The winter forest is muddy Miyanomori, which rings the ski area, can be climbed and descended in about an hour to the shelter at the summit. On a warm day with temperatures around 0°C, the old man who lives opposite Miyanomori says he sometimes climbs it twice a day. With that reliable old man, I climbed Miyanomori too. - Thanks to the previous day’s warmth, the snow had melted, and on the packed snowshoe tracks the snow seemed walkable in rubber boots. ※Snowshoe: a device attached under boots to prevent sinking deeply into snow. Also called kanjiki. Once I bravely started walking in rubber boots, trouble began. Looking sideways and up, my feet slipped off the packed tracks and I plunged into the snow. Apparently, when your feet get caught in snow it’s called “nukareru” (to sink in). Seeing me struggle so much, the old man walked ahead for me. He climbed at a surprisingly quick pace. Out of shape from lack of exercise, I couldn’t catch up, so I climbed at my own pace without rushing. I snapped a photo of his back along the way. The old man would wait a short distance on and tell me things like, this tree died because deer ate its bark, or, it’s rare to see a vine this thick. Traces where deer had raced across slopes too steep for people, and deer prints beside the snowshoe tracks. It was a walk through this quietly snow-covered forest, feeling the presence of living creatures. 📷️ 📷️ 📷️ There are said to be over 30 stone monuments in Miyanomori. Even the old man doesn’t know why they’re there. Perhaps villagers once placed them to protect the forest. Snow perched atop a tree. Someone on social media had called a cornice “like braised pork,” and I remembered that. I saw several large katsura trees. Their branch tips twist and curl. Behind the direction signboard, the disturbed snow marks a deer trail. Something like a nut lay on the snow. From the shelter you can take in a panoramic view of the town. Just then, a ski class was in full swing at the ski area below. 📷️ 📷️ 📷️ Here are scenes from a winter walk in Miyanomori. #Miyanomori #Walk

Azumino’s breathtaking viewpoint – Mount Nagamine summit From here you can enjoy views of the Northern Alps♪ I gazed out over Azumino, dyed entirely in white!!

February 8th Snowy landscape at Daio Wasabi Farm Japan’s largest wasabi field is also wrapped in snow Perhaps because the snow absorbs sound, a quiet world spreads out

February 8th Snowy Scenery in Azumino The snow that fell steadily since last night has turned Azumino into a sea of white.

February 8th Hotaka Station on the JR Oito Line, the gateway to Azumino sightseeing It snowed last night, and Azumino is blanketed in white Visitors should take care with their footing!!

We visited the Otaru Snow Festival on a day when the snowfall felt almost unreal, layers upon layers of snow covering everything in sight. The cold was intense, yet the spirit of the people was even stronger—unshaken, cheerful, and welcoming. Despite the heavy snow, they warmly invited us to become part of the festival, as if we belonged there all along. Though the air was biting, the kindness and smiles around us filled the atmosphere with joy. As evening fell, the sight of countless candles glowing softly along the canal was nothing short of magical—the gentle light reflecting on the snow and water turned Otaru into a living winter dream.

Jewelry Ice at Otsu Coast in Toyokorocho, Hokkaido Ice that formed on the Tokachi River drifts out to sea and the waves polish it into transparent, jewel-like pieces of ice. Visitors aiming for standout photos select well-shaped pieces, carry them, pour hot water or rinse them to remove sticking snow and sand, and arrange the ice by stacking or standing it to create artworks for shooting, but they are beautiful just as they are in nature.

🏖️ Third Shimoda City Beach General Election Results Announced! 🏖️ Thank you for all your votes ✨ Here are the results 👇 🥇 1st place Shirahama Ohama Beach 🥈 2nd place Shirahama Central Beach 🥉 Tied for 3rd Kujuppama Beach · Tatadohama Beach · Nabetahama Beach · Iritahama Beach We have already shipped prizes to the five winners 🎁 They should be arriving at your door soon…? 📮✨ And the Fourth Shimoda City Beach General Election is 🗓️ Held from February 16 to June 30! Whether you voted before or haven’t joined yet, please cast your vote for your favorite beach 🌊💙 We look forward to your participation 😊✨

