Kurashiki City’s Mizushima area has many parks that are rich in nature and serve as places where people can relax.
Each has its own distinctive appeal, from parks with gyms and tennis courts to parks developed around small hills and parks that serve as play areas for neighborhood children.
Near Mizushima Station on the Mizushima Rinkai Railway, not far from Mizushima Port, is Mizushima Port Park, built 30 years ago (1994). It is an attractive park with a stage plaza and decorative sculptures, but it had not been fully utilized for a long time.
A group in Mizushima stepped up, hoping to introduce this lovely park to more local people and make the most of its appeal.
What kind of activities took place in this quiet park with its artistic atmosphere?
Here, we introduce the event “Mizushima Twilight Garden Port Festival,” held at Mizushima Port Park.
The information presented here is current as of the article’s publication in November 2024. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What Is the Mizushima Twilight Garden Port Festival?
The “Mizushima Twilight Garden Port Festival” is an event intended to expand opportunities for young people to showcase their talents and to strengthen connections within the community.
It was planned to introduce a park that is not often used to local people and provide a fun space where people can gather casually.
Mizushima Revitalization Team holds its annual “Twilight Garden,” an event where people sit on sofas arranged in various parks in Mizushima and enjoy good music, tasty snacks, and drinks.
This was the first time the event was held at a park just a short walk from Mizushima Port. It seems to have been an expanded version of “Twilight Garden.”
About the Organizers
The organizer, the Kurashiki Mizushima Rotary Club, is a service organization active in Mizushima. Local business leaders come together to address issues in the community.
This time, it planned an event to revitalize Mizushima, working with the Mizushima Revitalization Team and the Association for Energizing Mizushima.
What Is Mizushima Port Park?
Mizushima Port Park is about a seven-minute walk from Mizushima Station on the Mizushima Rinkai Railway.
The park is divided by the elevated tracks of the Mizushima Rinkai Railway, and from the park you can watch the trains come and go.
It was established 30 years ago, in November 1994, to mark the 10th anniversary of the sister-port relationship between Mizushima Port and Port Adelaide in Australia.
On the south side is a mural by Australian Aboriginal people, depicting a bridge between the cultures of the two ports; on the north side is a mural depicting the image of historic Kurashiki and the modern era.
The park seems well suited to gatherings and events, with an sculpture modeled on Australia’s Ayers Rock and an event plaza with a stage.
However, there is no sign that any events have ever been held at Mizushima Port Park. Today, the streetlights are switched off for security reasons, and the restrooms are closed.
“It’s such a shame that Mizushima has such a lovely park! Let’s make sure more local people know about it!”
Ueda Mitsuhiko, president of the Kurashiki Mizushima Rotary Club, came up with the idea of holding an event that would make use of the park.
To use the park, he visited the Mizushima Port Office of the Okayama Prefecture Bitchu Regional Office, explained the event plan, and received permission.
The annual “Twilight Garden,” held in parks around the Mizushima area, attracts more than 600 people. Although this was the first time it was held at this location, a large turnout was expected.
To accommodate the large number of visitors, they asked for the restrooms to be renovated and for the streetlights to be switched on.
With help from local people, they were finally able to make plans to hold the event one month beforehand.
As it happened, the Mizushima Rinkai Railway was free on the event day.
The organizers and staff reportedly prepared for months, hoping that many people would come.
Rain Forecast for the Event Day
Unfortunately, rain was forecast for the event day, Saturday, October 19, 2024.
If it rained, the event was scheduled to move to Mizushima Ai-ai Salon and be held for a shorter time.
However, the forecast said the rain would stop by evening, so they made the last-minute decision to hold the event rain or shine and began preparations the day before.
Would the “Mizushima Twilight Garden Port Festival” be held successfully?
About the Vendors
Here are the vendors at the “Mizushima Twilight Garden Port Festival.”
The vendors are listed below.
Along with businesses working hard in Mizushima, vendors also came from Mabi and Okayama City.
- Restaurant A La Maison
- Tea and Scones Shop T’s Clover
- Nash Curry American
- Taiwan Meshi
- Makoka
- La.flure&Iroha
- Masuda Tofu Shop
- Coffee Roast Okabe
- Ebi-ta (Kushiage Banya)
- CP Salon Selene
- Crepe Sucre
- Milk Crown
- Shimaya Seika Sakaedo
- USP Co., Ltd.
- Furukawa Butcher Shop
- Restaurant Mai
- Social Welfare Corporation P.P.P.
- General Incorporated Association Konohitokan
- Menya Tokiya
- Mizushima Revitalization Team (craft beer)
- Cocktails (COCKTAIL LOUNGE Kibi and Andante)
- Nishinoura Ramen
- AI-FooD
- Raska
Introducing the Vendors
The “Mizushima Twilight Garden Port Festival” began in the rain.
The vendors set up using tents and the space beneath the elevated Mizushima Rinkai Railway tracks. Here are a few of them.
Izakaya Mai
This restaurant serves Japanese home-style dishes in Mizushima Nishitokiwa-cho. The delicious aroma of oden filled the air.
