Explore the latest news from the university of Northern Colorado shares how her time on campus shaped her rising opera career Page Last Updated: Today | Contact for this Page: Deanna Herbert Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Regional banks are increasingly adopting “every-other-day” operations for their branches to reduce staff numbers but continue offering services in rural areas The long period of low interest rates has taken a toll on their traditional businesses they are staggering the operations of nearby branches to ensure areas are not bereft of banking services given the expenses needed to maintain and repair the buildings while customer numbers decline it is unclear how long this strategy can continue many customers who were trying to complete their banking chores for the month visited the Yoshinoguchi branch of Nanto Bank in Gose came to the branch to transfer salary payments to his employees’ accounts He has been using Nanto Bank for about half a century But the Wakigami branch was closed on that day in late June so he had to visit the Yoshinoguchi branch started every-other-day operations for two sets of two branches in spring 2020 One branch of each pair is open on Mondays while the other opens on Tuesdays and Thursdays A total of 10 people used to work at the Yoshinoguchi and Wakigami branches The five remaining staff members now work at both branches “I was worried about whether the procedures would go smoothly,” the business owner who visited the Yoshinoguchi branch said “But it turned out there were no problems because the same clerks work at both branches.” The Yoshinoguchi and Wakigami branches stand in what had been a thriving area for the forest industry particularly for “Yoshino sugi” brand wood The area also has produced famous “Yoshino kuzu” used for Japanese sweets “The local economy has not been thriving like before,” said Kazuhiro Yasukawa The branches are surrounded by residential areas and many of their customers are elderly individuals The number of customers has also been decreasing After Nanto Bank struggled to reduce the costs to run its branches it decided to carry out large-scale restructuring that cut annual operational expenses by an estimated 400 million yen ($ 2.7 million) It shut down branches and combined 30 others but it tried to retain branch numbers and accounts to make services easier for customers “The area’s population is aging and public transportation often does not run so we took an every-other-day-operation style for customers’ convenience,” Satoshi Goto vice head of the sales support division of Nanto Bank Managing regional banks has also reached a turning point because of digitalization and other factors “We had to restructure branch networks in accordance with the needs of customers instead of continuing our traditional practice of setting up offices near stations or in densely populated areas and waiting for customers at those branches,” he said Banks were originally obliged to operate their branches every weekday under the Order for Enforcement of the Banking Law But the Financial Service Agency amended the law in 2018 allowing banks to close branches on weekdays That legal change also allowed regional banks to start every-other-day operations The Bank of Kochi in Kochi Prefecture introduced such operations at its Ikegawa and Ochi branches in July The Ikegawa branch is the only financial institution operating in the mountainous location it instructed the branch to focus on individual customers while representatives from nearby branches visit corporate customers when asked adopted every-other-day operations at two branches in the Oki islands The bank integrated 33 branches and sub-branches in 2020 because its customers have decreased in number by 40 percent over the past 10 years The two branches are the only ones on their respective islands in the Oki chain Although the two island branches also had fewer customers the bank keep them open for the convenience of the remaining clients the bank adopted every-other-day operations at the two branches in 2023 and created through the merger of Mie Bank and Daisan Bank in 2021 introduced every-other-day operations in 2022 at its Isobe and Hamajima branches The bank kept open the Hamajima branch because another regional bank had already shut down its offices in the area San Ju San Bank said it wanted to avoid a situation in which no financial services would be available in the area Quite a few branch buildings of San Ju San Bank are old and in need of repairs A bank official said introducing the every-other-day operations instead of closing the branch was a special case became the first regional bank in the northeastern region to adopt every-other-day operations Fukuoka Bank will also start every-other-day operations in October at its branch in Kama “The low interest rates forced banks to curb hiring and they are suffering from worker shortages,” said Hideo Oshima a senior researcher at the Japan Research Institute “Adopting every-other-day operations increases building costs but it halves the number of staff at branches banks can allocate staff to high-demand financial consulting jobs.” He continued: “Regional banks’ strength in branch networks enables them to compete with megabanks They need to search for effective ways to use these branches in this era such as