Two patches of the native spring flower setsubunso, which signal the arrival of spring, are now in full bloom in Soryo Town, Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture! 🌼 Other spots are progressing and are about 30% in bloom, too—so come and see! The Setsubunso Festival will be held on Sunday, March 8, 2025. We hope you can join us! ▶ Event details here https://www.shobara-info.com/event/5451... ▶ Setsubunso bloom updates (updated regularly) https://www.shobara-info.com/special/4467... ▶ Featured in our editorial report! Published 2025.03.06 “The Scent of First Love” Visiting Setsubunso: Exploring the wild colonies and nearby lunch spots https://www.shobara-info.com/report/4967... Access: About a 15-minute drive from Shobara IC on the Chugoku Expressway 🚗

Photographed on February 23, 2014. After visiting Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine, we hold a naorai at Starbucks Kanetsuki‑dōri Store. It's a Sakura Bloom Latte and a sakura matcha doughnut.🌸🍵

Mount Fuji Day 2/23 Today's temperature in Minami-Alps City is an astonishing 22°C Springlike weather 🌸 Unfortunately, Mount Fuji is hidden during the daytime today… In honor of Mount Fuji Day, please enjoy photos of Mount Fuji taken in the past as seen from Minami-Alps City 🗻

Today I attended the Tencho Festival at Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine. The plum trees were beginning to bloom.

A food-walking event, Nobeoka Tapas 2026 🍽️, will be held!! Nobeoka Tapas is an event for “food-walking” enjoyed while strolling through the town of Nobeoka. Visit participating shops and taste the tapas (small plates) and drinks each shop prepares, then move on to the next place, and the next. Hop between places that catch your eye and enjoy Nobeoka’s flavors and the town’s atmosphere. Discover new places you’ve never entered, see a familiar shop in a new light, and notice the faces of Nobeoka that only appear when you walk. Nobeoka Tapas is a townwide food culture. Please enjoy this special night, available only on this day, one plate and one drink at a time. ____________________________________ ■ Food-Walking Event Date and Time: February 27 (Fri) and 28 (Sat) Location: Various restaurants and eateries across Nobeoka City ■ Tapas Marche Date and Time: March 1 (Sun) 10:00–15:00 Location: Nobeoka Station West Exit Ekimae Building Around Waiwai Play Lab <Value Food-Walking Ticket> A value ticket that normally pays for 600 yen × 5 plates for 2,500 yen goes on sale from Monday, February 2, 2026!! ⁡ <How to Purchase Tickets> Advance in-person sales (cash only) ▶︎ ① Higashi Kyushu Basque Vision Promotion Office, 3rd floor, Nobeoka City Hall ② Onokobo Design LLC ⁡ Online reservation ▶︎ Purchase via “Nobeoka Tapas 2026 Tickets – Online Advance Sales” and receive by mail, or exchange for tickets at the information desk on the day of the event. Please note that refunds are not available after payment. ⁡ Same-day sales ▶︎ Purchase at the City Information Center or at the Marche Information Desk ※ If advance tickets sell out, same-day sales will not be available. If you can’t use all your tickets during the event period, you can use each unused ticket as a 600-yen voucher at participating shops, so there’s no need to worry! (Valid March 2–22) Tickets are sold until they sell out, so please get yours early ☺️💚

Good morning ☀ #This morning in Tsukigase #Satoyama landscape #Blooming is progressing #A village of flowers, greenery, and water #I want to connect with people who like photography #Nara Prefecture #Nara City #Nara tourism #tsukigase baikei plum festival February 14, 2026 to March 29, 2026 Photograph by Yasuki Okamoto

Good morning ☀ This morning in Tsukigase Tsukigase Plum Valley Ume Festival Now on February 14, 2026 – March 29, 2026 Photo: Yasunori Okamoto

February 15th I went to see the fukujusō on Mt. Kojo because fukujusō started blooming in my garden They grow in a cluster at the corner of the clearing just before the summit of Mt. Kojo Maybe it was still early, so only a few were blooming… Their color makes you feel the arrival of spring

The illumination event “Yoritomo Cherry Blossoms and Bamboo Lights” has begun at Sakuma Dam Hanami Hiroba. The glow of the bamboo lanterns is truly magical. The bamboo lanterns were handmade by the Hotagawa Yoritomo-zakura no Sato-zukuri Jikkou Iinkai (Hotagawa River Yoritomo Cherry Blossom Village Development Committee), a group of local volunteers, and we hope you will come see them. On the 21st, the committee and our association will jointly run a sweet sake stall from 3:30 PM after the lighting ceremony, so please drop by. It gets especially cold after dusk, so be sure to dress warmly. The illumination runs until March 14th, from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM.