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

Reihoku Sunset Marche — February Announcement📣 Hello everyone! With the season full of events like ehomaki and Setsubun, here is the announcement for the Reihoku Sunset Marche in February♪ 👀 Highlights of this Sunset Marche 👀 ❣ Reihoku Sunset Marche will offer agricultural products, processed goods, and prepared foods from Reihokumachi, including bagged mikan (tangerines) for sale🍊. This time, a kitchen car from Ninoya Amakusa will also be on site offering ikinari dango❣ We look forward to seeing you 😊 Don’t forget to bring your own shopping bag🛍✨ Items expected for sale ・Cauliflower ・Pumpkin🎃 ・Cabbage ・Cucumber🥒 ・Rice🌾 ・Taro ・Shiitake (log-grown) ・Potatoes🥔 ・New onions🧅 ・Tomatoes (Aiko, mini) ・Broccoli🥦 ・Green peppers ・Beni Haruka (sweet potato variety) ・Ponkan ・Mikan🍊 (bagged) ・Lettuce (sunny) 🥦🍅🥕🍠🥬🧅🫑🌽🌶🫛🍆🫚🥔 Reihoku Sunset Marche Date: Sunday, February 8 — 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM Location: Amakusa Reihoku Tourist Association (reihoku town products hall facility, 4535-1 Kamitsufukae, Reihokumachi)

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

February 4th A snow moon two days late and MtJonen This morning in Azumino the sky was perfectly clear The moon setting behind MtJonen

February 3rd In the morning, snowflakes drifted over Azumino The sky cleared and the Northern Alps stretched into the distance as far as Hakuba The OitoLine runs toward Hakuba

The Karasukawa flows through Nagano Prefecture's Karasugawa Valley Green Space It carries snowmelt from Mt. Jonen in the Northern Alps As it flows, it nourishes Azumino

Sen'en Ridge (仙塩尾根), Minami Alps National Park, Japan

🌊 A new guesthouse is opening on Shimaura Island 🌊 On Shimaura Island, Miyazaki Prefecture’s only inhabited remote island, the local community has launched a new initiative, and a new guesthouse, Island Base Shimami, is opening 👏🏻 A guesthouse that closed about 15 years ago has been renovated to make it easier for individuals and groups to stay. Future guests will be able to enjoy island specialties such as sea bream and greater amberjack, as well as ingredients from the newly started oyster farming, at this accommodation. To celebrate the opening, the following event will be held. 📅 Opening Commemoration Event Date and time: Saturday, February 7, 10:15–11:00 Venue: Guesthouse Island Base Shimami next to Island Park (616-1 Shimaura-cho) 🎉 Program ・Greeting by the Mayor of Miura ・Guesthouse tour and explanation of accommodation options ・Mochi-throwing and candy-throwing ・Distribution of original coffee drip bags Anyone may attend, so if you are interested, please come and join us 😊 Also, to cover part of the costs for refurbishing the guesthouse, a crowdfunding campaign is currently underway. Please check the following page for details. https://camp-fire.jp/projects/902085/view...

Gala Yuzawa is one of my favorite ski destination near Tokyo. Its not only a good ski resort but also a fabulous sightseeing spots. The snow-capped mountain peaks looks very beautiful and during sunset time creates an unforgettable moments.

Lake Kussharo in winter. A place where warmth lives within the stillness. The lakeshore views, visible breaths, and crisp air. Enjoy this special time that comes only in this season. ❄️ Winter season only: January 19th through March 7th 📍Kussharo Prince Hotel https://www.instagram.com/kussharo_ph/...