operating branches that specialize either in agriculture industry or local corporations.” Mizuho Bank rocked by fifth computer glitch this year Heavy rain forecast for wide areas as typhoon sideswipes Japan Mizuho Bank ordered to report on fifth system failure this year Information on the latest cherry blossom conditions Please right click to use your browser’s translation function.) A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II In-house News and Messages No reproduction or republication without written permission © East Tennessee State University — All Rights Reserved. The words “board of education” can conjure up negative images. You may recall a scene where a board superintendent bows and apologizes at a press conference when there has been an accident or scandal at a school. If you are a parent dissatisfied with your child’s homeroom teacher and can’t resolve it with the principal, you may turn to the board of education. Despite these negative images, however, I believe there are more positive roles that are not well-known to the public. To use this site, please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page. This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content, and analyzing our website traffic. By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies. Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent. We apologize for any inconvenience caused. To gather information on such positive roles for an article in The Yomiuri Shimbun, I visited a municipal elementary school in Nanto, Toyama Prefecture. I went to observe the “Team Homeroom Teaching System” introduced there. The city has a declining birth rate and a shrinking population, making it difficult to secure enough experienced teachers. Therefore, the board of education encourages combining classes when needed so that experienced and inexperienced teachers can work together. When two teachers cooperate in teaching, the burden is greatly reduced. Experienced teachers or those proficient in specific subjects can lead the classes, allowing younger teachers to learn excellent teaching methods. By simply relaxing the traditional idea about what a homeroom teacher should be like, we can solve various issues. What’s revolutionary in Nanto is that they also encourage such joint classes across grades, like combining first and second grades, or third and fourth. For some subjects, such as music, art, physical education and ethics, the National Curriculum Guidelines set goals and content in two-year increments rather than by grade level. This means you can teach certain content anytime within those two years. For example, morning glories, which are usually grown by first graders to learn about the importance of living things, can be grown by second graders. Likewise, sewing and cooking can be taught to either fifth or sixth graders. Such joint classes are familiar in small branch schools in mountainous areas where one teacher handles two grades. “So, it should be fine to do it in regular schools too. We confirmed with the Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry that there’s no problem,” Nanto Superintendent Kenichi Matsumoto, 67, explained. Teachers in the city welcomed this system. A third-grade teacher in her 20s said: “Multiple teachers can watch over students who need attention. We can learn by observing veteran teachers’ classes.” A fourth-grade teacher in his late 20s said: “We can prepare classes and study teaching materials more efficiently. When someone needs a break, there’s always someone to step in, so it’s a relief mentally.” Two months later in late June, Matsumoto went to Niigata City to make a presentation at a national conference on exploratory learning. Before becoming superintendent in 2019, he had experience as an elementary and middle school teacher, and a university professor. Before researchers and teachers from all over the country, he emphasized: “The biggest problem is that many people still believe that what we have always done is the only way. Principals should innovate together with everyone to make things easier and more effective. If something doesn’t work, stop it — even mid-year. Our motto should be to review all post-World War II ‘norms.’” A board of education is an organization whose members discuss and execute educational administration. Such boards exist in all prefectures and municipalities. To avoid sharp policy changes with each election, the principle of “layman control” has been maintained. However, while this provides long-term stability, it often results in resistance to necessary changes. Recently, though, boards of education seem to be changing rapidly. The catalyst was the 2011 bullying-related suicide of a junior high school student in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture. The city’s board of education failed to take prompt action, revealing ambiguity as to where responsibility lay. The Central Education Council made recommendations that resulted in legal changes giving governors and mayors, as well as newly empowered superintendents, more responsibility, leading to more active initiatives. At the Niigata academic conference, in addition to Matsumoto’s presentation, there were many presentations exploring the possibilities of boards of education. One example was Setagaya Ward in Tokyo. While Nanto has a population