EXCITING YAMANASHI AND MORE

Japanese stone oak (Lithocarpus edulis): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithocarpus_edulis

Acorns of the Japanese stone oak, Aokigahara Forest, Narusawa village, Yamanashi, 9/25/2026

Items from stores in Yamanashi:

KEIHAN RAILWAY THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE 2020

KEIHAN RAILWAY THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE 2020 (SCALE 1/135), Long Type TOMICA No. 124 Keihan Railway Thomas & Friends 2020: https://takaratomymall.jp/shop/g/g4904810156925/?wovn=english&srsltid=AU7gw4Xmn4tFEEAKndcRDa9Vy4CWSqxoQot3acFDFVuo_I9DwcbCRVF4

Tomy Company, Ltd. (trading as Takara Tomy in Asia and Tomy elsewhere): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomy: https://www.takaratomy.co.jp/english/; Thomas & Friends: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_%26_Friends

Cool Retro Match Boxes

Kobe Match Co. Ltd.: https://kobe-match.co.jp/; Match Design Factory Retro matches: https://mdf2009.base.shop/

A Water Wheel at Home of Waterwheel Park in the town of Mukawa, Hokuto city, in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan.

A water wheel, Home of Waterwheel Park, Mukawa town, Hokuro city, Yamanashi, 9/05/2026

A water wheel, Home of Waterwheel Park, Mukawa town, Hokuro city, Yamanashi, 9/05/2026

Panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’): https://plantfinder.mobot.org/plantfinderdetails.aspx?kempercode=c192: https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/hydrangea-paniculata-limelight/

Panicle hydrangea Limelight plants grown and maintained by a nearby farmer, next to Home of Waterwheel Park, Mukawa town, Hokuto city, Yamanashi, 9/05/2026

Asiatic jasmine (Trachelospermum asiaticum ‘Hatsuyukikazura’): https://mikawanoyasou.org/data/hatuyukikazura.htm; https://www.ootk.net/cgi/shikihtml/shiki_4996.htm

Asiatic jasmine plants grown and maintained by the nearby farmer, next to Home of Waterwheel Park, Mukawa town, Hokuto city, Yamanashi, 9/05/2026

Taro (Colocasia esculenta): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taro

Taro plants grown by a nearby farmer, next to Home of Waterwheel Park, Mukawa town, Hokuto city, Yamanashi, 9/05/2026

Asian Cultivated Rice (Oryza sativa): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryza_sativa:

Ripening rice paddy fields nearby Home of Waterwheel Park, Mukawa town, Hokuto city, Yamanashi, 9/05/2026

FYI: Southern Alps UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: https://www-minami–alps–br-org.translate.goog/about.php?_x_tr_sl=ja&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=ja

Green bristlegrass (Setaria viridis) growing alongside a road:

Green bristlegrass, Kofu city, Yamanashi, 8/28/2026

Green bristlegrass (Setaria viridis): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Setaria_viridis; https://mikawanoyasou.org/data/enokorogusa.htm

Purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis) growing alongside a road next to the green bristlegrass above:

Purpletop vervain, Kofu city, Yamanashi, 8/28/2026

Purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verbena_bonariensis; https://mikawanoyasou.org/data/yanagihanagasa.htm

Mitakesan (Mount Mitake) Kanazakura Shrine: https://kofu-tourism.com/en/see-and-do/31: (In Japanese) https://kanazakura-shrin.webnode.jp/

Kanazakura Shrine, Mitake-cho, Kofu-shi, Yamanashi, 5/03/2026

Near Kanazakura Shrine, Mitake-cho, Kofu-shi, Yamanashi, 5/03/2026

Four plant names are:

White Silky Wisteria (Wisteria brachybotrys f. alba): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisteria_brachybotrys

Akebi (Akebia quinata): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akebia_quinata

Japanese snow flower (Deutzia gracilis): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutzia_gracilis

Japanese kerria (Kerria japonica): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerria_japonica

Torch azalea, near Kanazakura Shrine, Mitake-cho, Kofu-shi, Yamanashi, 5/03/2026

Torch azalea (Rhododendron kaempferi): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_kaempferi

Sunpu Castle Park: https://sumpu-castlepark.com/en/

Maple Mountain Garden, Sunpu Castle Park, Aoi-ku, Shizuoka-shi, Shizuoka, 5/17/2026

Tsutsuji Azalea (Rhododendron simsii): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron

Kousa dogwood (Cornus kousa): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornus_kousa

Ryujin Falls, Nishizawa Gorge, Mitomi-Kamikamakuchi, Yamanashi-shi, Yamanashi, 5/02/2026

Rhododendron subg. Hymenanthes, Nishizawa Gorge, Mitomi-Kamikamakuchi, Yamanashi-shi, Yamanashi, 5/02/2026

Direction stone, Mie (3 steps) Falls and Nanatsugama Godan (5 steps and 7 pools) Falls, Nishizawa Gorge, Mitomi-Kamikamakuchi, Yamanashi-shi, Yamanashi, 5/02/2026

Views from Kayagatake (Mount Kaya), Kai-city, Yamanashi, 01/17/2026

Views from Sword-Pulling Rock Observation Point, Kai-city, Yamanashi, 01/11/2026

Snow storm views from the top of Mount Shirasuna, Kai-city, Yamanashi, 01/11/2026

Views of Yatsugatake Mountains from Gangahara Observation Point, Mount Hinata, Hokuto-city, Yamanashi, 01/25/2026

Bamboo grass in a snowy forest, Mount Hinata, Hokuto-city, Yamanashi, 01/25/2026

Views from the rooftop of Koyodai Resthouse, Sunny Aokigahara Forest with Snow, Fugaku Fuketsu (Wind Cave) and Narusawa Hyoketsu (Ice Cave), Narusawa-village, Yamanashi, 01/03/2026

https://www.mtfuji-cave.com/en/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narusawa_Ice_Cave; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fugaku_Wind_Cave; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aokigahara

Year of the Horse Daruma doll (made by Arai-darumaya) and Kadomatsu made of bamboo, Kofu, Yamanashi, 01/01/2026

(In Japanese) https://arai-darumaya.com/; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Horse; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sexagenary_cycle

Kadomatsu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kadomatsu

Senga Falls and Shosen Gorge,* Takanaricho, Kofu, Yamanashi, 01/01/2026

Shosen Gorge: https://kofu-tourism.com/en/see-and-do/12; https://www.shosenkyo-kankoukyokai.com/en/; https://www.shosenkyo-kankoukyokai.com/

Senga Falls: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senga_Falls

Please visit my previous sites on Shosen Gorge:

https://yamanashietsuo.net/one-afternoon-in-shosenkyo-gorge/; https://yamanashietsuo.net/oyanagawa-valley-and-itajiki-valley/; https://yamanashietsuo.net/shosen-gorge-and-kanazakura-shrine/;

https://etsuo.tokyo/wp-admin/post.php?post=1854&action=edit; https://etsuo.tokyo/wp-admin/post.php?post=3717&action=edit; https://etsuo.tokyo/wp-admin/post.php?post=1841&action=edit

There used to be a replica of the Japan’s First Street-Fountain and Bluff Gutter that was donated by Yokohama-city in Showa 57 (1982) in front of Doshi Village Hall. However, I did not see it anywhere, so I asked a person in the village office. According to him, the location where the fountain replica was is under renovation. The replica was removed and stored somewhere else. It would be returned to the original location sometime in the year of 2026.

https://etsuo.tokyo/wp-admin/post.php?post=2684&action=edit

https://memorialdrinkingfountains.wordpress.com/category/glenfield-kennedy/page/2

The replica should look like this.