Bus bound for Shimogamo (Platform 3).
Get off at Kujo Bridge and walk about 2 minutes to the roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana, where the general information center is located. (The cherry tree avenue is behind it.)
The nanohana fields are right by the Hino stop.
Tokai Bus tel: 0558-22-2514
Note: Minamiizu Town has no train service and parking is limited, so please use public transportation. Services run about once per hour.
Tokai Bus link
https://www.tokaibus.jp/
〈If arriving by car〉
Please head for roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana.
There are dedicated parking lots nearby; please use them.
⚠ When visiting or photographing the nanohana fields and the nanohana along the cherry tree avenue, please do not step on the flowers!
⚠ Some people step on the nanohana growing on river slopes near roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana, but there are lighting cables and other hazards, so please do not enter these areas for your safety.
Please use the festival’s designated parking lots. Do not park at shops or on private property.

A guide to hot spring inns in Teshikaga ♨️

Teshikaga has two hot spring areas: Mashu Onsen and Kawayu Onsen. Each hot spring and each inn differs in water quality and health benefits, so be sure to check out a variety of hot spring inns.✨ A second guide is in preparation. Please look forward to it.😉🔥

Jigokudani Yaen-koen monkeys

A place famous for monkeys bathing in hot springs
A monkey gazing at the hot spring amid falling snow

A sense of melancholy lingered.

👹✨February 3 is Setsubun✨👹

When you think of Setsubun, you think of ehomaki! The lucky direction for 2026 is south-southeast. Face that direction, hold a wish in your mind, and silently take a big bite of the whole thick roll—this is the tradition of eating an ehomaki.
This year, why not make your very own ehomaki at the sushi counter?🍣

Using delicious, naturally sweet rice from Kikuchi and guided directly by a sushi chef, enjoy a rare rolled-sushi-making experience. It’s designed so even young children can join in, making it perfect for creating family memories.

Bring your family and friends and make special Setsubun memories together✨

📌Details and reservations here
https://kikuchikanko.ne.jp/taikenplan

🚨Schedule Change🚨

[Sightsee hands-free! Luggage delivery service now available]
From Saturday, January 24 to Sunday, March 1, 2026, Teshikaga offers the 2026 winter “Teshikaga Eco Passport” town shuttle bus (reservation required) and, during the same period, a luggage delivery service called “Sightsee hands-free.” This convenient service delivers your luggage from the drop-off location to the pick-up location so you can explore Teshikaga light and free during that time. You won’t need to carry your bags yourself, allowing you to spend all your time and energy on sightseeing. No advance reservation is required. Please take advantage of this opportunity.

Period
Saturday, January 24 to Sunday, March 1, 2026

Fee
1,000 yen (tax included)

Luggage size
Total of length, width, and height up to 160 cm / weight up to 25 kg
*Valuables, fragile items, hazardous materials, precision instruments, and frozen or refrigerated items cannot be accepted*

Drop-off locations and reception hours
A: JR Mashu Station 8:30–11:30
B: JR Kawayu-Onsen Station 8:30–12:00
C: Kawayu Onsen Town Hotel until 11:00
(Kawayu Kanko Hotel, KKR Kawayu, Oyado Kinkiyu Annex Suikazura)
*Please note that the reception hours for C have changed.*

Pick-up locations and hours
A: JR Mashu Station 15:00–16:30
B: JR Kawayu-Onsen Station 14:00–17:00
C: Kawayu Onsen Town Hotel from 13:30 onward
(Kawayu Kanko Hotel, KKR Kawayu, Oyado Kinkiyu Annex Suikazura)


________________________________
Use it like a coin locker—no delivery! Luggage storage only
We also offer a luggage storage-only service you can use like a coin locker without delivery. Please use it according to your needs.
Fee: 700 yen (tax included)
A: JR Mashu Station 8:30–16:30
B: JR Kawayu-Onsen Station 8:30–17:00

Contact
Mashu Tourism Association
015-482-2200
Reception hours 9:00–17:00 on weekdays
masyu_as@peace.ocn.ne.jp

https://www.masyuko.or.jp
https://www.masyuko.or.jp/news/2025winterecopassport/