【Advance Reservation Required】
Winter 2026 “Teshikaga Eco Passport” Town Sightseeing Bus Now Running!
We are announcing the Winter 2026 operation schedule for the Mashu–Kussharo Sightseeing Loop Bus, which visits the main scenic spots around Teshikaga.
The loop bus ticket, the “Teshikaga Eco Passport,” is available again this year in two options: a 2-day pass and a 3-day pass. Please make a reservation in advance and take advantage of it. It is recommended for those who are uneasy about driving or who want to enjoy sightseeing around Teshikaga with ease. For details, check the link “Teshikaga Navi.”


Operation Period
Saturday, January 24, 2026 – Sunday, March 1, 2026


Fares
Adult Child
2-day pass (2 days) 2,000 yen 1,000 yen
3-day pass (3 days) 3,000 yen 1,000 yen


Contact
Mashu Lake Tourism Association
3-3-1 Mashu 3-chome, Teshikaga, Kawakami District, Hokkaido 088-3201, Japan
TEL: 015-482-2200
Email: masyu_as@peace.ocn.ne.jp

Tsukatte Fukkatsu ♨️
Soak in the highly acidic waters of Kawayu Onsen, strong enough to even melt nails, and melt away everyday frustrations and bad ties with a cleansing bath for severing ties!!
The Kawayu Onsen tie-severing bath tour plan is on sale at Kawayu Kanko Hotel, KKR Kawayu, Oyado Kinkiyu Annex Suikazura, and Kawayu Koshyu Yokujo Yukichi‼︎🎶
If you don’t have time for that, we also offer a day-trip ema (votive plaque) for 2,000 yen✨Refresh both your mind and body with the tie-severing bath tour—give it a try! 💪♨️

Autumn colors in Tokyo Metropolitan Mizumoto park. Where the autumn colors looks completely different than the other spots in Tokyo. The sunrise view from the metasequoia forest looks amazing.

An update from the "Information Broadcast Bureau" on the Kawayu Onsen website has been posted📝🆙

An article about the traditional Kawayu Onsen Caravan (organized by the Kawayu Onsen Caravan Executive Committee), held on November 26—"Good Bath Day"—is now up💡♨️
The article introduces scenes of the caravan, wearing hanten coats of the hot spring source faction and carrying Kawayu Onsen lanterns as it races across Michihigashi🏃‍♀️💨Please take a look✨

🔗 https://www.kawayu-onsen.com/feature/889/

Sunrise view of Mizumoto park in tokyo park. The metasequoia forest looks amazing during sunrise.

The "From the Information Desk" section on the Kawayu Onsen website has been updated 📝🆙

"Calm your mind and take a fresh look. Autumn at Kawayu Onsen."
has been posted. With poor weather across the prefecture right now, take a breather and have a slow look 👀✨ You may rediscover how to enjoy the healing waters of Kawayu Onsen.

https://www.kawayu-onsen.com/feature/autumn/

Autumn Colors on the Mountain Pass

An aerial drone view of Onyu Pass in a sweeping composition.
Be moved by the vibrant fall foliage and the winding snake road!

Onyu Pass, Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture
November 2025

The autumn colors in Mizumoto park in Tokyo looks amazing during sunrise. The early morning view of the metasequoia forest with the soft sunlight looks amazing. Its a Mystic view. I had an amazing experience during my trip to the Mizumoto park.

＼ ＼ The Kushiro Local Products Festival has begun〜😊／／
Starting today!
The 54th Kushiro Local Products Festival🐟
A long line formed even before the doors opened‼︎
Local specialties from Kushiro, nearby towns, sister cities and sister city partners are all laid out in a row ^ ^
A winter tradition in Kushiro. You can't welcome New Year's Eve without coming to this.
The festival runs for three days starting today.
Please come and visit us 😊
📍Kushiro City Tourism & International Relations Center 1F Main Hall
(3-3 Saiwai-cho, Kushiro City)
12/12 (Fri) 10:00–16:00
12/13 (Sat) 9:00–16:00
12/14 (Sun) 9:00–15:00

