There may be people who have the desire to engage in activities related to local culture or learn about local issues, but do not know where to start.
The Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival, held on September 4, 2022, at Geibunkan Hall in Kurashiki City, is an event where organizations working on regional revitalization and social issues in Okayama gather.
At the venue, booths from local organizations lined up, each conducting workshops and performances to introduce their activities.
This event allows you to meet directly with organizations that are passionately working to enrich Okayama, and I will introduce the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival.
Introduction to the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival
What kind of outdoor event is it where local organizations gather?
Overview of the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival
The Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival (hereafter, and F Festival) is an event where organizations working on regional revitalization and social issues gather to introduce their activities through workshops and performances.
It was held on September 4, 2022, at Geibunkan Hall and the Ais Theater in Kurashiki City.
The event is organized by the Fukutake Educational and Cultural Promotion Foundation (hereafter, the Foundation), which provides grants to organizations working on regional revitalization and social issues in Okayama Prefecture.
Additionally, with the cooperation of the Takahashi River Basin School (hereafter, Takahashi River Basin School), which promotes activities related to the culture and history of the Takahashi River Basin, local organizations active in the Bichu area also participated.
Furthermore, a marche event featuring food vendors conducting mobile sales in Okayama Prefecture was held simultaneously.
The Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival is an event where you can enjoy food while learning about the activities of organizations addressing regional activities and social issues in Okayama Prefecture.
Participating organizations in the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival
The and F Festival features 15 local activity organizations active in Okayama.
It is rare for organizations that usually operate in their respective locations to gather in such a visible manner.
The gathering of local activists is a characteristic of the and F Festival.
▼The organizations that participated in the and F Festival are as follows.
| Organization Name | Content |
|---|---|
| NATURE TALK | Exhibition of newspapers on nature and animal protection |
| Edible Education Okayama Research Group | Making bird calls |
| General Incorporated Association Niimi Wooden Toy Association | Experience with building blocks |
| MSB30 | Workshop on disaster prevention |
| General Incorporated Association Yakage Junior and Senior High School Children's Union (YKG60) | Sales of shaved ice |
| General Incorporated Association Oedo Tamatsudare Okayama Group | Performance of Oedo Tamatsudare |
| Fukiya design | Making bamboo flutes |
| General Incorporated Association Kono Hitokan | Making time capsules using empty cans |
| Notre Dame Seishin University Everyone's Shopping Street Project Team | Introduction of examples of utilizing vacant houses |
| Hoshi no Sato Bisei Meister & Star Guide® (Junior Sommelier) Ayaka Matsushima | Sales of original goods from Bisei-cho, Ibara City, and introduction of astronomical information |
| Kokeshi Marche | Mainly selling accessories |
| jam tun | Sales of clothing from Africa |
| NPO Okayama Takumi Association | Sales of bento |
| General Incorporated Association Takahashi River Basin School | Sales of beverages |
Participating stores in the Marche event
The marche event is also a noteworthy point of the and F Festival.
Seven food vendors that enliven marche events in Okayama Prefecture set up booths.
▼The food vendors that participated in the and F Festival are as follows.
| Store Name | Content |
|---|---|
| Tsuchiya Cola | Sales of craft cola |
| Kurashiki Cheese Factory Haruparu | Sales of cheese |
| Nash Curry American | Sales of curry |
| Pan Cafe Atelier | Sales of bread |
| Kitchen Morinokumasan | Sales of hamburgers |
| Yakitori Nacchan | Sales of yakitori |
| Le Vert | Sales of Western sweets |
Booths of local activity organizations
What kind of workshops and performances did organizations working on regional revitalization and social issues conduct?
I will introduce the workshops I experienced.
Yakake Junior and Senior High School Children's Union's "Yakappy Shaved Ice"
The General Incorporated Association Yakage Junior and Senior High School Children's Union, commonly known as YKG60, sold shaved ice inspired by the mascot character "Yakappy" from Yakage Town, Okayama Prefecture.
