🍂Autumn Mountain School — Casual Participants Wanted🍁 🌰—Get a Head Start on Autumn Flavors! Chestnut Gathering Experience—🌰 Step on the spiky chestnut burr with your shoe and a glossy chestnut will pop out. Pick it up with tongs and drop it into the basket. You’ll get lost in the satisfying rhythm of the whole process. Would you like to enjoy chestnut gathering while soaking up autumn nature? 🍱Lunch includes a Donkotei special menpa bento♪ 📅 Date: Sunday, September 7 — 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM 📍 Meeting place: Shiitake no Yakata 21 🌲 Venue: Old Forest House “Sakura no Tsubone” 👥 Capacity: 4 people minimum to 10 people maximum per day 💰 Fee: ・Adults: ¥5,000 per person ・Children (age 3 and over): ¥4,000 per person *Village residents receive a ¥500 discount *Price includes experience fee, guide fee, lunch, and consumption tax 📝 Registration deadline: Sunday, August 31 🚶 Accompanying staff: A tour attendant or local guide will accompany the group 🧤 What to bring and what to wear ・Work gloves ・Towel ・Water bottle ・Hat ・Long pants ・Long-sleeve shirt ・Sturdy, easy-to-move-in shoes that can get dirty *For applications and details, please check Morotsuka Navi. Spend a day filled with autumn flavors and hands-on experiences to satisfy both your heart and your stomach. We look forward to your participation!

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

Swallowtail butterflies. Meals with flower nectar. Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture

Large-flowered summer flowers. Mango gradient petals from sunset ⇒ withered flower central aggregate. Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture

Heavily. Sunset-colored berries growing in the cradle of leaves. Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture

Burning flowers. Large flowers spread like fireworks. Fujimino, Saitama Prefecture

Taisho skirt. A colorful and artistic Japanese umbrella Open to the public only in July 2025. Tokyo Station Gyoko Underground Gallery

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.

Event Announcement📣 On Sunday, August 3, 2025, the town of Taiki will host the 34th Rekifune River Clear Stream Festival 😊 The Rekifune River Clear Stream Festival began after the Ministry of the Environment praised the Rekifune River flowing through the town as "Japan’s cleanest river." The festival celebrates the gifts of nature and invites everyone to enjoy a summer day by the clear stream in a major seasonal event!! Date and Time: Sunday, August 3, 2025 Location: Riverbed upstream of Taiki Bridge on the Rekifune River During the day you’ll find plenty of stalls and hands-on activities for children!! 📍Bouncy dome 📍Firefighting experience 📍Yamabe fishing 📍Gold panning experience (fee required) ※The gold panning takes place in the river, so we recommend bringing boots, water shoes, sandals, or other footwear that can get wet, plus a towel. There’s even more to enjoy, including dance and live performances, a PET bottle rocket contest, the Tokachi Blue Sky Lady talk show, and a fun prize lottery 🎵 In the evening, the festival reaches its climax with the Perpune Fire Festival, where towering pillar torches seem to reach the sky, followed by an impressive fireworks display. 📍Perpune Fire Festival: from 6:00 PM Legend says that if a pillar torch falls toward the mountain side it brings a bountiful harvest, and if it falls toward the sea it brings abundant catches. 📍Fireworks Display: from 7:30 PM (postponed to August 4 in case of rain) Join this summer tradition, shake off the heat, and enjoy a wonderful time😍😍 https://visit-taiki.hokkaido.jp/tp_detail.php?id=419...

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.*

🌞Starting in August! Authentic summer sea season has arrived 🌊 With the sun shining brightly, the sea of Shonan is very comfortable, cool and in the best condition today! In Hokule'a Shonan, summer adventures are still going on ✨ Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Skin Diving... We have 🐠 a program that allows you to enjoy the sea in each style Even if you are a beginner or not good swimmer, the instructor will carefully support you so that you can participate with peace of mind. When you step into the Water Middle World, it's like a different world. In the highly transparent sea with sparkling light, please meet sea creatures and experience 🩵 the feeling of floating like weightlessness Families with children and solo participants are also welcome! It can be accessed on a day trip from Tokyo, so it is 🚃 perfect for summer excursions For those of you who haven't experienced the "real ocean" yet this summer. Why don't you make memorable memories together in the Shonan sea this summer? 🌈 We, Hokule'a Shonan instructors, will do our best to support your "first step". Please feel free to contact us 😊 #HokuleaShonan #DiveJapan #SummerInJapan #ScubaDivingAdventure #SnorkelingTrip #SkinDivingExperience #OceanEscape #TokyoDayTrip #BeginnerFriendly #DiscoverTheBlue #UnderwaterWorld #ExploreJapan #BeachLifeJapan

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

This is a photo taken at Saizakiura Beaches in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture. I went outbound with my colleagues at work to watch the fireworks. It's not like we're always together, and when you look at it from the sidelines, the six of us are hugged, but for some reason, I feel like we were able to stay at the same time and with the same feeling. Each of them lit their own fireworks and enjoyed talking to each other from time to time. It was a moment when things in my heart that I couldn't usually say spilled out.

