The 3rd Hosono Highlands Yamayaki Experience

🏔 What Hosono Highlands Is Like 🏔
Hosono Highlands spreads across the slopes of Mt. Amagi, which erupted between 800,000 and 200,000 years ago. The plateau covers about 125 hectares—roughly the size of 26 Tokyo Domes—and offers a majestic expanse of grassland. It is said to be a treasure trove of flora and fauna nurtured by volcanic terrain.
In spring, you can forage for mountain vegetables such as bracken amid fresh greenery. In autumn, vast stands of golden susuki (silver grass) create a spectacular display. From the summit you can see Sagami Bay and the Izu Islands, where meadow and seascape combine into a unique panorama.

Inatori Hosono Highlands has been recognized among the 100 Grassland Villages We Want to Preserve for the Future for the value of local knowledge, awareness, and skills accumulated through long interaction between people and nature.
Hosono Highlands conducts an annual yamayaki (controlled burn) to maintain the grassland. During walks you can observe grass-cutting work performed in preparation for the burn.
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🔥⛰ What “Yamayaki” Means ⛰🔥

Yamayaki is an essential annual practice to keep Hosono Highlands as open grassland.
By burning overgrown grasses and shrubs, the area is prevented from turning into forest, and the burned vegetation returns nutrients to the soil to sustain a rich grassland.

This yamayaki has continued every year at Hosono Highlands since the Edo period.

Because the plateau borders neighboring Kawazu Town, preventing fire from spreading across boundaries is critical, and the work must address elevation changes and steep slopes, so seasoned experience and

advanced fire-management know-how are required.
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● Event Overview

Yamayaki is an activity necessary to keep Hosono Highlands as grassland and has continued annually since the Edo period.
As a first trial in February 2023, we opened the yamayaki on a very limited basis and offered it as a guided tour for observation.
To help more people learn about this tradition in greater depth, we will hold the Yamayaki Experience again in 2025.
Please come and witness the overwhelming sight of the landscape ablaze.

● Event Schedule — Saturday, February 8, 2025
Date and time: Saturday, 2/8, 10:30–15:30 (scheduled)
10:30: Assemble and register at Inatori Hosono Highlands Parking Lot No. 2
11:00: Yamayaki viewing (guided yamayaki explanation, lunch provided)
14:00: Post-yamayaki walk (guided)
15:30: End of program and dismissal (Program order may change depending on yamayaki progress; please understand in advance.)
Meeting/registration location: Inatori Hosono Highlands Parking Lot No. 2 (parking spaces available)
➡ On the day of the yamayaki, general vehicles are not allowed into Parking Lot No. 1. Please park at the foothill Parking Lot No. 2.
There is no public transportation to the venue. Please use your own means of transport to access the site.

Participation Conditions
・Capacity is limited to 30 participants.
・Participants who are junior high school age or younger must be accompanied by a guardian.
・Please apply only if you fully understand the safety notes and on-site hazards.

Participation Fee
3,500 yen per person. Includes admission, consumption tax, local guide, lunch, insurance, and grassland management fee (1,000 yen).
※The participation fee is payable on site on the day of the event.
※We will contact you by email in advance and on the day about the event. Please note you cannot apply without an email address.

How to Apply
Please apply by entering the required information on the Higashiizu Town Tourist Association event page.
https://www.e-izu.org/?p=we-page-entry&spot=568220&cat=23649&pageno=3&type=spot
Or call the Higashiizu Tourist Association (TEL: 0557-95-0700) to register by phone.

● Notes and Precautions
About Participation in Work
This event is for observing the yamayaki. You may not take part in fire-starting or other operational tasks.
Cancellation Decisions
Yamayaki may be canceled on the morning of the event due to weather conditions (wind, humidity, rain, etc.). If yamayaki is canceled, this event will also be canceled. There are no substitute events. Please register only if you accept these cancellation conditions.
What to Wear on the Day
Yamayaki is a very dangerous operation, and flying embers or smoldering debris may be present.
Please wear flame-resistant clothing with minimal exposed skin.
All activities at the site are outdoors, so please prepare for cold weather.
Guide Language
Guidance is provided in Japanese only. Thank you for your understanding.

Cancellation Policy
If the event is canceled or you cancel, we will charge cancellation fees as follows.

If yamayaki itself is canceled due to severe weather (strong wind, dry conditions, rain, etc.), no payment will be charged.
If you cancel for personal reasons:
・Cancellation on the day or the day before → 100% of the event fee will be charged.
・Cancellation two days or more before → 0% cancellation fee.
・No-show without notice → 100% of the event fee will be charged.
*We may also claim actual communication costs or other damages where applicable.
For cancellations due to unavoidable events such as disasters, please contact the organizer.

