I was interviewed! I would be happy if I could share the warmth of Higashikawa-cho—the natural beauty and its welcoming people—with many people ☺️ Please have a read if you like~ 🥰 https://jcation.com/satoapp/1042/...

Yesterday, I couldn't attend the monthly festival on 5/15 due to work, so I Prayer the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. It is a moeki-colored sea bream lottery. The photo was taken on May 4.

Pottery lovers, walkers, crowds, car chairs are easy to pass through, just right for walking slowly, the wind is crisp at this time of year, the azaleas are beautiful, and I was healed ♪

There’s a ranch in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, where you can meet cows and enjoy the great outdoors, and even try your hand at cheesemaking 🧀!🐮✨ Fukufuku Ranch sits in Kuwacho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Although it’s called a ranch, it’s essentially a mountain. You can watch cows stride confidently across steep slopes and through thickets, and the wide natural landscape—full of insects and thick branches that make you want to pick them up—invites curious children to romp and run with delight. There are about five to ten cows on the ranch. From spring through autumn they graze on fresh grass in the pastures, and in winter they eat hay. All the animals are Jersey cattle. Of course you can interact with the cows. Remarkably, the ranch also offers a variety of hands-on programs! Here are five experiences available. (For details, please see the official Fukufuku Ranch website.) 1. A walking course right beside the cows 2. Ranch trekking and cottage cheese making 3. Milking 4. Butter making 5. A slightly indulgent ranch tour guided by ranch staff These programs were created out of a desire for visitors to learn about the milk that becomes cheese and about the cows that live in the mountains. Whether with family, a group, friends, or alone, please make a reservation and give it a try 👀✨ Facility name: Fukufuku Ranch Address: 1390 Yuki, Kuwacho, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture Phone: 0824-87-2195

We will hold a grand tea gathering where you can enjoy Sakai’s diverse charms and performances by artists connected to Sakai 🍵🍡🎶 Would you like to spend a special time experiencing Sakai’s spirit of hospitality at the Osaka-Kansai Expo? 😊 Not only can you enjoy tea service by the three Sen families and sweets from long-established wagashi shops, but you can also relax to pleasant music by artists with ties to Sakai 🍵🍡🎶 📅 Period: Saturday, May 10 – Tuesday, May 13 🏠 Venue: Osaka-Kansai Expo Pop-up Stage South and Gallery EAST 🔴 Participation: A numbered ticket (first-come, first-served) is required for the tea ceremony and meditation experience at Gallery EAST. 💰 Cost: Free 🔍 For event details, search “Sakai Expo”! 🌟 During the event, we will run a campaign giving wagashi from Sakai’s long-established confectioners on the spot to those who post photos of the Sakai event on social media with #matchasakai #japaneseculture.‼️ Please post and enjoy Sakai’s delicious wagashi 😋🍡 ・Maruichi Kashiho ( @maruichikashiho ) ・Kaan Satoya ( @satoya._ ) ・Hosen Kashipo ( @takamotimoti ) ・Hamadera Mochi Kagetsudo ・Okashi Tsukasa Tenjinmochi ( @tenjinmochi ) ・Okayoshi Mishoan 🌟 Also, if you scan the QR code for SAKAI TICKET at the venue with your smartphone, you can enter a lottery to win digital coupons usable in Sakai City‼️If you’re lucky, you might win a 10,000-yen subsidy voucher usable at hotels in Sakai City⁉️There are no losing entries—everyone wins something—so please join us 🤗 🔍 Also check the “Sakai Tourism Guide Expo Special Site (If you came to the Expo, come to Sakai too)”! We look forward to your visit 😄

✨Tea served in contemporary artists' teaware 🍵 – Art Tea Gathering in Sakai🎨– Sakai City will present a tea gathering using contemporary artists' teaware as part of Sakai’s program for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. We will host tea service events using contemporary artists' teaware at tea ceremony–related venues around the city so visitors can enjoy the Expo experience locally. Please see the Sakai City website for details.

