The 41st Kurashiki Komachi 〜 Three university students’ record of activities as they learn about and share Kurashiki’s charms

Kurashiki City, home to many tourist destinations such as the Bikan Historical Area, hosts numerous events, including Heartland Kurashiki.

When you attend events in Kurashiki City, you’re very likely to see the city’s tourism ambassadors, the Kurashiki Komachi. They may give the impression of being “local idols” by today’s standards, but surprisingly little is known about who they are as people.

What kind of people are the Kurashiki Komachi, and what motivates them in their activities?

We spoke with Takegaki Namie, Kametaka Azusa, and Yamanoi Minori, the 41st Kurashiki Komachi, who served from July 2023 to July 2024, about what prompted them to apply and how they feel now that their term has ended.

What Is Kurashiki Komachi?

The Kurashiki Komachi are tourism ambassadors who promote the charms of Kurashiki City.
Their history goes back a long way, to 1983.

The first Kurashiki Komachi were recruited to coincide with the 13th Kurashiki Tenryo Summer Festival, held in 1983, with the aim of adding color to the festival, which takes place every summer.

Since then, Kurashiki Komachi have been selected every year. As of January 2025, the 42nd Kurashiki Komachi (July 2024–July 2025) are active. Their term has remained “one year” since the first group.

They are recruited through an open call. Although there are some requirements, in principle anyone aged 18 or older who lives in Kurashiki City or commutes to work or school there may apply.
Also, while the name “Komachi” may lead people to assume that only women are eligible, people of any gender can now apply.

Activities of the Kurashiki Komachi

As tourism ambassadors, they mainly appear at tourism-related events.

Events vary depending on the season, so there are apparently few regular duties. The main activities of the 41st Kurashiki Komachi (July 2023–July 2024), featured in this article, were as follows.

• 72nd Tamashima Festival
• Heartland Kurashiki Opening Ceremony
• Appearance on Monthly Kurashiki Information Bureau (studio)
• Tamashima Harbor Festival
• Emcee at a traffic safety event hosted by Kurashiki Police Station
• “The Finest Selection” Kurashiki Fair
• One-day chief of Kurashiki Police Station
• Tourism EXPO Japan
• Sunset Festa in Kojima
• Tokyo Kurashiki Furusato Association
• Photo shoot for a community crime-prevention poster for Kurashiki Police Station
• First pitch at a JT Thunders Hiroshima home game
• Professional baseball exhibition game ceremony
• 37th Setouchi Kurashiki Two Day March
• Ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of Seto Inland Sea National Park

About the 41st Kurashiki Komachi

Now, let’s introduce the stars of this article, the 41st Kurashiki Komachi. They are the following three people.

• Takegaki Namie (age 21)
• Kametaka Azusa (age 19)
• Yamanoi Minori (age 18)

After document screening, a first-round screening, and a final screening, they were selected from a total of 53 applicants and served from July 22, 2023, to July 15, 2024.

After their term ended, two of them were busy with job hunting, among other things. Several months after their activities concluded, we asked them to look back on their time as Kurashiki Komachi.

Interview with the 41st Kurashiki Komachi

We spoke with the 41st Kurashiki Komachi: Takegaki Namie, Kametaka Azusa, and Yamanoi Minori.

What Led Them to Apply

What made you apply to become Kurashiki Komachi?

Takegaki (surname only)

I first learned about it at the Tenryo Summer Festival.
I wanted to use my smile and love for Kurashiki to learn more about the charms of the city where I was born and raised, and share them with many people.

I also applied because I wanted to grow as a person by taking on a valuable experience.

Kametaka (surname only)

I also first learned about it at the Tenryo Summer Festival.
Later, I saw former members on TV, and it really came across how much they loved Kurashiki. I was born in Kurashiki too, so I thought I could help share its charms with even more people.

Yamanoi (surname only)

I used to go to the Tenryo Summer Festival with my grandmother when I was little. The Kurashiki Komachi I saw there were so radiant and beautiful, and I remember thinking, “I want to grow up to be like those older girls.”

Then, when I was in high school, I remembered that I had wanted to become one, and looked at the website. The application requirements said applicants had to be at least 18, so I decided to try once I was in university.

