兵庫県丹波にある浄丸神社の姫ホタル
丹波はホタルの撮影スポットがたくさんあるのですが、水の上を姫ホタルはあまり見た事がなく他のカメラマンさん達もたくさんいたのですが、私は滝の前で撮影したくて、一人川を越え近くまで来たのですが、帰りは真っ暗闇の中手探りで来た道をライトは一切使用出来ないので引き返すの大変でした。
そして何とか元来た道に戻れたもののヒルに噛まれ血まみれに大変でした。

成田山新勝寺で撮影しました。

春が確実に歩んできているのでしょう。

[Englsh／日本語]
It's March from today. Restrictions on the entry of new foreign nationals into Japan will be greatly eased from March 1. Foreign students who have been waiting to enter Japan for the past two years will finally have a chance to come to Japan. This is a great thing for both international students and Japanese language schools. Even though the restrictions on new arrivals have been eased, there are still rules regarding vaccines and quarantine. In this article, I will briefly introduce the rules.(*This information is current as of March 1 and may be subject to change in the future. Please check the website for details.)

(1) People who have completed their third vaccination (people entering the country from designated countries or regions)
People who have completed three doses of vaccination with the types of vaccines designated by Japan are subject to a seven-day voluntary waiting period. However, if you take a PCR test on the third day of the waiting period and it is confirmed negative, you will be exempted from the voluntary waiting period.

(2)People who have completed their third vaccination (people entering Japan from countries and regions other than those designated)
Those who have completed three vaccinations with the types of vaccines designated by Japan are exempted from the waiting list.

(3)People who have not completed their third vaccination (people entering from designated countries/regions)
You wait for three days in accommodations provided by the quarantine office.If the PCR test is negative on the third day, you will be allowed to leave the accommodation and will not be required to stay at home.

(4) People who have not completed the third vaccination (people entering the country from outside of the designated countries and regions)
You will be placed on voluntary standby for 7 days. However, if you take a PCR test on the third day of the waiting period and it is confirmed negative, you will be exempted from the voluntary waiting period.

If you are on voluntary standby, you can use public transportation within 24 hours of your arrival. In addition, waiting at the quarantine station can be done by public transportation if the PCR test is negative on the third day.
I think it has been a difficult two years for the students who were planning to study in Japan. We are looking forward to seeing you all soon.

今日から3月です。日本は3月1日から外国人の新規入国制限が大幅に緩和されます。この2年、入国を待っていた留学生たちがやっと日本に来られるチャンスを得ました。これは留学生にとっても日本語学校にとっても喜ばしいことです。新規入国制限が緩和されたと言っても、ワクチンに関することや隔離などルールはあります。今回はそのルールについて簡単に紹介します。（※これは3月1日時点の情報であり、今後変更する可能性があります。詳しくはHP等で確認してください。）

①3度目のワクチン接種が完了している人（指定国・地域からの入国者）
日本が指定しているワクチンの種類で、3回ワクチン接種が完了している人は7日間の自主待機があります。ただ、待機3日目にPCR検査を受けて陰性が確認されれば、自主待機は免除されます。

②3度目のワクチン接種が完了している人（指定国・地域以外からの入国者）
日本が指定しているワクチンの種類で、3回ワクチン接種が完了している人は待機が免除になります。

③3度目のワクチン接種が完了していない人（指定国・地域からの入国者）
検疫所が用意した宿泊施設で3日間待機。3日目にPCR検査で陰性だった場合は、宿泊施設の退所が認められ、その後も自宅待機をしなくてもいいです。

④3度目のワクチン接種が完了していない人（指定国・地域以外からの入国者）
7日間の自主待機をします。ただ、待機3日目にPCR検査を受けて陰性が確認されれば、自主待機は免除されます。

自主待機の場合、入国から24時間以内なら公共交通機関が利用できます。また、検疫所での待機は3日目のPCR検査で陰性が認められれば公共交通機関を利用できます。

日本留学を予定していた学生たちにとっては苦しい2年間だったと思います。私たちはみなさんと会える日を心待ちにしています。

冬の寒さから段々と暖かくなり、山の麓にある桜が満開を迎えようとしている日本の季節の移り変わりを感じることの出来る写真です。

まだまだ肌寒いが梅の華は綺麗です。

Beautifully decorated Yokohama China town during chinese new year using red lantern, chinese hoardings and lantern dragons.