If the organizer cancels for reasons other than weather, we will consult with participants and refund an appropriate amount.


Items to Bring
・Flame-resistant (fire-retardant) and warm clothing
・Clothes you don’t mind getting stained by sparks or soot
・Well-broken-in shoes
https://www.e-izu.org/?p=we-page-entry&spot=568220&cat=23649&pageno=3&type=spot

Little by little...
In Daffodil Land, it has finally bloomed to the point where several flowers can be captured in one photo~.

As expected, it is a prefectural flower that represents the people of Fukui Prefecture.
The sight of flowers blooming even in the cold that makes your body shrink will give you energy!

If it looks like this, the Best time to visit will be in the middle Squid January, right?
Best time to visit the daffodil festival "Narcissus "Crab Fair" Held in on January 11 (Sat) and 12 (Sun)!

If you see daffodils in bloom, please upload them on social media!

◎ Echizen daffodil flowering status [Updated on Friday, December 27, 2024]
https://www.town-echizen.jp/news/detail.php?id=637

\Let's learn more about the Hokusatsu Campaign > Migration Consultation Meeting/

At the Migration and Exchange Information Garden (Tokyo), a migration consultation meeting will be Held in about the Hokusatsu area of Kagoshima Prefecture (Akune City, Izumi City, Satsuma Town, Nagashima Town).
Interested parties who live in the Kanto area and are interested in living in the countryside, why not take the first step towards immigration?
Even if you are not thinking about moving, please come to the venue if you want to know more about Kagoshima and the Hokusatsu area.
Local Souvenirs are also entered into a raffle, and entry is free!

Date: Saturday, January 11, 2025 11:00~16:00
Place: Migration and Exchange Information Garden (Echizenya Building 1F, 1-1-6 Kyobashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)
【Participating municipalities】Akune City, Izumi City, Satsumagawanai City, Satsuma Town, Nagashima Town (The staff in charge of each municipality will respond politely)
【Inquiry】Kagoshima Prefecture Hokusatsu Regional Promotion Bureau, General Affairs Planning Division, General Affairs Planning Department (TEL: 0996-25-5107)
[Detail page] iju-join.jp/join/iju_garden/10886.html

[Notice on the Use of Public Toilets at Mount Oyama Summit
& Oyama Sando Map] 2024–2025
The public toilets at Mount Oyama Summit may be temporarily unavailable due to freezing. Please use the toilets in advance. Check the map of the approach for restroom locations.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Access: Odakyu Line Isehara Station North Exit, Bus Stop No. 4
Take the bus bound for “Oyama Cable” for about 30 minutes
Get off at the final stop and walk 15 minutes along the Koma approach to the cable car station

【Diamond Fuji traffic restrictions 🥰】

In the Takashita area of Fujikawa Town, the sunrise from the summit of Mt. Fuji
It is a Spot where you can peek in.

December 31, from 11 p.m.
Until 9 a.m. on January 1

Implementation of traffic restrictions.

On New Year's Day, it is expected to be very crowded.
Please be careful.

Tateyama Mountain Ranges seen from the Ameharu Coast 2023.12.09

The Oniwa and Tateyama mountain ranges over the sea are truly superb Spots.
The view of mountains with an Elevation of 3,000 meters across the sea is a superb view that is difficult to see in the world.

A scenic spot related to Manyo, Ameharu Coast.
The poet of Manyo, Oban Iemochi, loved this rainy landscape and sang many songs. The beautiful scenery is the same now as it was in the past, and the magnificent view of the reef seen from the beach and the 3,000m-class Tateyama mountain ranges seen over Toyama Bay is exceptional. It's breathtaking.

"Yoshitsune Rock", where Minamoto Yoshitsune waited for the rain to clear on his way to Oshu, is also the origin of the place name "Ameharu". (From Toyama's website)

\Around Izumi Castle/

This is a guide to Events that is a must see for history lovers and those who want to know the history of Izumi.
For two days on Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26, 2025, a lecture and a walking party will be held in under the title of "Medieval Mountain Castle: Visiting Izumi Castle".
Izumi Castle, a medieval mountain castle with a unique structure called "Minamikyushu type castle". Many tiles have been excavated in the prefecture that have few excavated examples. Through lectures and the Yamashiro Walking Club, it is an Events that approaches the origin of Izumi Castle and the mysteries of excavated items.
In addition, Hitoshi Nakai, professor emeritus of the University of Shiga Prefecture and councilor of the Japan Castle Association, will be invited as a lecturer on both days to learn more about Izumi Castle.
It will be two days where you can fully immerse yourself in the history of Izumi, so please join us!

