March means cherry blossom season.
It’s the time of year when we eagerly look forward to the blossoms opening and enjoying hanami.
Shimotsui Castle Ruins in Shimotsui is a hidden cherry blossom spot where you can enjoy the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea alongside the blossoms. On Sunday, March 30, the second annual Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival will be held there.
When the first festival was held in 2024, it drew a crowd of more than 6,000 people.
This spring event lets you fully experience the charms of Shimotsui, with a stamp rally where you can win local specialties and stalls where you can enjoy local flavors. Here, we introduce the 2nd Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival, along with the organizers’ thoughts behind it.
The information provided was current when this article was published in March 2025. Please note that it may differ from current information.
What is the “2nd Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival”?
The 2nd Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival (hereafter, “the cherry blossom festival”) will be held on Sunday, March 30, 2025. It is organized by the Shimotsui Thinkers’ Association.
The venue is Seto-Ohashi Bridge Memorial Park, where Shimotsui Castle Ruins remain. It is a place where you can enjoy around 300 cherry trees alongside beautiful views of Shimotsui’s townscape and the Seto Inland Sea.
There is no parking at the venue on the day, so take the shuttle bus from Kojima Station. The fare is 100 yen one way.
Here’s what to expect at the cherry blossom festival, which offers plenty of ways to have fun with family and friends, in addition to enjoying the blossoms.
More than 20 diverse stalls
More than 20 food stalls will gather, offering a wide variety of food, from hearty meals and snacks that go well with drinks to sweets.
Be sure to check out the stalls serving dishes made with seafood from the Seto Inland Sea, such as tako meshi (octopus rice).
Delicious food will also be available at the Shimotsui Charm Promotion Booth, next to the food stalls. As its name suggests, this booth features shops where you can enjoy local Shimotsui flavors and exchange with people who live in Shimotsui.
Check the image below for details about the stalls.
Win Shimotsui specialties! Stamp rally and prize drawing
A stamp rally and a prize drawing will also be held on the day.
For the stamp rally, collect six stamps as you make your way around Shimotsui Castle Ruins to receive a ticket for a prize drawing where you can win Shimotsui specialties. The first prize is, amazingly, one Shimotsui octopus caught by a local octopus fisherman. You can choose it fresh or boiled, so even those who aren’t used to preparing octopus can enjoy it with peace of mind.
At the prize drawing, held twice during the day, you can win foods unique to Shimotsui, such as Washu Nori seaweed and ice cream from Nanba Farm, as well as meal vouchers for local restaurants.
To enter the prize drawing, simply buy food at a food stall and receive a ticket based on the amount you spend. Enjoy plenty of food while admiring the cherry blossoms, and be sure to collect tickets and enter.
Workshops to captivate children
The venue will also host workshops popular with children.
The workshop that particularly caught my attention was one where you make octopus and wakame seaweed motifs using scrap materials from fishing boats. You can turn Shimotsui’s specialties, octopus and wakame, into cute characters of your own design.
There will also be workshops suitable for even young children, such as making eraser stamps and painting keychains. Be sure to come along as a family.
On sale for the first time at the cherry blossom festival! “THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI” items
The Shimotsui Thinkers’ Association, which organizes the cherry blossom festival, is a long-established civic group dedicated to community development in Shimotsui.
“THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI” is a brand planned and produced by the Shimotsui Thinkers’ Association, with the concept: “Let’s start by thinking about what’s good about Shimotsui and what good we can do for Shimotsui. Let’s create and connect Shimotsui’s future together.”
Planning and production began with the aim of selling the items at the cherry blossom festival. The items making their debut this time include T-shirts in three colors, tote bags, and coin purses made from tatami edging, a Kojima specialty.
A portion of the proceeds is planned to be used to fund activities such as environmental conservation in Shimotsui, fisheries conservation, and regional revitalization projects.
These are lovely items that let you contribute to the Shimotsui area simply by purchasing them. Their simple look also makes them easy to use every day.
The cherry blossom festival will also feature a sakura-pink T-shirt available exclusively at the event. Kids’ sizes are available too, so parents and children can enjoy matching outfits.
The second Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival is coming up.
