Would you like to try a refreshing totono experience?🧖‍♀️ At the spectacular outdoor sauna SHIMODACCI SAUNA, where you can enjoy Shirahama’s sea right before your eyes, we will hold a totono trial on January 11 and 12🌿✨ (Please check the images for event details.) You can enjoy the sauna at a much better rate than usual, and savor the hot springs too😌💭💙 Seats are limited, so we recommend booking in advance⚠️☝️ I actually tried it myself before, and the outdoor cool-down while gazing at the sea felt incredibly good… Even sauna beginners will think, “This is addictive!”✨ I wrote about my experience on my blog, so please give it a read👇 https://www.shimoda-city.info/post/20250915...

Enveloped by the forest, a gentle hot spring The end of a day touring Miyoshi There is a place where you can soak in the onsen and stay the night afterwards. The hot spring at Kumita Onsen Mori no Izumi has long been loved as a “beauty spring.” The water, rich in sodium bicarbonate (bicarbonate of soda), gently smooths the skin, leaving it feeling soft after your bath. This spring is said to work gently on neuralgia, chilliness, and poor circulation. The second floor of the hot spring facility is reserved for overnight guests. There are Japanese-style rooms, Western-style rooms, and Japanese-Western hybrid rooms, so you can choose according to group size and how you’d like to spend your time. There is also a self-catering plan without meals, which is popular for family gatherings when people return home and for trips with flexible plans. Reservations are available from Kumita Onsen’s official website. Day-trip bathing is also available in addition to overnight stays. Please spend time letting both body and mind be healed by Mori no Izumi.♨ Kumita Onsen Mori no Izumi @kimita_onsen 📍311-3 Izumi Yoshida, Kimita Town, Miyoshi City, Hiroshima Prefecture Phone / 0824-53-7021 Day-trip bathing (Fee) Adults 800 yen, ages 3 to elementary school 400 yen, infants free (Hours) 10:00–20:30 (last admission 20:00) https://kimitaonsen.com//

Photographed on December 29, 2025. This is the torii at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine dressed for New Year’s. 🎍

The 33rd Bungo-ono Dondoyaki The 33rd Bungo-ono Dondoyaki will be held in Oonocho, Bungoono City, Oita Prefecture. The sight of the roughly 20-meter-tall bamboo “dondo” blazing into the sky is spectacular. Pray for health and safety in the dondoyaki fire and welcome a good year. Date and Time: Saturday, February 7, 2026, 4:30 PM–9:00 PM (held in light rain) Location: Bungo-ono City Ohno General Athletic Park (Second Parking Area) Admission: Free Parking: Available Program Master of ceremonies: hometown ambassador Akiteru Fujimura. 4:30 PM–5:00 PM Opening ceremony 5:00 PM–5:30 PM Shinto ritual 5:30 PM–7:00 PM Shonai Children’s Kagura (Yufu City) 7:00 PM–7:40 PM Hoyukai Taiko Drums (Bungoono City) 7:40 PM–8:00 PM Dondo lighting ceremony preparations 8:00 PM Lighting of the dondo and fireworks by Ikushima Hanabi 9:00 PM Closing ceremony *Event details are subject to change without notice. *Please bring New Year’s decorations such as shimekazari and talismans to the venue on the day of the event between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Items cannot be accepted in advance. What is dondoyaki Dondoyaki is a midwinter festival held around January 15 (Little New Year), when households bring New Year’s pine decorations, shimenawa ropes, kakizome calligraphy and other items to be piled up and burned in a communal fire. This fire festival is a New Year tradition across Japan. Organizer / Event Inquiries Onocho Dondoyaki Executive Committee (Bungoono City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Youth Division, Ohno Branch) TEL 0974-34-2234 Access from Fukuoka, Kumamoto and other prefectures to central Bungoono City From JR Hakata Station, Fukuoka Prefecture: about 3 hours by car From JR Kumamoto Station, Kumamoto Prefecture: about 2 hours by car From JR Beppu Station, Oita Prefecture: about 1 hour 20 minutes by car From JR Yufuin Station, Oita Prefecture: about 1 hour 20 minutes by car ■■■■■■■■■■■■ Tourism and recommended spots in Kyushu, Bungoono City, Oita Prefecture (Bungo-ono-shi) ■■■■■■■■■■■■

Popular!! Recruiting participants for a bus tour [A journey to meet Sarurun Kamuy (God of the Marsh) and the red-crowned crane] At Grus, the Akan International Crane Center, the birthplace of artificial feeding, we will hold a day-trip bus tour to watch the cranes arrive, guided by Director Kawase ☺ This rare tour lets you see red-crowned cranes spread their great wings and take flight against the early morning sky ✨ Please join us! Operation dates: Sunday, February 8, 2026 and Sunday, February 15, 2026 Time: 7:00 AM–10:25 AM *Meet at 6:55 AM / KKS Convention Center (Kushiro City Tourism and International Exchange Center) Participation fee: JPY 5,500 (tax included) Capacity: 20 people per tour For details and to apply, please see the website. https://ja.kushiro-lakeakan.com/overview/19962/...

I relaxed during my break at starbucks motokawagoe station store. I had a honey, ginger, and rice koji milk latte and an Earl Grey & orange scone sandwich. One week remains until Hon-Kawagoe PePe closes… 🥹

At a quiet temple in Kawagoe, piles of weathered Daruma rest in one place, their wishes fulfilled. Each New Year, people return their old Daruma here, a ritual of gratitude and release. In the frame, an elderly woman gently places hers atop the others, bowing slightly—an act she learned as a child. Once, her parents brought her; later, she brought her children. The Daruma come and go, but the tradition remains, passed patiently from old to young, year after year. Location: Kitain temple, Kawagoe, Saitama.

