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...

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.😉🔥

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.

👹✨February 3 is Setsubun✨👹 When you think of Setsubun, you think of ehomaki! The lucky direction for 2026 is south-southeast. Face that direction, hold a wish in your mind, and silently take a big bite of the whole thick roll—this is the tradition of eating an ehomaki. This year, why not make your very own ehomaki at the sushi counter?🍣 Using delicious, naturally sweet rice from Kikuchi and guided directly by a sushi chef, enjoy a rare rolled-sushi-making experience. It’s designed so even young children can join in, making it perfect for creating family memories. Bring your family and friends and make special Setsubun memories together✨ 📌Details and reservations here https://kikuchikanko.ne.jp/taikenplan...

🚨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/...

I visited the Yokohama Museum of Art to see "Vienna at the Fin de Siècle: The Golden Age of Beauty." The exhibition wraps you in the atmosphere of the era. Rather than simply looking at the works, it offers time to experience the values of beauty. Egon Schiele’s presence quietly yet powerfully lingers in the memory. I think this is an exhibition that comes across only when you visit in person. #Vienna at the Fin de Siècle #Egon Schiele #Art exhibition #Japanese culture #Cool Japan

Mount Fujiwara and Sangi Railway (Hokusei Line) Inabe City, Mie Prefecture January 24, 2026

[Sky and Frost-Covered Trees] Last Friday (January 23) I went to Gokase Highland Ski Resort. The sky was clear that day, making it not only perfect for skiing but also ideal for photography. I warmed my freezing hands as best I could and protected my camera from the cold while shooting. I plan to share these images unedited. The Gokase Tourism Association’s Instagram photo contest “Winter in Gokase 2026” is still accepting entries, so please consider submitting your work!

[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.