Lively local festivals are one of the hallmarks of summer.
Various festivals are held in each district of Kurashiki, with many drawing crowds from July through autumn.
Among them, the Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival, held in mid-July, kicks off Kurashiki’s busy festival season.
The 15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival was held at the newly opened Mabi Fureai Park, marking the first time the venue had been changed.
Many people joined in spontaneously and enjoyed dancing at the festival. Here’s a look at the day.
The information provided was accurate when this article was published in July 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival”?
The 15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival was held on Saturday, July 13, 2024.
The venue was Mabi Fureai Park, which had just opened in July 2024. Compared with 2023 and earlier, the venue was larger, and the number of vendor booths and participating dance groups reached an all-time high.
The festival’s highlight is “A Dance in Mabi and Funao,” performed by local people dressed in a variety of costumes. The choreography is simple enough for anyone to dance, and people there can easily join in spontaneously.
I heard that many people joined in spontaneously at the previous festival in 2023, and the group dancing went on for quite a while.
Alongside festival favorites such as yakisoba and shaved ice, there were booths offering local specialties, including Mabi bamboo shoots and Funao wine.
There was also plenty to enjoy beyond food, including workshops hosted by local high school students and bamboo crafts for sale.
At the stage events, groups connected with Kurashiki—including community bands active in Mabi and Funao and local junior high school brass bands—performed wonderful music.
The Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival was suspended for several years due to the heavy rains of July 2018 and the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed in 2023 and has since attracted attention from many people and media outlets, both inside and outside the city.
The 15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival was the first to change venues. I attended with a friend.
![[Held Saturday, July 13] 15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival — Everyone can join in! Let’s all dance together at the Soodori at the newly opened Mabi Fureai Park](https://media.kuratoco.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/23002918/6a332d8393435f8d0507f604be134fbf.jpg)
The day’s events
It was cloudy on Saturday, July 13. I arrived at Mabi Fureai Park at around 2:30 p.m.
Although only about 30 minutes had passed since the event began, the venue was already bustling with people. There were even more vendor booths than I had imagined, and I couldn’t decide what to eat.
I quickly changed into a Soodori T-shirt and set out to enjoy the festival.
Various groups were performing on the stage, and singing and music filled the venue throughout.
As luck would have it, I got to see a performance by the “Mabi Town Bamboo Orchestra,” which I had been curious about.
The instruments, made from bamboo—a specialty of Mabi—produced beautiful, warm sounds. The children’s singing went well with the bamboo instruments, and the charming performance was a delight.
Lively, diverse vendor booths
After filling up on music, I headed to the vendor booths to fill my stomach.
There were so many booths, and delicious smells wafted through the air wherever I went. It was hard to decide what to eat.
Muscat wine from Funao Winery and Mabi bamboo shoot croquettes were also on sale, making the locally produced food especially appealing.
To beat the heat, I bought an ice-cold beer, while my friend got shaved ice.
Wandering around the booths while eating and drinking is one of the special pleasures of a festival.
After making a round of the vendor booths, I chose two things that caught my eye: “takoyaki with Mabi bamboo shoots” and “miso yakisoba.” We headed to a rest area with tables and chairs and tried them right away.
The takoyaki had large pieces of octopus as well as plenty of diced bamboo shoots. Unusual for takoyaki, they had a crisp texture and a mild flavor. It was great to enjoy a Mabi specialty so easily.
The miso yakisoba was made with aged miso, giving it a depth of flavor different from sauce. It was richly flavored and made a perfect snack to go with drinks.
Besides food, there were also booths with activities that brought out the child in you, such as shooting galleries and goldfish scooping. Watching the children happily try the games brought back fond memories.
My friend tried yo-yo fishing.
No matter how old you are, the excitement of choosing your favorite yo-yo and catching it never fades.
Exploring Mabi Fureai Park
There was still time before “A Dance in Mabi and Funao” began, so I explored Mabi Fureai Park.
The park has a spacious, open lawn where children were playing freely. There are also playground equipment and a grass sled, so I thought it was a great venue where visitors could enjoy themselves without getting bored.
