Gurutto Daffodil Stamp Rally is now underway. A QR stamp rally is currently taking place in Kyonan Town. There are seven stamps placed around the town. Participants who collect all of them will receive a small gift. Guests staying overnight will receive a gift after collecting one stamp. If you collect stamps from 30 participating shops around town and submit your entry, you will receive an original tote bag on the spot (first 200 people). As a second chance, a lottery will award local specialties and other prizes. Small gifts are distributed at Michi-no-Eki Kyonan Information Center (closed December 31 and January 1), Hota Station Tourist Information Center (closed December 31 and January 1), and Michi-no-Eki Hota Elementary School. The event runs until February 1. Entry sheets are available at Hota Station Tourist Information Center and Awakatsuyama Station Tourist Information Center.

[Daffodil Festival Begins] The Daffodil Festival runs from December 6 through February 1 of next year. In Kyonan Town, one of Japan’s three major daffodil sites, you can enjoy abundant daffodils mainly along Ezuki Narcissus Road and at Okukuzure Narcissus Field from mid-December to the end of January. During the festival, we will hold the Gurutto Daffodil QR Stamp Rally, a photo contest, the Daffodil Marche, a Game Meat Marche, and more, so please join us. #Chiba Prefecture#Kyonan Town#Boso Peninsula#One of Japan’s Three Major Daffodil Sites#Gurutto Daffodil QR Stamp Rally#Daffodil Marche#Ezuki Narcissus Road#Okukuzure Narcissus Field

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.

Today marks the start of the new fiscal year. It’s rainy and cold, but the Somei Yoshino cherry trees in Kyonan Town are in full bloom. The first photo was taken at Lake Sakuma Dam, and the second at Adachi Ward Kyonan Nature House. You can enjoy the cherry blossoms well through this week, so please come and visit.

The cherry-blossom market that was scheduled for March 29 has been postponed to March 30 due to the weather. Other than the date, nothing has changed, so please do come and join us.

On March 29, a Cherry Blossom Market will take place at Sakuma Dam Lake in Kyonan Town. Date and time: Saturday, March 29, 10:30 AM– Location: Sakuma Dam Park, Urban–Rural Exchange Plaza Food trucks, craft stalls, and live music will be there, so come and enjoy. Note: Parking at the venue is very limited, so please use the shuttle bus. We will hold a Garapon lottery during the event. Collect three stamps to enter the draw. Guests who use the shuttle bus will receive one stamp as a gift.

It’s getting warmer. Right now in Kyonan Town, the Yoritomo cherry blossoms (Kawazu-zakura) are in full bloom. The most beautiful cherry trees in town line the area around Lake Sakuma (the reservoir of Sakuma Dam) and along the Hota River. There is parking near Sakuma Dam, but it’s expected to be crowded, so please check the free parking information here.

As of January 18th, the daffodils in Kyonan Town are in full bloom. Many people are hiking to see the daffodils around the Lake Sakuma reservoir, in the Ookuzure area, and along the Egatsu Daffodil Road. It is quite cold, so please come prepared with warm clothing.

This is an announcement for the Narcissus Marche & Flea Market held in Kyonan Town on January 12th. The venue is the parking lot of Kyonan Town Health and Welfare Comprehensive Center Sukoyaka. Six food trucks will be there this time, so come hungry. Specifically, offerings include beef-tongue croquettes, squid fritters, hot dogs, hamburgers, and Latvian dishes. Vegetables will also be on sale. There will also be a music event. Guitarist Spider tetsu will perform!

Happy New Year. I look forward to your continued support this year. This is the scene of daffodils around Lake Sakuma at Sakuma Dam in Kyonan Town. The daffodils are now at their best. Please come and visit.

Notice of extended hours for the town-run hot spring, “Waraku no Yu.” For a limited period from January 4, 2025 to March 30, 2025, weekday hours will be extended by three hours! ・Before change: 10:00 AM–3:30 PM ・After change: 10:00 AM–6:30 PM (Same hours as weekends and public holidays) ※Closed every Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, closed the following day) The season of beautiful narcissus and cherry blossoms is almost here. Please stop by on your way back from your trip! Residents of the town (Adults 300 yen, Children 150 yen) Non-residents (Adults 500 yen, Children 250 yen) ※Free for children under elementary school age Private bath (2,500 yen per hour) For inquiries: Senior Welfare Center Waraku no Yu ☎0470-55-8830

These are photos I took at the seaside in Kyonan Town at sunset on December 14th. The sky burned with a fiery dusk and Mount Fuji stood against it. I felt something sacred. A stroll along the Kyonan coastline comes highly recommended.

The Daffodil Festival has started, and inquiries about daffodils have been increasing. On the afternoon of December 13th, I went to the area around Sakuma Dam. The daffodils are beginning to bloom little by little, but it will take a bit more time before they reach their best viewing period.

