The Setouchi Vocational College of Tourism and next-generation mobility device rental company Regional Mobility-Life Hub have joined hands in promoting tours on three-wheeled electric bikes around Kagawa Prefecture's Shodo Island in the Seto Inland Sea The bikes are compact yet powerful and can easily maneuver even on narrow paths and on slopes "We hope visitors will be able to discover new sightseeing spots that have been overlooked when traveling by car," an official involved in the project said The electric bikes can run for about 50 to 60 kilometers on a full battery charge at a maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour There is a rear basket to hold luggage and the bikes are convenient for short sightseeing trips as they do not require more than a bicycle-size parking space Anyone with a standard driver's license can use the bikes Students taking part in the project visited Shodo Island between June and August to research locations that would be fun to visit on the electric bikes categorizing them into different themes such as artwork and "love." a video of the students' findings was shown and members of the local professional basketball team Shodoshima Stones rode on the bikes to try them out Two bikes are available at each of five hotels on the island until mid-May 2024 They can be rented for 3,000 yen per day from 9 a.m The Shikoku Shimbun Dinosaurs dash for kids' health on Kanonji beach Idol group promotes Setouchi-related olive tea, food at Tokyo shop Stunning fireworks light up skies at Naoshima summer festival To have the latest news and stories delivered to your inbox Simply enter your email address below and an email will be sent through which to complete your subscription Please check your inbox for a confirmation email Thank you for reaching out to us.We will get back to you as soon as possible The Yōkai Expo 2025 will be held on February 2 (Sunday) at the Tonosho Town General Hall in Shodoshima a festival traditionally held in Shodoshima every February to shelter and honor the oni (demons) cast out during Setsubun the Yōkai Expo will gather enthusiasts of yōkai and yōkai culture The event will feature yōkai-themed regional promotion groups all coming together to showcase yōkai culture to the world Around 100 booths from across the nation will be set up across six pavilions The Yōkai BIG3 Talk Show on stage will feature three leading figures in yōkai research: Kazuhiko Komatsu a folklorist/yōkai researcher and honorary director of the Mimizuka Mononoke Museum a yōkai doctor and curator of the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History which showcases over 900 yōkai sculptures in Shodoshima Other highlights include the Yōkai Painting Contest judging a Yokai Cosplay Fashion Show titled YOKAI COLLECTION SHODOSHIMA the Shodoshima Hundred-Yokai Night Parade along the Angel Road (which appears only at low tide) yōkai dance performances by local dance teams and schools and appearances by local characters like Udon Nō Enjoy the Sanuki Geo-Park concept through Yōkai Legends Shikoku’s Hidden Gems: Mountain Village & Ooboke Yōkai Village & Yōkai Mansion and Stone Museum B: Mononoke Department Store Pavilion (Sales D: Corporate & Product PR Pavilion (Corporate NiEW Best Music is a playlist featuring artists leading the music scene and offering alternative styles in our rapidly evolving society the NiEW editorial team proudly curates outstanding music that transcends size chilled "kan-somen" noodles shimmered in the winter cold in mid-January as their annual production peaked on Shodo Island in western Japan's Seto Inland Sea The island's noodles made from October to the end of March are popular for their firm texture thanks to exposure to the cool air and their pronounced white color Lower amounts of salt are also a benefit of the method Ropes of dough with a diameter of 1 to 2 centimeters are stretched and rested repeatedly until the noodles are around 2 meters long and 0.8 millimeters in diameter they are brought outside on loom-like stands called "hata." As the noodles dry for around 30 minutes in the sunlight and wind workers use chopsticks to keep the strands from sticking to each other "With the chill coming in stronger from December we've been making batches of great-tasting noodles," he said adding that he hopes diners give the noodles a try in winter "nabe" hot pots The island's handmade somen noodles cooperative estimates the current season will see 90,000 boxes of its "Shima no Hikari," or "Light of the Island" brand noodles shipped The Shikoku Shimbun Kotohira high schoolers hold mixed martial arts weapons tournament New alpha takes charge at monkey park in Kagawa Dozens of teams compete in dragon canoes at Kagawa lake as spectators cheer did you ever feel as though you were lost in a maze when visiting an unknown town by yourself The town of Tonosho on the Shodoshima island in Kagawa Prefecture can probably jog such memories Tonosho is characterized by the intricate alleys in its old-fashioned townscape it has also attracted fans of art and animation I hopped on a boat and