Would you like to come see the carp streamers at the Jordan Pavilion during the Osaka-Kansai Expo? 🎏👀✨ We raised a hand-painted carp streamer over 5 meters long at the Jordan Pavilion, made during the workshop held on Thursday, April 24. The carp streamer carries the workshop participants’ wishes for peace and hopes for the future. 🌈🕊✨ The display is a limited-time exhibit through late May, so please come and see it during this period. 😊 Location: Osaka-Kansai Expo Jordan Pavilion The Sakai May Carp Streamers can be seen at Sakai Denshokan (1-1-30 Zaimokucho Nishi, Sakai Ward, Sakai City), so please also visit Sakai City. 🎶 For event details, search “Sakai City website (collaboration with Jordan).” Also check “Sakai Denshokan (Sakai Traditional Industry Center) (@sakaidensan)”! Be sure to check the Sakai Tourism Guide Expo Special Site (If you come to the Expo, come to Sakai too)! We look forward to seeing you all. 😄

📢 "Futari Demo Sakai" Special Experience✨ "Futari Demo Sakai" Special Experience🍃 A limited-time special program lets you touch Sakai’s history and culture!✨ Would you like to create a memorable experience for a special time spent together?💕 📅Period: March 14 (Friday) – May 31 (Saturday) 🚩Experience Plans 1. Tea ceremony for two – Putting love into matcha (Sakai Risho no Mori) 2. Matcha art for two – It’s matcha, not a latte (Saryo Tsuboichi Seicha Honpo) 3. Wagashi making for two – Let’s have fun and make them together (Sakai Densho-kan) 4. Shrine grounds cleaning for two – Start the day at Otorii Taisha (Otorii Taisha) 5. Romantic experience for two – Sakai Old Port picnic (AOINAPOLI UMISOBA, Sakai Old Port) 🔍For details, search "Futari Demo Sakai" on the Sakai Tourist Guide website!

🌿New Tea Season🌿 The tea fields in Gokasecho are turning a vivid green😌🍵 The first and second photos show the house in Kuwanochi, in front of which the weeping cherry trees that we introduced in spring looked so beautiful📸✨ Against the fresh green of the remaining cherry leaves, the two-tone tea fields made an incredibly beautiful scene🥺👏 Fresh tea is arriving one after another at the Gokase Specialty Center, and the scent of new tea fills the shop🥰 Enjoy the fragrant, new tea leaves that make you feel as if you are standing right in the tea fields🍵✨

Photographed on April 9, 25. After the cherry blossom viewing, we visited Maestro of Resona Coedo Terrace. It is a café latte, matcha, and a new product An Butter Financier. An Butter Financier uses Essire Butter.

Photographed on April 9, 25. This is Hanachozu from Hara Flower Shop.

Shiraiwa Mountain Opening 🌸 Today (May 11), the Shiraiwa Mountain Opening was held at the Gokasecho Highland Ski Area Parking Center😊 A Shinto ceremony took place on the mountain, with organizers and other attendees praying for safety while enjoying the crisp mountain air👏 After the ceremony, those who wished began climbing toward the rhododendron colony💪 Azaleas, Okamenoki, yama-shakuyaku (mountain peony), and rhododendrons appeared to be in full bloom💡 ⚠ Notice ⚠ From May 12, Reiwa 7, the town road Hon-yashiki/Hagi Line and the Hagi Forest Road, which provide access to the Goboubatake trailhead (Shiraiwa Mountain, Mukaisakayama, and Kiridachigoe), will be closed to all traffic until further notice due to road disaster recovery work. To reach Shiraiwa Mountain, Mukaisakayama, and Kiridachigoe, please use the Ogawadake: Tenyabo trailhead (road subsidence, many falling rocks, rough road).

"Hooray! ｣

Photographed on April 15, 25. It is the Shingashi River behind the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. The cherry blossoms had fallen and turned into leaf cherry blossoms. The petals of the cherry blossoms floated on the surface of the water and were very beautiful.

