Have you ever been looking for a spot close to Hamamatsu Station where you can have fun even on rainy days?

Hamamatsu Science Museum makes both of these possible. The museum is divided into zones of nature, force, sound, light, and space, where you can enjoy learning about science while having a variety of experiences.

Furthermore, in the planetarium, which was renovated in March 2022, you can view approximately 100 million stars. Science shows are also popular.

Have you ever seen a photo of a road guide board that says “3km per month” in the media?

This information board is located in Tenryu Ward, Hamamatsu City. It stands on Shizuoka Prefectural Route 360, which runs along the flow of the Tenryu River.

So, what exactly is happening this month? You may also be curious about the origin of place names.

This time, in order to solve these mysteries, we took a short trip to the moon.

In ancient China, it is said that ideas and inspiration are born in the “Mikami”.

“Mikami” means “Makami” (when you are in bed), “Mikami” (when you are in the bathroom), and “Mikami” (when you are riding a horse).

There seem to be various theories as to why inspiration occurs on a horse, including “a state of deep concentration amidst fluctuations,” “It’s easy to come up with ideas while moving,” and “the relaxing effect of riding alone on a horse.” But what actually happens?

At the HAS Hamamatsu Horse Riding Club in Mikatahara-cho, Kita-ku, Hamamatsu City, we spoke to Taiki Yakushi, who is involved with horses on a daily basis, about horseback riding.

The company name is PETIT, which means “small/cute” in French.

When I heard that a new company had started up that produces pet goods using products from Hamamatsu and other prefectures, I went to interview them. What was waiting for me was a man who looked good in a jumper, which was a bit unexpected given the company’s image of being small and cute. It was a name.

Mikkabi area in autumn and winter, when the mandarin orange trees bear fruit and the wide sky is sparkling with orange.

Among them, I visited the Hamanako Paragliding School, which is a 5-minute drive from the Tomei Mikkabi Interchange, because I heard that it had a spectacular view.

We spoke to Tsubasa Aoki, the principal of the school, at the paragliding flight site that overlooks Lake Hamana from an altitude of 420 meters.

Lake Hamana may have a strong image of marine leisure, but not many people know that it is actually a place where you can enjoy hiking and trail running. To the west are the Kosai Mountain Range, and to the north are the mountains Jogamine and Tommakuyama, where hiking trails are available. It is also popular as a low-altitude hike that can be easily done on holidays.

This time, I used the Tenryu Hamanako Railway to walk the course from Hamanako Sakume Station to the summit of Jogamine and descend to Kiga Station, and I would like to share with you how it went.

Speaking of Hamamatsu City Kanzanji, it is famous for the Hamamatsu City Zoo and the amusement park Hamanako Pal Pal, but the marine sports season is also here and the area is becoming more and more crowded.

We spoke to Mr. Toshitaka Niimura, the representative of “Phantom Marine Kodama,” which operates a pleasure boat and marine leisure business at Lake Hamana Marina, about “parasailing,” which is popular in overseas resorts.

On July 10, 2021, the commissioning ceremony for “Sea Lake HAMANA Jenne” was held at Lake Hamana under clear skies.

Sea Lake HAMANA Jenne is a team that promotes the appeal of the region, made up of women who are active in the Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana area. The new members who joined on this day are Ms. Anna Mizogaki and Ms. Wakana Mizogaki, and they are sisters from Hamamatsu City.

At Manyo-no-Mori Park in Hamakita Ward, a Manyo plant dyeing experience is held four times a year (approximately once every three months).

At the Kibe Kibe workshop located within the park, you can enjoy itajime and tie-dyeing using plants that appear in the Manyoshu, such as safflower, indigo, and madder.

This time we will introduce silk chiffon dyeing using the leaves of Asebi Asebi. We took on the challenge of making an original stole using three types of mordant while learning from Mr. Miki from the machine workshop!

The experience time is approximately 2 hours. Even those who are new to vegetable dyeing can easily participate.

Are you familiar with the term “trail running”?

Trail running is a type of middle-distance running that involves running in mountains and fields other than on paved roads. In Japan, many people are probably familiar with the names “cross country” and “mountain racing.” Unlike mountain biking and other competitions that use vehicles, trail running has the unique appeal of running through nature on your own. Because you run off-road with ups and downs, you can feel more connected to nature and enjoy the changes in the surrounding scenery than you would with regular running. At a time when various leisure activities are being forced to struggle to prevent infection due to the effects of the new coronavirus, trail running is attracting attention as a way to avoid crowds and have fun.

After doing some research, I learned that Hamamatsu’s running club “Smiley Angel”* has been promoting trail running in Hamamatsu in recent years. Although I had no experience with trail running, I decided to attend a Smiley Angel practice session to experience the new charm of the Hamamatsu/Lake Hamana area.

*A citizen running club operated by Kyorindo Pharmacy Co., Ltd., headquartered in Hamamatsu, since 2012.

I went on a touring tour using YSP Hamamatsu’s rental bike in the summer and it was so much fun and unforgettable that I thought I’d go touring somewhere nearby again! That’s what we talked about.

I decided to go on a touring trip with a theme, so I decided to go on a motorcycle trip with the title “Touring around the dragons of Lake Okuhamana.” I would like to introduce that situation.