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Why Komatsu ?

Komatsu City sits upon the southwestern plains of Ishikawa prefecture. On one side lies the Sea of Japan, and on the other the sacred Mt. Hakusan. These natural resources contribute to the rich nature and have influenced the local history and culture. Symbolic of this culture are the living traditions of Kutani ceramics made from Komatsu stone, and children’s kabuki performed at yearly festivals.

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Escape Above the Clouds: Mountaintop Inn, Ikumo ☁️

In Japan, summer is the season for mountains, where you can enjoy the cool air and rich greenery! ⛰️
But if hiking is not really your thing, there are more relaxing ways to enjoy our mountains! 😙

Like staying at mountaintop inn Ikumo, right here in Komatsu City 🏠

Literally meaning "life in the clouds", Ikumo 生雲 is where you can wake to the chirping of birds🐦, meditate to the backdrop of sunrise over the mountains 🌄 or sunset over the sea 🌅, and soak in an open-air bath beneath the stars ✨

Once a sacred hall at which monks gathered to deepen their knowledge and practice of nature worship, you can also engage with its spiritual past through a trek down a former pilgrimage route to Natadera Temple where you can join a prayer session.

Or try your hand at sutra-copying while contemplating the vast nature around you 🧘‍♀️ (scroll to the end for a tour of the view!) 😍

True to its nature-centered philosophy, eco-friendly resources such as solar energy ☀️, filtered rain water 💧, and natural construction materials are used, and CO2 emissions kept at minimum 💚 Meals are also prepared from organic local produce of the season! 🤤

All this in the comfort of privacy, with only one group of up to 4 people permitted at any time 😌

Yes, you can get there without breaking a sweat by rental car or taxi, or arrange for pick-up from Natadera Temple 🚙
Find out more from their English site @
👉ikumo-hakusan.jp/en/👈

Summer Escapes: Lake Kiba Park We may be approach

Summer Escapes: Lake Kiba Park

We may be approaching the season of rain and heat 🥵 but there are still many ways to enjoy Komatsu! 😌

As they say, after the rain comes the rainbow, and at Lake Kiba Park, that's certainly what you'll get: a rainbow of hydrangeas in full bloom 🌈

You'll find this charming rainbow along a little canal at the central park zone 中央園地!
(DM us for the exact pin)

Jog, cycle or stroll a quarter round the lake to the south zone (南園地) and you'll also encounter another rainbow at the iris garden 🥰

What better incentive to get some exercise in? 😋 And cool off both body and soul 😌

Relive the Past in a 90-Year Old Machiya Inn 🏠

Relive the Past in a 90-Year Old Machiya Inn 🏠

Machiya refer to wooden townhouses that populated olden Japan as the living quarters of artisans and merchants.
Many remain in Komatsu, repurposed as cafes and galleries.

But if you wish to experience living in them as the olden folk did, you can now do so at the newly-opened Ryusuke 25! 😍
@ryusuke25.komatsu

Renovated from a 90-year-old machiya with the intention of conveying the aesthetic, craft and culture of the ancestors that built up this city,
the owners have done their best to retain what was left, creatively repurposing and embellishing the space 🤗

The inn's name itself is a reflection of that:
Ryusuke is the name of its residing neighborhood, and 25 the house number ❤️

While located a convenient 10 min walk from Komatsu Station, you can be assured of private space with bookings limited to two groups at a time, one on each floor. 😌 A particular highlight is the sleek private bath hidden within a stone cellar! 🛀

At the same time, it also serves as a community space where small events can be held for intimate mingling with the locals 🥰
Feel free to reach out to the owners about using the share kitchen for cooking sessions, or even the rooms for exhibitions!
(check out @acortot for a sample of how the rooms were used to exhibit his papercut art pieces!)