Get drunk on the delicious flavors of Shobara City in Hiroshima Prefecture! 😍 Savor smoked dishes and sake at Kaneki-ya in Hakushima-Kitamachi, Naka Ward, Hiroshima City 🥩🍶 Kaneki-ya in Hakushima-Kitamachi, Naka Ward is a popular stop for many people with ties to Shobara. Here you can enjoy snacks made with Hiba Beef and a range of smoked items from Smoked Hakoda. Kaneki-ya also offers sake from breweries in Shobara City! This time, we explored what makes Kaneki-ya so appealing. [Shobara Sightseeing Guide website "Editorial Report" has been updated!] Read the article here 🔽 https://www.shobara-info.com/report/5454...

#020 ~Happy New Year~ Happy New Year! In 2026 I plan to push forward even harder, and make it a year of great leaps forward! I sincerely pray that this year brings you many rewards and blessings. By the way, I am entering the year of minor bad luck (maeyaku)...

Enjoy the great winter outdoors! Here’s information on spots where you can play in the snow⛄ ① Togakushi Snowshoeing Stroll through the Forest Botanical Garden and the Okusha Approach wrapped in silence and snow while wearing snowshoes. There’s an addictive thrill to leaving your footprints on the pure white fields and forging your own path. Beginners can feel at ease on guided tours. Snowshoes and poles are available for rent at the Togakushi Tourist Information Center, so please inquire there. *Winter tours require different gear than during the snow-free season. Please check carefully and prepare accordingly.* *From January 7th onward, access beyond Zuishinmon toward the cedar avenue along the Okusha Approach is prohibited.* About snowshoe rentals Togakushi Tourist Information Center *Business hours: 9:00–17:00* Rental pickup: 9:00–14:00 ＊Last return by 16:00 Snowshoe and pole set 2,000 yen (tax included) per day Poles, snow boots, gaiters each 500 yen (tax included) per day Recommended for first-timers: guided tours “Seasonal Walk — Winter Edition” In winter, put on snowshoes and head out to meet spectacular views. Courses may change depending on weather and conditions. *For details, check the Togakushi Tourism Association website’s news updates.* ② Togakushi Ski Field This ski field offers high-quality groomed runs with famously light “magic powder” snow. The steep runs first thing in the morning after snowfall are especially popular. Season: December 13, 2025–March 31, 2026 (scheduled) Hours: 8:30–16:15 *For details, please see the official website.* ③ Iizuna Plateau Kotacamp At the nature experience resort Nagano Forest Village on Iizuna Plateau, relax in a kotatsu surrounded by snowy scenery and enjoy a warm, indulgent break that only the cold season can offer! Period: Early January–end of March (scheduled) Hours: Two sessions — 11:00–14:00 and 17:00–19:30 Fee: 5,500 yen (tax included) per person (includes Kotacamp special menu) *For details, please see the official website.* ④ Iizuna Plateau Zunacchi Hiroba Near the former Iizuna Kogen Ski Resort’s No.1 and No.2 lift areas, children can enjoy a free sledding and beginner ski slope. No staff are stationed on site, so please enjoy safely to avoid injury. *As of January 5, R8, the full opening is delayed due to insufficient snowfall, but some areas are usable.* *For details, please see the Iizuna Plateau Tourism Association website.* #Togakushi #Iizuna Plateau #Snowshoe #Winter camping #Nagano City #Nagano Prefecture #Nagano tourism #Nagano travel #nagano #naganocity

A luxurious gift campaign is starting🎁 Enjoy winter in the Kushiro region and win fantastic local specialties! Just share the winter charms of the Kushiro region on Instagram, and you’ll have a chance to win wonderful local products! The Kushiro region is full of winter-only vistas such as Lake Akan Onsen in Kushiro City, Hosooka Observatory in Kushiro Town, Otowa Bridge in Tsuruimura, Lake Mashu in Teshikaga, and Tawahei Observatory in Shibecha—refresh your mind and body at hot springs and nature-rich spots! Check the details at the URL below▼ https://ja.kushiro-lakeakan.com/things_to_do/22082/...

Happy New Year. I look forward to your continued support this year. Now for the first event of the year organized by the Kyonan Town Tourism Association. On Sunday, January 18, we will hold a Narcissus & Gibier Marche and a flea market at Kyonan Town Health and Welfare Center Sukoyaka Parking. You will find narcissus flowers, vegetables, rice balls made with local produce, fried gibier meat, nostalgic Showa-era hardware, and more. Food trucks will also be on site, so look forward to that. Also, from 11:00 a.m., we will offer free bowls of botan-jiru soup to the first 250 people. The date and time are as follows. Date and time: Sunday, January 18, from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Location: Kyonan Town Health and Welfare Center Sukoyaka Parking The event will be canceled in case of rain. Please come and join us. #Chiba Prefecture#Kyonan Town#Boso Peninsula#hoba station#Hota Coast#Narcissus no Sato#Ezuki Narcissus Road#Kyonan Town Health and Welfare General Center Sukoyaka#Narcissus Marche#Gibier Marche#Tateyama Gibier#Free botan-jiru distribution

A luxurious Instagram giveaway is starting 🎁 Enjoy winter in the Kushiro area and win premium local products! Just share the winter charms of the Kushiro area on Instagram for a chance to win wonderful local specialties! From Lake Akan Onsen in Kushiro City to Hoso-oka Observatory in Kushiro Town, Otowa Bridge in Tsuruimura, Lake Mashu in Teshikaga, and Tawa-He Observatory in Shibecha, the Kushiro area is full of winter-only spectacular views. Relax your mind and body at hot spring resorts and nature-rich spots! Check the website for details! https://ja.kushiro-lakeakan.com/things_to_do/22082/...