Wanted to do Hatsumode this year but didn't want to go anywhere crowded, so I decided to go out to Saitama and find a small shrine to visit. Ended up at this tiny shrine in Nishi-Omiya called Fukuda Inari Shrine 福田稲荷神社. It was super small and not a single person was there so it was like we had the whole place to ourselves. There was no real path leading up to the shrine so we had to walk through a plot of land that wasn't being used but it ended up being a really cool place. The approach to the shrine was really mysterious and once you get past the second torii gate you can see a bamboo forest surrounding the whole area. It was really neat as I couldn't see any bamboo from the outside and didn't really know what to expect when I visited. The shrine itself looks almost deserted but somehow still well maintained. I wanted to go inside to look at the pictures better but obviously I can't so I just admired them from afar. The temizuya/chozuya or at least I think it was that, maybe this would be considered a chozubachi? didn't have a ladle to wash your hands but maybe it has to do with corona. Anyways, it was a really nice little shrine and is a great place if you're looking for a mini adventure outside of Tokyo. Or if you want to do Hatsumode and avoid the crowds completely lol. Also, happy new year!

【Spring, full bloom】 Speaking of spring events in Japan, cherry blossom viewing! At Adachigahara Furusato Village in Nihonmatsu City, Fukushima Prefecture, you can enjoy the superb view created by the cherry blossoms in full bloom and the five-storied pagoda!

Winter in Japan Gokayama In Toyama

Shrine in the snow Toyama

Winter in Japan Mountain hut in the snow In Gifu

I took a picture of a scenery that no animals were passing through

Winter in Japan Shirakawa-go In Gifu 2021・12・30

Winter in Japan Shirakawa-go during a snowstorm Gifu 2021/12/30

Shirakawa-go Shirakawa-go - Gifu

Winter in Japan World Heritage Gokayama It's great in the snow! In Toyama 2021.12.30

Winter in Japan World Heritage Gokayama In Toyama 2021.12.30

Winter in Japan Shirakawa-go In Gifu 2021.12.30

Winter in Japan World Heritage Site Shirakawa-go In Gifu 2021.12.30

Winter in Japan Shirakawa-go in the snow In Gifu 2021.12.30

Winter in Japan World Heritage Site Shirakawa-go It's great in the snow! In Gifu 2021.12.30

Blue pond in Biei. Cold. It seems that the soil turned blue because it contains aluminum hydroxide.

I thought it would be lit up on the trees! Ground!! I took a picture of a winter tree with melancholy floating around it.

Winter traditions Eel fishing I went to Tokushima Prefecture to see this scene, but I was impressed when I saw it for the first time. There were already tripods on the bridge, so I took a hand-held picture from behind so as not to disturb passers-by and other photographers.

Nakamise dori avenue in Sensoji temple. The avenue is well decorated for the new years eve.

The iconic symbol of Tokyo, Sensoji is now fully prepared for the new year's prayer. It looks very beautiful and it is waiting for several hundred people for visiting the Temple in the new years eve.

Five storied pagoda fully prepared for new years prayer. This is from Sensoji temple, the famous iconic symbol of Tokyo.

Went to a soba restaurant in Akabane called "Zenmi Kotobuki" 禅味寿. I got the "天せいろ" Ten Seiro "Tempura Soba Served on a Bamboo Wicker Tray" If I had to translate it literally I guess lol. Cost 1350 yen and it was 大盛サービス free extra serving of noodles. And who am I to turn down free noodles? The choice was obvious and so I got the extra helping! I really liked the atmosphere of the place too. The waitresses were wearing Japanese-style clothing as well, which made it a really nice experience. I always enjoy visiting small shops like this where the owners have it decorated in their own style and you can see all of the bottles of sake or whatever else is used to create the atmosphere of the restaurant. Anyways, as for the food, the tempura was cooked really well and the soba was the perfect texture. At the end of the meal they brought some hot soba water so I could drink the remaining tsuyu soba sauce as a sort of warm drink. Was a great experience that I haven't had in a while!

Following the previous post, here is also this. I captured the 115 series running away vigorously with snow smoke with a zoom stream. It's cool o^-^o

I took this photo at Shinano Railway Shinano Railway Line Togura - Saka Castle. This train, called a JNR type car, which rolled up snow from the tunnel and came out vigorously, reminds me of the Showa era, which should not be the era in which I lived.

With the mountains of Hachimantai in the background. They seemed to be preparing to return to the north.

Speaking of winter illumination, bokeh Illumination on Okura Beach, Akashi City I went there without expecting much because it was close to my house, but it was beautiful

Illumination on Okura Beach, Akashi City I went there without expecting much because it was close to my house, but it was beautiful

This is also a tsumago-juku that I have wanted to visit for many years Although it is famous, I was impressed when I saw the light shining in here as a sundial.

Gokayama village in Toyama After seeing Shirakawa-go in Gifu, I also visited here and the scale is smaller than Shirakawa-go, but I personally like this one better. The timing was bad, so I couldn't see the snow on the roof, but it was still fantastic and made me feel that it was amazing that people in the past built a village deep in the mountains like this.