At the National Bihoku Hillside Park (Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture), the hydrangeas that color the early summer in Japan are in Best time to visit! ✨ About 100 varieties and 10,000 "hydrangeas" planted in the Hiba-no-Sato hydrangea garden and Japanese cedar trees are in Best time to visit! Best time to visit is expected to continue until early July. Hydrangea flowering status (as of June 29) 【Name】Hydrangea 【Flowering state】Best time to visit 【Flowering period】Mid-June ~ mid-July *Best time to visit is ~early July 【Flowering place】Hiba no Sato, Hydrangea Garden, Japanese cedar trees Number of units: Approx. 10,000 shares 【Place】National Bihoku Hillside Park 【Address】4-10 Mikkaichi Town, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture 【Contact】National Bihoku Hillside Park TEL 0824-72-7000 Click here for details▽ https://www.shobara-info.com/news/5133...

Meeting the "Flower That Brings Happiness," Kirengeshoma — Summer Hikes up Mt. Kurodake Around Obon, the elusive Kirengeshoma begins to bloom quietly in the mountains 🌼 Listed as Vulnerable (Category II) on the Ministry of the Environment’s Red List and thrust into the spotlight by an NHK morning drama, this flower is said in local lore to bring happiness to those who see it. Kirengeshoma once grew in large colonies around Morotsuka Village and Mt. Kurodake, but its numbers have drastically declined due to deer browsing. Now, it survives only in limited areas where local residents continue conservation efforts. Mt. Kurodake is designated an Important Habitat by Miyazaki Prefecture, and besides Kirengeshoma it shelters many rare Kyushu mountain plants and wildlife, making it a precious natural treasure. On this hiking tour, local guides will accompany you, pointing out rare plants and offering nature interpretation so you can fully savor the rich forest. 🟡 Tour Overview: Mt. Kurodake Hike 📅 Date and Time: Saturday and Sunday, August 23–24, 9:00 AM–4:00 PM 📍 Meeting Point: Obarai Community Center (escort from Shiitake no Yakata 21 available) 🎒 Eligibility: Ages 3 and up (minimum 4 participants to run / maximum 10) 💰 Fee: Adults ¥5,000 / Children ¥4,000 (lunch and guide fee included) 📝 Registration Deadline: Saturday, August 16 Hike Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆ (suitable for beginners to intermediate hikers) 🌱 Please wear comfortable clothing and hiking boots or non-slip athletic shoes. A special summer day to meet the elusive flower. We look forward to your participation!

Today, I attended the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine Monthly Festival. It is a rim musubi wind chime. 🎐

It is a thatched circle of Kawagoe Kumano Shrine.

I was able to capture the scenery that makes me feel the old-fashioned atmosphere of Japan in the photo.

I was able to make good use of the front bokeh and photograph Nagahama Castle, which has an overwhelming presence.

I had an errand and early in the morning, and when I left the house at about 5 o'clock, I was able to take a picture of Hikone Castle standing against a golden background caused by the sunrise.

The Northern Alps taken from inside a car. The cars don't stop, and I can't get this view out of my head when I pass the tracks.

Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture Ikuta Shrine

Ikuta Shrine. Marriage Water Lottery. I was so fascinated by the scenery immersed in water that I hurriedly pulled up.

Warm compassion in a single skewer The owner of the storefront who stopped by suddenly. When you ask for mochi, they ask you how much you favorite, such as the amount of mitarashi and kina flour. A shop where you can talk kindly and cheerfully to school trip students, feel the care for customers, and enjoy mochi and smiles.

Today, it's the Great Exorcism of Xia Yue. It is a thatched circle of Kawagoe Hachimangu.

Azumino’s summer tradition returns this year with the Azumino Fireworks Festival It will take place on Thursday, August 14th🎇 Look out for a special star mine celebrating the 20th anniversary of Azumino city’s incorporation❗️ Last night’s test launch lit up Azumino’s night sky♪ Please look forward to it😁

The sacred tree that protects Kobe This photo was taken at Ikuta Shrine in the city of Kobe. Tucked away in the hustle and bustle of the city, this place was like a different world, and the sacred tree that hung there gave me a sense of mysterious power.

Today, June 30, is the last day of the Hydrangea Festival 💠✨ How did you find the hydrangeas at Shimoda Park? If you have favorite photos, please join our Instagram photo contest 📸💜 To enter, follow the official Shimoda City Tourism Association Instagram and post with these two hashtags: "#Izu Shimoda Onsen Hydrangea Festival 54" and "#Japan’s No.1 Hydrangea Garden 54" — that’s all! Winners will receive prizes to help them fully enjoy Shimoda 🎁👏 Follow us on Instagram from here 👇 https://www.instagram.com/shimoda_kanko/... Don’t forget to check the blog, too 👀! https://www.shimoda-city.info/post/20250630...

Would you like to come and see a festival that has been around for almost 300 years? The Sawara Festival is a festival held in Sawara, Katori City, Chiba Prefecture for three consecutive days from July 11 to 13, 2025. It is a very powerful festival with 10 huge festival floats dragging around the town. Songs and dances are also performed at the same time. Held in from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The stalls of the many is also Stalls, so you can enjoy it all day long. Access from Narita International Airports is to take the Keisei Main Line to Keisei Narita Station, Transfer at Narita Station on the JR Narita Line, and Get off at Sawara Station.

Photographed 6/29/25. After Prayer to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I went to the Starbucks Bell Ring Street store. Prayer early in the morning for two consecutive days is quite tough. 🥹 Chillax soda mango and mango mousse cake. 🥤🥭

This photo was taken when I went to Ginyama Hot spring. It was the perfect summer resort for the hot and humid summer. It was cool near the waterfall as if the cooler was working.

