New Year Mochi Pounding The annual mochi pounding event said to take place at Guesthouse GA.KOPPER! It was held on January 2nd! Guests staying at the guesthouse and village residents gathered around a single mortar to pound mochi, while those who wanted to relax sipped sweet sake in the dining room. White mochi and mochi with beans or brown rice were lined up, and everyone enjoyed them with nori, grated daikon, nameko mushrooms, sweet red bean paste, or roasted soybean flour to their liking. A hit with the children was chocolate! Eating mochi with chocolate was an idea we had never seen before! Timed with the mochi pounding, the sight of watching children jumping with serious faces made for a heartwarming day. #Nishiofuke Village #GA.KOPPER #New Year #Mochi pounding #Mochi and chocolate #Nameko mushrooms and grated daikon were delicious

Thank you for waiting! Shintoku-yama Ski Resort finally opens on January 20! This winter saw large temperature swings in Shintoku town and snowfall was slow to arrive, but thanks to snow from late December through recent days we have managed to open safely. Shintoku-yama Ski Resort is a family-friendly slope that people from beginners to advanced skiers can enjoy. The view from the summit is spectacular, and you can ski with thrills while looking out as far as Mt. Meakan and the Daisetsuzan mountain range. • 1.3 km from Shintoku Station — 4 minutes by car, 15 minutes on foot • Rental sets available [Contact: 0156-64-5546] For more details, please check the Shintoku town website.

Recent view of Rekifune River It is mid to late January, and the cold has deepened in Taiki Town. The Rekifune River running through Taiki Town has frozen over considerably 🧊 I compared photos of the Rekifune River seen from Furusato Bridge from last autumn and from this month. Temperatures will drop further, and the frozen sections are expected to grow! Will it freeze over completely…?

I was able to take a picture of the dedication of the dharma and the burning of the dharma that had served its role for one year.

This is a night view of the factory of Kosaka Refining Co., Ltd., located in Kosaka Town, Kazuno District, Akita Prefecture. The factories surrounded by snow-covered mountains are a very impressive scenery. There are various factories all over the country, but the factories in the snow country are also beautiful.

⛄The skating festival's specialty “shibare-yaki” tickets are on sale now!!⛸️ The 58th Tomakomai Skating Festival will take place at Chuo Park on Saturday, February 10 and Sunday, February 11!!🥳 “Shibare-yaki” refers to cooking on a drum‑can grill and enjoying jingisukan (grilled mutton) out in the cold😊🥩🛢️ The dish originated during the first Skating Festival to thank Self‑Defense Force members who built snow sculptures and the rink, and from the second festival onward it was opened for citizens to enjoy. It got its name from being cooked in the shivering cold.💁‍♀️ Come and taste this traditional flavor!!✨ Tickets are on sale at the city hall shop and at COCOTOMA!!🎫 [Tomakomai City Hall Shop] Address: 1F, 4‑5‑6 Asahimachi, Tomakomai 053-0018 [COCOTOMA] Address: 1F, Friend Building Tenant Wing, 5‑11‑5 Omotecho, Tomakomai 053-0022

This year, too, at Tokachi Ranch in Otosara Town The horse-chasing movement began. Elimination of lack of exercise during the winter months To prevent difficult births of pregnant horses It weighs twice as much as a thoroughbred. The body and legs are thick and powerful. Childbirth will begin in mid-February.

Mt. Fuji 🗻 seen from Saitama This is the sunset of Mt. Fuji that can be seen from Saitama Prefecture. Only the head was dyed 😆 beautifully There may be 🤭 more Mt. Fuji spots in Saitama Location: Saitama

I was aiming for a large diamond mountain, and thanks to the clouds, I was able to take such a fantastic photo.

Ski Area Open The ski area in Nishiokoppe has opened on January 13th! It looks like local children were quick to hit the slopes 😆 On nights when the lifts operate, why not stop by for a run after work?

I took this photo at Daimonzaka on Kumano Kodo. It is very pleasant to walk on the stone steps while bathing in soft sunlight and negative ions. It has become famous on social media, but I can only hope that this nature will never be destroyed by human hands and will always be in a beautiful state.

Summon Tetsujin 28 in the city of Nagata This is near Shin-Nagata Station in Hyogo Prefecture Tetsujin No. 28 I summoned them to be available at any time in case of 😆 an emergency We'll always be here, so be sure to visit us.

The Onigiri Kingdom 🍙 that appeared in Rokko This is located in Hyogo Prefecture 　　　　　"Rokko Garden Terrace" This is my personal favorite spot. Located at an altitude of 900m, you can see the night view of Kobe. At night, it's very cold, so dress warmly! 😆

The Akita Inland Railway runs through Kitaakita City, Akita Prefecture. It is a scene unique to heavy snowfall areas. It is a local line with a basic one-car train, but it is very cute to see it running in a wonderful scenery.

It is a winter scenery of Mt. Koya, Wakayama Prefecture, where the main mountain of the Shingon sect is located. The red temple is the main pagoda.

It is a winter scenery of Mt. Koya, Wakayama Prefecture.

Eku Town, Setouchi City, Okayama Prefecture. In winter, the Seto Inland Sea is very beautiful with sunlight shining on the surface of the sea.

