Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival (held on October 19, 2024) - a music event where local people can enjoy themselves easily at Mizushima Port Park.

In Mizushima, Kurashiki City, there are many parks that are rich in nature and serve as places of healing for the people.
Each park has different charms, including parks with managed gymnasiums and tennis courts, parks that have been developed around small mountains, and parks that serve as playgrounds for local children.

Near Mizushima Station on the Mizushima Rinkai Railway, close to Mizushima Port, there is the "Mizushima Port Park," which was created 30 years ago (1994). It is an attractive park with a stage square and decorated with objects, but it has not been fully utilized for a long time.

A local group in Mizushima has stepped up to let more people know about such a wonderful park and to make use of its charm.

What kind of activities were carried out in this quiet park with an artistic atmosphere?

Let me introduce the event "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Fest" that was held at Mizushima Port Park.

What is Mizushima Evening Garden Port Fest

The "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Fest" is an event aimed at expanding opportunities for young people to showcase their talents and deepening community connections.

It was planned to let local people know about a park that is not often used and to provide a fun space where they can gather easily.

Mizushima Moriagetai hosts the "Evening Garden" every year, where people can sit on arranged sofas in various parks in Mizushima and enjoy fun music along with delicious snacks and drinks.

This event is the first time it is being held in a park just a short walk from Mizushima Port. It seems to be an upgraded version of the "Evening Garden."

A one-night-only event returns after three years! Enjoy food while sitting on a sofa at 'Mizushima Evening Garden' and enjoy live performances

The one-night-only event that used to be held once a year in Mizushima is back after three years. Sit on the sofas placed in the park and enjoy live performances while savoring cocktails and delicious snacks...

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About the Organizers

The organizer, Kurashiki Mizushima Rotary Club, is a service organization active in Mizushima. Local business leaders gather to tackle community issues.

This time, they collaborated with Mizushima Moriagetai and Mizushima Revitalization Association to plan an event aimed at revitalizing Mizushima.

What is Mizushima Port Park

Mizushima Port Park is located about a 7-minute walk from Mizushima Station on the Mizushima Rinkai Railway.
It is built across from the elevated tracks of the Mizushima Rinkai Railway, and you can see the trains passing by from the park.

Established 30 years ago, in November 1994, it was created to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the sister port relationship between Mizushima Port and Adelaide Port in Australia.

On the south side, there is a mural depicting the Aboriginal people of Australia trying to become a cultural bridge between the two ports, while on the north side, there is a mural depicting the ancient city of Kurashiki and modern imagery.

Inside the park, there are objects shaped like Australia's Ayers Rock and an event square with a stage, making it a suitable park for people to gather and hold events.

However, there has been no evidence of events being held at Mizushima Port Park until now, and currently, the streetlights have been turned off for security, and the restrooms are also closed for use.

"It's a waste that there is such a wonderful park in Mizushima! Let's let more local people know about the park!"

Ueda Mitsuhiko, the president of Kurashiki Mizushima Rotary Club, came up with the idea of holding an event utilizing the park.

He went to the Mizushima Port Office of the Okayama Prefectural Bichu Bureau to explain the outline of the event and received permission to use the park.

The "Evening Garden," which is held every year in parks in the Mizushima area, attracts over 600 visitors. Although this is the first time it is being held at this location, a large number of people are expected to attend.

To accommodate many visitors, they requested renovation work on the restrooms and to have the streetlights turned on.

With the cooperation of local people, they finally saw a prospect for holding the event a month before it was scheduled.

On the day of the event, it is actually a free day for the Mizushima Rinkai Railway.

Hoping that many people will come, the organizers and staff have been preparing for months.

Rain Forecast on the Day of the Event

On the day of the event, Saturday, October 19, 2024, unfortunately, rain is forecasted.
If it rains, the event was planned to be moved to Mizushima Ai Ai Salon, with a shortened schedule.

However, the forecast indicated that the rain would stop by the evening, so they made a sudden decision to proceed with the event regardless of the rain and continued preparations from the day before.

Will the "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Fest" be successfully held?

About the Vendors

Let me introduce the vendors participating in the "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Fest."

The vendors are as follows.
They include shops working hard in Mizushima, as well as those coming from Mabi and Okayama City.

Introduction of the Vendors

The "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Fest" began amidst the rain.

Using tents and the space under the elevated tracks of the Mizushima Rinkai Railway, preparations for the shops are underway. Let me introduce a few of the shops.

Izakaya Mai

This shop operates a small restaurant in Nishitokiwacho, Mizushima. The delicious smell of oden wafted through the air.

In addition to oden, there are dishes that seem great for snacks with drinks or for lunch, such as udon and tteokbokki.