So, in the summer of my first year at university, I applied as soon as I was old enough.
I was a junior college student, so I only had one chance. That’s why I was determined to get selected and gave it everything I had.

How They Felt When Selected

We heard the final screening involved a presentation. How did you feel when you were selected?

Takegaki

Honestly, I didn’t think I would be selected, so I went into the final screening determined to do the very best I could.

The moment I was selected, I felt…
I remember feeling a mix of joy, surprise, and anxiety, along with a sense of responsibility that I would now represent Kurashiki.

At the same time, I was looking forward to the year of activities ahead.

Kametaka

I thought there was no need to make myself look better than I was, so I showed what I could do and my true self. I went into it feeling that, among everyone there, I loved Kurashiki the most.

I was happy to be selected, but honestly, I was also worried about whether I could manage the year ahead.
The previous group (the 40th) put the sash on me, and I was happy when they said, “Do your best.”

That made me realize that I had become Kurashiki Komachi, and it made me want to do my best.

Yamanoi

I made presentation materials for the first time for the final screening, and even before the final selection, I thought there was no way I could do a good job.
But I decided to include the things I liked about Kurashiki, as well as what made me myself. Most importantly, I worked hard on my presentation, determined to keep smiling the whole time.

So when I was selected, I was like, “Really!?” I couldn’t believe it.
The announcement was made onstage, and I’ll never forget the view of my family and all the guests of honor in the audience.

Activities as Kurashiki Komachi

What was it like when you first started your activities as Kurashiki Komachi? I imagine there were many things you weren’t used to.

Takegaki

Almost everything was a first for me. At first, I struggled with memorizing scripts in advance and doing my best with the limited time we had to prepare.

Kametaka

Each month, one of us was in charge of a TV program. I was the first, in August, and filmed while running around the Bikan Historical Area in an unfamiliar yukata and sandals.

It was hot, and I was nervous because it was my first time on TV. I was mentally exhausted, and at first I really felt the pressure of not being able to make any mistakes.

Yamanoi

I was really anxious about working alone.
We all practiced things like handing out business cards. When I worked with someone else, I felt reassured because we could check things together, but when I was on my own, I wondered if I could really manage.

Also, I once had a really bad fall…
We have designated heels, but I don’t usually wear them much. Once, when I had to hurry to another location, I fell and all my belongings went flying everywhere, causing trouble for everyone (laughs).

Memorable Activities

Are there any activities that stand out in your memory?

Takegaki

The activity that stands out to me was working as a trio. I remember throwing out the first pitch at a match for the volleyball team JT Thunders.

They even gave us autographs and high-fived us.

Kametaka

I remember working on Nico Nico Douga. It was a live-streamed program where we visited Kurashiki’s highlights. I joined partway through, and at Brazilian Park Washuzan Highland, I ate crocodile legs. They were quite shocking to look at…

When I watched the video again later, I saw that my face was pretty tense, so I wished I could have done it with a bigger smile.

Yamanoi

At the Disaster Preparedness Fair, I borrowed and put on the uniform of an active-duty firefighter, then took a photo with them. I was surprised by how heavy it was and realized they do their work wearing such heavy gear.

Challenges

What did you find challenging during your activities?

Takegaki

During my student years, I hadn’t had many opportunities to speak in front of a large audience.
But after becoming Kurashiki Komachi, I had many occasions to speak in front of large groups. I would get so nervous that my mind went blank and I often stumbled over my words.

At first, after every activity, I would reflect on how I’d stumbled over my words and messed up again that day…

Did you feel you had grown by the end?

I wouldn’t say I did perfectly, but I gradually got better at speaking somewhat smoothly and bringing things to a good close.

Kametaka

At Tourism EXPO Japan in Osaka, someone asked me about Kurashiki, but I didn’t know the answer because I hadn’t studied enough…

People often assumed that, as Kurashiki Komachi, I would know everything about Kurashiki, and they would look to me for answers or ask me questions. That made me more determined to learn more about Kurashiki.

