His love of ninjas brought him to Koka City, Shiga Prefecture. Takamasa Fukushima appears in ninja costume at any event in the city to support the municipal government's ninja-focused community development efforts. "Iga City, Mie Prefecture, has been promoting ninja for 60 years through its castle, but Koka's ninja campaign...

The number of mobile sales vehicles for Kyoto souvenirs has been increasing. Many such vans, loaded with familiar items including matcha sweets, yatsuhashi confections, incense, and facial oil blotting paper, appeared after the spring of 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was getting into full swing. Why are Kyoto souvenir companies...

The ice show "BEYOND" directed by Mao Asada, 31-year-old silver medalist in women's figure skating at the Vancouver Olympics, premiered at the Shiga Prefectural Ice Arena in Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture, on September 10. The ice arena had a nearly full house of 2,100 people and thunderous applause erupted for...

"Burapi" has come to Kyoto... Brad Pitt, an American Hollywood actor who is known by the nickname "Burapi" in Japan, visited Japan to promote his film. On August 23, he took the Tokaido Shinkansen, which is associated with the bullet train in the movie, and arrived at JR Kyoto Station...

The "Self-Defense Force Festa 50, 70 in Shiga Takashima" was held in Takashima City, Shiga Prefecture, on August 7. The beautiful and dynamic flight of the Blue Impulse, an acrobatic flight team of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, in the blue sky attracted many visitors. This year marks the 50th...

"Gozan Okuribi," a traditional summer event in Kyoto of bonfires to send off the ancestral spirits welcomed back during the O-bon holidays, was held at each mountain surrounding Kyoto City on the night of August 16. This year, all the fire beds were lit for the first time in three...

With Japan sizzling under scorching temperatures this summer, a greenery association in Kyoto Prefecture's Nagaokakyo has planted a large "green curtain" of "goya" bitter gourd vines in a popular park to provide shade to locals. Under the 150-square-meter curtain of vines at Nishiyama Park, the intense summer heat is vastly...