of 46,000 and about 3,000 elementary and middle school students combined, Setagaya Ward has a population of 910,000 — 20 times larger — and 50,000 students in ward-run schools alone. Setagaya Ward started a project called “Hello Career Work” in February 2023 to leverage the educational potential of local businesses, organizations and families. To test the skills acquired through the exploratory learning emphasized in the ward, children were placed with companies to work on real-life problems the businesses faced, an idea conceived by the then superintendent. Workplace experiences are already part of career education in elementary and middle schools. “Rather than leaving them simply as experiences, we had them tackle real issues. We want the children to learn what roles they can play and how to use their abilities in society,” explained Yuya Takahashi, who was in charge of the project at the board of education and is now the vice principal of Setagaya Ward’s Seta Junior High School. As a result of the project, there is growing understanding among local businesses, which are increasingly cooperating with schools, such as by providing guest lecturers. A system to share and recognize career education efforts in each school has also been created. The board of education is setting up an environment to create schools open to society. There are limits to what schools alone can do to improve classes and educational environments. With more boards of education run by education administration professionals and experts, they can better manage education in changing times. Therefore, we may have to be more positive about our boards of education and cooperate with them more. Hattori is a staff writer in the Education News Department of The Yomiuri Shimbun Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting, readable fomat. © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun NewsletterExplore the best restaurants Eiji Taniguchi’s restaurant is at one with its landscape The chef moved to this remote location in Toyama prefecture in 2010 Here beneath the Tateyama mountains and next to the Jinzū river Taniguchi crafts ultra-local dishes based on ultra-seasonal ingredients blending the influences of his Asian and European experience to create a cuisine that is wholly his own – to say nothing of continuing the tradition of his forebears Taniguchi forages for ingredients in the forests surrounding the restaurant and what he can’t find himself he relies upon from a network of trusted local farmers The exquisite-looking results feel as much a part of the surrounding nature as the view through the full-length windows of the minimalist Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors in order to retrofit the ‘between house johana’ to be earthquake resistant as possible, takahito miyagishima architects left the exterior largely untouched and focused toward the interior the exterior tin walls had developed a patina which blends in with natural surroundings this quality was retained and integrated into the renovation were replaced with bay windows of the same size the glazing area can be reduced and the interface with the existing exterior wall can be simplified the triangular shape of the bay window faces the surrounding environment from various angles and expands the interior space the team discovered new relationships with its ‘between house and johana’ and its surrounding environment these include the showcase facing the approach the headboard of the bed with a view of the old city the bench in the dining room connected to the garden path and the veranda with a distant view of the mountains these functions seek to establish ‘ways of doing things that are unique to this place’ that bring joy and comfort the bay window was covered with cedar clapboard the new cedar clapboard bay window dances on the aged tin exterior wall creating a variegated appearance of texture and time takahito miyagishima architects divides the plan into three zones — the entrance hall the only element changed is the thinning out of the partition walls these three spaces are designed to be circular and the repaired yukimi shoji screens and sliding doors are rearranged the bay windows create a unique experience that is accentuated by the connection to the town environment the experience of this kind of architecture makes the familiar environment seem different the team notes the possibilities to create a relationship in which architecture and environment constantly stimulate and renew each other the environment can be manipulated more creatively to become a part of the architecture project title: between house and johana architecture: takahito miyagishima architects AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style Friends give East Tennessee State student Darack Nanto a lift after he did 86 diamond push-ups in a minute on Friday at the Basler Center for Fitness in Johnson City Darack Nanto does a diamond push-up during Friday's world-record attempt at the Basler Center for Fitness in Johnson City Darack Nanto celebrates while ETSU trainer Curtis Souksavong cheers in the background after Nanto did 86 diamond push-ups in a minute JOHNSON CITY — Darack Nanto dreamed of being in the Guinness Book of World Records as a middle school student in his home country of Togo Now as an East Tennessee State graduate