At Lake Toya in Hokkaido, we happened to catch the Lake Toyako Long Run Fireworks Display. The atmosphere by the lake at night was especially romantic, with fireworks bursting over the lake and reflecting on the water. It was truly beautiful!
Enjoying the fireworks while feeling the evening breeze off the lake was very relaxing. Fireworks rose into the sky one after another, adding a lively touch to the usually tranquil scenery of Lake Toya!
Shinkyogoku Shopping Street
Spanning approximately 500m from Sanjo Street to Shijo Street in the heart of Kyoto, Shinkyogoku Street buzzes daily with locals, tourists, and school trip students. The Shinkyogoku Shopping Street, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022, stands as Japan's second oldest shopping district.
京都一定要逛逛「新京極商店街」， 這條商店街有很濃厚的京都逛街氛圍，沿途有許多服飾店、藥妝店、伴手禮店和餐廳，可以一路慢慢逛、慢慢挖寶。
商店街是有遮棚的，就算遇到下雨天也不用太擔心，逛起來相當方便。一路上還能看到不少京都特色小店，想買伴手禮或找東西吃都很容易。
Mazekomi wakame
Just mixing this into warm rice balls makes it easy to make delicious wakame rice. It's essential when making rice balls and lunches. The flavor is tightly packed into the ingredients, so it will make the rice delicious even after it cools down. It is moderately sally, and it can be used as a seasoning on foods other than rice.
Wakame furikake is perfect with rice! Just sprinkle it over steaming white rice, and the aroma of the wakame comes out right away. Mix it in, and the rice becomes very flavorful.
It has a pleasantly salty, savory taste, with a light ocean flavor from the wakame and the aroma of the furikake. It tastes great with plain white rice and doesn’t need much additional seasoning. When you’re busy, just sprinkle some on to make a bowl of white rice more flavorful!
Noboribetsu Bear Park
Located at an altitude of 550 meters on the summit of Shihorei Mountain, Noboribetsu Bear Park is accessible via a 7-minute ropeway ride from the foothill station in Noboribetsu Onsen Town. Over 60 lively brown bears reside here.
You can see the brown bears up close at the park. Watching these large, powerful bears moving around is truly impressive. The most interesting part is feeding time. As soon as the bears see food, they come right over, and their quick, adorable movements make it hard to look away!
It was my first time seeing brown bears from such a close distance, and it felt very special! Hokkaido has not only beautiful natural scenery but also fun experiences like this, so it’s a great addition to a Noboribetsu itinerary.