Little Local Finds: Bakery With A View 🍞 With

Little Local Finds: Bakery With A View 🍞

With so many hidden gems in Komatsu that are off the tourist map (sometimes off the map entirely), we’ve decided to start sharing some of our everyday discoveries on the Explore Komatsu homepage! 🤗

For the very first article of this series, we introduce the most Instagrammable bakery we’ve encountered to date:
Yoshita Bakery (ヨシタベーカリー)

With a lovely view of Mt. Hakusan and shrouded in greenery 😍
A perfect resting spot whether you’re seeking to breakfast in quiet, or breakfast in style! 😌
Read more in our latest article on
👉 explorekomatsu.com 👈

🌹Roses are not just Red🌹 As you can see, it

🌹Roses are not just Red🌹

As you can see, it's an entire rainbow of roses at the "V" Road Friendship Rose Garden! 🌈
(see previous post)

And a rainbow of aromas too 😌
Like rainbows, they won't last long, so come down to catch the roses while they're around! 🤗

🌹A Rosy Friendship🌹 It is Komatsu tradition

🌹A Rosy Friendship🌹

It is Komatsu tradition to plant flowers in commemoration of our sister city relations 🥰

For Vilvoorde, our sister city in Belgium of 48 years, we have an entire rose garden❣

The "V" Road Friendship Rose Garden can be found at Komatsu Sports Park in Suehiro-machi.
V for the garden's V-shaped rose hedges, and yes, Vilvoorde 🤗

Do come by while they are in full bloom! 😍
DM us if you need directions.
(taken 2nd June)

#komatsu #ishikawa #hokuriku #unknownjapan #explorejapan #japantourism #japantravel #japannature #japangarden #japanflower #komatsucity #vilvoorde #ilovejapan #japanlovers #小松市 #石川県 #北陸 #バラ園 #姉妹都市 #discoverjapan #satoyama #beautifuljapan #localjapan #japansightseeing #myjapan #japanscenery #japancountryside #穴場 #kanazawa #inaka

💜Memoirs of May💜 May was such a memorable mo

💜Memoirs of May💜
May was such a memorable month that we just had to dedicate our latest article on the Explore Komatsu homepage to it 🥰
(check the "What's New" section at explorekomatsu.com)

We share our favorite flower spots (spring doesn't just end with 🌸), food finds, and of course our lovely experience at the Otabi Festival (swipe to end for some bonus clips of the plays! 😍)

It's a little peek into our local everyday, and perhaps useful reference on what to look out for next May 🤗
Do comment to share with us your favourite memories of the month too 😙

Next, we had an English tour led by local voluntee

Next, we had an English tour led by local volunteer guides! 🤗

Highlights included a visit to Motoori Hiyoshi Shrine, one of the festival organisers,
and close-up viewing of the hikiyama floats! 🤩

Thank you so much to our international friends for your enthusiasm and support 🥰
You are always welcome in Komatsu, and we hope for the chance to show you much more of what we love about this city 😘

We were overjoyed to have so many international fr

We were overjoyed to have so many international friends joining us in the Otabi festivities this year! 🤗

First, we got some help pulling the massive hikiyama floats to the venue 💪

It was so fast with everyone's help! Thank you for an energising start to the festival! 🥳
Otsukare❣️

✨Dazzling Hikiyama✨ When the hikiyama floats g

✨Dazzling Hikiyama✨
When the hikiyama floats glowed up, so did the festival mood 🤗

Looking back at these pictures still makes our eyes and hearts sparkle 🤩💖

Otabi Festival 2022, Thank You ❤️ The rain ne

Otabi Festival 2022, Thank You ❤️

The rain nearly called it off, but finally the skies cleared, and the hikiyama floats emerged 😌

Finally, the past 3 years of preparation for our city's beloved festival bore fruit 😌

Finally, our children were able to get the audience they deserved, upon the spectacular stages of the hikiyama 🤗

Thank you to all our locals who fought to make this happen through hard times 🥰

Thank you to all our visitors, including those who supported from afar, for lending our little actresses your eyes, ears and hearts 🥰

Thank you to the weather for letting us off and giving us blue skies when we needed it the most! 🌞

We hope the festival brought you all as much joy as it did us, and that we get to welcome you again next year, to an even bigger and livelier Otabi Matsuri❣️

🍡Savor Otabi🍭 Tomorrow's finally the day o

🍡Savor Otabi🍭

Tomorrow's finally the day of the festival! 🥳

We've received many inquiries about the yatai food stalls this year.
Yes, we totally get how yatai are a big part of any matsuri.