student Nanto may have finally fulfilled his dream He did 86 push-ups in one minute at the Basler Center for Fitness on the ETSU campus Friday evening breaking the old mark of 84 set by Rain Chua Qin in Singapore on Feb ETSU trainer Curtis Souksavong took video of the event and was in the process of turning in the time certification witness accounts and videos — including slow-motion video — to the Guinness folks before the achievement is officially recognized Nanto experienced a huge sense of accomplishment after doing thousands of push-ups over the past couple of months to get ready for the challenge He chose to do the diamond push-up because it was the one he struggled with the most “That was the ultimate dream for me,” Nanto said “As a middle school student I remember looking through those 2005 and 2006 Guinness Book of World Records why don’t I try to break the record?’ Since the diamond push-up was my weakest I took that on because it was personal to me.” but afterward was showered with cheers from a room filled with friends and supporters Nanto explained that the silence was needed because of the intense focus required He was physically ready at 5-foot-10 and 192 pounds He last checked in with 9 percent body fat a year ago but clearly had taken that number down since then Nanto is training to represent his country in the skeleton event at the next Winter Olympics “You have to get your body ready for that,” he said of the challenge “After you’re doing the diamond push-ups so fast in one minute you’re feeling the lactic acid and your body is getting sore That’s the hardest part physically: getting where you’re numb to it and your body is so used to it.” the physical challenge wasn’t the toughest part He tried to keep count of the number of push-ups he was doing during training he simply focused on pushing and going through the motions Nanto ended with 88 push-ups before two were automatically disqualified from when he collapsed on the ground “I was pushing myself to just do it,” Nanto said my body was trying to give up after 75 or 80 push-ups “I wanted to do this to represent Togo but also to represent ETSU I’ve been going to ETSU for six years since my undergrad and now I’m finishing up my master’s certificate in business administration So many people from different departments came to support me Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Please disable your ad blocker, whitelist our site, or purchase a subscription Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Toyama Prefecture is a treasure box of impressive unique traditional townscapes Exploring along stone-paved Yokamachi Street of Inami District in Nanto City which is filled with dozens of woodcarving workshops will make you feel as though you stumbled into an open-air museum Let the sights and sounds transport you to a different time The atmosphere of the district and the distinct sound of woodcarving heard here was even recognized for being one of the 100 best soundscapes by the Japanese government in 1996 Take a walk along the uphill street towards Zuisenji often referred to as the San Pietro Cathedral of the Hokuriku region Zuisenji’s breathtaking woodcarvings have been compared to the likes of masterpieces by Rafael and Michaelangelo highly skilled carvers from Kyoto arrived to aid local carvers in the restoration of the beloved place of worship Zuisenji was registered as a Japan Heritage site by the government for its over 200 years of unique woodcarving tradition and history the Kyoto carvers passed on their woodcarving skills and tradition to the local carvers thus establishing Inami as a district dedicated to the craft the award-winning Wakatsuru Saburomaru Distillery produces fine whisky with a rich The distillery has 160 years of history in the region and started producing Sunshine Whiskey in 1952 The spirit was sold to stimulate the local economy as Japan recovered from World War II The whiskey took two awards at the World Whiskies Awards 2023 a global whisky competition organized by Whisky Magazine (UK) Another beautiful townscape to visit in the region is Iwase Town in Toyama City a stunning port town with impressive architecture Throughout the Edo and Meiji Eras (1603-1912) Toyama was a thriving hub for cargo ships running from Osaka to Hokkaido there are no power cables or utility poles to obstruct the views just traditional buildings to transport you back to old Japan Grab a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants housed inside the traditional townhouses or check out the local craft shops and art galleries crafts high-end sake that pairs well with the local produce and fresh seafood Drop by the brewery to sample Masuizumi Junmai-daiginjo (top-quality sake brewed from pure rice grains that are carefully milled to 50 percent or less) mellow yet full-bodied texture sure will knock you out Sign up for our weekly newsletter of articles from Japan Niigata — In the small settlement of Kitakoura in northern Sado Island please disable the ad blocking feature and reload the page This website uses cookies to collect information about your visit for purposes such as showing you personalized ads and content By clicking “Accept all,” you will allow the use of these cookies Users accessing this site from EEA countries and UK are unable to view this site without your consent By