▼ Medieval mountain castle Visiting Izumi Castle
・Lectures
Date: Saturday, January 25, 2025, 2:30 p.m.
【Place】Marumae Hall Izumi (Izumi City Bunkacho 23)
【Commentary】Hitoshi Nakai

・Yamashiro Walking Club
Date: Sunday, January 26, 2025, 8:30 a.m.
【Place】In front of the Izumi Foothills History Museum (10-39 Foothills, Izumi City)
【Commentary】Hitoshi Nakai

【Notes】
・ Subject of participation in the walking club is elementary school students and above. Elementary school students must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
・On the day of the walking party Izumi we will take a walk around Ruins of the Castle (Yamashiro). Please wear comfortable clothes and athletic shoes.
・Thereare the program may be changed or canceled due to weather conditions.

[How to apply]
Please apply electronically or by Phone.
Pre-registration is not mandatory for those who will only participate in the lecture, but due to the preparation of the venue, we ask for your cooperation in pre-registration.
city.kagoshima-izumi.lg.jp/page/page_010469.html

Application deadline: Tuesday, January 21, 2025
【For inquiries, please contact】Cultural Properties Section, Culture and Sports Division, Izumi City (TEL: 0996-63-2108)

Spectacular winter views you can only see in winter
The Limited Express Azusa that ran from Tokyo and the Northern Alps
Heading north from Hotaka Station toward the snowy country
A panoramic view of the Hakuba mountains seen from Azumino!

I'm very sorry that I misinformed you of the TV broadcast date earlier. The article has been deleted.
Please check the scheduled broadcast date of Hokkaido Television Broadcasting (HTB) "Street on-chan" in the image.

The second broadcast is scheduled for Thursday, January 9.
The broadcast, which was originally scheduled for 5 weeks, has been increased to 7 weeks!
After the New Year, on-chan walks around Tsubetsu Town until mid-February!
Please take a look! （o▽n）

By the way, the first broadcast is Open to the public on YouTube. Please search for "on-chan in the street"!

Yesterday, Wednesday, December 25, the standard Atami cherry tree along the Itokawa Promenade was confirmed to be in bloom!
Some trees began blooming in mid-December, but the standard tree has finally opened.

This Atami cherry is a variety of the cold-loving Kanzakura cherry, native to India, that typically blooms from early January through February. Around 1871, an Italian introduced it, along with lemon and date palm, to Atami. It was named “Atami sakura” during the 1965 Flower-Filled Movement, and on April 10, 1977 (the city’s 40th anniversary), it was designated as Atami City’s official tree.
Because the same branch can form early-blooming and later-blooming buds in two stages, the blossoms can usually be enjoyed for more than a month each year.

The Cherry Blossom Festival opens after the New Year together with the Plum Festival!
During the cherry blossom festival, you can expect nighttime illumination, servings of cherry blossom tea and green tea, street performances, sword dances, and band performances—so please come see the blossoms.

The 15th Atami Sakura Itokawa Cherry Blossom Festival runs Saturday, January 11 through Sunday, February 9, 2025.
https://www.ataminews.gr.jp/event/208

Regarding bloom updates, we will post them on the page above as soon as the city hall survey materials arrive, so please refer to that information.

The auction of the last Echizen Snow Crab of 2024 has begun!

Even in the rain and wind, they will be auctioned off one after another in a lively auction! 🦀

This is the end of this season's fishing for female Seiko crabs.
It will be available as long as it is available, so please purchase and Meals as soon as possible!

Fun for the first auction of the new year after the beginning of 2025! !️

◎ Restaurant serving the Popular "Echizen Seiko Crab Bowl" is here
➡https://www.town-echizen.jp/news/detail.php?id=353

【Cherry blossom planting experience 🥰 at Oboshi Park】

At Oboshi Park, one of the 100 best famous landmarks in Japan
Using Furusato Nozei Tax Payment to Plant Cherry Blossoms
I can.

The cherry blossom tree planting experience is the Sakura Festival in late March of 2025 (Reiwa 7)
It is scheduled to be held on one of the Saturdays and Sundays during the period.

As a memento of the experience, engrave your name on the plate.