The Nobeoka Toka Ebisu Festival takes place on February 10th and 11th!! Held each year on February 10th and 11th, the Nobeoka Toka Ebisu welcomes many worshippers from Miyazaki Prefecture and beyond. On the first day, visitors came to pray for business prosperity and the fulfillment of various wishes under pleasantly mild weather with no chill 😊 Tomorrow features a lucky rice cake toss and a Nobeoka kagura dedication, so bring friends and family and join us for worship!! ⁡ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🗓️Date and time: Tuesday, February 10th and Wednesday, February 11th (national holiday) 📍Address: 3875 Yamashitamachi 1-chome, Nobeoka City, Miyazaki Prefecture (Imayama Ebisu Shrine) 📞Contact: 0982-21-4525

Good morning ☀ #This morning in Tsukigase Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival February 14, 2026 to March 29, 2026

Suishinin Temple Suishinin Temple Hana no Ma Kyoto Yamashina Suishinin Temple Hana no Ma♪ Let's go to Kyoto. (February 2, 2026 – March 13, 2026) 35 Ono Goryo-cho, Yamashina-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture The "Hana no Ma" at Suishinin Temple transforms a space usually used as the Noh room into a vivid floral display for a special event. Held annually in honor of Ono no Komachi, a Heian-period poet often counted among the world’s three great beauties, the display offers visitors soothing beauty and moving impressions.

In February, the spring-blooming bai-kaouren flowers reached their peak for viewing and photography.

🌸✨Springtime in Nobeoka✨🌸 “Konohana Walk” is coming! Stroll along the Konohana Road on the Gokase River embankment, where 300 cherry trees and one million rapeseed flowers bloom in a riot of color🚶‍♀️🌼 At the gourmet and souvenir area, savor Nobeoka’s proud seafood and mountain delicacies and experience spring in Nobeoka with all five senses!!😋 🌟There’s plenty more to see and do! ・Hands-on experiences and displays by the Self-Defense Forces and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism ・About 1,000 pinwheels lovingly made by junior high students ・Authentic matcha enjoyed amid the flowers🍵 ・Giant inflatable play area and craft workshops 🎤On the special stage, enjoy regional performing arts and a lively lineup of performances! Also‼️ 🔥The “Makoto Nagano Athletic Challenge” runs at the same time🔥 Can you clear the obstacles~!?💪 And in March… 🌸Waiwai Flower Tale 2026🌸 Enjoy the magical cherry blossom light-up and reward yourself with treats at the Waiwai Gourmet Fair✨ Everyone— We’re waiting for you in Nobeoka this spring!🌸 -————————— 🌸Konohana Walk & Nobeoka Delicious Food Market 📅Date: Saturday, February 21 and Sunday, February 22, 2026 ⏰10:00–16:00 📍Venue: Gokase River embankment ▶ Saturday 21 Children’s performing arts stage & Nobeoka song stage ▶ Sunday 22 Nobeoka traditional performing arts stage ※Photos are from last year’s event ※Start times and performers may change -————————— 📺Presented by Cable Media Waiwai “Waiwai Flower Tale 2026” 📅Date: Friday, March 20 – Sunday, April 5, 2026 📍Location: Nobeoka Castle Ruins and Shiroyama Park (Kita-Ote Gate to Honmaru Square) ・Cherry blossom light-up ・Upcycled art exhibition and more Light-up: 18:30–21:30 (held rain or shine) ※Event dates may change depending on cherry blossom conditions -————————— 🍴🌸Waiwai Gourmet Fair🌸🍴 📅Date: Saturday, March 21, 2026, 10:00–16:00 📍Location: Nobeoka Castle Ruins and Shiroyama Park (Ninomaru Plaza) ※Held in light rain / canceled in severe weather ※On the day of the gourmet fair 🚌Free shuttle bus between Aeon Nobeoka and the event area is planned (9:30–16:30) https://nobeokahanamonogatari.net/home2025/...