マイホームにて。初節句の雛祭り?
じぃとばぁから貰った雛人形をバックにカチャ?
毎日笑顔で過ごせますように❣️

撮影地 長崎

行事 「精霊流し」

故人の好きだったものや写真などを精霊船にのせ
川や海に流す行事。その際行く道にて爆竹を盛大に鳴らす。

成田山新勝寺にて撮影しました。?初詣のときに敷地内にある五重の塔の造形美に惹かれて撮影。1500年の歴史を垣間見ることができました。

今日のメジロさん。
網戸越しですが、良く撮れました。

淡路島淡路市に陶器を焼く登り窯があります。
毎年2月年一度だけ4日間寝ずに薪を入れていき温度を上げ奥の窯から大きな炎が燃え上がり
陶芸家前田幸一様の手掛けた数々の作品がこの窯で生まれます。
朝ドラのスカーレットでもこの様なシーンがあり情熱に満ち溢れた時間素晴らしくゆっくり時間をかけて冷ましていき新な作品が生まれ
手間を惜しまず一生懸命目標に向けて取り組む姿勢は格好よく自分自身もいろんな事に向き合い頑張らないとと痛感し勉強になりました。
去年アポを取り貴重な体験をさせて頂き本当に感謝です。

タイトルは『踊るよさこい旗』
いつかまた踊り子さんたちと観客の熱気を感じられる特別な4日間が訪れますように

[English／日本語]
February 22 is "Cat Day" in Japan. In Japan, February 22 is "Cat Day", and there is a lot of excitement as people upload pictures of cats on social media. Do you like cats? Or do you prefer dogs? In this article, I would like to talk about the pet situation in Japan.

1) Cat boom
In Japan, many people have always owned dogs, but in 2017, the number of cat owners surpassed the number of dog owners. The reason for this is that Japan is an aging society. Dogs have to be accompanied on walks, and elderly people who are worried about their physical strength tend to choose cats that don't need to be walked. Also, more and more people are keeping pets because they are spending more time at home due to the influence of Corona. I wonder if it's the same in your country?

2)Can international students have pets?
Very few international students have pets. To own a dog, you have to pay several hundred thousand yen at a pet store and also have to get shots. In addition, most apartments in Japan do not allow pets. However, sometimes people keep hamsters, which are relatively cheap and do not have as long a life span as dogs and cats. I heard a story about a Japanese language school that had a problem with a student who suddenly decided to return to his home country and asked them to take in his turtle. Pets are life. It is important to keep them responsibly.

3) If you miss your pet...
Some people who used to have pets in their home countries may become stressed out because they cannot interact with their pets during their long stay in Japan. Recently in Japan, there has been an increase in the number of cafes with cats and dogs, where you can casually interact with cats and dogs for just a fee and a drink. In addition to cats and dogs, some of these animal cafes also have birds and reptiles. Please try to use them.

Our school does not allow pets in the dormitories. However, there are cat cafes and dog cafes around the school. There is also a zoo just a few stops away from the school. If you are an animal lover, I think you will enjoy your study abroad experience at our school.
2月22日は日本では「猫の日」です。雑貨店などでは猫の絵が描かれた商品が売り出され、SNSでそれをアップする人で盛り上がっています。みなさんは猫が好きですか？それとも犬が好きですか？今回は日本のペット事情についてお話します。

①猫ブーム
日本では昔から犬を飼っている人が多くいましたが、2017年に猫の飼育数が犬の飼育数を上回りました。理由としては日本が高齢化していることにあります。犬は散歩についれていかなければならないということもあり、体力に不安のある高齢者は散歩の必要のない猫を選ぶ傾向にあるそうです。また、コロナの影響により家で過ごす時間が増えたため、ペットを飼う人も増えているそうです。みなさんの国でも同じでしょうか？

②留学生はペットを飼える？
留学生でペットを飼っている人はほとんどいません。犬を飼うためにはペットショップで数十万円払い、さらに注射を打たなければなりません。また、日本のアパートなどではほとんどがペットを飼うことを禁止しています。しかし、比較的安く寿命が犬や猫ほど長くない「ハムスター」を飼う人はときどきいます。ある日本語学校で、急に帰国することになった学生から亀をひきとってほしいと言われ、困ったことがあったという話を聞いたことがあります。ペットは命です。ちゃんと責任を持って飼うようにしましょう。

③ペットが恋しくなったら…
母国でペットを飼っていた人は長い留学生活でペットと触れ合えず、ストレスがたまってしまう人もいます。日本では最近、猫や犬のいるカフェが増えていて、利用料とドリンク代だけで猫や犬と気軽に触れ合うことができます。また、この動物と触れ合えるカフェは、猫や犬だけではなく鳥や爬虫類などを扱っているところもあります。ぜひ利用してみてくださいね。