The 28th Minami no Sakura and Nanohana Festival Held from February 1 to March 10. 🌸 About "The 28th Minami no Sakura and Nanohana Festival" https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-entry&spot=73493...... 🌸 Bloom status (updated as needed) https://www.minami-izu.jp/?p=we-page-entry&spot=162849...... 〈If you come by public transport〉 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-lined path is behind it.) The nanohana fields are immediately accessible from Hino stop on foot. Tokai Bus phone: 0558-22-2514 Note: Minamiizu Town is not served by train. Note: Parking is limited, so please use public transportation. Tokai Bus link https://www.tokaibus.jp/rosen/minamiizu_2025feb.html... 〈If you come by car〉 Head for roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana. There are dedicated parking lots nearby, so please use them. ⚠ When viewing or photographing nanohana along the fields and cherry tree-lined path, do not step on the flowers! ⚠ Some people step on the nanohana growing on the riverbank slopes near the roadside station shimogamo onsen yunohana, but there are lighting cables and other hazards, so please cooperate by not entering those areas. Note: Use the festival parking lots. Do not park at shops or on private property. Minami-no-Sakura to Nanohana Matsuri🌸 Minami-no-Sakura and Nanohana Festival "The 28th Southern Cherry Blossom and Field Mustard Festival" 1st February - 10th March 2025 In Shimogamo, Minamiizu, Shizuoka, Japan You can see lovely pink sakura and bright yellow nanohana in Shimogamo. We expect the best time to see sakura to be in late February. Come and enjoy the early Japanese spring. －－－〇－－〇－－－ Official social media of Minamiizu Town Tourism Association X→https://twitter.com/info_mizu... Instagram→https://www.instagram.com/info_mizu... Website→https://www.minami-izu.jp...

Deai Bridge – Todoroki Bridge ❚ Oita Bungoono Geopark Deai Bridge and Todoroki Bridge are stone bridges built from the late Taisho era to the early Showa era. Todoroki Bridge is a two-span arch stone bridge erected in Showa 9 (1934) as a forestry railway bridge; its larger span measures 32.1 m, the longest in Japan. Deai Bridge was built in Taisho 13 (1924) and has a span of 29.3 m, the second longest in Japan. The sight of these two stone bridges—Japan’s longest and second-longest spans—overlapping is breathtaking. Beneath the bridges flows the emerald-green Okudake River, and on both banks you can see remarkable columnar joints formed from welded tuff of Aso pyroclastic flow. (Do not go down to the riverbed when the water is high, as it is dangerous.) Location: Todoroki, Kiyokawa-machi – Hiraishi, Bungoono City, Oita Prefecture ■■Access to central Bungoono City from Fukuoka and Kumamoto Prefectures■■■ About a 3-hour drive from JR Hakata Station, Fukuoka Prefecture About a 2-hour drive from JR Kumamoto Station, Kumamoto Prefecture About a 1 hour 20 minute drive from JR Beppu Station, Oita Prefecture About a 1 hour 20 minute drive from Yufuin Station, Oita Prefecture ■■■■■■■■■■■■ Kyushu, Bungoono City, Oita Prefecture Introducing sightseeing and recommended spots ■■■■■■■■■■■■ https://sato-no-tabi.jp/news/20260120spot-kiyokawa/...

A guide to hot spring inns in Teshikaga ♨️ Teshikaga has two hot spring areas: Mashu Onsen and Kawayu Onsen. Each hot spring and each inn differs in water quality and health benefits, so be sure to check out a variety of hot spring inns.✨ A second guide is in preparation. Please look forward to it.😉🔥

Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawaku, Tokyo Metropolis will host the annual Narcissus Festival on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8. (^○^) The exchange began more than 20 years ago in 2005 when Shimoda City donated narcissus bulbs to Kasai Rinkai Park, and it continues to this day. Since fiscal 2006, the Shimoda City Tourism Association has been happily taking part in special events during the Kasai Rinkai Park Narcissus Festival, selling Shimoda products such as kinme croquettes, kinmedai fish head soup, dried fish, Shimoda brand goods, and all-you-can-pack Izu mandarins to promote tourism.✨ Members of the Shimoda Taiko Traditional Preservation Society also join the event to perform traditional drumming with a history of about 400 years on stage. If you are nearby, please stop by the Shimoda City Tourism Association booth at the Kasai Rinkai Park Narcissus Festival. (^○^) *The booth photo was taken at last year’s event.*