Updated: Thursday, February 19, 2026 The 28th Minami Sakura and Nanohana Festival Held February 1 – March 10 🌸 About the 28th Minami Sakura and Nanohana Festival https://x.gd/8BXol... 🌸 Bloom Status (updated regularly) https://x.gd/iyca6... 🌸 Parking Status (updated regularly) https://x.gd/zbToA... 🌸 Live Camera https://x.gd/smGtI... 〈If arriving by public transportation〉 Get off at Izukyu Shimoda Station and take the Tokai Bus bound for Shimogamo (Platform 3). Get off at Kujo Bridge and walk about 2 minutes to the roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana, where the general information center is located. (The cherry tree avenue is behind it.) The nanohana fields are right by the Hino stop. Tokai Bus tel: 0558-22-2514 Note: Minamiizu Town has no train service and parking is limited, so please use public transportation. Services run about once per hour. Tokai Bus link https://www.tokaibus.jp// 〈If arriving by car〉 Please head for roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana. There are dedicated parking lots nearby; please use them. ⚠ When visiting or photographing the nanohana fields and the nanohana along the cherry tree avenue, please do not step on the flowers! ⚠ Some people step on the nanohana growing on river slopes near roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana, but there are lighting cables and other hazards, so please do not enter these areas for your safety. Please use the festival’s designated parking lots. Do not park at shops or on private property.

[Kochi Prefecture Shimanto City] Flowers That Color the Shimanto River Basin 1. Climate of Shimanto City Shimanto City enjoys abundant forests, the clear Shimanto River, and the pacific ocean to its southeast, offering a rich natural environment. From 1991 through 2020, the average temperature was 16.5°C and the average annual precipitation was 2,877.9 mm, giving the area a warm, Pacific-type climate. 2. Flowers Nurtured by the Mild Climate [Spring] 〇 Around late February, when the spring sun begins to warm the days, the Iruta Yanagi Grove in the Shimanto River lower basin turns a tender yellow-green as new buds swell, and some 10 million rapeseed flowers bloom across the willow groves like a yellow carpet. This is an iconic scene that announces spring in the Shimanto River watershed. 〇 By late March, the cherry trees at the hilltop viewing spot Tamesho Park come into full bloom. Lanterns are lit during the cherry blossom season, letting visitors enjoy the night blossoms as well. The Shimanto City Local Museum sits nearby, so while learning about local history you can also take in the views from its observation floor. (Shimanto City Local Museum opening hours/9:00–17:00, closed/Wednesdays) At Shimanto River Sakura Zutsumi Park, neatly planted cherry trees and well-kept lawns invite visitors to sit and enjoy hanami while admiring the spring-bright Shimanto River. In the Shimanto River lower basin, plowing of rice fields begins around this time and the frogs start to call. 〇 When the cherry blossoms fall and the trees turn to leaf, look toward Kōzan-ji Temple to see the city flower, wisteria, paint the slopes purple. Kōzan-ji is also popular for hiking and birdwatching, and a park with play equipment makes it a favorite spot for families on holidays. 〇 In breezy May, roses and lilies cultivated by local residents brighten the pastoral inland landscapes in the Nishitosa area. Omiya Rose Garden welcomes visitors with about 500 rose bushes, while Nishitosa Yabukachi greets them with roughly 12,000 lilies. 〇 At this time of year, Shimanto Dragonfly Park shows dragonflies dancing above waters edged with water lilies and irises. Established in 1985 as the world’s first dragonfly reserve, the park has recorded 81 species of dragonfly. The Shimanto River Museum Akitsuio, attached to the park, exhibits insect specimens from around the world including dragonflies, alongside fish that inhabit the Shimanto River. (Shimanto River Museum Akitsuio opening hours/9:00–17:00, closed/Mondays) [Early summer] 〇 Under rainy, cloudy skies in June, Yasunami Waterwheel Village delights visitors with the rhythmic clack of turning waterwheels while hydrangeas along the waterways blaze with color. Sheltered pavilions near the channels make it pleasant to sit and watch the hydrangeas and the rural scenery. In the inland parts of Shimanto City, summer heat can be intense; when northwesterly winds blow, the foehn effect can raise temperatures and sea breezes from the pacific ocean have difficulty reaching inland, causing high heat. On August 12, 2013, Egawazaki recorded Japan’s highest temperature that year at 41.0°C. [Autumn] 〇 In late September, when the sky seems a little higher, the Iruta Yanagi Grove is enlivened by clusters of red spider lilies (manjushage) that dye the area bright red, and autumn insects begin to call from the grasses. Around this time the severe summer heat gradually eases. 〇 In early November, when autumn deepens, beautiful fall colors appear along the ravines of the Kurozon River, a tributary of the Shimanto River. [Winter] Although Shimanto City benefits from a mild climate, snow does fall some winters in the mountain valleys and on plains opening toward the Bungo Channel, and mornings and evenings often dip below freezing. Daytime, however, tends to be mild with many pleasant, sunny winter days. 3. Events to Celebrate the Arrival of Spring The Iruta Yanagi Grove, introduced above, hosts the Nanohana Festival. At the Nanohana Festival, the rapeseed flower groves spread like a yellow carpet and a variety of events are planned, including sales of local specialty products and wind band performances by junior and senior high school students. Please come and enjoy Shimanto River sightseeing when the rapeseed flowers are in bloom.