“Teshikaga Eco Passport” service confirmed to run in winter 2026🚌💨
The Mashu–Kussharo sightseeing loop bus, Teshikaga Eco Passport, which tours scenic spots around Teshikaga, offers 2-day and 3-day passes—please reserve in advance and make use of them. It’s recommended for those who feel unsure about driving and for anyone who wants to enjoy sightseeing in Teshikaga with ease❣️
For details, see Teshikaga Navi✨
https://www.masyuko.or.jp/news/2025winterecopassport/

Autumn in Japan is very beautiful but the view of 1st sun kissed metasequoia forest in Mizumoto park looks completely different. To see this view I went there very early in the morning by taking the first train and first bus. The view I got was completely worthy. Also it is paradise for bird watchers.
Location: Mizumoto park, Tokyo

From downtown Kushiro: Mt. Akan-Fuji and Mt. Meakan
Lake Akan in eastern Hokkaido is surrounded by vast, unspoiled nature.
Winter is finally in full swing ☃️ — stay tuned for winter scenery updates!

The autumn leaves at Okuni Jinja Shrine in Shizuoka Prefecture.
The vermilion bridge blends seamlessly into the fall scenery.

Autumn in Japan is very beautiful but the view of 1st sun kissed metasequoia forest in Mizumoto park looks completely different. To see this view I went there very early in the morning by taking the first train and first bus. The view I got was completely worthy.
Location: Mizumoto park, Tokyo

Hiroshima Prefecture Shobara City's top spots for food and shopping!
Blessed with vast land, Shobara offers farm-to-table gourmet delights.

Surrounded by rich nature and marked by big temperature swings, Shobara is a treasure trove of delicious ingredients.
As one of the prefecture's largest agricultural towns, it is home to the nationally acclaimed wagyu brand Hiba Beef 🥩, a specialty unique to Shobara.

From these local ingredients come indulgent and exceptionally tasty treats.
Be sure to try the exclusive specialties you can only taste in Shobara.

For more details, visit the Shobara Tourism Navigation website 🔽
https://www.shobara-info.com/spot/4014

I took this photo at Ritsurin Park during the autumn foliage season. A building appears across the pond, and a maple with red leaves fills the foreground, giving a strong sense of depth, so I pressed the shutter. It was a calming scene that warmed my heart.


This fall I hardly got to capture autumn because of university exams and assignments, plus driving school, so Ritsurin Park was the only place I visited. It's an incredibly fun spot, though. I’m hoping to visit many different places next year.

An aerial composition of the four-season cherry blossoms along the Tashiro River in Obara Village.

Obara Village, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture
December 2025

Winter break travel to Akanko!
⁡
Akanko dedicated booking site & Marimo Pay
As an opening commemorative campaign
While Marimo Pay normally offers up to 5% points back
we are offering an incredible 10% back for stays during the campaign period!!!!
⁡
With Christmas, New Year and other events packed into winter break
why not spend it at Akanko??
⁡
Book from the link in our profile!!
https://lake-akan.com/marimopay/

Akanko Winter Illumination Giveaway Campaign!!
Today between 5:00 PM and 6:00 PM
Post a photo of the illumination on any social media and show your post to the tourism association counter staff to receive an immediate prize by lottery♪
We do not require any specific hashtag for social media posts, but if you would like to add one, please use
#Akanko Marimo Gate
.

Today, December 8, is "Rice Day" 🍚✨
Satoyama no Yume, a branded rice from Shobara City, Hiroshima Prefecture, won first place in the "Osaka Residents’ Most Delicious Rice Contest" and is a carefully selected rice with a taste score of 80 or higher.

By creating a branded rice, Satoyama no Yume aims to build an environment where young people can take up farming with hope, contribute to agriculture and regional development, and bring dreams and aspirations to the community. This rice packs the dreams of satoyama farmers. To promote circular agriculture by reusing bamboo that damages farmland, farmers spent years experimenting to achieve this proud flavor. They cut bamboo into powder, ferment it for use as fertilizer, and use oyster shells—Hiroshima Prefecture’s specialty—to replenish soil minerals. These practices contribute not only to great taste but also to building a sustainable society that cares for the environment.

(Rice Day falls on the 8th, 18th, and 28th of every month.)