Along with oden, the menu included udon and tteokbokki—dishes that looked good both as snacks with drinks and for lunch.
I was hungry too, so I bought some oden.
The Korean oden, wrapped in tempura, can also be served with spicy sauce. Since the writer does not like spicy food, they ate it as is. It was chewy and filling. The beef tendon was also simmered until tender, making it a dish that called for a drink.
Social Welfare Corporation P.P.P.
This is Kurashiki Shokupan Kobo P-chan, a shop selling bread in Fukuda-cho, Fukuda, Kurashiki City.
Every item is affordably priced bread, so you may find yourself buying more than you intended.
The recommendation is melon bread. The writer tried it too, and it was a delicious melon bread—fluffy and just the right amount of sweetness.
There was also a wide selection of savoury breads, and many people were buying them to take home for lunch or a snack.
Shimaya Seika Sakaedo
This is Shimaya Seika Sakaedo, located in Nishisakae-cho, Kurashiki City. Founded in 1950, it carries on the traditional flavors and operates as a Japanese confectionery shop.
Zenzai and daifuku made with chestnuts, an autumn delicacy, whet the appetite.
As the weather was a little chilly that day, I tried the chestnut zenzai.
The warm container held plenty of ingredients, including shiratama dumplings and chestnuts, and I was very satisfied with the chestnut zenzai, a hearty serving in itself.
Ebi-ta (Kushiage Banya)
Ebi-ta, a food stall specializing in street food, was launched by Kushiage Banya, which has a shop in Nishitokiwa-cho, Mizushima.
For this event, the shop’s regular customers also helped out at the stall.
They fry large shrimp on the spot. Paired with their special mayo cream, it was irresistibly delicious.
Cocktails (COCKTAIL LOUNGE Kibi and Andante)
Two bars from among Mizushima’s leading cocktail bars had stalls.
- COCKTAIL LOUNGE Kibi
- Andante
Specially for the “Mizushima Twilight Garden Port Festival,” cocktails were sold for just 500 yen.
With authentic cocktails on offer, the stalls were very popular, and many people came to buy them.
Coffee Roast Okabe
Coffee Roast Okabe, which sells coffee beans in Nishitokiwa-cho, Mizushima, had a stall.
The shop keeps more than 30 varieties in stock at all times as green beans from around the world, and roasts them after an order is placed.
A customer happened to order the legendary coffee “kopi luwak,” which they had always wanted to try at least once in their life, so I asked to hear about it too.
It is apparently a very rare coffee bean made using the droppings of civets that have eaten coffee cherries in Indonesia.
When asked for their impressions, they said it was very easy to drink because it was not bitter, and that it was mellow and delicious. If you’re curious, be sure to try it at the shop.
The live music
The rain, which had continued since the start, finally stopped shortly after 3 p.m., and bright light began to appear through gaps in the clouds.
Once the rain stopped, the number of customers gradually increased, and the shops seemed to regain their bustle.
The staff set out the sofas and tables essential to “Twilight Garden” and put up lights.
If it hadn’t rained, we would have been able to see performances by kids’ dance groups and Honiya Kurashiki, but it was disappointing that they were canceled because of the rain.
Now, the live music begins. Six groups that had passed an audition in advance performed for the audience.
The six performers were as follows.
- akada bear park
- Morimoto Kazumasa
- Nanae & Kunihiro Masamasa
- Thông&Karl
- the Funky Fellows
- Kojisuka Orchestra
Here are some highlights.
Nanae & Kunihiro Risho
This is a DUO featuring the 25-string koto and percussion. The koto’s plaintive tones resonated with the warm sounds of the percussion, and I found myself captivated.
Thong&Karl (Thong and Karl)
An international chorus unit featuring “Thong,” a Vietnamese national, and “Karl,” who lives in Mabi.
They performed covers of songs that were popular in the past, with soothing vocals.
Kojisuka Orchestra
The Kojisuka Orchestra, a Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra cover band, were the perfect act to close out the event.
The crowd joined in, and the excitement was tremendous.
After the encore, the “Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival” came to a close with a speech from the organizers.
From the Writer
The “Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival,” whose fate had seemed uncertain because of the rain, got a boost from the weather clearing up in the evening and lively live music performances.
Through this event, local people likely discovered that Mizushima has wonderful parks that many people still don’t know about.
Holding an event in a place where one had never been held before may have involved various difficulties and challenges. But thanks to the idea and determination behind it, a free music event that local people could enjoy became a reality.
Mizushima has many nature-rich parks scattered throughout, and plenty of places that are easy to visit.
We hope there will be more events where people can enjoy an intimate atmosphere, connect with local people, and spend a fun time that can only be had in Mizushima.
Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival Information
| Name | Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | October 19, 2024 (Saturday), 12:30 p.m.–8:00 p.m. |
| Location | 5-5 Mizushima Fukusaki-cho, Kurashiki City — Mizushima Port Park |
| Admission (tax included) | Free |
| Website | Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival |
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