Kyonan Town announced the blooming of the Yoritomo cherry on January 20. Having received Kawazu cherry trees from Kawazu Town, Kyonan Town calls them "Yoritomo cherry" in honor of the historical episode in which Minamoto no Yoritomo, defeated in battle, is said to have landed at Ryugashima Coast and planned his comeback. You can enjoy daffodils well into this month, so you can admire daffodils and Kawazu cherry blossoms together. From Saturday, February 7, the Hotagawa River–Yoritomo Cherry Village Development Committee will place bamboo lanterns along the Daffodil Lane at Sakuma Dam Park and illuminate them at night. The floral relay continues, so everyone, please come and visit. #Kyonan Town#Boso Peninsula#Yoritomo cherry#bamboo lanterns#Yoritomo cherry#Kawazu cherry#Daffodils and Kawazu cherry duet

We will hold the “Enichibai Plum Viewing Event” at Hontō-ji Temple in Nobeoka City. This springtime event lets you enjoy authentic matcha while admiring a magnificent 240-year-old weeping white plum tree along with other white and red plum blossoms. Wrapped in the gentle scent of plum blossoms, why not take a moment to relax and soothe your heart? ⁡ 𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃 📅 Tuesday, February 10 and Wednesday (holiday), February 11, 2026 🕙 10:00–16:00 📍 Hontō-ji Temple (1133 Matsuyama-cho, Nobeoka City) 💰 Free admission 🍵 Outdoor tea service (matcha) one bowl 500 yen (with sweets) 🗺️ Historic site guide: free ⁡ 𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃𓂃 Follow the official Nobeoka Flower Story account @nobeokahanamonogatari for bloom updates and the latest event information during the festival. We’d be happy if you follow and check for updates.☑ For inquiries about the Enichibai Plum Viewing Event: Nobeoka Flower Story Executive Committee (0982-29-2155) https://nobeokahanamonogatari.net/home2026/kanbaikai_2026/...

Good morning! The blooms are advancing! What will this week's cold snap do?! Tsukigase Plum Valley Plum Festival February 14, 2026–March 29, 2026

The time has finally come!! Tsukigase’s major event that draws about 200,000 visitors over roughly three weeks!! The Tsukigase Plum Grove Plum Festival!! Tsukigase Plum Grove was designated as Japan’s first nationally recognized Place of Scenic Beauty!! We look forward to welcoming many visitors again this year!!