Kitakirishima Photo Contest is held in! !️

Application period: 2024/12/11〜2025/2/21
How to apply: Instagram only.
There is Thereare how to apply, so please check the details!

[Grand Prize] 1 person
◯Assortment of Kitakirishima Specialty products (worth 20,000 yen)
◯ Poster production

[Excellence Award] 3 people
(1) Kobayashi Prize (equivalent to 10,000 yen)
(2) Ebino City Prize (equivalent to 10,000 yen)
(3) Highlands Prize (equivalent to 10,000 yen)
◯ Poster production

【Prize】10 people
◯ Poster production
* Posters will be displayed at the Tourist Association.
For details such as application requirements, please check the following website.

◯Home page
https://kobayashi-machi.com/16056

【Contact】
Kita-Kirishima Regional Tourism Promotion Council
Kobayashi Town Planning Co., Ltd. Tourist Information Center
Phone 0984-22-8684
#Photo Contest #Miyazaki Prefecture #Kobayashi City #Ebino City #Takaharu #Kobayashi Town planning Co., Ltd. #Takaharucho Tourism Association #Photo #Miyakonojo City #Free entry #Scenery #Scenery #Photography #Kita-Kirishima Regional Tourism Promotion Council 😁

It is a winter view of Kamo Shrine in Keihoku, Kyoto.

Impression when I arrived at Kamo Shrine by walking alone in the mountains where there was quite a bit of snow.

After Prayer, I forgot about the cold for about two hours and took pictures with enthusiasm.

It is a winter view of Kamo Shrine in Keihoku, Kyoto.

Impression when I arrived at Kamo Shrine by walking alone in the mountains where there was quite a bit of snow.

After Prayer, I forgot about the cold for about two hours and took pictures with enthusiasm.

This is the Scene of Lake Onneto most recently (12/20).

There is snow on the surface of the lake, but if you brush off the snow with a brush, frozen trees and ice bubbles will appear.

* As I told you last time, it is very dangerous to walk on a frozen lake. For details on how to get to the lake in winter, please see the link below (Tourist Association website).

https://www.town.ashoro.hokkaido.jp/kanko/spot/onneto_area/spot-13.html

[Echizen daffodil blooming status on Friday, December 20, 2024]

The weather has been cold for some time now, and the pace of flowering has slowed down.
It is beginning to bloom here and there, but as a whole, it is still almost before flowering.

It has been delayed for about 3 weeks, and the best time to see it is around the beginning of January.

◎ Echizen daffodil flowering status [Updated on Friday, December 20, 2024]
https://town-echizen.jp/news/detail.php?id=635

Frost columns: When the temperature drops below freezing, the moisture in the ground freezes, and it is no longer easy to see them.

Mt. Mt. Aoba, covered in snow, symbolizes ❄️ the winter scenery of Takahama

While the weather is getting colder day by day, today we can see a little sunny, and the blue sky spreads over the snow-covered Mt. Aoba. The contrast between the pure white snow and the clear blue sky is magical, and it is breathtaking. Even in the middle of winter, Takahama offers heartwarming and beautiful moments that visit and brighten up the seasons.

On Friday, October 18, 2024, the first batch of cranes, a winter tradition in Izumi City, Kagoshima Prefecture, arrived!
At 3:45 p.m. on Friday, October 18, the Kagoshima Prefecture Crane Conservation Association confirmed that nine cranes landed on the East Reclamation.
The breakdown was 7 Crowned Cranes, 1 Black-crowned Crane, and 1 Canadian Crane.

The first crane feather count survey was canceled due to bad weather, but after that, the second crane feather count survey of the season was implementation in the early morning of Saturday, November 30, 2024, and as a result of the survey, a total of 12,992 cranes were confirmed: 12,036 cranes, 948 cranes, 4 black-crowned cranes, 3 Canadian cranes, and 1 black-crowned crane.
As a result, for 28 consecutive seasons since 1997, we have achieved the arrival of more than 10,000 cranes!

In the latest bird count survey on Saturday, December 21, 2024, the number of cranes decreased from the second survey, but a total of 10,928 cranes were confirmed: 8,998 cranes, 1,917 cranes, 8 black-crowned cranes, 3 Canadian cranes, and 2 black-crowned cranes.

The next bird count survey of the season will be on Sunday, January 12, 2025.
We are looking forward to seeing more cranes coming to the country and seeing rare cranes that have not yet been confirmed this season.

Flower charcoal born from plants in Ubuyama villages.
I know it's an unfamiliar word, but it's made from Ingredients made from pine cones, Nanten, and the grasslands and mountains of Ubuyama villages.