Yasuyuki Yamada / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer is the oldest skipper of the recreational fishing boats that take divers from the settlement to a diving spot called Akaiwa about 500 meters off the coast The divers come here hoping to glimpse kobudai fish living in and around Akaiwa which is about 20 meters below the surface are known for the large bump on their head and protruding jaw Adult kobudai can exceed 1 meter in length Those found off Sado will swim right up to divers and are popular for their friendly nature Nanto became a fisherman after graduating from junior high school He caught sazae turban shells and other shellfish this method brought him face to face with a kobudai in the sea for the first time “I was surprised to see a fish that big,” Nanto recalled Nanto’s acquaintances encouraged him to make the area into a diving spot but Nanto repeatedly held discussions with them and eventually won them over The fishermen went diving in the area time and time again to get the kobudai accustomed to people A string of boss kobudai have reigned over Akaiwa through the years According to the Sado Scuba Diving Association Secretariat the kobudai that sparked the area’s popularity was called Benkei This fish even appeared in a French nature documentary film called “Oceans” and wore the kobudai boss crown for 22 years a slightly smaller kobudai called Kojiro challenged Yamato in a bid to usurp him and even pursued some of the female fish “Generational change is just the way of the world “Even I don’t know how long I can keep doing this but I want to leave Kitakoura’s treasure to the next generation.” Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting Terra Drone Corporation the world’s leading drone solution provider announced the closing of a JPY 1.5 billion ($ 14.4 million) Series A round Japan’s largest oil and gas exploration and production company and Nanto CVC No.2 Investment LLP (General Partner: Venture Labo Investment and Nanto Capital Partners a wholly-owned subsidiary of Nanto Bank) through a third-party allotment and with several financial institutions through the loan agreement Terra Drone was recognised as the ‘No 1 Global Remote Sensing Drone Service Provider’ in the ‘Drone Service Provider Ranking 2020’ by Drone Industry Insights Terra Drone increased its revenue and profits in 2020 The consolidated annual revenue is approximately USD 20 million The investment will allow Terra Drone to further develop technologies and grow the client base The drone-based solutions will contribute to the industries by enhancing safety and efficiency Today's print edition Home Delivery The landscape rises leisurely as you drive away from Toyama Prefecture’s coast — until it doesn’t The 30-minute drive from the town of Tonami pulls you fairly quickly onto an expressway from which it’s hard to miss the sheet of rugged peaks curtaining the horizon The visual is equal (if not in scale then in grandeur) to a drive through southern Bavaria — towering Alps hemming in your field of view wherever you look You pass along the few roads that cut through the ever-engrossing countryside — and “cut,” here the expressway passes through artificial notches in low-lying hills an expedient method of road construction while the landscape still allows it.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); the mountainous terrain of southwestern Toyama Prefecture forces the car into a tunnel that takes no less than 10 minutes to clear it’s only for a precious few seconds of open-air driving that you’re greeted by steep tree-lined mountainsides so close to the road you feel like you can reach out and touch them and the rivered gorge below it’s back into another snaking tunnel — a clear reminder that this is a slice of the Japanese countryside just barely brought to heel In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Nestled among mountainous trees, House for Marebito (roughly translating to ‘House for Visitors’) is a timber clad guesthouse perched on the sloping Toga village in Nanto City of Toyama Prefecture, Japan, spearheaded by Japanese architecture startup VUILD. The modular construction project encounters the local issues that forestry and marginal settlements here face by employing locally sourced wood and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) milling machines called ShopBot to construct it which enabled the locals to fabricate and work with lumber themselves is considered a ‘marginal village’ owing to the mountains and forests that cover 97 per cent of its land “A marginal village is one with over half the residents over the age of 65 By building a guesthouse in such a location the project proposes a new concept of a second home where people can come and go to visit their relatives as they please ‘much more than tourism and not just migration’,” shares VUILD team Marebito is an ancient Japanese word that refers to a supernatural ‘visitor’ who comes from afar, bearing gifts of wisdom, spiritual knowledge and happiness. Since ancient times, there has been a custom in Japan to believe in and invite visitors from the outside as marebito The project is named thus because “the area where the House for Marebito has been constructed faces social issues such as marginalisation and a decline in the forestry industry as well as the population We faced