The beautiful Nature landscape of the Aso Mountains Unfolds, and it is a mountain towns with a population of about 3,000 people (as of June 2024) with a high elevation overall.
Traditional agriculture is thriving, and in addition to delicious Rice and vegetables, "Gokase Wine" made from 100% Gokase grapes is also popular.
In winter Japan the southernmost natural snow ski resort offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Aso Mountains seen from and Slope.
We look forward to seeing you in Gokase Towns!
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[Searching for Autumn in Gokase]
November 19
A little late, but I went looking for autumn around Gokase and am sharing some photos📸✨
Photo 1 / Shirataki Falls
Photo 2 / From the bridge on the way to Unoko Falls viewing point
Photo 3 / From Yūhi no Sato Ohashi (Sunset Village Bridge)
Photos 4 and 5 / Near the torii at Myoken Shrine
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G Music Corps Regular Concert
On Sunday, November 17th, the G Music Corps held a concert at Yumeyume Plaza TAC in Takachiho Town🎺🎶
The program was packed into four exciting parts😳💡
Under the baton of conductor Mitsutoshi Hasebe, the concert opened with a Disney medley. Familiar tunes arrived on a dynamic sound that made people move along before they knew it🤩👏
In the second part, dancers from Takachiho Town’s studio DACTCREW delivered an impressive performance to popular songs🪩💫
The third part recreated the original show’s format with a lively amateur singing stage😆🎤
Seven contestants from Gokase, Takachiho, and Kumamoto Prefecture sang joyfully to live wind ensemble accompaniment✨
A former real bell-ringer from the original program played the bell live, a trophy was presented to the winner, and the excitement peaked 🥳👏
The final fourth part featured guests trumpeter MAKOTO, drummer Kiyotaka Kuroda, and pianist Satsuki Imamura in a powerful, high-impact set😳✨
Audience members praised the event, saying things like "I’m glad I came; I never expected it to be this much fun" 🥹💕
G Music Corps, active both inside and outside the prefecture, delivered a wonderful performance that makes you want to cheer them on for the future. Great job to everyone involved❗
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Sunset Village Exhibition✨
On Saturday and Sunday, November 16–17, the former Kuwanouchi Elementary School gym hosted the "Sunset Village Exhibition" and the "Small Sato Frost Month Festival," to much excitement 😆🎉
Creative works by local residents were on display, and visitors toured them with great interest 👀
On Saturday, November 16, food stalls and workshops drew lively crowds 😁
At the workshops, many people happily carried their finished pieces home, and seeing that made us happy too 😊
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[Searching for Autumn in Gokase] The season is silver grass (susuki)🌾✨
Gokase Town’s autumn leaves have finally come into their prime🍁 Today I visited Mt. Masugata and Mt. Futagami🚗💭
First, Mt. Masugata💪
The view was hazy, but the temperature was perfect and the summit felt refreshing😌🌿
The dodantutsugi (Enkianthus) turned bright red, and the susuki backlit by the sun glittered—what a sight 🥹👏
On the trail down toward Furuto-no Shrine from Mt. Masugata, I came across a scene that made me think, "Is this a picture book world!?"😳💡
Fields of susuki swayed like a sea, and set against the rolling mountains, the view was unbelievably beautiful✨
A new susuki spot…!?🌾
The susuki have become fluffy and are at their peak right now❗ Please go and look for them yourselves🤗
Next, Mt. Futagami💡
Until recently the road from Gokase was under construction and impassable, so it was my first time driving it in a while👣
Enjoying the patches of autumn color along the way, I made my way up to the observation deck with steady effort💪
By the time I reached the summit the sun had started to tilt, sharpening the mountain silhouettes, and the moon floated in the vast sky—a picture-like scene🖼️✨
It’s been ages since I climbed a mountain so I already feel it in my legs, but the joy at the top makes it totally worth it🤩
The Gokase Tourism Association is currently running the "Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024" event on its Instagram account, and you are welcome to submit photos of autumn scenes like susuki✨
Please share Gokase’s beautiful autumn scenery with us🤗💫
For details, see the pinned "Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024" post on the Gokase Tourism Association Instagram profile🍁
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Yama no Ocha Sakamotoen Autumn Warehouse Sale
Today, Sunday, November 10th, the “Autumn Warehouse Sale” took place on the grounds of Sakamotoen 🍵✨
Sakamotoen’s booth offered discounted teas, and shoppers who spent over ¥2,000 could enter a raffle—what a deal 😳👏
There were also light food stalls, food trucks, and booths selling crafts and relaxation services, creating a calm, pleasant atmosphere 😌💕
A fill-a-bag of mandarins for ¥500 drew challengers who expertly piled the bags full—watching their skill made me laugh out loud 🤣🤣🤣
The festival’s highlights, the hojicha latte and matcha latte, were truly delicious and ordered by many 🤤 I couldn’t stop at the hojicha latte I bought first and ended up enjoying a matcha latte too 🤭 Simply perfect ✨
Inside the building, beautiful kyusus and Sakamotoen’s tea products lined the shelves 😳💡It was pure luxury to imagine brewing tea with a favorite kyusu while browsing the many tea varieties 🥹…
Although it rained, everyone relaxed and smiled as they enjoyed their tea, making it a lovely festival 😌💕
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Gokase Junior High School Product! Dried Shiitake Mushrooms
On Wednesday, November 6th, we observed a class of second-year students at Gokase Junior High School🍄🟫✨
The students handled every step themselves, from sorting and bagging the dried shiitake to setting the price🤗
The shiitake were grown as part of the school's curriculum. The current third-year students inoculated the logs last year, and the second-year students carried out the sorting and packaging this time👏
This year’s yield was lower than usual, so selecting good mushrooms was a tough task💦 However, the students enjoyed the work, consulting with each other—"Is this one okay?" "Maybe not…"—as they made their choices🤗
They weighed and bagged the mushrooms with sales in mind, aiming for balanced portions and an attractive appearance🤔
After sealing the packs neatly with a vacuum sealer, the students set the prices themselves, referring to current market rates👏
Those shiitake were actually sold at the Gokase Specialty Center at the prices the students decided😳✨
Finally, the students learned about log management and precautions, deepening their understanding of Gokase’s specialty product, log-grown shiitake😌✍️
We hope students continue to encounter and cherish the town’s specialties and culture from a young age and carry them forward into the future✨
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Searching for Autumn in Gokase
At Josenji Temple’s three sites, I finally found red maple leaves 😭✨
When I visited last time, only one part had turned red, but that single tree was completely crimson and beautiful 🍁👏
A maple behind the temple gate at the entrance had turned orange 💡
Passing through the gate, I saw a plant bearing glossy red berries… is this viburnum? 🤔 It added an autumnal touch 🤗
Farther in, there were pretty pink and purple plants 🥰 The pink is mayumi (Euonymus) and the purple is muwashikibu (Callicarpa). They somehow give a “girly” vibe🤣 So cute 💕
Josenji Temple might be the most beautifully colored spot in Gokase right now…!?