Special Exhibition at Hishikawa Moronobu Memorial Hall: “Japanese Yokai in Ukiyo-e” ​ A special exhibition titled “Japanese Yokai in Ukiyo-e — Turn Around and It’s a Mononoke Summer” is now on view at the Hishikawa Moronobu Memorial Hall. The show introduces 100 ukiyo-e prints depicting yokai that are frightening yet somehow humorous. Since ancient times, Japanese people have perceived unseen and mysterious things as mononoke. “When the Edo period arrived, Edo residents—driven by a morbid curiosity—turned mononoke into yokai characters and enjoyed the thrill of fear,” explains curator Hiroki Sasao. ​ One highlight of the exhibition is work by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, a specialist in yokai imagery. Active from the late Tokugawa period into the Meiji era, Yoshitoshi is known for a dramatic, almost comic-book style that captivates viewers with dynamic brushwork. The exhibition also shows actor prints of kabuki performers, offering insight into kabuki plays that feature yokai. “In fact, kabuki is the art form that popularized yokai stories in summer,” says curator Sasao. “It started when a famous kabuki actor took a summer break and a yokai-themed play staged in his absence happened to become a hit.” Curator gallery talks will be held at 1:30 p.m. on July 21 and August 11. The exhibition runs through September 23. ​ Opening hours 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (last admission at 4:30 p.m.) Closed days Mondays (the following Tuesday when Monday is a public holiday) During the New Year holidays (December 29 to January 3) Admission fees Adults and university students: 500 yen (400 yen) Elementary, junior high, and high school students: 400 yen (300 yen) *Prices in parentheses apply to groups of 20 or more. Access By train: 15-minute walk from Hota Station or Awa-Katsuyama Station on the JR Uchibo Line By car: 5 minutes from Kyonan-Hota IC on the Futtsu–Tateyama Toll Road, along Route 127, inside Roadside Station Kyonan

Nice to meet you! This is the Kyonan Town Tourism Association. Kyonan Town in Awa County, at the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture, is a town rich in nature that continues to charm visitors. With a population of about 6,300 people (as of 2024), the town blends history and natural beauty. Thanks to the Tokyo Bay Aqua-line and the Higashi-Kanto Expressway Tateyama Line, you can reach Kyonan from central Tokyo by car in about 80 minutes, making it easy to enjoy a full day trip. On this Cool Japan Video account, we will introduce sightseeing spots and recommended information about Kyonan Town in Chiba Prefecture. We appreciate your support. ◆History of Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture◆ Kyonan Town was formed in 1959 by the merger of Katsuyama Town and Hota Town. The town’s name comes from its location south of Mount Nokogiri, hence Kyonan Town. ◆Sightseeing spots in Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture◆ ◇Mount Nokogiri Designated a scenic spot by Chiba Prefecture, Mount Nokogiri is Kyonan’s signature attraction. Its cliffs form a serrated ridge that resembles a saw, as the name suggests. From near the summit, a ropeway ride of about three minutes offers panoramic views of Mount Fuji, the Miura Peninsula, and the Izu Peninsula across Tokyo Bay. Highlights include the nokogiriyama Nihonji Big Buddha, One Thousand Five Hundred Arhats, and Nihonji Temple. ◇Hishikawa Shisenobu Memorial Hall Opened in 1985, the Hishikawa Shisenobu Memorial Hall exhibits works by the Edo-period ukiyo-e artist Hishikawa Shisenobu. Through his detailed works, visitors can appreciate the depth of Japanese art and culture. ◇Sakuma Dam Lake Lakeside Park A 2.4-kilometer promenade around the dam is planted with about 2,200 cherry trees, including Yoritomo cherry blossoms, Yae cherry blossoms, and Someiyoshino, making it one of the Boso Peninsula’s top cherry-viewing spots. ◇Okuzure Suisenkyo About 60 million daffodil bulbs are cultivated along the hillsides and embankments. ◇Mount Daikoku Observatory A castle-shaped observatory crowns Mount Daikoku, overlooking Katsuyama Fishing Port below, and on clear days offers views of Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula. ◆Roadside Stations in Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture◆ ◇Roadside Station Hota Elementary School This rare roadside station was created by repurposing a closed elementary school. In addition to local product sales, it features a cafeteria serving nostalgic school lunch menus and lodging facilities. ◇Roadside Station Kyonan Facing Tokyo Bay, this roadside station is also popular as a sunset-viewing spot. It is adjacent to the Hishikawa Shisenobu Memorial Hall. ◆Events and festivals in Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture◆ ◇Daffodil Festival Kyonan is one of Japan’s three major daffodil habitats, and each year from early December the Daffodil Festival is held at Ezuki Narcissus Road, Sakuma Dam Park, and Okuzure Suisenkyo. You can enjoy the daffodils blooming proudly even in the winter cold, and the carpet of flowers creates an overwhelming spectacle. ◆Why visit Kyonan Town, Chiba Prefecture◆ Kyonan is known for the scenic Kawazu cherry blossoms (Yoritomo cherry blossoms), whose early blooms bring an early sign of spring. With a good selection of hotels and hot-spring facilities, you can relax after enjoying Kyonan’s great outdoors. Create unforgettable memories along this beautiful coastline! We will continue sharing recommended information about Kyonan Town, so please follow us.