Yamanoi

When I appeared on a program on RSK Sanyo Broadcasting, I was so nervous that I couldn’t speak well.
There were also scenes where I talked with local residents, but whenever I stumbled, they had to cut and reshoot. If I couldn’t remember my lines and say them properly, filming just wouldn’t end…

I felt down and wondered if I wasn’t cut out for it. But after that, I changed my attitude and told myself I absolutely had to learn my lines properly. When I received a script a few days in advance, I made sure to memorize it before filming.

Our last location shoot was in Tamashima. I think I was able to speak naturally, and I felt I did a good job with the food review, so I thought I had put everything I’d built up over time into practice.

What We Gained from the Activities

What did you gain from your activities as Kurashiki Komachi?

Takegaki

I felt that I was able to put my experience as Komachi to use in my job search.

Kametaka

At first, I was nervous about speaking in front of people, but through my activities as Komachi, I came to enjoy talking.

I knew someone who works at a cable TV station in Sanuki City, and they reached out to me and gave me the opportunity to read the news.

I was really nervous, but it was fun. I don’t think I could have taken on that challenge if I hadn’t been active as Komachi.

Yamanoi

After a year of activities, I feel that I developed communication skills because I often spoke with people I was meeting for the first time.

Also, I gained confidence in myself through all the different experiences, like speaking in front of people and appearing on live broadcasts.
So even when I was job hunting, I wasn’t as nervous compared with what I’d done before, and I felt that my activities had helped me in that way too.

Looking Back on the Activities

It’s been a while since your activities ended. Please tell us how you feel now, such as whether you wished you could have continued.

Takegaki

I think there’s something special about doing it for just one year. But after it ended, I did feel that I wanted to do a little more—maybe two years in total.

It ends just as you’re getting used to it, so I do wonder if things might have been different if I’d had more activities after I’d gained confidence in myself.

Kametaka

I was thinking that I wanted to do it for another year, and that was how I felt during the last few months, around June and July.

But I also feel that because it ends after one year, I was conscious of the end and was able to keep my back straight and do my work with confidence right through to the last day.

Yamanoi

Because the term was set, even when I was busy and had work several times a month, I think I was able to tell myself to see it through and do my best.

But I really did want to do it for another year.

A Message for Those Who Hope to Become Kurashiki Komachi

Finally, please share a message for those who hope to become Kurashiki Komachi.

Takegaki

I think each encounter and experience through the activities as Kurashiki Komachi becomes a great source of personal growth.

So if you’re unsure, I hope you’ll find the courage to give it a try.

Kametaka

There were many places I would never have visited and things I would never have learned about if I hadn’t become Kurashiki Komachi. Through a year of activities, I was able to discover many of Kurashiki’s charms that I hadn’t known about before.

I also think it will give you confidence in having spent a year working as Komachi, so I hope many people will apply.

Yamanoi

As Kurashiki Komachi, I was able to talk with many people I didn’t know and teach them various things. Through that, I grew as a person, gained knowledge, and became more confident.

Also, I got to eat all kinds of food in all kinds of places.
I learned more and more about Kurashiki’s charms, so if you love Kurashiki, I hope you’ll give it a try.

From the Writer

They applied because they wanted to share Kurashiki’s charms, learned more about Kurashiki through their activities, and grew as individuals as well.

That was how I felt the 41st-generation Kurashiki Komachi reflected on their activities.

Tourism promotion tends to get the spotlight, but perhaps another aspect of Kurashiki Komachi is helping more people learn about Kurashiki and say that they love it.

Takegaki and Yamanoi are apparently set to start jobs in Kurashiki City in April 2025, and they said that their activities as Komachi played a major role in their decision to work in Kurashiki City.

I hope they will draw on their experience as Kurashiki Komachi and continue to be involved in activities that share Kurashiki’s charms in some way.

Articles about Kurashiki Komachi

41st-generation Kurashiki Komachi Information

For inquiries about Kurashiki Komachi, please contact the Kurashiki Tourism and Convention Bureau, a public interest incorporated association.
The address and phone number listed below are for the Kurashiki Tourism and Convention Bureau.

Name	41st-generation Kurashiki Komachi
Address	2-6-1 Chuo, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture
Contact	086-421-0224

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