【🌸 Gokase Flower Viewing 2025 — Featured Submissions, Part 12 — 🌸】 The submission period finally ends today, Sunday, May 11. We’re showcasing entries to “#Gokase Flower Viewing 2025,” currently running on the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account.💪❤️‍🔥 @hanpenpen2022 @goto0619 (in no particular order) This time’s photos show the Akebono azaleas on Mt. Futagami and the white flowers in Kuraoka…what kind of flowers are those, I wonder?🤔 Everyone clearly knows well when and where different flowers bloom, and many have personal memories and attachments to these blooms. Those feelings seem to shine through in the photos — they’re truly lovely.✨ -------------------------------------------------------------------- “#Gokase Flower Viewing 2025” also ends today, Sunday, May 11!👏 If you meant to enter but haven’t yet, don’t miss the chance — submit before you forget!💡❗ ≪#How to Enter #Gokase Flower Viewing 2025≫ Follow the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account, then post a photo of flowers taken within Gokasecho on Instagram with the two hashtags #Gokase Flower Viewing 2025 and #date of photography (example: #March 20).🤳❤️‍🔥 Gokase Tourism Association Instagram account https://www.instagram.com/gokase_kanko/... 【Period】From Thursday, March 20, 2025 to Sunday, May 11, 2025 ⚠️Other terms and conditions appear on the Gokase Tourism Association website. Please be sure to read them before entering. https://www.town.gokase.miyazaki.jp/kanko/ivent/1962.html... ⚠️Please take great care to avoid accidents while photographing.

Photographed on April 9, 25. It is the Bonshō bell and cherry blossoms of Lotus Temple.

[Hanakien Opens] Hanakien on Yachiho Kogen opens today, Saturday, May 10. 🌸 The garden is filled with blooming pink azaleas (rengetsu tsutsuji), Enkianthus (dodantsutsuji), and three-leaf azaleas (mitsuba tsutsuji), and in June the park will be dyed red with flowers. 💐💐 Come and visit us. 🌳🥰 Opening period: Saturday, May 10, 2025 – Sunday, October 5, 2025 Hours: 8:30 AM–4:20 PM (last admission at 3:30 PM)

Yachiho Kogen Natural Garden A nature garden that captures the natural beauty of Yachiho Kogen...😌🩷 At the garden, you can enjoy three walking courses suited to your available time♬ White Trail: 1 km, about 30 minutes Blue Trail: 1.5 km, about 50 minutes Green Trail: 2.5 km, about 80 minutes In spring and summer, the highland flowers bloom, and in autumn the leaves turn brilliant—there’s plenty to see!🍁 We hope you’ll come and visit😸✨✨

Yachiho Lake Yachiho Lake is a managed fishery where you can enjoy catch-and-release fishing 🐟🫧 Families can have fun together, and there is a Fishing Kids Land where baited rods are available for rent 😸 You can enjoy it surrounded by abundant nature 🌸 We hope you will come and visit ✨

Grass Roll Painting Returns! Last year, we painted Setoushi-kun on a pair of stacked grass rolls, and the result proved more popular than expected, so we decided to do it again this year! Grass Roll Painting This year’s installation is in front of the management building at the Forest Park. If you spot a large orange object from around the intersection by the post office, that’s the grass roll. Using oil-based paint and markers, and with help from children visiting the park, we finished the painting. There’s even the autograph of that person who visited during Golden Week! The display will remain until around autumn. If you pass by, please come and take a look. #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Forest Park #Grass Roll #Painting #Orange cow pattern #No face #Setoushi-kun

Photographed on April 9, 25. It is the cherry blossom of Lotus Temple. The cherry blossoms are also wonderful.

Photographed on April 9, 25. It is the honorary cherry blossom of the Shingashi River behind the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. The cherry blossoms were beginning to fall, and a flower raft was being formed.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine My favorite place The Great Ginkgo Tree has fallen, but it is still alive　 What strength, what vitality Ginkgo has seen a lot of history　 I really like it, I'm sure I've lived there before. How many years have passed since then? It's going to be bigger　 I want to see it with my own eyes That's right, let's go Let's go to Kamakura