these problems head on in the construction process by making the local residents and local timber the primary part of the architecture and construction,” Akiyoshi remarks VUILD proposed a new local networking system that finishes the construction process on site itself everything was done within a 10 kilometre radius The construction process began by introducing a low-cost high-performance digital fabrication machine called ShopBot to the local lumber mill Nagata Corporation ShopBot then sliced local logs and turned them into wooden boards that make up the entire house Digital fabrication helped to duplicate local traditional architectural methods called Gassho Zukuri and Wakunouchi where wooden beams combine to form a steep roof developed to withstand heavy snowfalls “These traditional methods have been in decline due to the exodus of the population to urban areas and the decline of the local economy; VUILD’s challenge was to realise these traditional techniques in a modern setting,” continues Akiyoshi Designed for four guests, the residential architecture is oriented such that its gable façades are placed to the north and south to imitate Gassho Zukuri while the mountains running parallel to the house resemble a U-shaped gutter A ‘wind catcher’ is placed on its east façade that brings in much needed warmth All of the guesthouse, from the exterior to its interior design its exterior fitted entirely with repeated wood slats and slim rectangular wooden and glass windows that jut outward VUILD was particular about sticking to their idea of “an architecture which is an extension of the furniture and which can be made by an amateur,” when they conceptualised the House for Marebito The straightforward tables and other furniture inside are thus functioning as an attached organ rather than removable accessories The lower floor hosts living spaces such as the kitchen island and living room while the bedroom is placed on the floor above By processing all the wooden parts to be small in size to participate in the house’s construction process smaller parts also ensure ease in transportation and construction without the help of scaffolding “Although over 1,000 pieces and 1,000 joints were needed at the end of the day since all the pieces were processed by the digital fabrication machine there was no misalignment,” shares the design team VUILD succeeds in realising a prototype for a house that reduces costs and long-distance transportation significantly lessens environmental impact in tandem with involving locals to build it with ease In more than half a decade of dedicated writing and research fueled by her education and experience in architecture ideating as well as aligning and editing content for STIR’s design and architecture verticals She also edits and oversees the day-to-day editorial operations for its launch platform Her keen interest in what demands design and creative plurality at large drives her professional pursuits She often tunes into a variety of media centred especially on maligned women true crime and what we get wrong about history From vernacular knowledge to modern sustainability Qatar and others at La Biennale 2025 serve as living archives of alternative architectures STIR engages with the curators of the Togo Oman and Qatar pavilions—debuting at the Venice Architecture Biennale 2025—on representation the book presents a fictional story depicting algorithms exercising control over humans and how this affects the built environment Tipnis shares how the toolbox democratises the practice of restoration via DIY resources to repair tangible urban heritage made of common building materials Exclusive preview for subscribers. Learn More Make your fridays matter. Learn More © Copyright 2019-2025 STIR Design Private Limited Please confirm your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your password All your bookmarks will be available across all your devices Password must be 8 characters long including one capital letter By creating an account, you acknowledge and agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy by STIR Select the Conversation Category you would like to watch Please enter your details and click submit Single account access for STIRworld.com,STIRpad.com and exclusive STIRfri content Verification link sent to check your inbox or spam folder to complete sign up process by Jincy Iype | Published on : Oct 08 A three-day tour of the Hokuriku region began in Kanazawa and ended in Toyama Along the way we experienced the exciting anime-inspired Bonbori Festival in the rustic onsen town of Yukawa visited the UNESCO World Heritage site of Gokayama and stopped by at some locations of the popular animation series Sakura Quest Here’s a look at some of our highlights A delightful 1,300-year-old hot spring town surrounded by greenery Yukawa Onsen is a great place to visit for those wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of city life but each one is equipped with a therapeutic hot spring bath The town is usually relatively quiet throughout the year but it comes alive for a short time in autumn when huge crowds descend on the place to take part in the Bonbori Festival This year around 15,000 turned up to join in the festivities The festival originally featured in Hanasaku Iroha Re-enacting one of the pivotal scenes in the show messages are written