Author: Benkei

A papercutting exhibition titled Flowers, Cats, and the Beatles “CUT CAT BEATLES” by Kinue Yokokura has been held at the Fujikawa Papercutting Museum in Yamanashi Fujikawa Craft Park in the town of Minobu in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan from October 4 through December 21, 2025.

Papercutting: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papercutting; https://papercutters.org/about-papercutting/

Flowers, Cats, and the Beatles “CUT CAT BEATLES” by Kinue Yokokura, Fujikawa Papercuttng Museum, Yamanashi Prefecture Fujikawa Craft Park, Minobu, Yamanashi, 12/04/2025

Dawn redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metasequoia_glyptostroboides

Dawn redwood, Fujikawa Craft Park, Minobu, Yamanashi, 12/04/2025

https://yamanashietsuo.net/colorful-autumn-color-trees-in-minobu-park/; https://yamanashietsuo.net/colorful-autumn-color-trees-in-minobu-park-2024/

Sasanqua camellia (Camellia sasanqua): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camellia_sasanqua

Sasanqua camellia, Fujikawa Craft Park, Minobu, Yamanashi, 12/04/2025

Following the concerts at Yamanashi Prefectural Citizen’s Culture Hall in Kofu yesterday, an Andean music ensemble from Peru INKAÑAN held two more short concerts at AEON MALL Kofushowa in the town of Showa in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan on December 4, 2025.

INKAÑAN at AEON MALL Kofushowa, Showa-cho, Yamanashi, 12/04/2025

INKAÑAN at AEON MALL Kofushowa, Showa-cho, Yamanashi, 12/04/2025

AEON MALL Kofushowa: https://en.aeonmall.global/mall/koufushowa

Peru, the Republic of Peru: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peru; https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Per%C3%BA

INKAÑAN at Miruke Stage, Yamanashi Prefectural Citizen’s Culture Hall, Kofu, Yamanashi, 12/03/2025

INKAÑAN 2 CDs

ENIGMA: 1. ATACAMEÑOS, 2. PADRE SOL, 3. PURIMUY, 4. TIEMPO AL TIEMPO, 5. SAYA SENSUAL, 6. PAJARO CHOGUI, 7. SOLO, 8. CONDOR PASA, 9. RONDA DE LOS ENANOS, 10. DESPACITO

INKAÑAN SELECCION 17: 1. MOSOq PACHA, 2. WICHICHAYO, 3. BAILA CAPORAL, 4. LLORANDO LLORANDO, 5. Dime tu, 6. NIÑOS de AMERICA, 7. EL CONDOR PASA, 8. EI HUMAHUAQUEÑO, 9. ORO VERDE, 10. MALAKUNBAWAPA, 11. ANA, 12. LLORANDO SE FUE, 13. TE amo, 14. AMIGO, 15. Sin Ti, 16. SARIRI, 17. INKAÑAN

Views of the Kofu Basin and Mount Fuji from the observation point of Takeda-no-Mori Health Park in the city of Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

Takeda-no-Mori Health Park, Kofu, Yamanashi, 11/30/2025

This is an amazing instant-ramen package with the print of The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai. Ramen is a Japanese noodle dish consisting of Chinese-style wheat noodles in a flavorful broth, topped with ingredients like sliced pork, seaweed, and green onions. Instant ramen is a precooked and dried noodle product with flavoring powder and/or seasoning oil.

The Great Wave off Kanagawa, also known as Kanagawa oki nami ura or The Great Wave, is a Japanese ukiyo-e print by Katsushika Hokusai. It features a large, cresting wave with Mount Fuji in the background.

https://hokusai-miyage.com/hokusai-ramen0002/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa

Ukiyo-e: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e; Katsushika Hokusai^[: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokusai

Confederate rose (Hibiscus mutabilis): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hibiscus_mutabilis

Capsules of Confederate rose plants, Maple Mountain Garden, Sumpu Castle Park, Shizuoka-city, Shizuoka, 11/24/2025

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsule_(fruit)

https://sumpu-castlepark.com/en/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunpu_Castle

Mount Fuji and Aokigahara Woodland, Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 11/20/2025

Red-belted conk (Fomitopsis pinicola): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fomitopsis_pinicola

Red-belted conk, Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 11/20/2025

Arisaema serratum (Arisaema serratum): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisaema_serratum, similar to Japanese cobra lily (Arisaema ringens): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arisaema_ringens

Arisaema serratum, Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 11/20/2025

Japanese larch (Larix kaempferi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larix_kaempferi

Japanese larch, Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 11/20/2025

Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chamaecyparis_obtusa

Japanese cypress, Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 11/20/2025

For the Koyodai part of the Tokai Nature Trail, please visit the site: https://www.narusawa-kanko.jp/pdf/koyodai_trekking_english.pdf and for the entire Tokai Nature Trail, please visit the site: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkai_Nature_Trail.

The Koyodai Observatory is located on the top of Koyodai Resthouse. A 360-degree panoramic view from the observatory on a clear day is breathtakingly specutacular.

https://www.narusawa-kanko.jp/koyodai.html; https://www.narusawa-kanko.jp/pdf/koyodai_trekking_english.pdf

Mount Fuji, Aokigahara Jukai (Sea of trees or Woodland), Lake Motosu, and Lake Sai, Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 11/17/2025

For the entire Tōkai Nature Trail, please visit the site:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C5%8Dkai_Nature_Trail.

Kosuge Village is located in the northeastern corner of Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The village had a population of 588 in April, 2025. The source of the Tama River is believed to be located in the village. The trailhead for Mount Mitsugo is located behind a bus stop not far from Kosuge Roadside Station. The elevation of Mount Mitsugo is 846 meters. The mountain seemed dominated by oak forests with  jolcham oak (Quercus serrata) and Japanese oak (Quercus crispula).

Views from the top of Mount Mitsugo, Kosuge-village, Yamanashi, 11/16/2025

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosuge; https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/english/recover/kosuge-village.html; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tama_River; https://npokosuge.jp/en/kosuge-village