EXPERIENCE YAMANASHI AND MORE _ EXPLORE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

A photography exhibition titled “Kittens” by Mitsuaki Iwago has been held at The Nanbu Town Museum of Art, Memorial of Koichiro Kondo in the town of Nanbu in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, from June 20 to August 27, 2026.

Saion Temple, belonging to the Rinzai school of Japanese Buddhism, is located in the town of Nanbu in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

Rinzai-shu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rinzai_school; Saion Temple: (In Japanese) https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%9C%80%E6%81%A9%E5%AF%BA

Saion Temple, Nanbu-cho, Yamanashi, 7/12/2026

A tea field, Nanbu-cho, Yamanashi, 7/12/2026

The town of Nanbu is the southernmost town in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

Nanbu-cho: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanbu,_Yamanashi.

In Yamanashi Prefecture, where about 80% of the land is mountainous, the town of Nanbu is a unique exception. With a low elevation of under 150 meters, the area enjoys a mild climate and abundant rainfall. This area is known for the cultivation of green tea “Nanbu-cha.” Nanbu-cha benefits from gentle sunlight and the abundant waters of the Fuji River basin. The tea is celebrated for its sweet, mellow umami flavor and elegant aroma, and also known by the unified brand name of Yamanashi Prefecture’s teas, “Kai no Midori.”

Nanbu-cha: https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/market/dento_syoku/menu/nanbu_cha.html; JA Yamanashi-mirai: (In Japanese) https://www.y-mirai.or.jp/archives/product/tea/

Japanese walnut (Juglans ailantifolia): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juglans_ailantifolia; https://note.com/jbcde_2019/n/n3ce2150ca79e?hl=en

Japanese walnut, Aokigahara Forest, Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi, 7/04/2026

Purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbena_bonariensis; https://www.nies.go.jp/biodiversity/invasive/DB/detail/81250e.html; https://www.gardenia.net/plant/verbena-bonariensis-tall-verbena

Purpletop vervain growing on the roadside, Kofu, Yamanashi, 6/29/2026

Mount Daibosatsu (Great Bodhisattva), located in Yamanashi Prefecture, is one of the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan. Standing at an elevation of 2,057 meters, it is highly celebrated for its spectacular, unobstructed ridge-line views of Mount Fuji and the Southern Alps. However, unfortunately it was cloudy today and I could not get a further distance view.

100 Famous Japanese Mountains: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_Famous_Japanese_Mountains

Peak of Mount Daibosatsu, 2,057 meters (6,749 ft) high, Enzan, Koshu-city, Yamanashi, 7/01/2026

Daibosatsu Trail, Enzan, Koshu-city, Yamanashi, 7/01/2026

Daibosatsu Trail, Enzan, Koshu-city, Yamanashi, 7/01/2026

Daibosatsu Pass, 1,897 meters (6,224 ft) high, Enzan, Koshu-city, Yamanashi, 7/01/2026

Lichens, Daibosatsu Trail, Enzan, Koshu-city, Yamanashi, 7/01/2026

ITINERARY

(START) Kamihikawa Pass Parking Lot – Kaminari Rock – Mount Daibosatsu – Kaminari Rock – Mount Daibosatsu Pass – Kaizan Lodge – Kamihikawa Pass Parking Lot (GOAL)

Time: 4h 16min (Rest: 43 min), Distance: 7.6 km, Ascend: 554 m, Descend: 556 m

Also, please read the article “Hiking Mount Daibosatsu” on September 15, 2025: https://yamanashietsuo.net/wp-admin/post.php?post=6596&action=edit

A model route: (In Japanese) https://yamap.com/model-courses/209

The Kiyosato area in the town of Takane in the city of Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, is a highland resort area situated on the southern slopes of the Yatsugatake Mountains at an elevation of roughly 1,200 meters. Known for its cool climate, dairy farms, and stunning mountain views, it is a popular year-round destination for trekking, sightseeing, and dining. Kiyosato experienced a massive boom from the late 1970s through the 1980s Bubble Economy era. However, when the economic bubble burst in the early 1990s, tourism plummeted. Many businesses went bankrupt, and the once-bustling station area saw a significant decline, leaving behind many empty, retro-styled buildings. Today, Kiyosato is a quiescent, countryside town.

https://kiyosato.gr.jp/inbound_en/; https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/english/discover/kiyosato.html; https://www.japan.travel/en/destinations/tokai/yamanashi/kiyosato-and-around/

A streetlamp near Kiyosato Station.

