Kurashiki Byobu Festival - Reviving a historic tradition that disappeared during the Meiji period. Bringing vibrancy back to the town to preserve Kurashiki's history and culture.

The enjoyment of the Byobu Festival that you can only understand by visiting

It has been 23 years since the Kurashiki Byobu Festival was revived in 2002. Are there any innovations or commitments made each year? We also asked about future prospects.

What innovations or commitments are made in the Byobu Festival?

Okada

In the Byobu Festival, we do not label it with "the ○th time" each year. This is because the Byobu Festival is not something that started in modern times, but rather it is a revival of a tradition that once existed and then ceased.

Since we do not know when it started, we cannot count it as ○ times.

Another point of commitment is not to create too many rules. The only rule is to display the byobu for visitors to see.

What kind of byobu to display is up to the individual, and it does not have to be something owned at home. Borrowed items are also acceptable. It does not have to be an old byobu; newly purchased ones are fine as well.

Additionally, the specifics of what kind of byobu will be displayed and how it will be arranged are not disclosed in advance.

Therefore, it is only when the event is actually held that one can see the byobu. One of the joys of the Byobu Festival is that you can only understand it by visiting.

It has been 23 years since the Byobu Festival was revived in 2002; have there been any changes?

Okada

The aging population is a problem.
Even in 2002, aging was already noticeable, but many people continued to enjoy participating.

However, in recent years, due to age, some people have declined to participate because of physical issues. While there are younger generations joining, there is concern that it may decline if things continue as they are.

Therefore, we expanded the event area from the traditional main venues of Honmachi Street and Higashimachi Street to the entire Bikan Historical Area.

By encouraging voluntary participation, we were able to maintain over 30 displays in total.

Also, as it became known that I was working hard for the Byobu Festival, various people started bringing me byobu they no longer needed. I currently have many stored in my warehouse.

Among those renting stores, there are people who want to participate in the Byobu Festival and offer space but do not have byobu to display.

So, by lending out the byobu I have stored, I hope to make it easier for them to participate.

Originally, I believe the Byobu Festival is something that emerged spontaneously. I think it is also necessary to adapt flexibly to the times.

Collaboration with local organizations.

Okada

We have collaborated with local software companies, Okayama University, and Okayama Prefectural Kurashiki Seiryo High School to start foreign language audio navigation using QR codes from 2025.

This is due to the recent surge in visitors from overseas.

Additionally, we are collaborating with Kurashiki University of Science and the Arts. Also, the Nihonga (Japanese painting) artist from Kurashiki, Moriama Tomoki, is cooperating with the Byobu Festival.

Moriama feels the necessity to pass on the techniques of Japanese painting and byobu mounting to future generations.
He is concerned that there are few people who know about the techniques related to byobu in modern times, and if things continue as they are, the craft of making byobu itself may disappear.

Therefore, students create works and make byobu, which are then displayed at the Byobu Festival.

There have also been cases where graduated students became artists and displayed their painted byobu at the Byobu Festival.

Through the Byobu Festival, I want to convey the culture of byobu and the techniques of mounting.

The traditional Byobu Festival unique to Kurashiki, revived through local efforts

The Byobu Festival, which was a local tradition in Kurashiki, had ceased for about 100 years but was revived through the efforts of local people like Okada, and it has been over 20 years since.

The 2025 Byobu Festival will be held on October 18 (Saturday) and 19 (Sunday).

On the day, in addition to the Byobu Festival, there will be many events such as the Achi Shrine Autumn Grand Festival, the Mikoshi procession, Sugenko, and Chitosegaku, making the town of Kurashiki filled with a festive atmosphere.

Why not visit the Bikan Historical Area and experience the rich history and traditions?

Articles about the Kurashiki Byobu Festival

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