The 13th Azumino Kamiakari Bamboo Lantern Festival 2024 — Held over 6 days Friday, November 29 to Sunday, December 1 Friday, December 6 to Sunday, December 8 Around 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. each day Hotaka Shrine (about a 5-minute walk from Hotaka Station on the JR Oito Line) Enjoy the gentle atmosphere of Hotaka Shrine, illuminated by about 10,000 bamboo lanterns Anyone may join the 4:00 p.m. lighting. Those who will light lanterns should bring a long-handled lighter Live performances take place at the Kagura Hall, and Azumino Terrace in the South Garden features food trucks and booths. In the North Garden, a special stage presents the traditional Hotaka dolls * Admission is free * Parking is limited; please use public transportation when possible

When I visited Shizuoka Prefecture, I happened to take a walk early in the morning and encountered a pleasant morning.

Photographed 10/19/24. On the first day of the Kawagoe Festival, it is a festival float of Kawagoe Taro Shigeyori in Nakahara Towns. The sky was suspicious.

A park in Tatsuno City, Hyogo Prefecture It was an old-fashioned small park, but it was a charming park with two large ginkgo trees on either side and seesaw

It was a large Persimmon tree that I happened to find in Shiso City, Hyogo Prefecture, and it was 😋 an autumn persimmon that appeared in Japan folk tales, like the original scenery of nostalgic Japan

Shinyu Onsen L.P. has launched "Suwa Taisha Navi," an experiential app specifically designed for use within Suwa Taisha for foreign visitors and domestic tourists. The app supports four languages—English, Traditional Chinese, French, and Japanese—and introduces the points of interest at the four Suwa Taisha shrines (Honmiya, Maemiya, Harumiya, and Akimiya). The navigator is Suwahime, the official character of Suwa City, who introduces 84 monuments and structures across the four shrines. Download the app, enable location services, and open it when you visit any of the four Suwa Taisha shrines. As you approach each spot, Suwahime's audio explanations will play, and spots you've listened to will be marked with a fan icon. It's a great way to remember your visit to Suwa and Suwa Taisha. Please try it!

Photographed 10/19/24. It is the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Shinko Festival. It is the festival float of Ushiwakamaru in the former Town 1-chome.

Photographed 10/19/24. It is the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Shinko Festival. It is a portable shrine (彦神, 姫神).

Photographed 10/19/24. It is the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Shinko Festival. Hiko Saruta is waving his hand. 👋

Autumn leaves have begun! Matsukawa Valleys in Takayama Village is a large area of Autumn leaves with plenty of attractions, from Kasadake at Elevation 2,000 meters to Yamada Hot Spring at Elevation 900 meters Autumn leaves front descends from high elevation to low Best time to visit forecast Near Mt. Kasa and Manza Pass (approx. 2,000m) October 18　 Near Yamada Ranch (about 1,500m) October 18 Near Shichimi Hot Spring and Goshiki Hot Spring (approx. 1,200m) October 21 Near Thunder Falls and Hachitaki (approx. 1,100m) October 23 Near Yamada Hot Spring (Takaibashi) (about 900m) October 25 As of 10/21, the area around Yamada Ranch is in Best time to visit Now it's time for the real work Please take a look at the colorful Autumn leaves

Gokase Winery Harvest Festival 2024 Yesterday, Sunday, October 20, following last week’s events, Gokase Winery held the "Gokase Winery Harvest Festival 2024" to celebrate the release on Saturday, October 19 of the 2024 vintage new wines 🍷🎉 Although the rain from the day before was gone and the sky cleared, it turned sharply cold from the morning, and as the name suggests the Wind Hall felt chilled by strong, cold breezes today 🥶💦 Still, the crowd warmed up with a lineup of lively, exciting stage programs 🤩✨ Taiko drumming, hula dance, singing, and a raffle… and the familiar Hikari hosted the event 💡 Her light, bright hosting energized the audience greatly 🥳 She was so busy she kept appearing on stage again and again 🤣🤣🤣 Food stalls offering pizza, sausages, Kitaura scallops (hiougi kai), and various sweets that paired well with the new wine filled the venue and kept everyone happy 🤤💕 The highlights were the sashimi servings of sakuramai kampachi and tuna 🐟🍴✨ Fresh sakuramai kampachi, alive that very morning, were filleted on site and served to attendees 😍 Sakuramai kampachi raised on nutrient-rich pomace—the leftover pressed grapes from winemaking at Gokase Winery—have no fishy odor and less of the greasy taste typical of farmed fish, making them especially delicious 🤤💡 Lines snaked through the venue for the kampachi and tuna 😳 I managed to grab some myself; it had no off-putting smell, a smooth, mellow texture, and was truly delicious 🥰 The finale featured the main guest, Reiwa’s Showa-era pop song young star Kokoro Umetani, on stage 🎤✨ Kokoro appeared in an outfit that matched the wine-themed atmosphere 🤩🍷 Despite her cute appearance, her powerful, glamorous voice stunned the audience 😳✨ Fans had come from afar, including from Saitama Prefecture, to support her 👏 With fans and townspeople together, the stage reached a spectacular peak of excitement 🎉🎉🎉 At last, the newly released Gokase wines are now available. Although the summer heat had raised concerns about the harvest, the tireless efforts of local grape growers paid off. They harvested higher-than-usual sugar levels and aroma, producing exceptionally fine grapes and very tasty wine 🥹👏 I haven’t had a chance to drink it yet, so I can’t wait to taste it 🍷✨ Everyone, please enjoy the season’s wines.

Photographed 10/14/24. It is the Annual Grand Festival of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It is held as the Minamoto of the Kawagoe Festival.