本校では寮でペットを飼うことを禁止しています。しかし、学校周辺には猫カフェや犬カフェがあります。また、動物園も学校から数駅のところにあります。動物好きの人は本校で留学生活を楽しむことができると思いますよ。

ひなまつりは今から約1000年前、平安時代にその頃の貴族の間で始まったと言われています。
その頃は３月初めの巳の日に無病息災を願っておはらいをする「上巳の節句」が行われており、この日には陰陽師（占い師）を
呼びお祈りを捧げ、紙や草木で作った簡素な人形にお酒や供え物を添えて、自分の身代わりとして川や海に流しました。
当時はお人形のことを「ひいな」と呼んでおり、この「上巳の節句」と「ひいな遊び」がひとつになって今のようなひなまつりになったと考えられています。
この様に昔から伝わる桃の節句にお雛様を飾り子供の健やかな成長を願う意義深い行事を子供達と一緒に飾って後世に伝えたい物ですね

The shrine and its nearby area at China town, Yokohama were well decorated with lights and lanterns before the Chinese new year. It looks very beautiful and charming.

Just some more photos to wrap up our trip to Nikko.

I took a bunch of photos of different monuments and buildings that seemed important or had lavish decorations.
I can't make out what the writing on the monument says but I can at least make out the kanji for heart (心).

I also liked the golden palanquins inside the the building in the forth photo, although I'm not sure if they were used at some point or are simply for decoration.

The other photos are from Futarasan Chugushi Shrine (二荒山中宮祠神社) located in front of Lake Chuzenji.
Unfortunately we didn't have time to go inside the shrine but I was at least able to take some nice photos of the torii gate.
Apparently it has a kagura hall as well and the entrance to Mt. Nantai is located inside the shrine as well.

And finally, just an assortment of food that I haven't posted yet.
All of it tasted great.
It was definitely a trip I'm never going to forget!

ひな祭りですね
旧吉田邸にて。

Some more photos from our trip to Nikko.

There were so many awesome monuments, landmarks, and buildings that it'd be impossible to fit it all into one post.

I was so glad that I had my mobile battery with me because I was taking so many photos that I was just burning through my battery lol.
I really liked how the incense burner looked and I tried looking up how old it was but I wasn't able to find anything about it, only the one in front of Tokugawa Ieyasu's burial site.

I would have liked to use the chozuya as well, but unfortunately it was closed off due to covid.
I also liked seeing the sake barrels as well as they always brighten up shrines.

The "Ippon Toro" lantern was interesting as well.
I'd never heard of Empress Tofukumon'in before either, so it gave me some interesting things to read about Japan's Edo Period.
Apparently she helped rebuild prominent temple in Kyoto and collected art and pottery from famous artisans of the time and even those of the past.

Some buildings I'd have to look at a map to know their names but there was definitely no shortage of decorations.
Unfortunately we weren't able to take photos inside some of the main buildings, but a few of them had ceiling paintings done by famous painters.
Many of them were birds, and I'm not an expert, but I think they were mostly cranes and they were all really beautiful.

楊谷寺 花手水
2年前来たときは柄杓に「そうだ京都、行こう」のロゴは入っていなかったのですが、ここ数年でSNSで話題になり変わっていました。
相変わらず紫陽花が敷き詰められております観光客の方も多く来られておりました。

望遠で圧縮効果、不要な物を一切映さずシンプルに撮影しました。

Famous Dragon Dance during Chinese New Year Festival at Yokohama's famous China Town. The dragon dance is very cute, funny and interesting. It was a vibrant and colorful festival.

Continuing on from yesterday's post...

On the second and final day of our trip we woke up and ate a light breakfast followed by some udon and soba at a nice little restaurant on the way to the Kirifuri Highlands (霧降高原).

We were originally planning on hiking up to the observation deck around 880 meters up the mountain, but it proved to be a little farther than we thought it would be an had to stop at around 650 meters as there was a massive staircase to reach the observation deck and not everyone in the group was up for the challenge lol.
Not having the proper gear didn't help much either.
Most people had on snow shoes and they could easily trek through the snow but wearing just boots or tennis shoes we were a bit under-equipped and decided it'd be better not to overdo it.
We got to see some really amazing views and talk to an 85-year-old man who told us what gear we should buy if we're planning on hiking in the snow, about how the dam located on the mountains across from us rises and falls during the day/night, and how this was his ~60th time climbing the mountain but the woman he came with has done it more than 300 times.
She had to turn back early that day, but those are some impressive numbers!