The shaved ice featured Yakappy's characteristic green color, created with either muscat-flavored syrup or matcha, and the beak was represented with potato chips.
YKG60 is an organization where junior and senior high school students from Yakage Town come together to engage in community activities.
Students rushed from Yakage Town to sell shaved ice at the and F Festival.
In the sweltering heat, Yakappy's shaved ice was extremely popular.
With the sold-out shaved ice, cheers erupted from the students in charge of sales.
MSB30's cardboard stool making
The MSB30 organization, which plans events to acquire practical disaster prevention knowledge while having fun, conducted a workshop on making cardboard stools.
MSB30 is an organization established by local middle school students to support the recovery of Mabi, which was affected by the heavy rain in July 2018.
They operate an event called Mabikko Frog Caravan to learn about disaster prevention.
The high school student who guided the cardboard stool making at the booth experienced the harshness of sitting on the floor for long periods in a gymnasium at an evacuation center during the heavy rain in July 2018.
They taught the usefulness of making cardboard stools that can be quickly made using cardboard brought in with relief supplies, based on their real-life experience.
NATURE TALK's newspaper on nature and wildlife protection
NATURE TALK produces a newspaper on the impact of climate change and poaching on wildlife, created solely by middle school students.
The booth displayed self-made newspapers, providing information about the realities of endangered wildlife such as tigers, elephants, and rhinos.
Additionally, a workshop was held to draw tiger patterns.
The base material included information on the population trends of tigers, making it a workshop where participants could learn about the realities of tigers facing extinction.
Interview with Hiroko Wada, the person in charge of the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival
We spoke with Wada Hiroko, who oversees the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival, organized by the Fukutake Educational and Cultural Promotion Foundation, about the event.
Here are the thoughts behind the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival.
What left an impression on you at today's event?
Wada (honorific omitted)
The sight of our foundation and related organizations from the Takahashi River Basin, along with restaurants active in Okayama Prefecture, gathered together left a strong impression on me.
Until now, there have been opportunities for interaction among grant organizations through the foundation's achievement report meetings, but there were no opportunities for interaction with other organizations.
With the cooperation of the Takahashi River Basin School, the event featuring local activity organizations and restaurants from the Bichu area was realized at the and F Festival.
It seems that many organizations were able to speak for the first time at the and F Festival, despite having known each other's activities but not having had the opportunity to meet.
I feel that creating a space for activists to interact beyond regional and related organization boundaries is a significant achievement.
Was there any outcome from the interactions?
Wada
At the and F Festival, there were organizations engaged in highly compatible activities.
For example, the African fabric brand jam tun and the independent production of wildlife conservation newspapers by NATURE TALK seem to have a high degree of compatibility.
The representative of NATURE TALK, a middle school student, is interested in overseas countries such as developing nations, and there is much to learn from the representative of jam tun, who has experience in activities in Africa.
From the sight of people who had never met before visiting each other's booths and enjoying themselves, I sensed the emergence of new value.
Do you want to continue the and F Festival in the future?
Wada
I feel that the and F Festival was a success, as many activists gathered and a space for interaction was realized.
Interactions beyond regional and related organizations may create new businesses and values.
I would like to hold events where activists from other areas can meet, not just in the Bichu area, to provide new culture and value to Okayama.
Visiting the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival
Many people may want to participate in community activities but do not know where to start.
By attending the and F Festival, you can meet directly with people who are working to make Okayama more enjoyable and richer.
Hearing about the thoughts and activities of activists will surely help you find what you want to do.
Why not visit the and F Festival as an entry point to community activities?
Photo provided by: @86ikachan_photo
Data on the Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival
| Name | Takahashi River Basin Marche and F Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | Held irregularly |
| Location | 1-18-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Website | Fukutake Educational and Cultural Promotion Foundation |
and F is a web media operated by the Fukutake Educational and Cultural Promotion Foundation, a public interest incorporated foundation.
It introduces activists responsible for Okayama's culture and education and disseminates information about events.
Communication magazine and F connecting activists