embarked on an expedition After about a 20-minute walk from Tonosho Port located on the west side of the island "Maze town." After walking beneath it and continuing on for about 100 meters A residential area of houses with tiled roofs filled with a nostalgic atmosphere came into view I came to a three-forked road with areas less than a meter in width and as I turned a corner one after another I lost track of in which direction I was heading More than 60 three-forked roads can be found within a district spanning 600 meters from east to west and 300 meters from north to south the secretary general of the Shodoshima maze town volunteer guide association "It was hard to find my friends when we played hide-and-seek," said Matsuo 'I should come out around this area,' but somehow I ended up going back down the same road I've never had such a fun time getting lost," she said chuckling Present-day Tonosho came to be roughly 700 years ago To prepare for raging pirate attacks in the Seto Inland Sea in those days the town is believed to have been intricately designed to allow residents to escape from such attacks the local commerce and industry association named Tonosho a "maze town" and began a promotional campaign to attract more tourists the town became a site for the Setouchi International Art Festival When the modern art event was held for the first time which runs through the central part of the town there is a storehouse with an illustration on the wall that features a black creature with wide It is a picture of yokai monster Michishirubei The storehouse of a kimono shop built in the Meiji era (1868-1912) was bought by a local company and revived in 2011 as the hub for a town revitalization project dealing with the arts exhibitions featuring ornaments and paintings depicting yokai monsters are held in renovated old houses and five such houses were dubbed the Yokai Art Museum in 2018 The drawings of yokai monsters can be found on walls in various places throughout the town and a bookstore boasting a collection of specialty books and a stylish cafe have also been opened the museum attracted about 10,000 visitors anime fans have also come to visit Tonosho due to its appearance in the manga "Karakaijozu no Takagi-san." Mangaka Soichiro Yamamoto based his junior high school romantic comedy in the town he is originally from and it was made into TV anime series in 2018 the maze-like district of the town also makes an appearance in the series "I feel like I've entered the world of the anime." According to the Tonosho municipal government the number of people moving to the town has been increasing thanks to the regional vitalization efforts "We'd like to make Tonosho a town where both visitors and residents can smile more," said Atsushi Nomura The atmosphere of this town makes me want to take the time to detour The island's gateway Tonosho Port can be reached in 35 minutes via a high-speed vessel taken from Takamatsu Port in Takamatsu Ships are also in service from Shin-Okayama Port in Okayama City and Uno Port in Okayama Prefecture's Tamano The maze-like district can be found after a 20-minute walk from Tonosho Port The Yokai Art Museum is closed on Wednesdays A sand path connecting the Shodoshima island and the Yoshima islets appears twice a day during low tide It has gained popularity among couples as it is said that if they walk over to the other side while holding hands with their loved one their wish will be granted The municipal government promotes this area as a sacred ground for sweethearts It has also been used as a filming location and the estimated times can be confirmed on the municipal government's website Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/ Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Japanese version Japanese version A pumpkin weighing 394 kilograms has won a contest as Japan's biggest pumpkin for this year won the 35th edition of the contest at the former town hall of Tonosho in Kagawa Prefecture A total of 66 pumpkins from 9 prefectures were entered in the event Okayama and Kagoshima prefectures that remained at home due to the coronavirus pandemic Those that made it to Tonosho were carefully weighed with the help of a forklift truck who was unsuccessful the previous two years won the right to participate in the world championships later this year in the United States he will not travel due to the risk of infection from the coronavirus and will simply send a record of how much his pumpkin weighed a 69-year-old farmer from the city of Hokuto in Yamanashi Prefecture came in third place with a pumpkin of 342.1 kg "I have been checking the pumpkins every morning and evening to see how they are growing and I have been watering and fertilizing them carefully," he said "It's a pity that some of the pumpkins started to rot after the heavy rain in August We hope to grow bigger pumpkins next year," he said "Double diamond" viewing under way at Japan's other Mt. Fuji High school students create giant maze with 10,000 sunflowers Once-in-a-century bamboo blossoms observed in western Japan  Japanese version