[May 31–October 31] Join the Cycling Stamp Rally! In the Mashu–Kussharo area, crisp air and lush greenery signal the best season for cycling. Ride across the vast caldera—the largest in Japan—and collect stamps while soaking up the spectacular scenery. This year’s Granfondo Mashu Cycling Stamp Rally will run again. There are 24 stamp locations across Teshikaga Town, and the event runs for five months from Saturday, May 31, 2025, to Friday, October 31, 2025. In addition to Lake Mashu, Mt. Io (Atosanupuri), and the shores of Lake Kussharo, you can tackle scenic mountain passes…! Whether you ride leisurely or push the pace, enjoy cycling at your own speed. ___________________________________ Entry Fee 1,000 yen per person Participant Benefits When you pay the entry fee at registration, you will receive the following benefit tickets. 1. A hot spring bathing voucher redeemable in town 2. A 500-yen voucher usable at Roadside Station Mashu Onsen and other locations Prize Draws Participants who collect stamp points will be entered into prize draws. Complete Prize (Visit all 24 locations!!) • A pair stay at the Prince Hotel (1 winner) • A short glass or single-bud vase from Kawayu Onsen Yunohanaglass (7 winners) • A set of Teshikaga Town local specialties (5 winners) Challenger Prize (Visit 15 locations!!) • Teshikaga Town local specialties (30 winners) ___________________________________ Easy Entry 1. Register on site (two registration locations; no reservation required) 2. Pay the 1,000-yen entry fee in cash 3. Scan the QR code to START! (You may complete the rally over multiple days during the event period) 4. Apply for prizes (Choose your prize category based on the number of stamps) There are 24 stamp points in total! You can also view suggested course routes from the barcode at the bottom of the flyer. Be sure to check it out♪ ___________________________________ Organizer: Granfondo Mashu Executive Committee Inquiries: Lake Mashu Tourism Association 015-482-2200 https://masyuko.or.jp/news/granfondo2025/...

Daikokuyama is a small hill about a five-minute walk from Awa-Katsuyama Station. Visitors to the tourist information center sometimes ask, "What is that hill? Can you climb it?" Yes, you can climb it! A fit adult can reach the summit in about 15 minutes, so it’s a great hike to recommend to many people. That said, the slope is steep, so we recommend wearing trekking shoes. I climbed it this time using Nordic walking poles, which made it very easy. (Nordic walking poles are available for rent at the tourist information center for 500 yen per day.) The Katsuyama area is known as the birthplace of Boso whaling, and whaling was especially active here during the Edo period. Daikokuyama served as a lookout point for spotting whales. Soon after you start up the trail you’ll come to the grave of Daigo Shinbee I, the founder of Boso whaling. Watch your head for overhead wires along the way if you are tall. There are benches on the lookout, so you can rest and take in the superb views. One visitor even praised the town below as "a charming, picture-book kind of place." Please give it a try and climb it at least once.

✨Experience a magical early-summer evening at Izu Ōkawa Onsen✨ [23rd Firefly Viewing Evening] Dates: Friday, May 30, 2025 – Sunday, June 8, 2025 | 7:30 PM–9:00 PM At Ōkawa Onsen’s Takegasawa Park, whose water runs so pure it even grows wasabi, spend a special night wrapped in the gentle glow of fireflies. Strolling the lantern-lit “Chōchin Walk” feels like a scene from a picture book. After your walk, enjoy lively moments at the “Hotaru Market,” where local gourmet food and festival stalls line up. 🌟[Weekday Special]🌟 Visitors wearing yukata or kimono will receive one bottle of the Higashiizu-exclusive craft beer “Moon Road Beer” per person (weekdays only). ▶If you’d like one, please come to the festival square headquarters wearing the applicable attire. Enhance the nostalgic mood of the event with traditional dress and savor a Japanese summer evening🌙🍺 📍Venue: Takegasawa Park, Ōkawa, Higashiizucho, Kamo District, Shizuoka Prefecture 🚌Free shuttle bus available (operates from Izu-Ōkawa Station and temporary parking areas) 💡Firefly conservation donation: from 300 yen per person (your support is appreciated) Yukata, lanterns, firefly light, and the bustle of festival stalls. Why not experience this unique, soothing night tucked away in the mountains of Izu?