A streetlamp with signs, Near Kiyosato Station, Takane-cho, Hokuto-city, Yamanashi, 6/28/2026

The Field Ballet in Kiyosato: (In Japanese) https://www.fieldballet.com/; https://www.moeginomura.co.jp/en/

The Kiyosato Field Ballet is Japan’s only long-running outdoor ballet festival, held annually in Kiyosato. Set in the “Moegi-no-mura” (Moegi Village), the festival merges nature with classical dance. This year, the 37th Event will be held at Moegi-no-mura Open-Air Special Stage, hosted by Ballet Chambre Ouest, from July 28 to August 9, 2026 (Closed on August 3). The main program is a production of the classic romantic ballet “La Sylphide” (Act I & II).

Ballet Chambre Ouest: (In Japanese) https://chambreouest.com/

The JNR Class C56 149 steam locomotive is a historic engine (known as Highland Pony) built in 1938. It is currently preserved as a static exhibit directly in front of JR Kiyosato Station in the city of Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. It celebrated its 88th birthday with community festivals and special exhibits on June 28, 2026. In Japanese culture, the 88th birthday is celebrated as Beiju. The name is a play on words derived from the kanji for rice, which can be disassembled into the characters for eighty-eight symbolizing purity, wholesomeness, and sustenance, making the Beiju a joyous milestone of longevity.

Manufacture: Built by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in June 1938.
Operational Era: Spent the majority of its active working life operating on the JR Koumi Line.
Restoration: After being retired in 1973 and weathering heavy deterioration, a community effort known as the “C56 Makeup Project” helped restore and safely relocate it to the station plaza.

C56 149: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Japanese-national-railways-C56-149-20110804.jpg; https://www.steamlocomotivejapan.com/c56-149

A static exhibit of C56 149, proudly displayed a special 88th birthday headmark (Beiju) and celebration flags, Kiyosato Station, Takane-cho, Hokuto-city, Yamanashi, 6/28/2026

JNR Class C56: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JNR_Class_C56; Kiyosato Station C56 Makeup Project: (In Japanese) https://kiyosato.gr.jp/c56-mup/

There are five more C56 locomotives preserved as static exhibits on the JR Koumi Line: C56 126 in Kobuchisawa Elementary School, C56 96 in Nobeyama Station Ginga Park, C56 101 in Seichi Park (Old Nakagomi School), C56 144 in Komoro Castle Kaikoen, and the engine part of C56 26 served in and returened from Thailand.

Plants grown near Kiyosato Station: Virginia spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tradescantia_virginiana; https://mikawanoyasou.org/data/oomurasakituyukusa.htm

Golden marguerite (Anthemis tinctoria): https://www.gardenia.net/plant/anthemis-tinctoria-kelwayii-golden-marguerite; https://www.uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/marguerite-golden-8-19-11.aspx

Golden marguerite growing near Kiyosato Station, Takane-cho, Hokuto-city, Yamanashi, 6/28/2026

A jazz consert featuring Kimiko Itoh was held at Kenpo Temple in the town of Nagasaka, Hokuto-city, in Yamanshi Prefecture, Japan, on June 27, 2026.

A piano trio: Nobumasa Tanaka (piano), Benisuke Sakai (bass) and Juasa Kanoh (drums), with Kimiko Itoh (vocal).

Jazz concert at a temple: (In Japanese) https://www.yamaderadejazz.com/

Kimiko Itoh: (In Japanese) https://www.kimikopecoito.com/: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kimiko_Itoh; Nobumasa Tanaka: http://www.tnobumasa.com/; Benisuke Sakai: http://www.benisuke.com/; Juasa Kanoh: https://juasakanoh.com/

Kimiko Itoh after the show, Kenpo Temple, Nagasaka-cho, Yamanashi, 6/27/2026

Kenpo Temple, Nagasaka-cho, Yamanashi, 6/27/2026

Kenpo-j: (In Japanese) https://www.kenpo-ji.com/

Yesterday June 21, 2026 was this year’s summer solstice.  The summer solstice marks the longest day of the year, providing the maximum amount of sunlight and solar radiation.  The Earth is tilted on its fixed axis by about 23.5 degrees. Because of this, different parts of the planet receive different amounts of sunlight throughout the year as the Earth orbits the sun.  While the solstice is generally referred to as a day, it’s actually an exact moment the sun reaches its northernmost point or alignment, directly overhead at the Tropic of Cancer.  During the weeks following the solstice, the earth and concrete surfaces absorb more heat during the long daytime hours than they can release during the short nights.  This gradual buildup means that the hottest temperatures of the year typically occur delayed, arriving over the next one to two months, in late July and August.