Event Notice📣 On Saturday, August 2, the Otofuke Town Chamber of Commerce Summer Festival Cooling Fireworks Display will take place 😊 A beer garden and festival stalls line the grounds, with performances including Otofuke Town Komadaiko drumming, Studio ZERO dance, Otofuke Dream Rhythmic Gymnastics Club, Kenji Nanda impersonation show, and a karaoke contest, creating a varied stage program!! Because the terrain is flat, you can see the fireworks up close for an impressive experience!! About 1,000 fireworks will light up the town’s night sky😍😍 Date and Time: Saturday, August 2, 2025, from 3:00 PM ※In case of severe weather, the event will be postponed to August 3 Location: Special venue in front of Shintsu Community Hall Enjoy beer and the stage shows as we cheerfully get through summer together🎵🎵🎵 http://www.otofuke.jp/news/news-4242.html...

Here are some ✨ Spot summer flowers that Best time to visit in August (1) Togakushi Observatory There is a along the Togakushi Bird Line, it is famous for its spectacular view of the Soba flowers blooming in the vast Soba field and the mountains of Togakushi, making it a great photo point. Fun the pure white flower fields with the Togakushi mountain ranges in the background! 【Best time to visit】Summer Soba Late July ~ Early August (Autumn Soba around September) 【Address】Togakushi Toyooka, Nagano City 【Car parking lot】Yes * Request: The field that can be seen from the Soba Observatory Garden is the field where "Togakushi Matsumoto Seimen Co., Ltd." is made. They are carefully nurtured, so please do not go into the field when taking pictures. (2) Zenko Temple Daisōshin Release Pond There are many large lotuses that are worth seeing in the release pond at the entrance of Zenko Temple Daishoujin. The Time Slot / Time of Day of the lotus Best time to visit is early morning ~ mid-morning. Be sure Temple take a look at the lotus flower when you Prayer Zenko! 【Best time to visit】July ~ August 【Address】Nagano Nagano 492 【Car parking lot】Available (nearby paid Car parking lot) (3) Wakaho Hoshina Crape Myrtle Hill Colorful crape myrtle flowers such as red, pink, and purple dye the mountains! You can enjoy the beautiful flowers along with the view from the top of the mountain. 【Best time to visit】mid-August ~ mid-September 【Address】Nagano City Wakaho Hoshina 【Car parking lot】Yes #I like flowers #Scenery with flowers #Nagano #Nagano #Nagano sightseeing #Nagano travel #nagano #naganocity

Glutton Kuishinbo — Special Edition: Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture City dwellers, why not soothe your eyes and soul with Shinshu’s clear rivers and air, towering mountains, and lush green forests? In the second special edition of Glutton Kuishinbo Kasai, I visited Omachi City in Nagano Prefecture. I went to Kannon Bridge over the Takase River that runs through Omachi City! Actually, I accompanied my younger son to his baseball game at the ballpark next door, and this spot with its incredible scenery caught my eye‼️ Even as a native of Nagano, I was stunned by this view. According to Google, “In particular, the water of the Takase Gorge sometimes appears emerald green due to the mixing of fine particles from weathered granite and colloidal sulfur particles.” It’s an amazingly beautiful color, isn’t it❗️ Please come to Nagano Prefecture and let yourself be healed by this place🎐 ◎ Kannon Bridge, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture 📍 Tokiwa, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture Are you tired from so many jobs? You need rest, healing, or just to chill. In this second special edition of Kuishinbo Kasai, I had the pleasure of visiting Omachi City in Nagano Prefecture. This is Omachi City in Nagano Prefecture. There is abundant nature, beautiful rivers, and mountains. I went to my boy’s baseball game in Omachi City. The Takase River and Kannon Bridge were next to the ballpark. I was born in Nagano and have known its nature since childhood. Still, the sight before me was unbelievably beautiful… I asked Mr. Google. It says, “In particular, the water of the Takase Gorge sometimes appears emerald green due to the presence of fine particles from weathered granite and colloidal sulfur particles.” We warmly invite you to Nagano Prefecture — come and experience its soothing, restorative charm for yourself. ◎ Kannon Bridge, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture 📍 Tokiwa, Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture

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.

Event Announcement 📣 The Hirosaki town summer sea fireworks festival that symbolizes Hirosaki’s summer will be held again this year 😊 About 7,000 fireworks, including star mines and underwater fireworks that bloom from the water’s surface, will lavishly light up the night sky. Various events will be held during the day!! 📍The hugely popular children’s show “Number One Squadron Gojuja” First show: 13:00–13:30 Second show: 15:00–15:30 *A signing session will be held after the stage shows!! 📍Sauna and fireworks collaboration!! “Sea Breeze Sauna Fest” ・12:00–20:30 Why not enjoy the fireworks while relaxing in a sauna? There will also be performances by the Hiroo Folk Performing Arts Jinya Taiko Preservation Society’s Jinya Taiko and YOSAKOI Soran dance!! At the Port Bazaar you can taste Hiroo’s seafood such as grilled whelk and atka mackerel 🎵 Date and time: Saturday, August 2, 2025 Location: Tokachi Port, Pier No. 4 *Fireworks launch: 19:30–20:30. Enjoy the brilliant fireworks display reflected on the sea 😍😍 Expect heavy traffic on the way home, so please check alternate routes and travel safely to your destination. *Please note that the Tokachi Port Festival sea fireworks will take place once any tsunami advisory is lifted. If the event is canceled or postponed, announcements will be made on the Hiroo Town Office and Hiroo Tourism Association websites and social media. https://hiroo-kanko.jp/2025/07/08/35th-tokachiport-fireworksfestival/...

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...