on wooden plaques before being taken down to Gyokusenko Pond where the festival culminates in a dramatic bonfire The lanterns and flares make for quite a spectacle Local officials felt the festival would be a major boost to the town after floods damaged the area in 2008 It began as an otaku event for fans of the program “Initially we invited voice actors and cosplayers to the festival in an attempt to entice otaku to the region,” says P.A “Since then we’ve been trying to reduce the anime angle and this year you could see traditional musicians playing shamisen and so on families and foreigners are attending the event Hopefully that will continue in the future.” The most memorable part of our trip in Nanto was the visit to Gokayama Not as well-known and therefore less crowded than the nearby village of Shirakawa-go it is something of a hidden gem despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site The steep thatched-roof houses known as Gassho-zukuri – meaning formed like hands in prayer – are centuries old and have been constructed to withstand the harsh winter elements these houses are unique to a region that was once cut off from the rest of Japan It is an enchanting location that doesn’t feel too touristy While in the area we’d also recommend trying the sushi at Iwana and experiencing paper making at a destination that featured in the comedy anime series Uchoten Kazoku (Eccentric Family) Another place worth visiting in Nanto is Inami Betsuin Zuisen-ji one of the finest wooden temples in all of Japan Rebuilt in the 18th year of the Meiji Era (1885) the elaborate carvings that can be seen at the gate and the main building are a joy to behold Leading up to the temple is Yokamachi Dori a captivating street that wouldn’t be out of place in Kyoto There are traditional craft and sculpting stores it feels like a place that has been transported back in time Yokamachi Dori and Zuisen-ji both appear in another of P.A It’s about a young girl who receives a job offer to work as a “queen” in Manoyama a fictional village that is loosely based on Nanto During our visit the two places (the imaginary village of Manoyama and the very real city of Nanto) held a special press conference to announce a deal they had reached to become sister cities The room was full of journalists and special guests to celebrate the momentous occasion Anime tourism has the potential to bring in a large number of domestic and international visitors and for a rural setting like Nanto the association with a well-known show like Sakura Quest can be a major boost to the economy Even for those who aren’t interested in the series or anime in general The press conference announcing the sister city relations between the imaginary village of Manoyama and the real city of Nanto P.A. Works' Sakura Quest follows Yoshino Koharu as she finds herself whisked away to the rural town of Manoyama to drum up tourism as its "queen" and protector from the dreaded Chupakabura but it does take inspiration from real life locations within Japan three rural towns that were later merged to form the town of Nanto in 2004 Like many anime that draw inspiration from real locations the town of Nanto is relying on Sakura Quest's popularity to better improve its real life tourism and landmarks One of these locations is Sakuragaike Pond The city is holding an event on May 20 to organize preservation tactics for the pond Organizers want to focus on the cherry blossom trees that surround the pond so that visitors can enjoy scenery like that seen in episode 25 Only 120 individuals will be able to attend and attendance will be decided via lottery The talk event will coincide with a tree-planting event at the nearby Sakuragaike Park Admission is free to the tree planting event but entry might be limited depending on how large the turnout is Visitors can offer donations to the "Sakuragaike Pond Quest" activities and receive postcards and posters for donations of 2,000 yen (US$19) or more Photo of Sakuragaike Pond By 紫煙 - 投稿者自身による作品, CC 表示-継承 3.0, Link Source: Comic Natalie The gag idol group from the parody anime Fist of the North Star: Strawberry Flavor made an appearance in the newest issue of the Japanese boys idol magazine MY★STAR vol.6 from Dengeki Girl's Style on Tuesday. The "pure-hearted" idol group, Nanto DE 5 MEN, includes Fist of the North Star characters Shu The Fist of the North Star idol group Nanto DE 5 MEN has previously appeared on the cover of the January 2016 issue of Japanese fashion magazine Mini Source: Natalie Mikio Tanaka, the mayor of the Japanese city of Nanto, announced on Friday that the anime studio P.A. Works is making the original short Koitabi ~True Tours Nanto The short tells three love stories set in Nanto The city's Jōhana-za theater will hold a screening of the completed short on April 28 The short will also air in the local area on that day and it will also be viewable with a dedicated app [Via 0takomu] ShareGet SBS News daily and direct to your InboxSign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.Your email address *Morning (Mon–Fri) TOYAMA — Baseball bat manufacturers in the Fukumitsu district in Nanto are in their busiest time of year ahead of the opening of the new professional baseball season has a thriving woodworking industry as humidity is at a suitable level for woodcraft throughout the year