The background of Nagisa Park in Moriyama, Shiga Prefecture is Mt. Hira. I think it will be in full bloom soon.

＼Hosono Highlands Yamayaki Experience／ "Yamayaki" is a practice continued every year since the Edo period to keep Hosono Highlands as grassland. . In February 2023, as a first effort, the yamayaki was opened in an ultra-limited way and offered as a tour for visitors to observe. . To let more people learn more deeply, we will hold the "Yamayaki Experience" again in 2024. Please come and witness the overwhelming sight of the landscape blazing to life. . 【Date and Time】 Saturday, February 10 — 11:00–16:00 (scheduled) . 【Meeting / Viewing Location】 Inatori, Higashiizucho, Shizuoka Prefecture Inatori Hosono Highlands . 【Pickup】 Higashiizu Town Hall (3354 Inatori, Kamo District, Higashiizucho, Shizuoka Prefecture, 413-0411) . ➡ On the day of the yamayaki, general vehicles are prohibited from entering Hosono Highlands. Please refrain from coming to the site by private car. . 【Event Schedule】 11:00 Meet at Higashiizu Town Hall, transfer to Hosono Highlands 11:30 Arrive at Hosono Highlands 12:00 Yamayaki viewing (guided explanation and lunch included) 13:30 Participate in the serving event 14:30 Post-yamayaki walk (guided tour available) 15:30 All activities end, return to Higashiizu Town Hall (Please note the program order may change depending on the progress of the yamayaki.) . 【Participation Requirements】 ・Capacity: around 20 people ・Participants under 15 years old must register with a guardian in attendance. . 【Participation Fee】 4,000 yen per person Includes admission fee, goods and service tax, local guide, lunch, insurance, and grassland management fee (1,000 yen) . (If the event is cancelled, we will refund the amount after deducting the grassland management fee of 1,000 yen, i.e. 3,000 yen.) . For details, access the reservation page from the Higashiizu Town Tourist Association official website! Please check the notes before applying.

Near the mouth of the Tomita River, which flows through the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture, migratory birds such as ducks come to rest their wings.

Winter in Yamagata, surrounded by beautiful mountains

Mifune Falls in Kawakami Village, Nara Prefecture has a drop of about 50 meters, and in winter, the road is closed only for cars, so you have to walk on a snowy road for about an hour to meet it, but the icefall is worth it.

It is a rest area with a thatched roof on the Kumano Kodo Nakabeji course, "Toganoki Chaya". The autumn foliage season is wonderful, but I think the snowy scenery in winter, when there are few visitors, is even more wonderful.

World Heritage Site "Shirakawa-go" Scenery like a picture book. A snapshot taken while wandering around Shirakawa-go. Shirakawa Village, Takayama City, Gifu

The cranes gather little by little when the time comes. I don't have a watch. It's strange. It was a beautiful scenery because it was winter and because it was a snowy country.

It seems that there are many people who are fascinated by cranes and move to this Tsurui Village. There is a village in Hokkaido where cranes of human families come to each farmer and dairy farm.

Cranes are said to be natural monuments. In the past, there were only a few dozen cranes due to overfishing by humans, but with the warm support, you can meet so many cranes. It is a wonderful scenery that should be preserved for many years to come.

Beautiful winter scenery. Tokachi enjoys many clear winter days, so the blue skies and rime ice look stunning.

One of the winter traditions of Lake Abashiri and Lake Memanbetsu is "ice smelt fishing". Drill a hole in the frozen lake surface and hang a fishing line to catch smelt. As long as the timing is right, you can catch it, so you can forget about the cold and enjoy it. There is also a rod rental, so anyone can easily do it, so please feel free to go out. 　 For the seaweed you caught, tempura or fried fish is recommended ♬♬ * There are no rental tents, chairs, or tempura sets, so please bring your own. Period: January 5, Reiwa 6 Friday ~ Mid-March of Reiwa 6　 　　　　* The end date will change depending on the ice conditions, so please contact the Tourism Association for details. 　　　　　Please contact us at the inquiry. Location: Memanbetsu Lakeside Campground Behind Special Venue Recreational fishing hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Price: Adult/900 yen, Child/450 yen elementary school student Sales: Rod 1,000 yen / Gimmick 400 yen / Bait 300 yen Rental rod with gimmick 600 yen 　 * Drilling drills are available free of charge. Reception We have set up an administration building in front of the wakasagi fishing venue NPO Okhotsk Ozora Town Tourism Association TEL0152 74-4323 #Ozora #Memanbetsu Lakeside #Memanbetsu #Lake Abashiri #Wakasagi #Wakasagi Fishing #On the ice #Winter #Tradition

Spectacular View at Tokachigawa Onsen: Unryu Unryu is a river mist that appears on frigid mornings in January and February when temperatures drop below −15°C. It came to be called “Unryu” because the fog rising along the flow of the Tokachi River looks like a dragon stretching and resting. You can view this scene from the Tokachigaoka Observatory. This breathtaking sight is visible only in winter! This year is the Year of the Dragon—come to Tokachigawa Onsen to see Unryu!