This is Shosenkyo Crystal Sound. How are you all doing? 😊 Winter at Shosenkyo Gorge is the season when the air is clearest and the landscape is wrapped in silence ❄️ Please enjoy the unique charm of this time of year, when you can have Shosenkyo all to yourself without interruption. While strolling through Shosenkyo Gorge, stop by shops selling jewelry and natural stones, and try sensing their “power” directly 💎✨ If you get hungry, warm your chilled body with a hot local dish 🍲 Escape the everyday and come to Shosenkyo to enjoy a special winter scenery. *Road surfaces can freeze in winter.* When you visit, please prepare winter tires 🚗⚠️ All our staff sincerely look forward to welcoming you 🌿

We will begin operating the 2026 winter “Teshikaga Eco Passport” town sightseeing bus (advance reservation required) and start a luggage delivery service! Here is the 2026 winter schedule for the Mashu–Kussharo Sightseeing Loop Bus, which visits the main scenic spots within Teshikagacho. The loop bus ticket, called the “Teshikaga Eco Passport,” is available again this year as a 2-day or 3-day pass. Please make an advance reservation and make use of it. It’s recommended for those who are uneasy about driving or who want to enjoy sightseeing in Teshikaga easily. For details, see Teshikaga Navi. Service period Saturday, January 24, 2026–Sunday, March 1, 2026 Fees Adult (おとな) Child (こども) 2-day pass (2days) 2,000 yen 1,000 yen 3-day pass (3days) 3,000 yen 1,000 yen Contact Mashu Lake Tourism Association 3-3-1 Mashu 3-chome, Teshikagacho, Kawakami District, Hokkaido 088-3201 TEL: 015-482-2200 Email: masyu_as@peace.ocn.ne.jp https://www.masyuko.or.jp/news/2025winterecopassport/...

Early winter in Kamikochi

Jigokudani Yaen-koen monkeys A place famous for monkeys bathing in hot springs A monkey gazing at the hot spring amid falling snow A sense of melancholy lingered.

Staying at Kussharo Prince Hotel, you'll hear the calls of whooper swans on Lake Kussharo in the morning. In cold beyond −10°C, the crackle of firewood echoes from the fireplace. Listen to the clear lake surface and the quietly spreading sounds along the shore. This stay turns a silence you can only feel here into sound. 📍Kussharo Prince Hotel https://www.instagram.com/kussharo_ph/...

🚨Schedule Change🚨 [Sightsee hands-free! Luggage delivery service now available] From Saturday, January 24 to Sunday, March 1, 2026, Teshikaga offers the 2026 winter “Teshikaga Eco Passport” town shuttle bus (reservation required) and, during the same period, a luggage delivery service called “Sightsee hands-free.” This convenient service delivers your luggage from the drop-off location to the pick-up location so you can explore Teshikaga light and free during that time. You won’t need to carry your bags yourself, allowing you to spend all your time and energy on sightseeing. No advance reservation is required. Please take advantage of this opportunity. Period Saturday, January 24 to Sunday, March 1, 2026 Fee 1,000 yen (tax included) Luggage size Total of length, width, and height up to 160 cm / weight up to 25 kg *Valuables, fragile items, hazardous materials, precision instruments, and frozen or refrigerated items cannot be accepted* Drop-off locations and reception hours A: JR Mashu Station 8:30–11:30 B: JR Kawayu-Onsen Station 8:30–12:00 C: Kawayu Onsen Town Hotel until 11:00 (Kawayu Kanko Hotel, KKR Kawayu, Oyado Kinkiyu Annex Suikazura) *Please note that the reception hours for C have changed.* Pick-up locations and hours A: JR Mashu Station 15:00–16:30 B: JR Kawayu-Onsen Station 14:00–17:00 C: Kawayu Onsen Town Hotel from 13:30 onward (Kawayu Kanko Hotel, KKR Kawayu, Oyado Kinkiyu Annex Suikazura) ________________________________ Use it like a coin locker—no delivery! Luggage storage only We also offer a luggage storage-only service you can use like a coin locker without delivery. Please use it according to your needs. Fee: 700 yen (tax included) A: JR Mashu Station 8:30–16:30 B: JR Kawayu-Onsen Station 8:30–17:00 Contact Mashu Tourism Association 015-482-2200 Reception hours 9:00–17:00 on weekdays masyu_as@peace.ocn.ne.jp https://www.masyuko.or.jp... https://www.masyuko.or.jp/news/2025winterecopassport/...