[Notice] This year’s lodging fireworks will again take place on August 10th. Launch site: IWANAI RESORT ※There is no parking available. Launch time: 8:30 PM. Postponed in case of severe weather. Organizer: Iwanai-cho Lodging Fireworks Executive Committee Inquiries: 0135-62-2222

Photographed on August 7, 25. It is the Tanabata Festival of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. Since the festival is held according to the lunar calendar, it is Tanabata one month late.

We celebrated the end of the training and exams. ㊗️ Chillax soda peach and blueberry cream donuts.

Minamiechizen Town, Nanjo District, Fukui Prefecture, located almost in the center of Fukui Prefecture, is a town where sea, mountains, and countryside blend together and where history and culture live on. The town covers about 344 square kilometers and has a population of approximately 9,000 people (as of May 2025), offering abundant nature and a peaceful way of life. Minamiechizen was formed in 2005 by the merger of the former Nanjo Town, Imajo Town, and Kono Village, and each area contributes its own character and attractions. Stretching north to south, Minamiechizen presents a variety of living landscapes, from coastal settlements to mountain farming villages, each rooted in its own culture and customs. Along the coastline you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Sea of Japan, and inland you can see satoyama landscapes woven from mountains and clear streams! Minamiechizen is also known as a region that preserves Japan’s original rural scenery, where you can experience a lifestyle in harmony with nature as it changes through the four seasons. In the tranquil rice-growing areas, agricultural experiences such as rice planting and harvesting are popular and delight many visitors.

I'm in Tokyo for work today. Prayer at Tokyo Daijingu Shrine. This is Suzu Araragi wind chime.

Photographed on July 19, 25. It is a wind chime at the edge of the north approach to the temple of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

"Summer in Japan" Oyster ice on hot summer days. It is called "Calendar" in Kagawa Prefecture, which is famous for Udon noodles Oyster ice in a café. Both syrup and milk (condensed milk) are handmade. Fluffy Oyster ice was very tasty.

Photographed 8/1/25. This is CAFE ANDON's iced café latte.

Photographed 8/1/25. Shortcake with peaches and apricots from CAFE ANDON. It's so delicious that I'm going to visit it again. 😊🍑

Photographed 8/1/25. This is CAFE ANDON's Andon chicken curry.

Photographed 8/1/25. After prayer to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I relaxed at the Starbucks Bell Ring Street store. Chillax soda peach and peach & milk cake. 🍑

Kumagaya Fan Festival 🪭 This is the [Kumagaya Fan Festival 🪭] Held in in Kumagaya City, Saitama Prefecture. Lively atmosphere envelops Kumagaya, the hottest place in No.1 in Japan, for three days on July 20, 21, and 22 every year. In particular, the large procession on the last day was and powerful. Summer in Japan is all about 🫡 festivals

Yorii Tamayodo Water Tengu Festival Fireworks Festival 🎆 This is a fireworks festival held in every year in Yorii Town, Saitama Prefecture. The Mikoshi of each town floats on the river and creates 🤤 a summer atmosphere

A bell that tells the time. Under the blue sky, the old wooden lookout tower is a landmark of Koedo Kawagoe. Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture

Photographed 8/1/25. It is a wind chime at the edge of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Photographed 6/29/25. It is a wind chime at the edge of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Sunset Village Sculpture Symposium This year again, works by Yoichi Okumura, who lives in Miyazaki City, have come to Gokasecho✨ These gentle pieces reflect Okumura’s warm personality😊 Although stone is usually thought of as hard, he can express it so softly😲 Looking at the works gives you a cozy, warm feeling🥰 A picture book about a snowman was also placed there to help visitors feel a little cooler⛄ You could also watch the creation process👀 The stone’s sheen is different before and after, isn’t it!? (Maybe it’s the photographer’s skill…😅) By the time he arrived in Gokasecho, he had already created about seven pieces✨ He is expected to dedicate a work to Furudono Shrine again this year, which is something to look forward to🎵 You can see the exhibition and Okumura’s working process below Furudono Shrine💡 He is scheduled to stay in Gokasecho until September 3, but since there will be tidying up and other tasks, it might be best to visit in August😊 *Note: Okumura will be absent on August 7.*

Photographed 8/1/25. It is a wind chime at the edge of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. The wind chime on the veranda had changed. 🎐

On July 31st, STV's "Dosanko Wide 179" segment aired "Summer Okhotsk Engaru: A Journey Through Black Treasure "Black Treasure". If you missed it, you can watch it on "Dosanko Wide 179 YouTube". In the broadcast, there was also a supermarket with a tsunami warning, so you can ♪ see it on YouTube without a supermarket

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival. At Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, it is said that festivals are held according to the lunar calendar. It is a great exorcism of Xia Yue.