Speaking of charcoal, various effective for There are such as deodorizing and deodorizing effects have been packaged a little coolly as an interior decoration and as a gift for loved ones.

Just by dripping your favorite aroma on this charcoal, you can also make your own original duffuser.
We can't make many because the staff belonging to the Tourist Association are creating them in detail, but if you are interested parties, please comment.

In addition, this charcoal is brittle and fragile, so we do not currently send it by mail.
In order to let many people know about Ubuyama Ingredients, we are currently creating them and selling them at markets in the neighboring area.

Prices will also fluctuate.
The photo is for illustrative purposes only.

Oike Park in Fukushima Prefecture 2024.12.21

Swans seemed to be singing in the morning glow.

A special piece of Ubuyama.
We are in the middle of a cold winter, but in Spring you can enjoy the green grasslands.

It's fun in the cold winter,
Squid must be early in Spring ~.

Everyone eats around the table, so it's delicious ♪

A small village with a population of about 1,400 people.
Together with the mothers living in this Ubuyama village, we held in a lunch party for "soup" in Aso.

Thereare different cooking methods and seasonings for each household,
This time, we asked one mother to be a teacher and Implementation a food education Events with a total of 20 people.

Fresh vegetables received from farmers in the Village, which cannot be tasted in the city, and handmade miso made by everyone at the beginning of this year, were used to enjoy delicious soup that can only be tasted here.

I really enjoyed chatting with everyone and having casual conversations.

Implementation of this food education event that gives you a sense of Satoyama life changes the content depending on the season.
Not only people in the Village but also people from outside the Village are allowed to participate, and several people participate each time.

In the future, we would be happy if not only domestic but also overseas people who are interested in living in Japan could participate.

Protect and inherit the Satoyama lifestyle, while enjoying it.
Through such activities, it would be great if the people of the Village could enjoy interacting with people from outside.

A piece of Spring in Ubuyama Village.
Ubuyama is in the middle of winter, and the cold winter is fun, but I can't Can't wait for the warm Spring.

On Tuesday, December 17, we held in the "Ubuyama Village Winter Lunch Party".
Village, about 20 participants from outside the Village were able to enjoy cooking and eating deliciously while learning about the master's commitment.

Speaking of Kumamoto and Aso, "soup"
soup is also eaten in Oita Prefecture, but the taste and shape of the soup are different depending on the region and each family.

This time, we asked a mother from Ubuyama Village to be a teacher and teach us how to cook.

We used vegetables that were painstakingly made by farmers in the Village, and we enjoyed the soup with new Rice and Akitaka cabbage.

It is a small Village with about 1,400 Village residents, but the people who live there are very powerful.
Ubuyama Village is located in the hinterland of Aso.
There are many roads that are difficult to pass with a large car, and you can feel a different charm from popular sightseeing spots.

I would be happy if you could learn about Satoyama life in the Ubuyama village where the deep part of Aso remains strongly through this article.

⛄️ It turned into a white Christmas 🎄
On the morning of Christmas Eve, Omachi experienced snowfall from night into morning ⛄️
The city’s conifers wore a snowy makeup, and many Christmas trees appeared 🎄
Some places have packed snow ❄️ Please take care with your footing when you come 😌
Official website “Shinano-Omachi Navi”
https://kanko-omachi.gr.jp/

[Recent Taiki Town Report]

Taiki Town is seeing fewer days with high temperatures above 0°C.
Rivers are freezing and frost-covered trees are appearing as the season arrives!
Snow is also beginning to accumulate little by little.

For Taiki Town tourism information, visit Visit Taiki!
https://visit-taiki.hokkaido.jp/

📍 Yogawa District

Photos 1 and 2 show Yogawa's Scene ☀ this morning (12.24)
With last night's snow, there There are a light snow on the roads and Yogawa Michi!
If you are walking, please wear winter gear.

The 3rd-5th picture is the morning ❄ of yesterday's wife basket

There is no snow on Route 19. It was ❄ -1°C this morning
If you are coming or going from the Achi and Iida areas, please be careful 🚗⚠ of snow and freezing on the Kiyonaiji Pass

It's going ✨ to be nice weather today and tomorrow

Kyoto Prefecture Miyama Karabuki no Sato Snow Festival
It was a pity that there was no snow, but I wanted to take a panoramic view of the village of Miyama, so I climbed the snowy mountain alone
Next time, I would like to see snow on the roof, but if that happens, there will be even more snow on the mountain side.
Is it dangerous to climb snow? 🤔