HomeDestinationsInterestsTop Places to Travel by MonthSearchMenuBest time to go to Japan An extraordinary winter event will make your eyes sparkle is a 450-year-old tradition held annually on February 15 and 16 in Yokote The festival is renowned for its enchanting kamakura—igloo-like snow structures—scattered throughout the city offering visitors a glimpse into Japan’s rich cultural heritage The central feature of the festival is the kamakura large snow houses that can reach up to three meters in height and four meters in width visitors find a small altar dedicated to the water deity These altars often host offerings of rice cakes and sake Guests are invited into the kamakura during the evenings where children chant traditional phrases such as “Haiittanse” (“Please enter the kamakura”) and offer amazake (a warm Visitors can also enjoy snow sculptures and participate in kamakura-building workshops at Komyoji Park the Kamakurakan Hall houses permanent kamakura displays in a temperature-controlled environment The festival usually runs from 6 pm to 9 pm on both days with key activities concentrated around Yokote City Hall Candle-lit mini kamakura displays along the Yokote River and at Yokote Minami Primary School are a particular highlight a modern reconstruction of a traditional Japanese keep offering panoramic views of the illuminated city the castle operates from 10 am to 9 pm during the event The city is a 20-minute train ride from Omagari Station and about 3.5 hours from Tokyo via the Akita Shinkansen visitors can explore the Akita Museum of Modern Art in Furusato Mura the region offers opportunities for snow activities and further exploration of Akita’s natural beauty Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg News chairman of fixed income and equities in Japan will retire at the end of the year after more than two decades at the Wall Street firm Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks a hot spring inn has introduced an "apple bath" to promote the region's apple production The bath is filled with 160 locally grown apples allowing guests to enjoy the soothing aroma and warmth of the fruit-infused water Bathers have reported that the apple scent enhances relaxation and provides a comforting experience The inn plans to offer this unique bathing experience on Sundays and national holidays in December and January as well as during the first three days of the New Year Yokote is renowned as the largest apple producer in Akita Prefecture cultivating varieties such as Fuji and Chiaki The region's fertile soil and favorable climate contribute to the high quality of its apples This initiative not only provides a unique relaxation experience but also highlights Yokote's rich apple cultivation heritage FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com People sit inside kamakura snow huts during a traditional event in Yokote were illuminated to create fantastic scenery across the city This tradition is said to have about 450 years of history with a Shinto altar built inside each snow hut to worship a god of water and pray for a good harvest Local children invited tourists to come in and offered amazake a traditional drink made from fermented rice at Yokote Park with Yokote Castle shining in the background 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 Our weekly ePaper presents the most noteworthy recent topics in an exciting © 2025 The Japan News - by The Yomiuri Shimbun AD Mar 22 (Sat) 2025-May 25 (Sun) 2025 21 days left Leave a rating/comment#Manga / Comics#Exhibitions to see during GWBack to ArticlesSHARE Akita — An event offering an experience of kamakura snow huts began on Friday in Yokote which was organized by the Yokote city government is being put on for the first time to give visitors a chance to enjoy the snowy region’s culture prior to the annual Kamakura Festival to be held Feb Two kamakura huts have been built for the event which is taking place on the premises of the former Katano residence local high school students serve amazake — a sweet “It was my first time going inside a kamakura It was so warm in there,” said a 52-year-old woman from Kanazawa who runs a company “I’m also glad I got a chance to visit the residence.” 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 最新の規制情報は、ドラとらをご覧下さい。 PDFバージョン【PDF：507KB】 　通行止めにより高速道路を一旦流出し、通行止め区間を迂回して、再流入して順方向に乗り継がれるお客さまには、ご利用区間に応じて通行料金を調整する「乗継調整」を実施します。（別紙-2【PDF：132KB】参照） 　秋田道　上下線　湯田IC～横手ICにおいて、路面の損傷が発生しているため、舗装補修工事を実施します。お客さまへ極力ご迷惑をおかけしないよう、交通量が少ない平日の夜間に通行止めを行い、工事を集中的かつ効率的に実施します。安全・快適に高速道路をご利用いただくために必要な工事ですので、ご理解とご協力をお願いします。 PDFファイルをご覧いただくには、AdobeSystems社のプラグインソフト「Acrobat Reader（日本語版）」が必要です。お持ちでない方は、こちらからダウンロード（無料）してご利用ください。 Copyright©2020 East Nippon Expressway Company Limited All Rights Reserved Share your travel photos with us by hashtagging your images with #visitjapanjp Opened in 2020, Tokorozawa Sakura Town is an epic collaborative project documenting Japanese pop culture's irresistible rise and influence spread to the public. Part of the Cool Japan Forest Project, a joint initiative between the literary and media powerhouse Kadokawa and Tokorozawa City Tokorozawa Sakura Town is a vast complex dedicated to the uniquely Japanese cultural exports of manga and anime Tokorozawa Sakura Town is a utopia for fans of Japanese pop culture and spread across several core spaces These areas include the Musashino Reiwa Shrine and the Kadokawa Culture Museum—the beating heart of Tokorozawa Sakura Town Visitors to Tokorozawa Sakura Town will be whisked away into a land of fantasy and imagination The guiding principle of the complex is to bring the vivid adventures manga and anime fans get from the media and turn them into real-world experiences The Kadokawa Culture Museum is a structural marvel a former winner of the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture the museum building is an imposing stone structure that appears as though it has been transplanted directly from the pages of a manga comic book The centerpiece of the Kadokawa Culture Museum is its Bookshelf Theater ten-meter-high atrium is a library like no other you've seen before this spellbinding room is more than just a library space The theater can be transformed into a performance venue for music and theater events and a stage for audio-visual the museum has a wide variety of other attractions spread across its five floors 1,000 square foot space that hosts rotating exhibitions focused on nature the environment—anything that tells a story best expressed through art The museum's Manga & Light Novel Library includes close to 35,000 examples of manga literature and is one of the largest collections of its kind anywhere in the world In the Rock Museum Shop you can pick up local crafts and foods while the KadoCafe and SACULA DINER prepares delightful local dishes for you giving you a chance to relax after taking in the museum's outstanding sights Delve into immersive anime exhibitions in the EJ Anime Museum get lost in contemporary literature on a trip through Edit Town’s Book Street and discover a mind-boggling collection of exhibits and artifacts inspired by anime and imagination in the ARAMATA Wunderkammer (Museum) AR and VR combine to give visitors a remarkable perspective of Musashino the area where the Kadokawa Culture Museum is located Discover the unique history of this ancient region's land landscaped garden is named after Genyoshi Kadokawa founder of the Kadokawa Corporation and based on the garden from his former home imposing magnolia is at the center of the garden alongside delicate flower bushes and cherry trees While for the ultimate manga shopping experience the Da Vinci Store houses boundless manga titles and related merchandise Photo credit: teamLab “Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest” A little further afield from the main complex in nearby Musashino Jurin Park teamLab: Resonating Life in the Acorn Forest a permanent outdoor exhibition by the art collective teamLab To complete your Japanese pop culture odyssey, expand on your trip to Tokorozawa Sakura Town with a visit to Yokote Masuda Manga Museum, located north in Akita Prefecture the museum boasts Japan's most extensive collection of original manga drawings—an astonishing 400,000 pieces—and is a well-established pilgrimage spot for manga enthusiasts The museum closed its doors to the public for two years and underwent extensive renovations Documenting and preserving the history of manga and making predictions for how this unique art form might evolve the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum hosts exciting rotating exhibitions Among the many Yokote Masuda Manga Museum attractions the Manga no Kura collection is the most impressive this stunning collection features incredible examples of manga artworks stored behind glass in a climate-controlled setting to preserve their integrity The name of the exhibition space translates to 'manga warehouse' in English and derives from the traditional kura Amongst the museum's permanent and temporary exhibition spaces you'll find original works from Japan's greatest manga artists While digitization has taken over much of manga today who donated 42,000 works to the museum and is its honorary director and learn all about the culture that has grown around this unique literary artform relax in the museum's cafe and enjoy manga-themed dishes Due to measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 business hours may be subject to change; please check with the venues before visiting WEB：https://kadcul.com/en WEB：https://tokorozawa-sakuratown.com/ WEB：http://manga-museum.com/ Browse the JNTO site in one of multiple languages This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Although it’s hard to even imagine snow at this time of year Akita Prefecture will soon be covered with it The region – particularly the city of Yokote in the southeast part of the prefecture – regularly experiences some of the coldest and snowiest winters in all of Japan just as many communities around the country put on some of their most vibrant festivals during the hottest weeks of summer the people of Yokote City – where 20 to 30 centimeters of snow can fall in a single night – embrace the cold and the snow during a centuries-old tradition called the Yokote Kamakura Festival Walk through the streets of Yokote in the middle of February and you’ll see them: small round huts made of snow that look almost like igloos grouped along the streets of the central neighborhoods and making their way to the foot of Yokote Castle and the people of the city have been building them for almost 450 years The huts stand nearly three meters high and four meters wide they would have been illuminated by the flickering light of candles you shouldn’t expect the Kamakura to be particularly cozy but the greeting you receive should certainly warm you up guests to the Kamakura are served mochi (rice cakes) and amazake (a sweet drink made from fermented rice) the people inside beckon would-be guests – locals of all ages and foreigners – with hearty greeting in Akita-ben As you look around the inside of the Kamakura your eyes will eventually fall upon one of the hut’s most important guests and the festival has its origins as a means for praying for a good harvest and also for the success and safety of the local communities – including protection from fire Knowing about the spiritual history of the celebration isn’t necessary of course; the most important thing is to enjoy the warm hospitality during the coldest time of the year Even if you’re not able to make it to Yokote during the time of the Kamakura Festival you can experience the atmosphere inside the huts even during the middle of summer they maintain a few of the igloo-like structures at a temperature of -15ºC so you can feel the cool comfort of an authentic Kamakura year-round It was developed soon after the end of World War II in the city of Yokote as an afternoon snack for kids and made with wheat flour noodles that are thick and straight rather than the crinkly noodles that you find in most yakisoba seasoned with a sweetened Worcester-style sauce and a relish of soy-pickled vegetables known as fukujinzuke each restaurant in Yokote puts its own unique touch on the dish from the recipe of the sauce to the extra ingredients each chef might add “[Travel retail] is a very important channel that is indispensable for the Group’s future,” says Yoshikazu YokoteIn December 2020 reinforced its belief and commitment to travel retail by creating a new entity wholly dedicated to the channel Based in Hong Kong and led by Director and CEO Yoshikazu Yokote POLA ORBIS Travel Retail (POTR) has since proven that investment a sound one helping the Group achieve +120% sales in Fiscal 2021 we caught up with Yokote who discusses how POTR has navigated the waves of the pandemic its China and Hainan-focused travel retail push and how it is leveraging the strengths of POHD’s three brands to drive recovery and growth in travel retail POLA ORBIS Holdings created a new travel retail entity at the end of 2020 What led to the creation of this subsidiary and how has it performed since then Although the travel retail market continues to experience tough conditions in various regions due to a significant reduction in international flights China’s offshore duty free market continues to grow strongly It is a very important channel that is indispensable for the group’s future international business growth strategies as it is expected to grow again after the pandemic subsides in order to integrate and leverage the strengths and resources of the travel retail business and speed up expansion we established POTR as a sales company specialising in travel retail in Hong Kong we have achieved more than +120% of the previous years sales as a Group in FY2021 What is your overall ambition for POLA ORBIS Holdings in the travel retail channel POTR was established by POHD to efficiently capture the strong demand for travel retail around the world Based on the group mission to ‘Sensitise the world to beauty’ we aim to maximise the uniqueness of our brands to our customers in the travel retail channel and become a choice corporate partner for our business partners in this channel How has the pandemic crisis affected your travel retail expansion Could you give us some insight into how the Group is recovering Travel retail is highly dependent on the amount of travellers the immense positive impact of Hainan continued while there were no fundamental improvements in other areas that recovery still looks uncertain due to the lockdown in China and in Hainan in August POLA ORBIS Holdings’ had a China-focused travel retail push How are you reaching this core Chinese consumer – who are now unable to travel The pandemic has not affected our plans to drive travel retail and domestic in China Jurlique has a mature footprint in travel retail especially in China THREE opened its first travel retail store in China in Beijing International Airport in 2019 and POTR also launched POLA in China Travel Retail in Hainan in 2021 All these launches are in conjunction with the development of local markets Digital is also a key channel to develop and reach the Chinese consumer and we have been building and growing this channel strongly in recent years Flagship brand POLA took its first travel retail steps when it opened a new counter with CDFG in Haikou How important is Hainan to your business today Do you have any more launches planned in this key region Hainan is very important to our business today and in the future We have strong partnerships with our retail operators and are in constant discussions with new partners for more opportunities in Hainan POLA launched its very first travel retail counter in China in Hainan and this allowed us to express the brand DNA in a physical format It was a long discussion with the retailer but we have a strong collaboration with CDFG and we are happy to finally bring the brand to Hainan customers POLA and THREE were the three focus brands for travel retail How does this multi-brand strategy play out in post-pandemic travel retail The multi-brand strategy is important to us as a group Many brands are currently in the natural positioning and POTR wants to be a key group in travel retail to offer this to customers We are performing in line with the expectations of the modern consumer and we are convinced that customers will really appreciate the value that we offer This all comes back to the mission of the group that I mentioned earlier about ‘Sensitising the world to beauty’ perfumes & cosmetics is still the biggest category in the channel What role do companies like POLA ORBIS Holdings play in driving category and wider channel recovery The customer’s purchasing behaviour has changed post-pandemic we need to be sensitive and reactive to customer’s changing needs We need to understand the intrinsic value of how our brands and products are able to enhance the lives of our consumers from product usage to impact on the environment Jurlique and cruelty-free THREE express naturality and are dedicated to preserving nature this has become even more important to the modern consumer Jurlique is a biodynamic brand with our own farm in Adelaide Hills our biodynamic farming process has used a closed loop ecosystem using only holistic methods internally produced fertilisers and soil conditioning to ensure the purity and authenticity of the botanicals we farm Representative Director and President of POLA ORBIS Holdings was convinced of our methods and eventually integrated Jurlique into the group ten years ago we have a big role to play ensuring we deliver the best biodynamic skincare to our customers 90% of POLA ORBIS Holdings revenues came from the Japanese domestic market How has your local to international mix evolved since then Our international sales ratio was 15% in 2020 and 18% in 2021 The priority in the group is to continuously grow and capture market share I have been appointed in this position to grow the international business and POTR is part of the international division we will be registering THREE in China domestic and expanding the business there We are constantly looking for more opportunities to develop the business The current economic situation is not favourable but we want to be there when the economy rebounds retailers and airports must evolve to meet the demands of consumers in the post-COVID retail landscape Jurlique is working on B-Corp certification to have impact on the planet We are really thinking about redoing the packaging for all our brands Jurlique’s future is to be holistic and conscious about the impact it places on the environment Do you have a final message for the travel retail industry While POHD opened POTR in the middle of pandemic the decision to focus on travel retail is right and I am confident we will become a key player We are convinced that travel retail will recover and that our brands’ DNA and propositions will be able to satisfy the customer and make us a key player in the future Travel retail is also going to be one of the key pillars of the group in the long-term Subscribe to our newsletter for critical marketing information delivered to your inbox Travel retailers across the island from cdf Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex and GDF Plaza in the north to cdf Sanya International Duty Free Shopping Complex CNSC and HTDF in the south all rolled out a range of promotions to drive consumption The Australian Airports Association Retail & Commercial Forum will include a blockbuster programme of seven extra-curricular activities 1 is the inaugural release in a collection of limited-edition single malts that celebrate the pioneering spirit of James ‘The Major’ Grant Copyright © The Moodie Davitt Report | Website by Yellowball We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website Please click on one of the buttons below to accept We use cookies to help you navigate efficiently and perform certain functions You will find detailed information about all cookies under each consent category below The cookies that are categorized as "Necessary" are stored on your browser as they are essential for enabling the basic functionalities of the site We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze how you use this website and provide the content and advertisements that are relevant to you These cookies will only be stored in your browser with your prior consent You can choose to enable or disable some or all of these cookies but disabling some of them may affect 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scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " The Tohoku region of northeast Japan has harsh winters and generally heavy snowfalls one of the most fun things to do is enjoy the kamakura (snow hut) traditional event in Yokote City No article or any part there of may be reproduced without the express permission of the Cabinet Office. Copyright inquiries should be made through this form Focus on Japan Participants in a bald head contest faced off in a tug-of-war with suction cups attached to their heads in Yokote eight men ranging in age from 40 to 90 gathered for an annual contest the Koto-kai (shining heads organization) has held the event since 1991 as a New Year’s tradition hoping to brighten and invigorate the community The men faced off in a suction cup tug-of-war in which suction cups linked by a string were attached to two competitors’ heads At one point the battle got heated as the contenders held their ground for more than five seconds the audience cheered when one of the suction cups came loose and the victor was declared won the contest for the second time in about 10 years “I didn’t realize how painful it was to be pulled by the suction cup,” said Takashi Kunugihara He heard about the competition on TV and participated for the first time “I want to take care of my head next year by putting on some lotion,” he said with a smile 500 Ala Moana Blvd. #2-200Honolulu, HI 96813(808) 529-4747 Etsuko Kobayashi and Shogo Matsuzawa will comprise a newly formed leadership group in the country to coordinate and help oversee the business The move follows news last week that the US investment bank’s long-serving Japan president Leave a rating/comment#Illustration#Manga / ComicsBack to ArticlesSHARE Heavy snow across much of Japan caused widespread disruption Friday leaving around 90 vehicles temporarily stranded on an expressway and nearly 44,000 homes without electricity The Japan Meteorological Agency said it expects the cold spell to continue over the weekend warning of more snowfall and further traffic disruption due to slippery roads Sections of the Hokuriku Expressway were closed between Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures on the Sea of Japan coast for snow clearance after the vehicles were stuck until early Friday morning 4 die in snow removal accidents in northeastern Japan bringing traffic behind it to a halt in Ishikawa near the prefectural border A blackout that began Thursday was continuing to affect 43,808 homes in Akita and Niigata prefectures as of 11 a.m with dozens of evacuation centers set up for residents unable to use heating Tohoku shinkansen bullet train services were suspended for several hours as icicles on the overhead line halted power transmission Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told a meeting on the government's response to the heavy snow that work was ongoing to restore power and the Self-Defense Forces had been deployed to help clear the snow "We will continue to be on alert and proactively provide support" to affected areas 120 centimeters of snowfall was expected in the Hokuriku region of central Japan in the 24 hours through 6 a.m Kinki and Tohoku among the other regions set for more heavy snow 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 following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News Japan foreign minister stresses G7 unity toward peace in Ukraine MUNICH - Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya emphasized unity among the Group of Seven in addressing Russia's invasion of Ukraine at its meeting on Saturday President Donald Trump took office in January Iwaya attended the G7 talks on the sidelines of the three-day Munich Security Conference in the German city from Friday as Trump seeks a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin over Ukraine after taking office for his nonconsecutive second term on Jan Canada holds this year's rotating G7 presidency Trump says U.S. tariffs on imported cars to come around April 2 President Donald Trump said Friday he plans to roll out tariffs on imported cars around April 2 I'm a little superstitious," he told reporters in the Oval Office Record number of online casino users detected by Japan police in 2024 OSAKA - A record-high 279 people were accused by Japanese police of using online casinos in 2024 with many apparently unaware that internet gambling is illegal Police have been able to track down more users of online gambling sites by looking at the bank accounts of the businesses handling bets in Japan But the source added the data represents "only a small fraction of the real figure," with the number of online casino gamblers estimated at 3 million Ex-head of Japan hospital suspected of covering up murder in hospital Japan - A former head of a hospital in northeastern Japan and his doctor brother were sent to prosecutors on Saturday for allegedly covering up the murder of a patient by another patient in 2023 the primary physician of the victim who was killed at Michinoku Memorial Hospital in Aomori Prefecture were arrested Friday on suspicion of fabricating a death certificate that stated the cause of death as pneumonia Tokyo Tower lit up in South Korea flag colors for 60th diplomatic ties was lit up in the three colors of the South Korean flag -- red blue and white -- on Saturday night to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the normalization of bilateral diplomatic ties At the lighting ceremony of the 333-meter landmark tower Japanese Senior Deputy Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi said in his speech "I would like to support exchanges so that the people of both countries can forge better relations." Only 9% of Japanese people have used generative AI: survey TOKYO - While 61 percent of Japanese people are aware of generative artificial intelligence highlighting the challenges Japan faces in adopting the new technology while addressing public concern and hesitation The survey of over 10,000 people reported recently by the Nomura Research Institute showed 20 percent of those aged 15 to 19 and 21 percent of those in their 20s had used generative AI Ex-China justice chief indicted for bribery amid corruption crackdown BEIJING - China's top prosecutors said Saturday that a former justice minister has been indicted on bribery charges with President Xi Jinping's leadership pledging to intensify its crackdown on corruption Tang Yijun's prosecution suggests that Xi is aiming to tighten his anti-corruption campaign by demonstrating that even high-ranking officials he has personally appointed are not exempt in a bid to reinforce his power base Rohingya woman helping community members to adapt to life in Japan Japan - A Rohingya immigrant in Tokyo is helping other women from her minority group who have fled persecution in Myanmar to learn Japanese and work after fulfilling her own dream of studying at university was born and raised in Bangladesh where her father had fled after being accused in Myanmar of joining an anti-government movement Video: Giant panda at Japan zoo gets Valentine's Day gifts Your browser does not support JavaScript, or it is disabled．Please check the site policy for more information Manga & Anime “Ichi-byo Nijuyon-koma no Boku no Jinsei” (My life at 24 frames per second) an autobiographical manga by famed anime director Rintaro won the Manga Grand Prix at the 29th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize the competition honors “Astro Boy” creator Osamu Tezuka and the indelible mark he left on Japan’s manga culture given for fresh talent and novel modes of expression who authored “When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom.” The Short Story Prize was given to Shunji Enomoto’s “The Kinks.” The Asahi Special Prize went to the Yokote City Masuda Manga Art Foundation a general incorporated association that operates the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum in Yokote The awards ceremony will be held at the leading daily’s Tokyo head office in the Tsukiji area on June 5 Each winner will receive a bronze statuette The winner of the Manga Grand Prix will also take home a 2-million-yen ($14,000) prize Short Story and Asahi Special Prize winners will each receive 1 million yen Manga titles published or released in Japan in 2024 were eligible for the awards Rintaro is an anime director who has movies such as “Galaxy Express 999,” “Genma Taisen (Harmagedon)” and “Metropolis” under his belt After working on a Japan-France joint project he was approached to make an autobiographical anime in the European country it came to fruition as a manga originally released by a publisher in the French-speaking world under the title of “Ma Vie en 24 Images par Second” (My life at 24 frames per second) The Japanese edition was published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha Ltd “I decided to take on the project thinking that nothing could scare me I remembered various scenes of my life like a revolving lantern of memories,” Rintaro said Rintaro made a career switch to become a director while working on “Astro Boy,” Japan’s first animated TV series which aired in 1963 and featured a robot boy named Atom he was the chief who worked together with staff members on ‘Astro Boy’ without sleep,” he recalled “When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom” is Kido’s first series published by Kodansha Ltd It portrays creators of “art brut” (raw art) or art made outside the mainstream forms of expression and their supporters through a peculiar relationship between two elementary school pupils one being a model student and the other an eccentric one “The Kinks” is the first family-centered comedy series for Enomoto The Yokote City Masuda Manga Art Foundation is among the first to conserve manga manuscripts to pass down the manga culture to future generations the Yokote Masuda Manga Museum currently houses more than 480,000 original drawings (This story was written by Atsushi Ohara and Takumi Terui.) ‘Plinivs’ wins top prize at Tezuka Osamu manga awards TEZUKA OSAMU CULTURAL PRIZE: ‘Land’ wins top manga prize at Tezuka Osamu awards Facility sought to create national manga and anime archive Netflix to stream anime series based on Naoki Urasawa’s ‘Pluto’ ‘Nyx’s Lantern’ wins top manga prize at Tezuka Osamu awards 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 Akita Prefecture--Stocktaking of books at a municipal library here is now fully automated under a trial experiment that potentially could see humans removed from the process altogether A robot assigned to locate books by reading data stored in integrated circuit (IC) tags on each tome can finish the task in a matter of "several tens of minutes" whereas it takes a full day for library staff to take stock of books by relying on bar codes authorities of this northeastern city said during a recent open demonstration test The robot read the data with 99.5 percent accuracy adding that the technology will be further tweaked with the goal of practical application in the future The test was conducted in early March in line with an agreement among four parties a robot manufacturer and a systems development company IC tags are attached to each library book to automate loan and return procedures The trial was intended to help explore the potential for reducing the workload of employees and providing new services to users A converted dish delivery robot was assigned to the task which stands 180 centimeters tall and 60 cm wide The robot is designed to drive itself when it is given a plan of the library’s interior and instructions on areas it is required to tour the robot was seen swiveling its antenna portion as it whisked through passages between bookshelves at a speed of 15 cm per second reading data contained in IC tags on nearby books The ratio of successful data reading is expected to improve further from the current 99.5 percent if the metal bookends on the shelves are replaced or if the bookshelves are separated farther away from walls City authorities are weighing plans to introduce IC tags “It’s mostly fine with data reading,” said an official with the city government’s library division “We are looking forward to future developments as we seek to overcome challenges.” VOX POPULI: Library in an apartment setting an idea catching on fast AUTHORS ALIVE!: Murakami adds voice to his work in reading with Yoko Ogawa VOX POPULI: Nonprofit digital library Aozora Bunko flourishes amid pandemic ‘Beach library’ opens in fall for seaside book lovers in Ibaraki the non-alcoholic sweet sake Yoko Hase A kamakura housing a child during the Yokote Festival JNTO Close Japan's igloos  celebrates the Yokote kamakura matsuri every February 15 and 16 during which it hosts an impressive number of igloo-shaped constructions This tradition dating back several hundred years offers the vision of carpets of snow studded with light Read: The matsuri, Japanese festivals The small igloos of the Yokote Snow Festival About a hundred large kamakura are made between the JR Yokote station and the castle - located about 2 kilometers from the river - and can accommodate between 4 and 6 people children hail passers-by in the Akita dialect to invite them to make an offering to the deities and to taste daifuku and amazake You can pray to the gods of water there for good future harvests This is an opportunity for travelers to chat with locals and discover an authentic Japan Read also : The snow festival in Sapporo are lined up in tight rows along the Yokote River near the castle or Minami Elementary School These small kamakura offer a romantic winter vision to the visitor on a walk and the chance to take magnificent photos from popular observation points such as the castle built on a hill and which allows a panoramic view of the city A kamakura in front of Yokote Castle Another particularity of this festival is to be found on the side of the Yokote Kamakura museum In addition to retracing the history of the kamakura in the city you will find a very special cold room there a number of kamakura are kept there in the cold so that visitors can admire certain specimens of the festival at any time of the year the cold room displays very low temperatures Discover : The winter festival in Asahikawa 5 reasons to go to Japan in winter Discover our file: the Tohoku region Visit the northeast of the archipelago with our self-guided tour: getaway in Tohoku Japan's most beautiful hanabi in Omagari The fireworks display at the end of August in Omagari The Kitakami Cherry Blossom Festival for a festival that combines cherry blossoms and Koinobori to vie the flying carp and pink petals soaring in the spring air Namahage On New Year's Eve on the Oga Peninsula in Akita Prefecture Nightlife in Japan: Going out, seeing and drinking Temples and shrines in Japan Markets in Japan Onsen, Hot Springs and Public Baths Family Travel Parks and Gardens Outdoor Activities Museums and Galleries View more Sign up and be the first to hear our news and special offers New Delhi has said that events like Tokyo Mela with Japanese and Indian people and commercial establishments coming together help forge stronger ties “I hope that through the people-to-people exchange Tokyo Mela 2024 will help us forge stronger ties and launching our relations into a new height just like the Dragon aiming for the sky,” YOKOTE san said in his inaugural speech at Tokyo Mela organized at the DIA PARK Premier Hotel in Gurugram on Sunday and supporter of India-Japan bilateral relations YOKOTE san appreciated DIA PARK Premier Hotel for hosting Tokyo Mela He said that 2024 is the Year of the Dragon (as per Chinese zodiac system which most of the East Asian countries follow) “People in East Asia say that in the Year of the Dragon your luck and fortune will get improved and your energy heightened with the Dragon shooting up in the sky bringing enormous amount of good fortune.” DIA PARK Premier Hotel that has earned the reputation of one-stop-shop for the Japanese community in the hospitality sector in India said that the motive behind events like Tokyo Mela and Mochi Tsuki (餅つき) Festival make Japanese feel at home when away from home “In the past as well during the Covid-19 pandemic DIA PARK Premier was the centre of medical healthcare as we hosted Corona testing and vaccination camps in our premises for the Japanese community It was that horrific time when most of the hotels were turning expats away DIA PARK Premier came to their rescue and opened its doors allowing Japanese people to have comfortable stay here All of their healthcare related needs were taken care of here,” he added Tokyo Mela witnessed mixed crowd of people from Indian and Japanese community as they enjoyed fun-filled holiday serving them opportunity of learning Japanese language & Culture great experience of eating Japanese food with chopsticks and martial art programs – KENDO (剣道)& JUDO The team of volunteers that supported the event with their presence in various event management activities included Mayu Yokoyama from Meiji University The day-long Tokyo Mela 2024 with the theme “Inspire Japan Life in India” turned out to be a perfect family outing the Mela witnessed participation of TS Tech Present on the occasion were Masayuki Suzuki JETRO India’s Chief Director General Takashi Suzuki said that he witnessed a huge jump in the interest of Japanese people in India events like Tokyo Mela should be organized more often to increase people-to-people exchange so that people on both side should know about their culture more “India has around 8,000 Japanese people living here which is quite less than 5 lakh Japanese in China Indian visitors to Japan 54,000 per year whereas Chinese visiting Japan is more than 2 lakh As many as 1500 Indian students are currently studying in Japan but Chinese students are more than 2 lakh there I really think Indian people to know more about Japan A good number of visitors were seen clicking their photographs at the Canon booth while others took keen interest in the products being offered by Japanese and Indian stalls The visitors enjoyed various cultural programs Visitors also enjoyed variety of authentic Japanese food & beverages product sales counters and also workshops on various subjects such as tasting Japanese food with chopsticks There was a cultural program on Japan by Nihongo Center The program included Japanese quizzes with prizes how to use chopsticks along with delicious Japanese food such as Yakitori They also enjoyed learning basic Japanese language with popular Japanese ANIME DORAEMON and website in this browser for the next time I comment National Report AKITA--Korean-American Jim Chae never forgot the cherished memories from the time his family visited an onsen resort in Akita Prefecture when he was 9 the 28-year-old visited the prefecture again in a nostalgic trip that created more lasting memories He wanted to see the “Friday Roadshow and Ghibli Exhibition” at the Akita Museum of Modern Art in Yokote that he did not know how to get back to Akita city Through a translation app on his cellphone The driver replied that he would give Chae a ride as he had already completed his work for the day Chae rode for one hour and ended up reaching Akita city As getting a one-hour ride virtually free of charge seemed totally unbelievable to Chae Chae felt compelled to tell others about his heartfelt appreciation But the driver was anything but alone in the hospitality he showed the foreign visitor Chae toured around elsewhere in Akita Prefecture and returned to Akita city Chae discovered that he had forgotten to make a reservation for a place to stay overnight Chae encountered a group of a Japanese man and two women in their 20s while roaming the city Chae asked them if they knew of any nearby places where he could spend the night with the help of the translation software on his cellphone The man and Chae engaged in an animated conversation during which he expressed an interest in learning Korean The man suggested they spend more time at the accommodation recommending that Chae leave the room by 8 a.m He thanked Chae for the enjoyable time and added “Please continue to enjoy Japan with care.” The message was written in not only Japanese but also Korean and English Chae had not even imagined that the one-night roommate paid for the room charge Hoping to do something to repay his kindness in return Chae looked for a media outlet to publicize his story through a newspaper The young native English speaker abruptly showed up in front of a reporter working at a desk in The Asahi Shimbun’s Akita General Bureau Chae said he was so impressed by the kindness shown by people in Japan to him that he wanted his episode to be shared The aim was expressing his gratitude to them via a news article After completing his travels in Akita Prefecture Chae was to tour the Shikoku region in western Japan as part of his journey that will continue through Nov He opted to skip Tokyo and Kyoto in favor of rural areas who serves as CEO of an information technology provider despite his young age could afford to enjoy a luxurious trip with ease if he desired What Chae seeks is to experience the authentically pure features of each country he visits He prefers the countryside to famed sightseeing spots as those places allow him to encounter the genuine warmth and personality of local residents Firmly believing that Akita is one such destination Chae concluded that Akita is a great city offering magnificent experiences just as he found during his childhood visit Statistics from the Japan Tourism Agency reveal that as many as 26.88 million people came to Japan from abroad between January and September this year As the number is comparable to the level before the COVID-19 pandemic inbound tourism appears to have significantly recovered Kyoto and other such destinations have proven particularly popular among foreign tourists in the latest trend Akita Prefecture is facing a relatively grim reality According to the findings of the Tohoku District Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land Akita ranked 43rd among Japan's 47 prefectures for the number of foreign overnight visitors in 2023 New luxury hotel in Nara built from former governor’s home Exhibition marks 50th anniversary of Yaguchi’s manga career Growing calls by rural assemblies for uniform minimum wage New picture book aims to introduce Hachiko legend to kids overseas The city of Yokote in Akita Prefecture is well known for its traditional kamakura (snow house) event and its signature style of stir-fried noodles a pioneering manga-themed museum has also been attracting attention Leave a rating/comment#Manga / ComicsBack to ArticlesSHARE Akita Prefecture--Grossed out but kinda like it Welcome to the genre of “kimokawaii,” or creepy-cute Sweets shaped like bee larvae look wiggly and weird A chocolate rhinoceros beetle larva has curled up to snooze They’re not insects but are made of caramel or sweet bean jam The insect sweets line a display case at a confectionery shop in this northeastern city Orders are pouring in from across Japan for the unusual treats The products are made and sold by Komatsuya Honten They are the brainchild of Sadayoshi Komatsu the third-generation proprietor of the shop But the story begins long before Komatsu became the confectioner known for creepy-cute The store was founded by Komatsu’s grandfather in 1916 It started out as a Japanese-style confectionery shore that prided itself on rice crackers It switched to mainly Western-style sweets after it began to win a reputation for iced durian first ate durian in the South Pacific islands during World War II In 2002 the Yokote city authorities began organizing an insect exhibition during the summer vacation for families with children The centerpiece was a giveaway of Japanese rhinoceros beetles as pets which young city officials went out to catch Children stood in a long line in the following year But the rhinoceros beetles became harder to find city officials asked Komatsu to make sweets as substitutes His first experiment was to make a chocolate rhinoceros beetle But its fragile legs would snap every time With the delivery date less than a month away He was at his wit’s end until one day he found a solution Komatsu put a piece of chocolate and dried cuttlefish in his mouth at the same time Both had been served as snacks with his drink So he split the dried cuttlefish into fine slivers and coated them with chocolate He found that the cuttlefish strengthened the chocolate They have short legs and require no complicated processes to model complete with segments like those on the real thing She called the product “creepy” and “shameful,” and opposed his idea The candy insects went on sale solely by mail order and the shop was flooded with orders from all around Japan Komatsu later began making adult rhinoceros and stag beetles He made their horns and mandibles with slivers of chocolate-coated orange peel The 10,000 units he had prepared for Valentine’s Day the next year were sold out He was once suspected of fraud by the prefectural police when he failed to meet a delivery deadline He earned 12 million yen ($84,000) in sales for that event alone Mayumi died from cancer at around that time His wife had been a muse to him in that he had worked hard to develop new products to impress her His newer products include the “Hachinoko Mozomozo” (Creepy bee larva) and the bright blue and green “Imomushi Gorogoro” (Rolling caterpillar) He tries to make them lifelike but adds a touch of cuteness with round curves and fun coloring Take a fork to a “Hachinosu Cake” (Beehive cake) and you’ll find inside translucent bee larvae made of agar They look so real that you might hesitate before eating one The product sells out at once when it is put in the storefront Mail-order sales of the insect sweets is supervised by Hiroaki Komatsu’s 36-year-old second son and the fourth-generation proprietor Hiroaki wanted to be a musician but after living in Tokyo for a while he returned home to the family business when he was 28 “Confectionery is no different from music in that both are about pleasing customers,” Hiroaki said “You don’t have to be in a big city to take your chances in this internet age.” said: “What I want to do is make sweets that customers are startled to see and are startled when they eat them.” Komatsu is currently developing a snail using translucent agar A prototype trembled in a case when it was given a jolt He appears to have an inexhaustible appetite for creativity TASTE OF LIFE/ Tart of newly harvested onion: Lecturer in Paris works efficiently not to waste even a single speck Franchise-free village comes together on ‘Abii Road’ in Iwate ‘Watery’ custard pudding steals show at Japan Pudding Award Glico celebrates 100 years with toys designed by famous creators Vending machine with sweet ‘body parts’ a hit in Osaka Prefecture Sleep tech market doubles in value during COVID pandemic Manga creator Takao Yaguchi passed away due to pancreatic cancer in a Tokyo hospital on November 20 His daughter Kaoru made the announcement through her father's Twitter account on Wednesday She added that her father had been ill for half a year since he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in May a museum in Yokote city dedicated to Yaguchi's works announced on Wednesday that it will hold a gathering to celebrate and remember Yaguchi at a later date Science and Technology gave him the Regional Person of Cultural Merit Award in 2009 This year marked his 50th year as a professional artist Yaguchi and Katsumi Tatsuzawa recently ended the Versus Gyoshin-san The manga was a spinoff of Tsurikichi Sampei Sources: Takao Yaguchi's Twitter account, Yokote Masuda Manga Museum's website, Comic Natalie Calls are growing among local assemblies to unify minimum wages across the country to arrest outflows of rural populations A record 80 prefectural and municipal assemblies adopted statements supporting a uniform national minimum wage in 2023 according to figures compiled by the National Confederation of Trade Unions (Zenroren) The number of such assemblies began to increase in 2020 and totaled 164 over four years through 2023 Many of those assemblies are in rural areas they include 20 of the 25 municipalities in Akita Prefecture and 36 of the 77 municipalities in Nagano Prefecture The city assembly of Yokote in Akita Prefecture adopted a statement for a uniform national minimum wage in 2023 following one issued the previous year represents the sense of crisis about population drains shared by many local representatives Akita has recorded the largest rate of population decrease for 10 consecutive years the second-largest city in the northern prefecture The hourly minimum wage in Akita Prefecture is 897 yen ($6) “It is natural (for young people) to move to Tokyo if the pay is better,” said Tadashi Sugawara “We are losing more and more people who can support our community because there is so much difference from city life.” A uniform national minimum wage has been advocated mainly by Zenroren and the Japanese Communist Party which closely works with the confederation but the statements for a uniform rate are supported by local assembly members across party lines Minimum wages are revised annually based on guidelines that a labor ministry council sets for prefectures categorized into three groups the nationwide weighted average came to 1,004 yen exceeding the 1,000-yen mark for the first time Minimum wages range between 1,113 yen in Tokyo While prefectural minimum wages are above 1,000 yen in Tokyo and seven other prefectures Proponents of a uniform national minimum wage emphasize that the cost of living is about the same in urban and rural areas About 250,000 yen is necessary in monthly living expenses for a 25-year-old man living alone both in Tokyo’s Kita Ward and Kochi according to a report compiled by the Japan Research Institute of Labor Movement in February 2023 Researchers said commodity prices are basically the same because chain stores are found nationwide whereas greater costs are needed to maintain vehicles in rural areas small businesses would be hard hit and could be forced into bankruptcy if minimum wages in rural prefectures were substantially raised to achieve a uniform rate About 80 percent of small and midsize enterprises surveyed by the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2021 were opposed to unifying minimum wages A survey released in February found that more than 60 percent of small and midsize enterprises said the current minimum wages are a burden for their management “Rapid changes create distortions,” indicating the government’s cautiousness about introducing a uniform national minimum wage Few countries have different regional minimum wages Canada is the only member of the Group of Seven industrialized economies that has such a system Council sets record-high increase for minimum wage Panel pushes 4.3% raise for workers on minimum wage EDITORIAL: Latest proposed increase in the minimum wage far from enough Japan has detected its first outbreak of bird flu for the 2021 winter season with confirmation of a case of “highly pathogenic avian influenza” at a poultry farm in the northeast of the country the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday About 143,000 egg-laying chickens are being exterminated at the farm in Yokote city in Akita Prefecture the ministry said in a statement on its website adding that restricted zones up to 10 kilometers from the site have been established we do not believe that there is any possibility of avian influenza being transmitted to humans through the consumption of chicken meat or eggs,” the ministry said But an increase in the number of people in China getting infected from bird flu this year is turning into a source of concern among epidemiological experts especially as the world slowly recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic China has reported 21 human infections with the H5N6 subtype of avian influenza in 2021 to the World Health Organization with six dead and many of the others critically ill Outbreaks of bird flu have also been reported in recent days and weeks in Europe with farms in Poland the latest locations for infections Japan had its worst season of winter flu on farms yet with more than 3 million chickens culled and a quarter of the country's prefectures affected Japan has an egg-laying flock of around 185 million hens and a broiler population of 138 million South Korea confirms H5N8 bird flu in wild birds 2.5 million birds culled in potentially worst avian flu season Flu season nearly vanished this year amid COVID-19 crisis Science journal publishes decades of swan monitoring by kids Rie Takahashi will play young Ard Yen Press is publishing the "school heroic fantasy" novel series in English Katō launched the novel series in 2017 with illustrations by Sao Mizuno Sources: The Greatest Demon Lord is Reborn as a Typical Nobody anime's website, Comic Natalie Matsumoto Castle is crowned with snow under a blue sky are even more stately at this time of the year clearer air allows light to shine more brilliantly on the snow Snowfall in Japan this winter is expected to be about average offering visitors the chance to enjoy snow-clad castles Nikkei has asked a panel of experts to select some of the most spectacular castles to view during this season Japanese version The project will be a television anime premiering in January The anime's story will center on the Kotobuki Squadron The anime will focus on action and aerial dogfights The cast includes (Note: Name romanizations are not official.): Shown in the promotional video is the squadron's Model 1 "Hayabusa" fighter plane which appears similar to the real-life Nakajima Ki-43 "Hayabusa" fighter plane The project will also spawn a smartphone game titled Kōya no Kotobuki Hikōtai - Ōzora no Take Off Girls! (Kotobuki - The Wasteland Squadron: Take Off Girls of the Sky!) that will debut in winter 2019. The iOS/Android game's genre is a "reciprocating-engine air combat simulation RPG," and the game's site is accepting pre-registrations the 3rd Aerial Girls Squadron (Dai-3 Hikō Shōjotai) show-within-a-show has a similar concept Sources: Kōya no Kotobuki Hikōtai website, Anime! Anime! (MoA), Comic Natalie and Mizushima specifically said that Germany's Messerschmitt planes will not appear in the anime Japanese version Hundreds of participants joined the West Kaua’i Hongwanji Koloa Temple in celebrating its 100th anniversary of bon dancing the Miyazaki family pounded mochi for guests to enjoy at the centennial festivities The ' Peyoung Yakisoba Four Kinds of Four-Mix Local Series ,' which allows you to enjoy four types of local Japanese yakisoba at once began pre-sales at convenience stores on Monday The 'Peyoung Yakisoba Four Kinds of Four-Mix Local Series' allows you to enjoy ' The yakisoba container is wrapped in cardboard The lid had the same illustration as the cardboard. The container contained Kayaku and the Kanto sauce was 'Joushu Ota Yakisoba' Pour boiling water up to the inside line of the container The recommended amount of boiling water is 1500ml This is what it looks like when you remove the lid mix the sauces carefully so they don't mix together and it's done The completed form of the 'Peyoung Yakisoba Four Kinds Four Local Series' is as follows and the lower right is 'Joshu Ota Yakisoba' when you try 'Fujinomiya Yakisoba,' you can taste the strong flavor of seafood stock In the home of 'Fujinomiya Yakisoba,' it is often topped with shaved sardines so this seems to be a reproduction of that 'Yokote Yakisoba' has a light flavor and a strong salty taste 'Hiruzen Yakisoba' has a characteristic sweet and spicy taste similar to yakiniku sauce The editorial staff who tried it commented that 'It tastes like a sweet and spicy Korean noodle dish' and 'If you weren't told it was yakisoba you would mistake it for abura soba or some other dish.' 'Joushu Ota Yakisoba' is a sweet-flavored dish with a fragrant sauce 'It tastes like the yakisoba I usually eat.' Since the four varieties of 'Peyoung Yakisoba Four Types Local Series' all have very different flavors we recommend eating them together and discussing each other's opinions such as 'I like this one' or 'This one is interesting.' Meta's basic AI research team publishes multiple research results, sharing AI models, data sets, and other results Scarecrow, a software that pretends to have multiple security analysis tools to avoid installing malware Jun 19, 2024 22:00:00 in Tasting See the Countless Snow Domes at Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival in Akita Prefecture Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival is traditional winter festival held annually in Akita Prefecture and it’s one of the most spectacular winter snow festivals in Japan Check out the detail for Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival 2025 *Please note that this article contains affiliate links Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival (横手の雪まつり かまくら) is a traditional winter festival held in Yokote City Tohoku Region.The event features hundreds of large and small snow domes called Kamakura which are placed at several locations in the city Kamakura is a snow dome house and a traditional winter item in northern area of Japan it started to be built to deify to Suijin (water god) Yokote City has over 450 years of history with the traditional snow festival and it’s the biggest festival in Japan featuring Kamakura food stalls and more at several locations in the city There will be a lot of Kamakura domes during the festival where visitors can actually enter and enjoy winter traditional food Mochi (soft rice cake) and Akazake (warm sweet sake) at night Also Kamakura illumination will be set by Yokote River after the sunset featuring over 100 small snow lanterns The festival is held on 15 and 16 February every year and the whole city will turn into a winter wonderland It’s one of the must-see winter events in Japan If you are visiting Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival this winter just make sure to put warm clothes as it’s really cold during winter (the daily lowest temperature could be minus in February) <2025 Yokote Kamakura Snow Festival> Map: http://bit.ly/2BL6kHN Access: 10 mins walk from Yokote station (JR Kitakami line/JR Ou line) Official Website: https://www.yokotekamakura.com/ "The world is my oyster." As a dedicated globetrotter and hammock enthusiast and discovering the world’s most incredible destinations I’ve always had a deep connection to my roots but my love for adventure has led me to spend over a decade exploring countries across the globe—from culture-rich cities to remote hideaways Travel isn't just a hobby for me; it's a lifestyle I'm constantly searching for new ways to fuel my wanderlust I’ve developed a wealth of knowledge and a treasure trove of tips that make traveling more enjoyable I've come to appreciate not only the beauty of travel but also the importance of understanding diverse cultures and I’m excited to share those lessons with others and firsthand stories that help travelers navigate their journeys to Japan or setting off on a global adventure From hidden gems in Japan to travel hacks that make any trip smoother I hope my insights inspire you to embark on your own adventures and make the most of every moment You can also find my stories here ▶ https://medium.com/@nahobm Yunishigawa Onsen Kamakura Festival : Visit the best snow illumination event from Tokyo Yunishigawa Onsen Kamakura Festival features the winter tradition of northern Japan Countless Kamakura light up the charming Onsen town during the festival Yunishigawa Onsen (湯西川温泉) has over 400 years history and the historical townscape has been well preserved till today It’s located in a remote valley of the deep mountains in Tochigi Prefecture As the prefecture owns numbers of famous Onsen towns such as Kiugawa Yunishigawa Onsen is not everyone’s first choice but it’s a perfect place for those who wants to avoid touristic atmosphere and have authentic Onsen experience Yunishigawa Onsen Kamakura Festival (湯西川温泉 かまくら祭) is held at this Onsen town from late January to early March annually and the festival mainly features the winter tradition of northern Japan traditionally made in Tohoku region and northern area of Kanto region The festival features countless large and small Kamakura statues the town is lightened up by hundreds of small Kamakura with candles and turns into a magical winter wonderland delicious local food and other illuminations There are several traditional Onsen ryokan inn where you can stay over after joining the event If you are looking for authentic Onsen experience this winter I bet Yunishigawa Onsen could be one of best choice 😉 Map: https://goo.gl/3mj2QA Access: Take Nikko Kotsu Bus from Yunishigawa Onsen Station to Honke Bankyu Ryokan Mae bus stop (approx Date: 31 January to 2 March 2025 (*light-up for Kamakura is available only Friday Getting ready for your winter trip in Japan? For more exciting things to see during winter please check out these articles listed below