Tokyo Bakery On this day, glutton Kasai visited the nearby Tokyo Bakery, famous for its delightfully chewy bread. The shop moved to its current location in 1989; before that, it was in Suehiro, Suwa. When Kasai was a child, his grandmother often bought Tokyo Bakery bread for him. So for him, this is the bakery that helped raise him—a place he feels free to claim as his own, haha. The bakery has been around for about 70 years. Remarkably, it even offers a bread reservation shelf where customers can reserve loaves. I had rarely heard of a bakery reservation system, so I was truly surprised. The shelf held many reserved items, showing just how popular the shop is. Your favorite loaf definitely needs a reservation 🥖 Glutton Kasai’s recommendations are: pain de mie, cheese baguette, bacon-cheese baguette, karashi mentai baguette (spicy cod roe), crunchy peanut baguette, an-butter baguette (red bean and butter), coarse-ground pork roll, pizza bread, burdock salad bread, fresh cream bread, Danish bread, cream doughnut, curry bread, deluxe frankfurter, an-doughnut (sweet red bean doughnut), angel bread, banana sandwich, and all types of sandwiches. Sorry… my love for Tokyo Bakery is so strong that I ended up recommending everything I’ve eaten. Right now, I’m secretly aiming for the “Parisien”!!! Find out what that bread is like when you visit 🎶 It sounds like a bread fit for a foodie. I want to hog the Parisien all to myself, haha—I might even dream about it 🤤 Tokyo Bakery’s loaves truly have an incomparable chewy texture!!! I can boast that, of all the breads I’ve eaten in my life, theirs are the chewiest. Is it a True Sleeper? Maybe not, but it’s that chewy, haha. Fans of chewy bread must try Tokyo Bakery 🥖 Glutton Kasai gives this bakery his highest recommendation! Please come and enjoy it 🎶 ◎ Tokyo Bakery 📍 Suwa City, Kowataminami 14-10 ☎ 0266-52-1299 ◎ Hours: 07:30 - 18:30 ◎ Closed: Sundays and national holidays ◎ Parking: About 10 spaces (including shared spaces with the neighboring boutique). The Tokyo bakery! This is glutton Kasai’s favorite bakery ever!!! The shop is so close to our office, and their bread has a wonderfully springy, chewy texture. Around 35 years ago, my grandmother bought my brothers and me sandwiches and breads from here. We loved them. They helped raise us to be big eaters! First of all, I was amazed by the bread reservation system. Have you ever heard of reserving bread? It’s wonderful! When I visit bakeries I often can’t find my favorite loaf and end up choosing something else, so a reservation system is perfect for me. There is a “bread reservation shelf,” and it was full of reserved breads. So nice! My recommendation at Tokyo Bakery? Absolutely everything!!! I promise you’ll be satisfied. I’m currently aiming for the “Parisienne.” It even appears in my dreams!! Hahaha! Their bread is like a spring bed—soft and springy. I want you all to try it!!! Gluttonous Kasai’s top-recommended bakery! ◎ Tokyo Bakery ● 14-10 Kowataminami, Suwa City ☎ 0266-52-1299 ◎ Opening Hours: 07:30 - 18:30 ◎ Closed: Sundays and national holidays ◎ Parking: Approximately 10 cars

Notice: Event Information♪ Sister City Joetsu City Product Fair at the Dotou Festival Joetsu City in Niigata Prefecture, a sister city of Iwanai-cho, will hold a product fair at the Dotou Festival! Items for Sale Doburoku (unfiltered sake), sake, sasa-dango (bamboo-leaf rice cakes), shuttchijin mochi (departure mochi), rice, and more Date and Time: Saturday, August 2, 12:00–18:00 Sunday, August 3, 10:00–15:00 Venue: Special booth inside the Dotou Festival grounds Please take this opportunity to stop by and make a purchase♪