At the center of the park is a charming building shaped like an eryngii mushroom. Inside are restrooms, a multipurpose room, and other facilities.
On this day, it was being used as an air-conditioned rest area.
When I went inside, I was struck by the ceiling and walls made of bamboo.
The supple bamboo looked cool and felt cool to the eye, and I couldn’t help admiring the structure’s elegant yet powerful beauty.
There were also displays of panels about the July 2018 torrential rain disaster and emergency supplies, where visitors could learn about the progress of recovery. People were always standing in front of the panels, and many were reading them intently.
After taking a short break in the cool indoors, I went outside and encountered a mysterious group wearing masks.
They are known as Suinkyo, and it is said that “having them tap your head with a fan brings good fortune.”
Suinkyo originated in 1692, when an elderly man who could no longer attend a festival at Achi Shrine had a young person wear a mask and attend in his place. Today, they are apparently a traditional Kurashiki character who parade through the streets on festival days.
I had seen them at a festival at Achi Shrine before, but I was surprised to encounter them at the Soodori Dance Festival, too.
Since it was a good opportunity, my friend and I also had Suinkyo tap our heads. Though it’s called tapping, they just give you a few gentle pats with a fan, so it doesn’t hurt at all.
Suinkyo are a rare sight, appearing only a few times a year. I hope something good happens to me in the future.
The lively “A Dance in Mabi and Funao” brings the crowd together
At around 6:20 p.m., the main event, “A Dance in Mabi and Funao,” finally began. This time, 25 local groups took part in the dance, and cheers for the dancers could be heard all around.
Every group had prepared distinctive costumes and props, making the performances enjoyable even just to watch.
One team wore Nara-period costumes inspired by Kibi no Makibi. Some had their faces painted white, showing how much effort they had put in. They looked a little uncomfortable dancing, but that was part of what made the performance fun.
Another group danced with brightly colored umbrellas. Their original choreography made the umbrellas’ splendor stand out even more and energized the crowd.
Many children took part, too, and their spirited shouts of “Dokkoisho! Dokkoisho!” rang throughout the venue. Watching the children dance representing their local communities gave me energy, too. They looked so cute dancing with all their might on the grass.
Midway through, a group appeared carrying a large banner that read “Smiles for Noto.”
Mabi was affected by the July 2018 torrential rain disaster. As a fellow disaster-stricken area, the words expressing hope for recovery carried a special meaning. I hoped that this sentiment would reach the disaster-hit areas of Noto, too.
The final group to take part was the team from Kurashiki City’s Mabi and Funao branch offices.
At that point, I heard that anyone could join in, so I invited my friend and jumped into the line of dancers. Before long, a line had formed behind me, too, and the dance began with a large crowd.
My friend, who was seeing the dance for the first time, learned the steps in just a few minutes, and the two of us moved forward, calling out together. Even if you get the choreography wrong, it doesn’t stand out at all, so there’s no need to worry. As the line moved along, a sense of unity naturally grew, and the cheers grew louder.
Because anyone can easily join in the dance, it felt like people of all generations were able to share the excitement.
Even after the dance ended, the venue was bustling with people enjoying food from the stalls. Mabi Fureai Park stayed lively late into the night, and the lights from the venue could even be seen from Kibinomakibi Station.
With the dance song still playing in my head, I headed home.
From the Writer
The 15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival marked the sixth year since the July 2018 torrential rain disaster.
Mabi Fureai Park, the venue, is used for local events such as the Soodori Dance Festival, and apparently also serves as a resource in emergencies such as disasters. I hope it will continue to serve as a place where residents can relax in everyday life and as a starting point for disaster preparedness in emergencies.
The dance, which anyone can join, was a delightful one that was “fun to watch and fun to dance.” It was my first time taking part in the Soodori Dance Festival, and dancing alongside so many people became a wonderful memory unique to a festival.
Festivals in Kurashiki are held in various parts of the city from July through November. I encourage you to visit a festival in the city and enjoy what makes each one special.
15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival Information
| Name | 15th Mabi-Funao Soodori Dance Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, July 13, 2024 2:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Location | 4629-1 Yata, Mabi, Kurashiki City |
| Website | Kurashiki City |
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