Every year on May 5, Children’s Day, the “Koinobori Festival” is held at Mabi Utsukushii Mori.
After the July 2018 Heavy Rains, the road leading to the venue from the Ichiba area of Mabi was closed to traffic, putting the event in jeopardy.
However, thanks to the strong desire of local residents to “bring joy to the people of Mabi,” the festival was held as usual!
It was held along the narrow, single road from the Kurese area of Mabi, with traffic management in place.
Here is a look at the event held at Mabi Utsukushii Mori on a beautiful sunny day.
The information provided was current when this article was published in May 2019. Please note that it may differ from current information.
About Mabi Utsukushii Mori
Mabi Utsukushii Mori opened in July 1999, after the area in Ichiba, Mabi, Kurashiki City, was developed as a base for enjoying and cultivating forests.
Local volunteers then established the Mabi Utsukushii Mori Preservation Association.
The group’s main activities are as follows:
- Maintaining and cleaning the facilities
- Mowing the grass in the surrounding area
- Growing flowers
Mabi Utsukushii Mori is equipped with the following facilities.
| Facility | Use |
|---|---|
| Bungalow | Wooden accommodation equipped with a toilet and bath |
| Visitor Center | The main facility of Mabi Utsukushii Mori, equipped with a large hall and accommodation |
| Cooking pavilion | Outdoor cooking facilities |
| Performing Arts Building | A stage facility for theater, music practice, and concerts |
The bungalows are suitable for stays with friends or family, while the Visitor Center is reportedly used for elementary and junior high school outdoor education trips and training.
Firefly watching is also possible in early June, making this a recommended place for camping.
The fee schedule for Mabi Utsukushii Mori is as follows.
| Category | Unit | Fee (tax included) |
|---|---|---|
| Visitor Center Japanese-style room Per person, per night | Adults (high school students and older) | 2,057 yen |
| Elementary and junior high school students | 1,029 yen | |
| Children under elementary school age | Free | |
| Visitor Center Japanese-style room, rest use only | Adults (high school students and older), per person for 4 hours | 515 yen |
| Each additional hour | 103 yen | |
| Visitor Center large conference room (training room) | Up to 4 hours | 2,057 yen |
| Each additional hour | 515 yen | |
| Bungalow | Per unit, per night | 5,142 yen |
| Camp site | Per site, per night | 1,029 yen |
| Hot-water shower | Per person, per use | 103 yen |
| Cooking hearth | Per section, per day | 1,543 yen |
| Performing Arts Building | Per hour | 617 yen |
During the July 2018 Heavy Rains, the site was also used as a base for volunteers.
For facility reservations and inquiries: Kurashiki City Mabi Branch Office, Industry Division, TEL: 086‐698‐8113
Prices as of May 2019
About the Koinobori Festival
The festival is held on Children’s Day, May 5, with members of the Mabi Utsukushii Mori Preservation Association taking the lead. It is intended to help children learn about the importance and wonder of nature and grow up healthy.
On May 5, 2019, preparations were made for the event, named the “Reconstruction Koinobori Festival,” with the hope of bringing even a little happiness to local people.
Every year, around 250 carp streamers donated by residents are put up. The sight of them swimming majestically in this nature-rich setting is a must-see!
The festival was held in the hope that interaction between “nature” and “people,” and between “people” and “people,” would deepen further, helping to create a vibrant and thriving community.
About the 4th Koinobori Festival, held on May 5, 2019
The event was bustling with food stalls run by members of Yata Community Development and shops and businesses from Mabi. Here are some highlights.
The tuna-cutting show was presented by Shunsai Gyoan Fukuyoshi, which was affected by the July 2018 Heavy Rains and was operating from a temporary shop as of May 2019.
It was held, they say, to cheer up the people of Mabi even a little.
Members of Yata Community Development pounded mochi beneath the clear skies.
The performance by the Momota Pirate Crew drew the attention of the children.
The graceful hula dancing by elementary school children was also a delight to watch.
The live performance by “Okayama Uta-kko Suzuchan,” who took the stage at 11:30, was full of energy!
She began with a cheerful “Hello, everyone!” and even the children who had been running around nearby were glued to the stage.
From classic hits of years past that even the writer found themself humming, to enka and original songs, Suzuchan performed with expressive flair in her own style.
Suzuchan also works as a Sunflower Ambassador, promoting the “Sunflower Project Connecting Fukushima and Everyone” in Okayama.
About NPO Corporation Shalom Planning and the Sunflower Project
Since the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, high-quality sunflower oil produced by hand in Fukushima has suffered from reputational damage, making it impossible to use sunflowers grown in Fukushima.
In response, they launched a project to entrust seeds to people throughout Japan, let them enjoy the flowers blooming, then collect the seeds and make sunflower oil.
It is a heartwarming initiative that brings smiles and connections to its supporters.
May 2019 marked the fourth consecutive year that Suzuchan had appeared at the Koinobori Festival.
With that connection, she came up with the idea of helping people in Mabi affected by the July 2018 Heavy Rains to feel better by seeing sunflowers blooming toward the sun.
On May 4, 2019, the day before the event, with the help of 20 members of the Mabi Utsukushii Mori Preservation Association, sunflowers were planted in an area of about 20 square meters at the entrance to Mabi Utsukushii Mori.
The summer of 2019 marked one year since the July 2018 Heavy Rains.
We hope the large sunflowers blooming brightly will become a symbolic flower that encourages recovery.
Address by Kurashiki City Mayor Kaori Ito
Ito
To support recovery from last year’s disaster, we are treating this year as the first year of recovery. As a city, we will work with the prefecture and national government and do our best this year to help everyone return to their normal lives as soon as possible.
As of May 2019, the road from Mabi-cho Ichiba leading up to Mabi Utsukushii Mori has not yet been restored.
Since April 2019, the city’s public facility, the Mabi Branch Office, has been restored. We plan to renovate the elementary and junior high school buildings during this fiscal year so that graduation ceremonies can be held at each school.
Ito
We will strengthen and raise the levees, and work together to achieve recovery as soon as possible.
And, hoping that this year will be as good as this sky, let us all make it a good year, and may the children grow up healthy and strong. With that, I conclude my remarks.
From the Writer
The Koinobori Festival was held for the fourth time in 2019.
Mabi Utsukushii Mori, which I visited for the first time to report on the event, was a captivating place where visitors could interact with plants and wildlife and enjoy themselves as a family.
Following the heavy rains of July 2018, fewer carp streamers were displayed in Mabi than last year, reflecting the scale of the disaster.
The event was held to bring some cheer to the people of Mabi, with wishes for recovery carried by the carp streamers swimming energetically in the blue sky.
I hope that more people will learn about the thoughts and hopes behind the events organized by the people of Mabi, and that this will encourage them to visit Mabi.
4th Koinobori Festival Information
| Name | 4th Koinobori Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | May 5, 2019 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. |
| Location | 1647 Mabi-cho Ichiba, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
| Website | Mabi Utsukushii Mori Events |
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