Notice] Event Information♪ Kids Iwanai Water Park🏖️ This year it takes place on the same day as the second day of the Dotou Festival! ★ Date and Time ・Sunday, August 3, 10:00–15:00 ★ Venue Iwanai Regional Cultural Center Marine Park Postal Code 045-0003 51-7 Bandai, Iwanai-cho, Iwanai District, Hokkaido ★ Eligibility Up to third-grade elementary school children accompanied by a guardian * Please do not take your eyes off your child. * We cannot take responsibility for accidents that occur without a guardian present. Changing tents will be provided on the day Please bring a change of clothes and a towel We look forward to welcoming everyone♪

[Notice] Event Information♪ The 52nd Iwanai Dotoh Festival!!! A spectacular fireworks show with about 5,000 shells🎇 ★Date and Time ・Saturday, August 2 — from 12:00 ※Fireworks start at 20:00 ※Postponed to the next day in case of rain ・Sunday, August 3 — from 10:00 ★Venue Special outdoor site on the west side of the Iwanai Regional Cultural Center Postal code 045-0003 51-7 Bandai, Iwanai-cho, Iwanai District, Hokkaido For the program and event details, please see the images from the second one onward.

Photographed on July 19, 25. Prayer at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. 🍧 Still, it's hot.

Summer has arrived 🌻 Last week Gokasecho saw many rainy and cloudy days, but this week the weather has been pure summer ✨ with the sun dazzling every day 😎 I drove out to Shirataki to look for a bit of cool air 🚗 Just watching the water fall from a drop of about 20 meters felt refreshing 😊 Along the way there was a sunflower field in full bloom 🌻 It was a spot I’d never known about before, so I felt like I’d discovered a great treat 🎵 People often picture Miyazaki Prefecture as hot, but Gokasecho sits surrounded by high mountains ⛰ Because of that, average summer temperatures are a few degrees lower than other parts of the prefecture, and mornings and evenings can be chilly enough to need a light blanket. Many nights you can sleep soundly without air conditioning 😉 (Last night was actually quite cool and I slept under a blanket 😅) Escape the summer heat and come refresh your body and mind in Gokase this summer ✨

Photographed 7/26/25. This is LEC COFFEE's lemonade soda. 🍋

[Day Trip] Limited Time Only! Enjoy Nature with Additional Geibi Line Trains and a Free Shuttle Bus｜Dive! Hiroshima The JR Geibi Line "Rapid Shobara Liner," operating on weekends and public holidays through November 24, 2025 (45 days total), departs Hiroshima Station at 9:07 AM and runs to Bingo-Ochiai Station in Saijo-cho, Shobara City, without requiring a transfer at Miyoshi Station! 🚃 Dive! Hiroshima introduces a plan that takes you from Bingo-Saijo Station to Hiroshima Prefectural Citizen’s Forest via a free shuttle bus (reservation required). Enjoy hiking, BBQs, and memorable photo spots✨ Find the full article here🔽 https://www.shobara-info.com/news/5177...

Summer vacation has arrived! 😍 This time, for those looking for a “special summer experience” in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, we introduce a hidden gem where you can find healing in the satoyama and try handloom weaving: Rikoori Workshop. It’s perfect for summer research projects and sure to offer adults a soothing, heartwarming time ✨ Great for summer research too. Enjoy a calming handloom weaving experience in Shobara’s natural surroundings We posted an “Editorial Report” on the Shobara Tourist Navi website! 🧶 Read the full experience report here 🔽 https://www.shobara-info.com/report/5174... ~ Shop Details ~ Facility Name: Rikoori Workshop Address: 615-75 Nagata, Kuchiwa-cho, Shobara City Phone: 0824-89-2501 Hours: 10:00 or 13:00 (times can be adjusted to suit you) Reservations: Required — by phone only Experience Fee: 1 hour experience 1,000 yen + materials from 1,000 yen (tax included) (Please tell them what you want to weave when making a phone reservation)

Photographed 7/26/25. I visited on the day of the Kawagoe Million Lights Summer Festival. It is a quiche plate for lunch. It is a quiche with semi-dried tomatoes, bacon and onions, salad, and cold corn soup. It was very hot, so I was allowed to relax. 😊