I was also hungry, so I purchased some oden.

Korean oden wrapped in tempura can also be enjoyed with a spicy sauce. Since I am not good with spicy food, I had it as is. It has a chewy texture and is quite filling. The beef tendon is also simmered until tender, making it a dish that makes you crave some alcohol.

Social Welfare Corporation P.P.P.

This is the shop "Kurashiki Shokupan Kobo P-chan" selling bread in Fukuda, Kurashiki City.

Each item is affordably priced bread, so you might end up buying too much.

I recommend the melon bread. I also had some, and it was fluffy, with just the right amount of sweetness, making it delicious.

There are also many savory breads, and many people were buying them to take home for lunch or snacks.

Shimaya Seika Eido

This is "Shimaya Seika Eido," a traditional Japanese sweets shop located in Nishi Sakae-cho, Kurashiki City, established in 1950.

Autumn flavors like chestnut zenzai and daifuku are very appetizing.

On that day, it was a bit chilly, so I tried the chestnut zenzai.

Inside the warm container, there were many ingredients like shiratama dumplings and chestnuts, and I was very satisfied with the hearty chestnut zenzai that was enough for one serving.

Shimaya Seika Eido - A long-established Japanese and Western confectionery shop that has been loved in the local Mizushima, inheriting traditional flavors and techniques. Also creating products utilizing new technologies.

Monaka and other Japanese sweets are one of the standard gifts. If you are going to choose a gift, it is nice to have a shop or product that is loved by the community. This shop is perfect for such occasions in Kurashiki...

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Ebi-Tai (Kushiage Banya)

Located in Nishitsutsukawa, Mizushima, "Kushiage Banya" has launched a specialized stall called "Ebi-Tai."

At this event, regular customers of the shop are also helping out at the stall.

They fry large shrimp on the spot. Paired with their special mayo cream, it was delicious and addictive.

Cocktail (COCKTAIL LOUNGE Kibi Andante)

Two cocktail bars representing Mizushima set up stalls at the event.

• COCKTAIL LOUNGE Kibi
• Andante

For the "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival," they are specially selling cocktails for 500 yen.

With authentic cocktails available, it was very popular, and many people were buying them.

Coffee Roast Okabe

"Coffee Roast Okabe," located in Nishitsutsukawa, Mizushima, was also present.

This shop stocks over 30 types of coffee beans from around the world in their raw state and roasts them upon order.

A customer happened to order the elusive coffee "Kopi Luwak," which is made using the feces of civets that have eaten coffee cherries in Indonesia, so I got to hear about it.

When I asked for their impressions, they said it was very easy to drink with no bitterness, smooth, and delicious. If you're curious, be sure to try it at the shop.

Music Live Performance

The rain that had been falling since the start finally stopped after 3 PM, and bright light began to peek through the clouds.

As the rain stopped, the number of customers gradually increased, and the shops seemed to regain their liveliness.

The staff set up sofas and tables and installed lights for the "Evening Garden."

If it hadn't rained, we could have seen kids' dance and performances by Honiya Kurashiki, but it was unfortunate that they were canceled due to the rain.

Now, the music live performance begins. Six teams that passed the audition performed.

The six performers are as follows.

Let’s highlight and introduce them.

Nanae & Kunihiro Masamasa

25-string koto and percussion DUO. The poignant tones of the koto and the warm sounds of the percussion resonated together, making it hard to look away.

Thong & Karl

An international chorus unit consisting of "Thong," a Vietnamese national, and "Karl," a resident of Mabi.

They performed covers of songs that were popular in the past with a gentle singing voice.

Kojisuka Orchestra

The Kojisuka Orchestra, a cover band of the Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, fittingly closed the event.

The venue was filled with excitement.

After the encore, the organizer's greeting marked the end of the "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival."

Conclusion

The "Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival," which was worried about the rain, saw the weather improve from the evening, and the live music performance was a great success.

Through this event, the local people likely discovered that there are still many wonderful parks in Mizushima that are not well known.

An event held in a place that has never hosted one before may have faced various difficulties and challenges. However, thanks to the idea and initiative, a free music event for the local community was realized.

Mizushima is dotted with nature-rich parks, and there are many places that are easily accessible.

I hope that more events can be held where people can enjoy an at-home atmosphere and interact with the local community, creating fun experiences unique to Mizushima.

Data on the Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival

Name	Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival
Date	October 19, 2024 (Saturday) from 12:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location	5-5 Fukuzaki-cho, Mizushima, Kurashiki City, Mizushima Port Park
Participation Fee (including tax)	Free
Website	Mizushima Evening Garden Port Festival

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