Photographed on June 28, 25. After Prayer to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, I relaxed at the Starbucks Bell Ring Street store. Earl Grey Bouquet & Tea Frappuccino and Earl Grey Milk Cream Donuts.

🍑Toyooka Village Cycling Guided Tour – Fruit Sweets Plan (Peach)– 🚴‍♀️ Enjoy a rewarding ride wrapped in Shinshu’s nature, feeling the breeze as you go. On the Toyooka Village Cycling Guided Tour – Fruit Sweets Plan – local guides lead you to relish the village’s scenic charms and seasonal flavors. The seasonal fruit for summer is “peach”! After cycling along roads lined with orchards, take a break with a special dessert made lavishly with peaches. The juicy, sweet aroma of peach fills the dessert, offering a blissful treat you can only taste here. Tour Information ■Meeting Time 12:50 PM ■Duration About 2 hours 30 minutes ■Distance Less than 10 km. The tour uses E-BIKES (electric-assist bicycles). (No electric-assist bicycles for children are available.) Children who cannot ride a bicycle can use a carrier bike (weight limits and other restrictions apply). ■Group Size 2 to 5 people ※Participation as a single person or groups larger than five can also be discussed. ■Price Ages 3 and up: JPY 5,000 per person Ages 0–2: Free (please share the fruit and sweets with an accompanying adult) ※The above price applies when the fruit is “peach.” Prices vary depending on the fruit. ■Inquiries & Reservations Toyooka Tabijikan 0265-49-3395 (Hours: 9:00 AM–6:00 PM) You can also see more details on the Toyooka Tabijikan website. https://www.vill-nagano-toyooka-kanko.jp/tourism/guide-tour/cycling-guide-tour-02/5975/...

Photographed on June 28, 25. Since the Enmusubi wind chime has begun, we Prayer the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It is Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine around 6:30 in the morning.

✨ The 15th New Japan Sword Exhibition is ✨ being held in Events Information for tomorrow 6/29 (Sun) ↓ "Beginners Welcome! Japanese Swords Course for Beginners" You can ♪ pick up and Appreciation a number of famous swords Hours: 10:30 a.m. to noon Participation fee∶ 500 yen (admission fee not included) * We do not accept advance applications, so please ♪ come by the time of the day

Fukoji Hydrangeas ❚ Bloom status as of June 27, 2025 Fukoji Temple in Asaichi, Bungo-Ono, Oita Prefecture. The hydrangeas overall have passed their peak. You can now see flowers beginning to wither and colors starting to fade. Oita Prefecture has announced that the rainy season appears to have ended. Hydrangea deadheading will take place on July 5, 2025, so hydrangeas can be seen through July 4. Many visitors came to Fukoji again this year. Thank you very much. [Location] Kamiozuka, Asaichi, Bungo-Ono, Oita Prefecture [Access] About 10 minutes by car from JR Asaichi Station [Parking] Available (free) [Toilets] Available ❚ Fukoji Temple The cliff-carved Buddhist statues on the temple grounds, including their base, measure about 11 meters high and are among Japan’s largest cliff carvings. The central giant figure is Fudo Myoo. Fudo Myoo is usually depicted with an angry expression, but years of wind and rain have rounded and softened this carving’s features. Though large, the figure has a very approachable presence. Fukoji is also called the Hydrangea Temple because so many hydrangeas are planted there. During the rainy season you can enjoy a profusion of hydrangea blooms alongside the cliff carving. The hydrangeas are cared for by the temple and local community. ■■■ Access from central Bungo-Ono City ■■■ About 3 hours by car from JR Hakata Station, Fukuoka Prefecture About 2 hours by car from JR Kumamoto Station, Kumamoto Prefecture About 1 hour 20 minutes by car from JR Beppu Station, Oita Prefecture About 1 hour 20 minutes by car from JR Yufuin Station, Oita Prefecture ■■■■■■■■■■■■ Tourism and recommended spots in Kyushu, Bungo-Ono, Oita Prefecture ■■■■■■■■■■■■

Tarumae Garo, located in the western part of Tomakomai City. Garo is a Tohoku regional word meaning “a place where a river flows between cliffs.” True to its name, steep rock walls line both sides, and the area is carpeted in velvet-like moss.

Prayer to Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine early in the morning. Rim Musubi wind chimes have begun. Rim musubi wind chimes and contrails look auspicious. 🎐

Photographed on June 23, 25. This is the Ai sea bream lottery of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.

Notice of the Nagoshi no Oharae (Summer Purification Rite) This year, the Nagoshi no Oharae will be performed at shrines in the city. This Shinto ritual cleanses sins and impurities accumulated over the past six months and prays for good health and safety for the coming six months. Anyone may attend, so please take this chance to reset your mind and body and join us. Event Dates and Venues Sunday, June 29 • Isehara Daijingu 4:00 PM Monday, June 30 • Oyama Afuri Shrine, Lower Shrine 2:00 PM • Sannomiya Hibita Shrine 2:00 PM For details, please check the Tourism Association website below: https://isehara-kanko.com/news/10422/...

A view from the summit of Mt. Chogatake in the Northern Alps 😆 This lookout offers spectacular panoramas of the Hotaka range, including Mt. Yari This morning the clouds were high and the ridgelines should have been visible, but when I arrived the clouds had rolled in… what a shame 😢 The summit was being battered by strong winds, but it still felt amazing I could also see the Azumino valley below

Photographed on June 21, 25. It is Kazaguruma in front of the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine direct meeting hall.

Photographed on June 21, 25. This is Kazaguruma of Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine.