Oshino Hakkai are the eight springs found in the village of Oshino in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The aquifer water originated from Mount Fuji comes out to the ground to form these springs.
Kawaguchi Asama Shrine was established in 865, one year after the massive eruption of Mount Fuji in 864, to enshrine the deity Asama-no-Okami and appease the mountain’s wrath. Located in the town of Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, it is a designated component of the Mount Fuji World Cultural Heritage site. The grounds contain seven massive cedar trees that are over 1,200 years old. The “Chigo-no-Mai” traditional dance, designed to calm the eruption, is recognized as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The dance is still performed by young girls on April 25th (Annual Festival) and July 28th (Taita-Gokagurasai).
“Double-flowered” describes varieties of flowers with extra petals, often containing flowers within flowers. Yaezakura in Japanese means double-flowered cherry blossoms and Prunus ‘Kanzan’ is a representative cultivar of the Yaezakura cherry blossoms. Kazan is a double flower cultivar with with 20 to 50 petals.
An exhibition titled 2026 Early Term Special Exhibition “Birds of the Mountains” has been held at the Yabuucni Masayuki Art Museum in Hakushu-cho in the city of Hokuto in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, during March 20 through July 14, 2026.
The Shosenkyo Bakuzaka Kodo Trail is a short 1.6 km mountain biking trail located in the Shosenkyo area, along with the Shosenkyo Ropeway. The trail is part of the ancient path network in the area and is exclusively accessed through guided tour.
An exhibition titled ZEN BUDDHIST CULTURE IN YAMANASHI has been held in the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum, Fuefuki-shi, Yamanashi, Japan, during March 14 through May 6, 2026.
“Among the various Buddhist sects that developed in various regions after the Kamakura period, Zen Buddhism had a deep connection with Yamanashi, as seen in the visit of the Zen monk Rankei Doryu to Yamanashi, and the achievements of Muso Soseki and his disciples, who were highly valued by the Muromachi shogunate. This exhibition will introduce the rich Zen culture that developed in Yamanashi through artworks such as paintings and sculptures, as well as the influence of Zen monks.” Cited from: https://www.porta-y.jp/en/event/188180
Japanese snowball (Viburnum plicatum f. plicatum), commonly known as Oodemari in Japan, is a deciduous shrub prized for its large, rounded, white flower clusters that bloom in late spring.
Japanese snowball plants, Road Station Nanbu, Nanbu-cho, Yamanashi, 4/10/2026; Japanese snowball trees, Mount Kuno Tosho Shrine, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka, 4/10/2026
Futaba-aoi or Kamo-aoi (Asarum caulescens, syn. Japonasarum caulescens) is a low-growing, deciduous, perennial herb in the Aristolochiaceae family. It is native to Japan (and parts of China), featuring creeping rhizomes, heart-shaped leaves in pairs, and small, purple-brown, bell-shaped flowers hidden beneath the foliage in spring. It is culturally important in Japan, known as the plant that inspired the design of the Tokugawa family crest (Mitsuba Aoi) and used in the Kamo Shrine’s Aoi Festival in the city of Kyoto, Japan. Asarum: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asarum; Futaba-aoi: https://mikawanoyasou.org/data/hutabaaoi.htm; https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%95%E3%82%BF%E3%83%90%E3%82%A2%E3%82%AA%E3%82%A4