The second day of the Kawagoe Festival has come to an end. These are the festival float of Kogitsunemaru in Saiwai Town and the festival float of Nasori in Nandori Towns.

It is the second day of the Kawagoe Festival. It is a festival float of the Senba Jiro Yasu family in Senba Towns. At the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I had an exorcism.

Photographed 10/19/24. Your friend is coming. 👋 It is a festival float of Iemitsu in Shintomi Town 1-chome.

Photographed 10/19/24. It is the Shinko Festival.

Photographed 10/19/24. It is a festival float of Suzume in Ote Towns.

The Kawagoe Festival has begun. At Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, a festival float from OteTowns is performing an exorcism.

Today and tomorrow is the Kawagoe Festival. Prayer at Kawagoe Hachimangu Shrine, I heard a congratulatory song. It was a place where the people of Nantong Towns were being exorcised.

Photographed 10/12/24. It is Hanachozu of Naritasan Kawagoe Betsuin.

Local ingredients and specialty products are gathering in Tomakomai City: the 41st Higashi-Iburi Products Festival runs for three days from Friday, October 25th to Sunday, October 27th. This year’s venue is Aeon Mall Tomakomai. Come and enjoy our proud local flavors.

"The 41st Higashi Iburi Bussan Festival Stalls Introduction (1)" For three days from October 25th to October 27th, the "41st Higashi Iburi Bussan Festival" will be Held in at the West Court on the 1st floor of the AEON MALL Tomakomai store. From today, we will introduce the stores that will be Stalls at the festival, so please keep an eye out! 【Kitakiya Joint Stock Company】~Tomakomai City~ In addition to the same Traditional Japanese straw raincoat hokki cooked rice, we will also sell "Toma Chop Oyaki" in the shape of a hokki shell with Toma Chop branding. It's heavy and There are satisfying! In addition to selling products at the venue, we also accept shipping.

Photographed 10/12/24. This is Hanachozu of Chuin. Hanachozu was making a comeback.

October 5, 2024 Kami‑Suwa Kaido Town Walk and Sake Stroll On that day, a major event took over the town of Suwa: the “Kami‑Suwa Kaido Town Walk and Sake Stroll.” Along a one‑kilometer walking radius from JR Kami‑Suwa Station along National Route 20, five of Suwa’s famous breweries stand side by side, and for the event the area from Suwa 2‑chome to the Motomachi traffic lights was turned into a pedestrian zone. The five breweries of Suwa proudly served their signature sakes🍶. This year, a cypress masu (wooden sake box) doubled as a passport, letting visitors enjoy the aroma of hinoki wood while sipping fine sake. The 3,000 tickets sold out by September 30, showing just how popular the event was!!! Compared with last year, more local restaurants offered snack stalls, and additional stalls were run by neighborhood groups!!! Although the weather was a little worrying that day, the ticket exchange at 11:00 at Swatchao was lively, and the city began to buzz toward the pedestrian zone start at 12:00. By the official start at 13:00, lines had formed in front of the five breweries as people queued for their preferred labels!!! After opening remarks by Suwa’s mayor and the head of the Chamber of Commerce, the stroll kicked off with Suwa’s customary kiyari work song, and the sake stroll began. The kiyari performers then walked along the kaido, responding to requests and singing until around 17:00🎶 From 14:00, local dance troupes energized the venue. Many guests joined in the dancing, and the sight of everyone enjoying themselves was memorable. The food stalls drew long queues: yakitori, grilled eel, karaage and sanzokuyaki (mountain warrior‑style fried chicken), chicken wings, game dishes, kushiyaki, candied apples, bento sellers, french fries, yakisoba, and more… The snack stalls were as busy as the sake booths! Good sake paired with delicious local dishes and snacks naturally brought smiles to people’s faces🎶 We met many smiling visitors—thank you very much. What surprised us most was how little trash there was. From the organizer’s perspective, we picked up litter from JR Kami‑Suwa Station to the far end of the venue just before the event ended, and there seemed to be very little trash on the streets. I believe that resulted from attendees properly sorting and disposing of their waste. As I walked around holding a bag and saying, “If you have any trash, please put it in this bag!” several visitors responded, “Wow, amazing! You even collect trash? Thank you so much.” Those words wiped away my fatigue! I was deeply moved😢 For the next event, our staff will continue striving to ensure guests are satisfied and have a great time, while gaining the understanding and cooperation of local residents so that Suwa’s town can become even more vibrant and lively.

Autumn leaves and the purple gold mountain atlas comet In Hokkaido, autumn slowly turns color Autumn leaves were photographed in a composition that looked like a comet falling It seems that Comet Purple Gold Mountain Atlas will return in 80,000 years In other words, this is the last time you will be able to see this scenery and the comet at the same time When I thought about it, I felt somewhat lonely, as if I was saying goodbye to this life

Visited 10/15/24. After prayer to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I relaxed at the Starbucks Bell Ring Street store. Pumpkin Spice Latte and Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake. It's the autumn of appetite, isn't it? 🎃

Photographed 10/15/24. The Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival was not held on October 15 because of the Kawagoe Festival, but I Prayer by custom. The Starbucks Bell Ring Street store also had a red and white curtain.

Visited 10/14/24. After Prayer to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, we visited LEC COFFEE. It is a Basque cheesecake with dirty chai and purple sweet potato.

Photographed 10/14/24. At the Naka Towns Tourist Information Center, the "Kawagoe Festival Creative Doll Exhibition" is held in. The procession of the festival float is accurately Reproduction. It seems that it is more difficult to make small items than dolls.