Sadly, for safety reasons, there will be no yatai street this year 😔
(there will be some within the grounds of Motoori Hiyoshi Shrine)
*Eating is not allowed at the festival venue where the floats are assembled, due to COVID-19 measures

Despair not however, as this is a chance to savor the festival in a sweeter way:
Through the medley of Otabi-related sweets specially crafted for the festival!
Why not go sweet-hopping while you're here? 😋

1) Otabi Dango
by @minowa_kashiho みのわ菓子舗
Fresh dango encasing azuki paste, generously powdered with the more fragrant Kyoto kinako, and wrapped in bamboo leaf to up the fragrance factor!
An Otabi-exclusive creation eagerly awaited for every year, by this 60-year-old wagashi shop just by Awazu Station.

2) Kabukky Monaka
by Yamagami Fukujudo 山上福寿堂
Crisp monaka in the shape of our mascot Kabukky! (yes Kabukky is meant to resemble the legendary Benkei who appears in many kabuki plays 😆)
Comes in 4 flavors: Matcha 🍵, Ichigo🍓, Chocolate🍫, and even granola made from Komatsu Barley 🌾!
The kind of stuff that's too cute too eat 🤣

3) Hikiyama Senbei
by @tokuda_seikado 徳田盛華堂
Hand-baked senbei biscuits imprinted with the iconic scene of Otabi Festival:
The spectacular assembly of the towering hikiyama floats! 🤩
Delicately sweet and eggy, we think it is as yummy as it is pretty! 😋

4) Kabuki Beer
@komatsu_urara souvenir shop
If you're not into sugar highs, of course there are other ways to get high 🍻
Made from Hakusan spring water and Komatsu barley, and dolled-up in kabuki makeup! 😍
Opt for the pink pale ale (with 100% Komatsu barley), or the blue sakamai ale blended with sake crafted from komatsu-cultivated sake rice!
(Please resist drinking at the venue however 😅)

The final dessert should of course be the visual feast of the hikiyama children's kabuki plays 😌

If you're coming this weekend to join us for the O

If you're coming this weekend to join us for the Otabi Festival, why not drop by the Yusenji Copper Mine Memorial Park to enjoy another aspect of Komatsu history and culture too? @yusenjidozanato

The origins of world-famous Komatsu Ltd., this area was formerly a lively mining town run by the corporation's founder!

Today, it has been converted into a beautiful nature sanctuary, through the hard work and passion of the local community.

If you're lucky, you might still be able to catch the lilac carpet of irises that transform the cedar grove into a magical woodland! (scroll to end for some ASMR)

Otherwise, there is always the giant chimney remains that always makes us feel like we're in an adventure movie 😋

Counting Down to Otabi Festival!🥳 📅14 May, S

Counting Down to Otabi Festival!🥳
📅14 May, SAT📅

Our long-awaited Otabi Festival is fast-approaching this Saturday!
We would really like to celebrate with as many of you as possible,
so a heads-up that there are still some spaces for our English Tour,
14 May (Sat) 2-3 PM.

👉Sign-up here if interested: https://tinyurl.com/OtabiTour2022👈

English guidance and reserved seating for the kabuki play is fully booked, but you may still be able to get tickets for free seating if you come down to the ticket counter at the festival venue at 12pm on the day. Up to 4 tickets for either sessions
can be claimed:
①Afternoon session 3pm - 5.45pm
②Night session 6pm - 8.30pm

Venue: Outside MIYOSSA Hikiyama Gallery
https://goo.gl/maps/ZiP5JtLTWBrMMMXVA
Tickets are free but first-come-first-serve!

More information here: https://www.explorekomatsu.com/news/otabi-festival-2022/

Also a heads-up that the Hikiyama Line-up and tour may have to be cancelled in the event of bad weather.
We will post updates as soon as possible in the event of cancellation.
Praying for good weather and the chance to welcome all of you! 🤗

After a 3-year wait, we finally managed to stage t

After a 3-year wait, we finally managed to stage the Japan Children's Kabuki Festival in Komatsu! 😌

So grateful and touched that our young performers finally got the audience they deserve 🤗

Here are just some of our favorite scenes. Just feel that passion and joy. We always forget that these are just little kids 💞