The Tropic of Cancer is an imaginary line of latitude circling the Earth at about 23.5° north of the equator. It spans three continents, passing through areas including Mexico, the Bahamas, the Sahara Desert, India and China.

Also notable is not only the length of the day, but also the height of the sun. During the summer solstice, sunlight hits the ground at a steeper, higher angle, which is part of the reason for the warmer temperatures associated with summer.

If Earth’s axis were not tilted, seasons would effectively cease to exist. There would be no summer or winter solstices, and every location on the planet would experience a nearly identical climate and constant 12-hour days year-round, permanently stuck in an “equinox” state.

It seems that over 20,000 people gathered and welcomed the Sun at Stonehenge on June 21st. According to English Heritage, they witnessed the summer solstice sunrise, marking the Northern Hemisphere’s longest day. It said that the clear weather provided a striking view as the sun rose at 4:24 a.m. BST over the Heel Stone.

Sweet William catchfly (Atocion armeria): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atocion_armeria; East Asian arrowroot (Pueraria montana var. lobata): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pueraria_montana_var._lobata; Kudzu in the United States, “The vine that ate the South”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kudzu_in_the_United_States

Sweet William catchfly and East Asian arrowroot, or kudzu vine, the floodplains of the Fuji River, Nanbu-cho, Yamanashi, 6/15/2026

Fuji River: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuji_River

Fuji River and its riverbanks and floodplains, Nanbu-cho, Yamanashi, 6/15/2026

Roadside Station Tomizawa: https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/english/discover/road-station-tomizawa.html; (In Japanese) https://michinoeki-tomizawa.jp/

Burn Swallow (Hirundo rustica): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barn_swallow

Welcoming and guarding swallows (In use), Roadside Station Tomizawa, Nanbu-cho, Yamanashi, 6/15/2026

The Town of Nanbu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanbu,_Yamanashi; (In Japanese) https://www.town.nanbu.yamanashi.jp/index.html

Utsubuna Station, Minobu Line of Central Japan Railway Company: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utsubuna_Station

Hydrangea macrophylla is a species of flowering plant in the family Hydrangeaceae, native and endemic to Japan. Hydrangea plants come in colors like red, blue, and purple. The base for these colors is a pigment called anthocyanin. This pigment is naturally red. It turns blue when it reacts with aluminum dissolved from the soil.

Consequently, Hydrangea plants that absorb a lot of aluminum become blue, those that absorb none become red, and those in between become purple. Thus, the color of a hydrangea plant changes based on how much aluminum it absorbs from the soil, which depends on the water’s acidity. Acidic soil helps the plant absorb more aluminum (resulting in blue flowers), while neutral to alkaline soil prevents this absorption (resulting in red or pink flowers). Hydrangea plants with white flowers do not contain anthocyanin pigments, so their color never changes. The chemical reaction inside the plant is like this: the aluminum ions bind with the anthocyanin pigments and this reaction forms a blue complex, causing the plant’s flowers to turn blue instead of their usual red. Under natural conditions, in neutral or alkaline soil, aluminum does not dissolve well, so the plant absorbs very little aluminum, leaving the anthocyanins in their natural red state.

In the Utsubuna region in the town of Nanbu in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, there is a park, Utsubuna Park, where about 30,000 hydrangea plants representing about 70 different cultivars are grown across a 2.5-hectare (6.2-acre) site. The town of Nanbu is hosting the 23rd Nanbu Hydrangea Festival at Utsubuna Park from June 12 through June 21, 2026.

Hydrangea macrophylla: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrangea_macrophylla

Hydrangea macrophylla flowers, Utsubuna Park, Nanbu-cho, Yamanashi, 6/15/2026