The district is one of the most prominent production areas for baseball bats in the country a major manufacturer that has made bats for such popular players as the Hanshin Tigers’ Takumu Nakano and former star Koji Yamamoto of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp manufactures about 300 bats every day at this time of year The company’s nine employees divide manufacturing procedures among themselves such as carving maple wood imported from North America or coating the bats “I hope that the players do a great job using the bats we’ve made with such care,” said the head of the factory As I lift a bowl of frothy matcha during a Japanese tea ceremony in the lounge of the Rakudo-An hotel in Tonami I hear a staff member whisper something to the guests behind me I turn around to my mother to check that I’ve not just made an embarrassing faux pas It’s only when I finish sipping and lay down the bowl that she leans in and says “You just drank from a 300-year-old priceless antique a pristine example of Korean Joseon dynasty pottery — the historically prized ceramic of choice for Japanese tea ceremonies — is one of dozens of museum-worthy antiques and artworks housed in Rakudo-An a newly opened boutique hotel in the heart of Toyama’s agricultural Tonami Plain A 15-minute walk from the nearest station and surrounded by nothing but rice fields and a scattering of distant farmhouses irrigation waterways and the sounds of nature.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); “When I moved back to Toyama after living for years in Tokyo, I really thought that there would be nothing here to make me stay,” says Sari Hayashiguchi, producer of the Mizu to Takumi Toyama West Tourism Promotion Association “But I was surprised to find so much going on Toyama has a lot to offer — not just agriculture South Africa (26 June 2024) — Mdantsane Township Learners in the Eastern Cape blew their provinces’ socks off when it came to their matric results Their achievements in Maths and Science were so impressive that they were recognised and awarded at an East London award ceremony The celebration not only commended their exceptional results but also the challenges that were overcome to get to those results The Mdantsane Township learners not only had to strive for excellence against the backdrop of challenges that impact South Africa’s second-largest township but also years of pandemic disruption that reshaped an education system facing its own myriad of challenges the determined learners still put their heads down and and made the most of the resources available to them one of which (an after-school tutoring programme Promaths at Buffalo City’s Kutlwanong Centre for Maths Science and Technology) proved to be a powerhouse; helping catapult some of them into the class of achievers who earned grades nail-bitingly close to 100% Topping the list was Ulwazi High School’s Angesisa Sithole who achieved 98% in mathematics and 93% in physical sciences giving her a 96% average in these subjects Her overall NSC finals recorded a whopping seven distinctions Hot on her heels in second place was Othandwayo Ngumbela who scored a 92% average and Iviwe Sontlaba (91%) For the programme’s top Grade 11 learners Khuseleka Nanto earned a 92% aggregate for maths and science the general baseline pass rate for maths among matric classes has grown from 62% (Grade 10) in 2021 to 100% in 2023 while the physical science pass rate moved from 63% to 100% in the same amount of time Ashleigh Nefdt is a writer for Good Things Guy Ashleigh's favourite stories have always seen the hidden hero (without the cape) come to the rescue her labour of love is finding those everyday heroes and spotlighting their spark - especially those empowering women sustainability shakers and creatives with hearts of gold she's dedicated to her canvas or appreciating Mother Nature Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a9f2d2f62bd1d229b1ee2cf9d6fe74d1" );document.getElementById("d2d9e305b5").setAttribute( "id" and website in this browser for the next time I comment Would you like to receive truly phenomenal inspirational and good thing stories right to your inbox Then subscribe to our weekly GoodThingsGuy newsletter today I accept GTG’s Privacy Policy GoodThingsGuy is the home of everything good and those are the things that really matter We believe that there is good news all around us and over 1 million readers a month agree with us GoodThingsGuy was officially launched on the 1 August 2015 in order to only promote good news inspirational stories and promote only positive multi-platform media company that distills unique content across multiple media platforms We consider individual and corporate contributions through the website or mail us directly here. Be sure you have your GPS enabled and try again The 65-year-old city council member who was missing at the site of a landslide caused by torrential rains in Nanto City City Council Member Missing after Heavy Rain in Toyama Pref. Dhaka     Tuesday   06 May 2025 E-mail: [email protected] All rights reserved. Any unauthorised use or reproduction of www.risingbd.com content is strictly prohibited and constitutes copyright infringement liable to legal action. Enter the URL for the tweet you want to embed. This edit will also create new pages on Comic Vine for: ESCLog in to comment