Today (July 10) I covered a hop harvest 😆 It was my first time seeing this year’s hop field... and it was spectacular✨✨ Straight-reaching vines, healthy dark green leaves, and clusters of hops hanging like little bells…!! “It’s a shame this view will be gone after today!” I said as I gazed with the grower 👀 With preparations complete, it was time to harvest 💪 There were so many cones that even removing the supporting wires was a struggle 💦 We filled bags with the harvested hops, and I worried they might not all fit on the truck we were loading back with today 😂 These hops will be processed into beer with a fresh, lively aroma 🍺 I tasted last year’s brew too — it had a refreshing scent and went down easy 😆👍 I can’t wait to try this year’s beer 😍

Ume Juice and Umeboshi Making On a crisp summer day today (June 19), the red, white, and pink azaleas welcomed us cheerfully at Kuraokakurara. The eldest children from Kuraoka Nursery School and first graders from Kuraoka Elementary gathered to make ume juice and umeboshi.🤗 The children had harvested plenty of fresh ume at the Kuraoka district orchard the day before.😳💕 Under the guidance of the neighborhood’s “ume expert,” who lives in the Kuraoka area, everyone packed the prepared ume into jars. They will take the jars back to school, turn them over every day, and let them develop until the juices rise.💪 When the red shiso season arrives, they will move on to the next step.💡 It sounds delightful.🥰 It seems the children, now junior ume experts, also took some ume home, so they will likely enjoy processing them at home while passing on what they learned to their families.🤩✨

Bansei Natural Flower Garden — Flowering Update Hiougi iris (ヒオウギアヤメ) and Ezo daylilies (エゾカンゾウ) have begun to bloom at Bansei Natural Flower Garden, mainly around the Horokayanto pit-dwelling cluster.

Tomakomai is often enveloped in thick fog in early summer. Poor visibility and trouble drying laundry can be inconvenient, but the softened glow of nighttime lights creates a dreamy, otherworldly scene.

From Shinano-Omachi Station on the JR Oito Line, just a few minutes by car, we introduce Kannon Bridge, where breathtaking views of the Northern Alps unfold. Flowing beneath the bridge is the Takase River, its shallows so clear you can see the riverbed. The emerald-green river drifts calmly against the snow-capped Northern Alps, a sight you can enjoy until around early July.

Fireflies are now at their best viewing season 🌌 Spots in Nobeoka City where you can enjoy fireflies include Kitagawa, Yoshino, and Maino Many locations seem to be reaching their peak viewing period✨ Let’s continue to protect this beautiful nature by observing proper manners while watching them😊 ◎Please avoid shining bright lights, littering, or damaging the natural environment. ◎Keep quiet so as not to disturb others nearby while viewing. ◎Do not use insect-repellent sprays at viewing sites; take precautions by wearing long sleeves instead. 🪄May the fireflies dancing in the night sky leave you with lasting memories.

Fresh green at Unoko Falls 🍃 It feels like May has flown by in no time 😅 Saturday, May 31 in Gokasecho was a delightfully clear day 🌞 At this time of year, Unoko Falls has plenty of water and brilliant fresh greenery ✨ I was soothed by birdsong, the sound of the water, and the breeze 🥰 The light was just right, so I got some great photos 📷 When you walk down to the plunge pool, be careful—wet spots can be slippery, so watch your step 👣

At Hokkaido University Tomakomai Research Forest, the apple relative "zumi" has come into full bloom 🌸 The pristine white blossoms suit the waterside perfectly.

【✨The irises along Nogu River are at their best🏔】 As the moss phlox at Nogu River Riverside Park finishes, the irises lining Nogu River have come into full bloom😊 Bright azaleas are blooming alongside them🌺 and the snow-capped Northern Alps are visible upstream🏔 🌺Flower update 2025🌼 is below🔽🔽🔽 https://kanko-omachi.gr.jp/news/88859/...

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 ♪

🌿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🍵✨

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).

Josenji Temple with Azaleas in Bloom In spring, Josenji Temple bustled with many cherry-blossom viewers.🌸 Now the petals have fallen, and the weeping cherry trees with fresh green leaves are beautiful.✨ Azaleas bloom across the temple grounds, and the contrast between the new greenery and the vermilion flowers is delightful.😆