1) [Shobara Satoyama no Yume Farm]
New crop: Shobara branded rice Satoyama no Yume
Set of 3 × 1 kg 6,800 yen (shipping and tax included)

Product here 🔽
https://ec.satoyamaselect.jp/view/item/000000000034?category_page_id=ct45

2) [Shobara Satoyama no Yume Farm]
New crop: Shobara branded rice Satoyama no Yume Premium
Set of 3 × 1 kg 7,500 yen (shipping and tax included)

Product here 🔽
https://ec.satoyamaselect.jp/view/item/000000000005?category_page_id=ct45

Frost lingering in Obara Village

At minus 2 degrees, frost coated the plants, creating a scene I had never seen before. However, the autumn leaves were almost finished, and although I had heard the four-season cherry blossoms were about half in bloom, the recent snowfall seemed to have kept flowering from progressing. I’ll look forward to next year.

Date: 2025/12/6
Location: Obara Village, Toyota City
Shot on: DJI MAVIC 3

※Flight application approved by Toyota City Hall
※Unmanned aircraft flight permission obtained from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
※Flight plan reported and flight log created

This is the great ginkgo at Choraku-ji Temple in the Agi District of Nakatsugawa City, Gifu Prefecture.

The great ginkgo at Choraku-ji is about 1,100 years old. From roughly 3 meters above ground the trunk splits into four sections, and the thickest part measures about 4 meters around. The tree exceeds 30 meters in height, its entire trunk measures about 9 meters in circumference, and it was designated a Natural Monument of Gifu Prefecture in 1967.
The trunk is divided partway into a large, old section and the sections that grew from it.
About 250 years ago, when a bridge over the Agi River was washed away, legend says a portion of the trunk was cut off and used for the bridge beams, and the cut surface was reportedly charred with embers to prevent rot.
Also, some 450 years ago when Takeda Katsuyori’s forces attacked Iwamura Castle and the Oda army, which had come out to meet them, were routed, Choraku-ji is said to have been burned; scorch marks from that fire still remain.

Over its long history, this tree has been carefully tended and protected by the local community.
It is so large that its branches spread beyond the temple grounds, making it visible from a distance with a strong presence.
The trunk is thick and, when seen up close, the ginkgo is impressively majestic.

Just after sunrise, I stood on Mt. Wagakuni as the city below disappeared beneath a quiet sea of clouds. From the soft white surface, hints of autumn gold and crimson treetops—peeked through like floating islands. As the sky shifted from deep blue to pale rose, the clouds began to glow and for a brief moment, everything felt perfectly still between night and morning.

The winning entries from the 14th Teshikaga Photo Contest are now on display at Kushiro Prince Hotel—come together and enjoy them 📸✨

Period: Today through the end of February
Location: Kushiro Prince Hotel, 1st floor lobby

We are also actively seeking entries for the 15th Teshikaga Photo Contest. We look forward to your participation‼︎ (For details, please see Teshikaga Navi)

Autumn leaves at Gifu Park 🍁

Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture
November 2025

An update from the “Information Dispatch Bureau” on the Kawayu Onsen website 📝🆙

The Lake Kussharo Trout Fishing Tournament, held on November 15 and 16, took place on the Wakin Peninsula. This report covers how 100 anglers gathered and competed, capturing the excitement of the event. A must-see for fishing enthusiasts! 🎣 Please take a look ✨

Teshikaga Hikari Request ended on November 30.

Thank you so much to everyone who joined us! ✨ Winners will be announced by shipment.

Stay tuned to the official LINE for future event news and lovely updates. ☺️❣️

From the volcanic lake circuit in Kirishima, you can see MtKarakunidake.
The autumn foliage and the fluffy, wool‑like slopes were beautiful.

Location: Ebino City, Miyazaki Prefecture

A beautiful village surrounded by autumn colors. Looks so stunning.
Location: Lake momiji, Nagano prefecture

This is the first time I have ever seen Mount Fuji.
(This is the first time I have seen Mount Fuji.)
Mount Fuji, harmonizing with the autumn leaves, is truly beautiful.
(Mount Fuji, in harmony with the autumn foliage, is so magnificent.)
Will the day come when we can meet again?
(Will the day come when we can see it again?)

#Tokyo #Kawaguchiko #maple #Japan trip #trip #Japan travel #Kawaguchiko #autumn-leaf trip #Mount Fuji