After enjoying the outdoors we headed over to Nikko Edomura/Edo Wonderland (日光江戸村) and had a blast exploring the theme park.
We arrived at about 2pm so we got a nice discount on our all-day passes.

Walking around we got to see all of the different buildings that gave the theme park its Edo-Period-feel.
We also got to see the oiran procession (花魁道中) which was really awesome as well.

It seemed like they tried to make it as accurate as possible too.
The way the courtesan walked was in the traditional figure eight style which, from what I've read, is not easily done, so I assume that this is a sort of special type of profession as she was doing it (to my untrained eye) perfectly.
One funny thing was that the girls in red in front of the courtesan had to slouch somewhat because they were too tall and the theme park obviously can't employ children to play the role like they would have traditionally.

We also got some temporary "tattoos."
They got some cute Nyan-mage tattoos and I got a Shinsengumi tattoo lol.

After that we watched a really awesome performance inside of the ninja theater, but we weren't allowed to film or take photos so I don't have anything to post unfortunately.
It was really cool seeing the ninja actors jumping off of rooves and fighting though.

On top of that we also tried out the ninja maze where I was unfortunately the last one to make it out as I got unlucky and hit a dead end at the last part of the maze.
This was a really fun experience as there were a lot of hidden and revolving doors that you had to find to escape the maze.

We also did the shuriken experience and I managed to get 3/5 but I gave one of my shuriken to my girlfriend in the hopes that she would stick one in the target but unfortunately she wasn't able to lol.
I guess I was technically 3/4 because of that.

Overall the whole trip was a blast and we got to make some awesome memories out in Tochigi.
I definitely recommend it as a travel destination!

小野私立好古館にあるひな祭りの雛人形を見て来たのですが、かなりの数が盛大に雛壇に並べられ入り口正面にあり圧巻でした。

Vibrant and colorful attire, graceful performers ,jolly faces .... Every good things were present during the 38th Samba festival of Asakusa.

Took a trip out to Nikko, Tochigi over the three day weekend and had an incredible time.
The purpose of the trip was to celebrate my girlfriend's sister's college graduation so we wanted to make it as memorable as possible.
I don't have enough room to fit this into one post so I'll post the rest throughout the week.

We started out from Tokyo and had lunch somewhere Nikko Toshogu Shrine.
I'm not sure if Yuba is a local specialty but it seemed like literally every single restaurant in the area was selling it so I'm assuming that was the case.
It was my first time trying it and it was pretty interesting I guess you could say.
It tasted alright with the soy sauce and radish but I think I prefer normal tofu instead. Either way it was a nice experience.

After eating we headed out to Nikko Toshogu Shrine nearby and man was it amazing.
Everything was so lavishly decorated that I couldn't stop taking photos.
The pagoda was incredibly beautiful as well and the snow covering the Nikko area made everything even more beautiful.

I was lucky enough to get a really nice shot of the corridor full of lanterns while no one was walking through the area as well.
I also took a photo of the torii gate at the top of the steps as it had a very strong presence and signaled the end of the long journey up the steps to reach the inner shrine.

Unfortunately the main gate was undergoing repairs so it was completely covered in tarp and surrounded by staging so I wasn't able to get a photo of it, but I did get some really cool shots of the main shrine.

I tried as hard as I could to get some good photos of the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and while I think the photo of the gate isn't bad, I think I'd need a better camera to get a good shot of the crane and his tomb.
That being said it was still really awesome to see.

After checking out the shrine we headed out to Kegon Falls and I managed to get some really nice videos and some decent photos as well.
I can't post the videos or I would.
It was really awesome seeing the icicles surrounding the waterfall and all of the frozen scenery as well.
Even just taking the lift down to the waterfall was an experience.
After we left the waterfall observation deck and went back up the elevator we got some suiton (水団, flour dumplings in soup) and shared it between the three of us as a light snack before dinner later that evening.
We also visited Lake Chuzenji and admired the scenery there for a bit as well.
We didn't spend a ton of time here so this photo was the best I could do.
I like that I was able to get the sign in the shot though so I can't complain.

After enjoying the view of the lake we headed to our hotel and ate dinner and had some wine.
The place we stayed at was called "Lamb Chop" (ペンション・ラムチャップ日光).
The food was great and service provided by the the owners was top notch, so I definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking for a place to stay in the area.

After dinner we headed back to our room and I was so exhausted I fell asleep almost instantly.

