When you think, “I’d like to hear live music,” you need to buy tickets for a live show or concert and make your way to a large venue such as a concert hall.
But what if there were a day when you could enjoy live performances by local artists right in the town where you live, with no fuss? You would feel closer to music.
At Shoshinmachi No. 4 Park in Shoshinmachi, Kurashiki City, Harmony Marche will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sponsored by local businesses for the benefit of local residents, the event offers live music and fun for people of all ages, with or without disabilities.
We spoke with Midori Yao, manager of Armonía and the person who launched Harmony Marche, about its concept and her hopes for the event.
The information provided was current when this article was published in April 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is the 3rd Harmony Marche?
The 3rd Harmony Marche will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2025, at the Shoshinmachi No. 4 Park Grounds in the Sho district of Kurashiki City.
It will be a half-day gathering of people from the Sho district, including the organizers of Cafe Armonía, musicians who gather at Armonía, and vendors actively involved in children’s cafeterias and welfare activities in Kurashiki City and Hayashima Town.
Vendors must meet the following two conditions:
- Support the charitable cause of helping children’s cafeterias or people with disabilities
- Learn and join in the sign-language song performed by everyone at the end of the stage program
At the end of the stage program, everyone will sing the sign-language song for “Maarui Inochi,” written and composed by Iruka, as they did in 2024.
See the image below for details about the vendors.
Highlights from the 2nd Harmony Marche
This will be the third Harmony Marche.
The 2nd Harmony Marche, held in April last year (2024), was a day when music filled the stage, children made cotton candy themselves, and people could contribute to children’s cafeterias by buying food and drinks—giving participants a chance to give back to society.
Many volunteers supported the marche by setting up the stage, operating the sound equipment, organizing the parking lot, and clapping along to the music. They all say the same thing:
“Because it’s a marche for the friends who have grown up together in this district.”
They say this with a smile, and the marche lets you experience their love for their hometown firsthand.
They’re planning activities for 2025 that will involve participants and let everyone at the venue have fun together.
Interview with Midori Yao, the Person Behind Harmony Marche
We interviewed Midori Yao of the Harmony Marche organizing committee about her hopes for the 3rd Harmony Marche.
What kind of event is Harmony Marche?
Yao (surname only)
Harmony means being in accord, doesn’t it?
In fact, Armonía, the name of the cafe I run, means “harmony” in Spanish.
My wish is for all the people, things, and cultures on Earth to transcend national borders, ethnicity, language, and religion, and create a beautiful harmony here. Even if we can’t understand one another’s words, we can listen to the same music and sway our shoulders together.
To make that wish come true, I began to feel that I first wanted the people in my local neighborhood association, who have supported me the most, to experience music.
Everyone enjoys music in their daily lives, including sound effects on TV and in games. In other words, music is a universal language.
I run Harmony Marche hoping that people who live in this area—including those who have difficulty going out because of a disability or other circumstances—can experience live music and connect with one another while staying in their own town, helping to revitalize Shoshinmachi.
It’s being held at Shoshinmachi No. 4 Park again this year, as it was last year.
Yao
The first Harmony Marche was held in front of Cafe Armonía, so last year I was worried about whether local residents would accept us using a larger venue.
But when we actually held the marche, all the vendors and participants had a wonderful time. And not only that—the participants were very considerate, too.
Seeing how things went, local residents began getting actively involved from the preparation stage this year.
We have more corporate sponsors, and we were able to distribute flyers not only to the local elementary school but to every household in Shoshinmachi.
Cafe Armonía also regularly holds a children’s cafeteria, so I’d be happy if local residents learned about it, too.
What kinds of vendors will be taking part?
Yao
Every vendor supports the event’s charitable purpose of helping children’s cafeterias and people with disabilities.
We invite shops active in Shoshinmachi, as well as shops we’ve connected with when Cafe Armonía has taken part in other events.
All the musicians performing on stage are customers of Cafe Armonía.
A full lineup of professional musicians active in Okayama Prefecture, including Kurashiki City, will be performing.
Even if you watch TV regularly, you probably don’t often get the chance to discover new musicians.
You may want to support artists from your hometown, Okayama or Kurashiki, but first you need an opportunity to encounter their music.
Music will be playing from the stage throughout the Harmony Marche.
We have a full lineup of musicians whose performances will make you want to dance while enjoying delicious food and connecting with other participants. We hope you’ll look forward to it.
How do you recommend enjoying the event?
Yao
More than anything, I want people to get to know the musicians who are active in the local area.
Some participants may not often get the chance to hear live music.
You don’t need to buy a special ticket or travel to a distant concert hall. It’s a day when you can simply pause and listen to live music in a local park. I hope you’ll listen and feel enriched.
Some of the vendors are also organizations involved in supporting people with disabilities.
People who use wheelchairs, people who are deaf, and people who are blind may also gather at the venue.
This isn’t a special experience program. When you go to Harmony Marche, connections naturally form among people from all walks of life.
That’s truly harmony—Armonía.
I hope you’ll enjoy that kind of time, too.
Do you have a message for our readers?
Yao
I hope it will be a day when people and cultures from all walks of life transcend national borders and ethnicity to create a beautiful harmony.
Visitors from outside Shoshinmachi are very welcome, too.
We hope you all have a wonderful day.
From the Writer
I also took part in last year’s 2nd Harmony Marche as the sign-language song supervisor.
At the end of the marche, everyone at the venue came together to perform the sign-language song—a scene that embodied “harmony” itself.
I was also struck by the atmosphere as people who are active in the community, such as the neighborhood association chair and the youth group, gathered together to help bring the community to life.
Why not head out to enjoy a hands-on marche and listen to live music in the warm spring sunshine?
3rd Harmony Marche Information
| Name | 3rd Harmony Marche |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, April 13, 2025, 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. |
| Location | 11-11 Shoshinmachi, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Free admission |
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