Nagawa Town The mountains have turned bright young green and deep forest green, growing lush and vibrant!!😄💪! The fields reflect on the water laid across the paddies, creating a lively scene✨ Doesn’t this kind of road make you want to ride a bicycle🚵?😉 Search for Nagawa Cycle (E-BIKE)🔍 Half day (4 hours) from 1,000 yen〜

Photographed on April 9, 25. It is the honorary cherry blossom of the Shingashi River behind the Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. A flower raft was made.

Good morning! 🌞 Continuing our series, we introduce Furosen at Setouchi Kominka Stays Hiroshima, a traditional house inn in Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture. Furosen sits in Kamitani, a town of terraced rice fields and houses in Shobara City. According to legend, an immortal sage once lived in this valley, and the house stands at the valley’s innermost point, atop the highest terraced field as if it grew from the land itself. In this secluded valley, only vast green hills and birdsong break the silence. Misty dawns, dusks sinking into deep blue, nights filled with the moon and stars. The valley’s seasonal beauty brings profound calm and healing. The spacious 200 m2 house on a broad plot features a clean, white-based interior. Spend time losing yourself in the valley view from the front garden chairs where you can enjoy a BBQ, lounge freely on a Yogibo sofa in the living room, or laze on the engawa that connects to the scenery. At night, relax in the large indoor bath with gently drawn hot water or soak under a sky full of stars in the open-air Goemon-style bath—unique pleasures of Furosen. This inn lets you fully savor the mountain village’s beauty in complete privacy, a feeling you appreciate most by staying overnight. About a 30-minute drive away, you’ll find many leisure facilities, restaurants, and cafes. Within an hour you can reach Izumo or Onomichi, so you can plan flexibly according to your mood and the weather. Facilities provided: cooking utensils, tableware, basic seasonings, refrigerator, microwave, toaster, stove, kettle, water server, audio speakers, shampoo, conditioner, body soap, facial cleanser, shaving foam, body towel, brush, hairdryer, toothbrush set, face towels, bath towels, razor, cotton swabs, lotion, yukata (casual robe), slippers, and Wi-Fi. Check-in / Check-out Check-in: from 15:00 Check-out: by 11:00 Children are welcome ・Elementary school age and older: 4,400 JPY per person ・Preschool children: 2,200 JPY per person

〈Tsutsujigahara Morning Walk Tour Begins!〉 We are entering the season when Ezo iso azalea is in full bloom. Would you like to stroll across Tsutsujigahara, which connects Kawayu Onsen and Mt. Io? The “Tsutsujigahara Morning Walk Tour,” where you can observe Ezo iso azalea at its peak, is starting soon! Because the course departs from Kawayu Onsen, you can take the walk in the morning after staying in the hot spring town. ＜Tsutsujigahara Nature Trail Walk Information＞ ■Period: June 1, 2025–June 30, 2025 ■Time: Every morning at 6:00 AM (the full route takes about one hour) Gather at 5:55 AM, depart at 6:00 AM※Canceled in case of rain ■Participation Fee: 500 yen for elementary school students and older (infants free) ■Meeting Point: In front of Taiho Sumo Memorial Museum ■How to Apply: By email to kawayu.unkyo★gmail.com (replace ★ with @) by 7:00 PM the day before, stating ① name of the representative ② number of participants ③ contact phone number ④ name of the accommodation where you will be staying. If you cannot send an email, please call the Kawayu Onsen Regional Management Association office at 015-486-9181. [ Notes ] ・This tour starts at Kawayu Onsen and involves walking approximately 3 km to Mt. Io (return from Mt. Io will be by vehicle). ・Please wear comfortable walking shoes and clothing that allow easy movement. ・The tour will be canceled in case of rain. We will notify all applicants if the tour is canceled. ・Depending on the flowering status of the iso azalea, the details above may change or the tour may be canceled. ■Organizer: Kawayu Onsen Regional Management Association, Akan-Mashu National Park ■Inquiries: (Office) 015-486-9181 ※Located inside Kawayu Onsen Guesthouse NOMY https://masyuko.or.jp/news/tutujisansakustart/...