And that was the end of day 1! I'll post day two tomorrow since this post is getting quite long now!

［English／日本語］
Currently, most people are wearing masks due to the coronavirus, but since there have always been so many people in Japan wearing masks from February to April, all foreign tourists are surprised. The reason why they wear masks is "hay fever". Especially at this time of the year, people who are allergic to cedar are wearing masks. Many foreign students are suffering from hay fever. In this article, I would like to tell you about this hay fever.

1) One out of three international students has hay fever?
According to some data, one out of every three international students will develop hay fever for the first time after coming to Japan. Also, the number of international students who develop hay fever in their third year in Japan is the highest, followed by those in their first year. International students may misunderstand that they have a prolonged cold at first because there are no hay fever sufferers around them in their country and they do not know what hay fever is like. Unlike a cold, hay fever has strong symptoms of runny nose, itchy eyes, and an itchy nose. If you have any idea what it is, please consult with your school teacher first.

2)Hay fever prevention goods
So how do Japanese people get over the hay fever season? Most people take medicines prescribed by hospitals or over-the-counter medicines. In addition to medicines, there are many other goods that are sold on the streets to alleviate the symptoms of hay fever. For example, glasses for hay fever and high quality tissues that do not damage the nose. Sales of air purifiers also increase during this season. For those who don't have the money or the time to go to the hospital, there is a life hack that says applying Vaseline to the entrance of the nose can reduce the symptoms. Also, lack of sleep and alcohol consumption are said to worsen hay fever symptoms. Take care to delay your healthy lifestyle.

★Extras
In Tokyo, one out of two people is said to have hay fever. The topic of hay fever is also an opportunity to get to know Japanese people. It is said that when a person who has never had hay fever before gets hay fever, the person who has had hay fever for many years will say "Welcome ☺". I urge you to talk to them!

現在、コロナウィルスの影響でほとんどの人がマスクをしていますが、日本では昔から2月から4月にかけてマスクをしている人がとても多いので、外国人観光客はみんな驚くそうです。マスクをしている理由は「花粉症」です。特にこの時期は杉のアレルギーの人がマスクをしています。留学生の多くが花粉症に悩まされています。今回はこの花粉症についてお伝えします。

①留学生の3人に1人が花粉症？
あるデータによると留学生3人に1人が日本に来て初めて花粉症を発症するそうです。また、花粉症になった留学生は3年目にかかる人が1位、次いで1年目が2位という結果が出ています。留学生は国でも花粉症の人がまわりになく、また花粉症がどのような症状かわからないため、最初は風邪が長引いていると勘違いしてしまうことがあります。花粉症は風邪などと違って、鼻水の症状が強く、目のかゆみや鼻のかゆみがあります。心当たりのある人はまずは学校の先生に相談してみましょう。

②花粉症対策グッズ
では、日本人はどのようにして花粉症の時期を乗り越えているでしょう。ほとんど人が病院で処方された薬や市販薬を飲んでいます。薬以外にも花粉症の症状をやわらげるグッズなどが街ではこの時期によく売られています。例えば、花粉症用のめがねや鼻を傷めない高級ティッシュなどです。また、この時期は空気清浄機の売上も伸びます。お金がない人や時間がなくて病院に行けない人などは鼻の入り口にワセリンを塗ると症状が軽くなるというライフハックもあります。また、睡眠不足やアルコールの摂取は花粉症の症状を悪化させると言われています。健康的な生活を遅れるように気をつけましょう。

番外編
東京都では2人に1人が花粉症であると言われています。花粉症の話題は日本人と仲良くなれるチャンスでもあります。今まで花粉症ではなかった人が花粉症になると、長年花粉症だった人から「ようこそ☺」と言われるそうです。ぜひぜひ話しかけてみてくださいね！

Although the samba dance is from Brazil but I saw it 1st time in Tokyo at Asakusa area. It was from 38th Asakusa Samba carnival in 2019. I was really very excited and happy to see it. Unfortunately from 2020 because of corona the event is not happening but I wish this 2022 I could see it again.

福岡県北九州市にある恵比寿神社でのお宮参りの様子です。
赤ちゃんの健やかな成長を願い、生後一ヶ月頃に御参りします。
その後も、七五三や成人等、人生の節目に御参りする人が多いです。お宮参りは、その1番初めにあたるもの、神様への初お目見えです。
見守ってくれる神様がいると思うと、何だか心強いですね。

河津桜が開花しました

過去から現在まで人間が作った物も
自然もいいものは全て
未来に残していけたらいいな☺️