Gokase Tourism Association is running “Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024” on their Instagram, so take photos while the leaves are still beautiful and enter the contest 🍁📸
See the pinned “Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024” post on their Instagram profile for details 🤗✨
This year the best leaves might be gone before you know it while waiting for peak color. Go find autumn for yourself 🤗✨
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Searching for Autumn in Gokase
This time I’m sharing the fall foliage around Shirataki that I photographed just the other day🍁
To get straight to the point, the autumn colors are…
not here😂!
All we can do is gather the few red maple leaves scattered on the ground to create a touch of autumn😂
The maples along the slope from the parking lot to Shirataki (photos 2 and 3) have faded to a sparse yellow, so it doesn’t really feel like proper fall foliage😓
Well, they’re still pretty in their own way… but you really want to see maples in full red, right?😂
As you climb further toward Shirataki, there were even cherry blossoms blooming out of season🤣🌸
With the recent abnormal weather, the plants must be all confused💦
It’s raining today due to the typhoon (also strange for this season), but the forecast calls for clear skies from tomorrow, so let’s keep hoping the leaves will change more🙏🙏🙏
The Gokase Tourism Association’s Instagram is running “Gokase Autumn Foliage 2024,” so if you spot fall colors in Gokase, please enter and share your photos🍁📸
For details, see the pinned “Gokase Autumn Foliage 2024” post on the association’s Instagram profile🤗✨
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The 22nd Fukushima Festival
Today, Sunday, October 27th, the Fukushima Festival took place at the Welfare Center 😆👏
As always, we worried about rain, but amazingly it turned out sunny and even hot 🫢 It seems the people of Gokase Town’s good deeds convinced the weather to hold off the rain 😆 As soon as the event ended, though, it started raining right on cue ☂️ (laughs)
The venue featured a bazaar booth stocked with a wide variety of items, and everyone was seriously checking each table for bargains 👀💡
There was also an exhibition booth showcasing lovely works created by local residents, and a wax ball-making experience booth run by the G Music Group, offering a relaxed, enjoyable program 🤗
So many delicious stalls lined up that I couldn’t decide what to have for lunch 🤤💕 Wandering around while deciding was part of the fun, though 🤩
The stage program included singing, dancing, and shamisen performances — it was truly fulfilling 🥳 The performers on stage and the cheering audience created a warm, unified atmosphere in the hall 😌💕
There were several moments when I was so moved that tears welled up as I held the camera (in fact, they even fell) 😭✨
In addition to the Social Welfare Council members, local junior high student volunteers and students from Kyushu University of Health and Welfare helped with the event’s operation 😳👏 Thanks to the students’ cooperation, the event took on a friendly, bright atmosphere 🫶
With this “Fukushima Festival,” the town’s October events have come to an end 🥹
November also brings many events 🤩 Everyone, to fully enjoy the upcoming events, please take care to avoid injuries and look after your health 🙌❤️🔥
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Searching for Autumn in Gokase
While taking photos for foliage updates, I went looking for autumn in Gokase🍁
Today I visited Gion Shrine in Kuraoka and three locations at Josenji Temple⛩️✨
...but the leaves hadn’t changed color at all😂
Perhaps the lingering summer heat damaged the leaves and the small temperature differences are to blame🤔
Some maple-type trees showed partial color, but on closer inspection most leaves were blackened and withered in places😣
The maples at Josenji looked relatively pretty, but only in a few high-up sections, so overall it still feels like it’s just getting started💡
Josenji’s bamboo fence was repaired and looks fresh and neat👏 You can’t help but want to see that restored bamboo fence paired with beautiful autumn colors😭
Let’s pray the foliage progresses from here and keep watching over it🙏🙏🙏
The "Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024" event is also underway, so if you spot autumn colors in Gokase, please submit your photos🍁📸
For details, please see the pinned post titled "Gokase Autumn Leaves 2024" 🤗✨
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