Japan's largest doll festival

 Japan's largest doll festival

A Dazzling Doll Display | Katsuura Big Hina Matsuri

2024 Dates: February 23 – March 3

Main Display: Tomisaki Shrine, Katsuura

Every year on March 3rd, the Hina Matsuri, or Doll Festival, is celebrated all over Japan. On this occasion, also known as Girls’ Day, families display ornately decorated dolls as an expression of hope for the healthy growth of girls.

Some localities, like Chiba’s Katsuura City, hold community-wide events. During the festival period (February 23 – March 3) you’ll find spots all around town that are beautifully decorated with Hina Dolls, with the main attraction being the 1,800 Hina Dolls that adorn the steep staircase leading up to Tomisaki Shrine. It’s a stunning sight you won’t want to miss if you’re in the Tokyo area during this time. Here’s how to get here by train from Tokyo:

Tomisaki Shrine is about a 10-minute walk from JR Katsuura Station.

JR Katsuura Station can be reached from Tokyo Station in about 90-minutes by a limited-express Wakashio train.

#VisitChiba #Katsuura

 

　⇩ google search

https://maruchiba.jp/event/detail_10874.html

Japanese night heron（Mizogoi in Japanese katakana）

The Japanese name for the Eurasian bittern I posted last time is "Sankanogoi", which ends with the word "goi",and this time I will do the same.

This time, it is a wild bird of the heron family called "Mizogoi", which breeds only in Japan.

There are seven species of wild birds in Japan with "goi" at the end of their bird names in Japanese, and this bird is one of them.

This bird is found in low mountain forests and is listed as an endangered species on the Red List of the Ministry of the Environment of Japan due to a drastic decline in its population since the latter half of the 20th century. It is estimated that there are currently fewer than 1,000 birds worldwide. (Wikipedia summary)

Pictures were taken for evidence on February 3rd, 2024.

 

Male population of certain endangered species

I was looking at my phone the other day and saw the release of a survey by the Wild Bird Society of Japan on the number of male Eurasian bittern inhabiting in Japan.

According to the report, the number was revealed to be 17 birds.

Eurasian bittern are classified as endangered EN in this country.

Aside from that, I have visited the specific location of Inba-numa in the prefecture several times since 2014 to photograph this bird, and on my fifth visit, I happened to find it foraging on a rainy day in a rice field about 500 meters away from the swamp and photographed it.

I visited the site several times after that, but I never saw it.

There is only chirping in the reeds.

The male and female plumage of this bird is the same color, so it is said that the male's 'call' when he has territory is the only way to determine its identity.

IB (EN: endangered) has a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future, although it is not as endangered as IA.

This image was captured on June 9, 2014 at 11:21 am.

 

A female Taiga Flycatcher

I have been taking a lot of wild birds belonging to flycatcher until today

The other day. I added a new one called 'taiga flycatcher' in English.

It is called ojirobitaki in Japanese name. It looks so cute.

However, they are almost female or immature.

Male migration is said to be very rare.

It is very regretful!

 

Flowering trees in mid-winter

 Despite the bleak winter scenery, these two kinds of flowering trees soothe people's hearts. These two types are plum trees with reddish pink blossoms, which we call Koubai in Japanese, and Chimonanthus praecox, or Japanese allspice, which we call Roubai in Japanese.

Chimonanthus praecox,

                                        two types 

                                                Koubai 

                                        14 kinds of type

Year-end greetings

 

It's only a few days till we say goodbye to this year.

I appreciate you taking the time to visit my blog this year.

As we are in mourning next year, we have to be excused for my New Year's greeting.

As of May this year, my older brother passed away at the age of 88. Following the customs of this country, we will refrain from celebrating for a year.

                                                                                                                                                        Thank you

Rose finch, for the first time in three years

 This wild bird is described by Wikipedia as:

The breeding area is central Siberia to eastern Siberia, while the wintering area is Mongolia, eastern China, and the Korean Peninsula.

As a winter bird, it migrates to central Honshu and the north in Japan, but its numbers are relatively small.

 On Wednesday, December 20, 2023, I started from home at 4:30, drove for nearly three hours, arrived at 7:30, returned home at 4:30 p.m., and fell deeply asleep.

I have taken many photographs of them for the first time in three years

                                                    Male