Kobe welcomed a new waterfront destination this year as the redevelopment of the former Shinko No. 2 Pier area gave rise to TOTTEI, a spacious coastal district designed to connect the city more closely with the sea while offering visitors a range of leisure attractions that highlight the port city’s unique blend of ocean and mountains. (News On Japan)

The annual winter-only Sennin Bath opened along the riverbed of Kawayu Onsen in Tanabe, Wakayama, on December 1st, drawing visitors with its open-air pools heated by hot spring water bubbling up naturally from beneath the river. (News On Japan)

The winter tradition of kotatsu-equipped boats has begun in Yanagawa, Fukuoka Prefecture, where small hibachi braziers are placed beneath the tables on shared boats as the seasonal service gets underway. (News On Japan)