We spoke with Fujiwara Yusuke, representative of the Shimotsui Thinkers’ Association, and Nakamichi Eri, who produced “THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI,” about the thinking behind the event.
Interview with the Shimotsui Thinkers’ Association
What inspired you to plan the Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival?
Fujiwara (surname only hereafter)
When I took over the Shimotsui Thinkers’ Association, I first had the desire to “hold an event that represents Shimotsui and create a movement that gets all of Shimotsui excited.”
I hoped that through the event, we could make it an event that boosts the morale of people in Shimotsui, with the organizing members at its center. That’s how we came up with the Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival.
As its name suggests, Shimotsui Castle Ruins, the venue, is where a castle once stood. Looking back at Shimotsui’s history, a castle was built in what had originally been a fishing village. A tax-free district was established, and commerce developed from there, bringing prosperity to the town.
Shimotsui Castle is an essential part of telling the history of this town. Through the cherry blossom festival, we want many people to discover the appeal of Shimotsui Castle Ruins, and in the future, we hope to make the ruins a landmark for regional tourism.
It sounds like a festival that embodies community development in Shimotsui.
Fujiwara
One of the concepts behind the cherry blossom festival is “creating a festival together as a community.”
Of course, it’s important to bring people to Shimotsui Castle Ruins, but we also wanted to create a way for people to keep visiting Shimotsui even after the festival ends. So, we’re aiming for a festival that gets the whole community involved and energized—for example, by offering meal vouchers for local restaurants through a stamp rally and raffle, and having vendors sell delicious local specialties.
The key to revitalizing a community is co-creation. At this cherry blossom festival, too, local residents, businesses, and the government are working together to run it.
We locals speak up, companies invest to make our ideas a reality, and the government lends its support—we all work together to create one festival. Personally, I feel that the cherry blossom festival is taking shape in an ideal way.
What kind of organization is the event’s organizer, the “Shimotsui Think Tank”?
Fujiwara
The Shimotsui Think Tank is a citizens’ community-development group with a history spanning more than 40 years. It has long contributed to the community, including helping establish the Shimotsui Shipping Agent Museum and coming up with community-promotion events such as the National Shimotsui-bushi Contest and the Uoshima Festival.
I think we’re able to work in the community like this today because the previous generations built trust.
Nakamichi (honorific omitted)
The Shimotsui Think Tank’s members gather voluntarily and work on activities alongside their regular jobs.
Members ranging from elementary school students to people in their 80s are actively involved in community development in Shimotsui. People across generations work together as equals to make Shimotsui a better place.
Fujiwara
I took over as representative in 2023 from my predecessor, who was in their 80s. Along with continuing the community-development work we’ve done so far, I’d like to focus on developing local talent in Shimotsui. We’ll involve more and more young people in the community and take on the role of nurturing people who can make a difference in Shimotsui.
What kind of response did you get when the festival was held last year (2024)?
Fujiwara
Since it was our first time holding the festival, we set a target of 2,500 visitors, but attendance far exceeded our expectations, reaching 6,000.
There were traffic jams and other issues, which inconvenienced local residents. But right after the festival ended, all we heard from them were warm words like, “Thank you for bringing Shimotsui to life.” It made me happy to realize that we’d created an event the community needed, rather than one that was just for our own satisfaction.
Could you tell us about the highlights or main attractions of this event?
Fujiwara
I’d especially like people to check out the workshop using scrap materials from boats.
We use sails and rain covers from boats that are no longer in use to make straps featuring octopuses and wakame seaweed, both local specialties of Shimotsui. Since fishing is a major industry here, I hope this will give people a chance to learn about Shimotsui’s industries.
I also recommend the “THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI” merchandise sold at the venue.
“THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI” is a brand being unveiled for the first time at this cherry blossom festival, right?
Nakamichi
Yes, that’s right. Launching a brand was a first for the Shimotsui Think Tank.
The “THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI” brand was created around the motto, “Inspiring people to think about what’s good about Shimotsui and what good things can be done for Shimotsui, and to share those ideas.”
People who live in Shimotsui, visit it, or are connected to it. We chose the name “THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI” to express the idea of expanding a cycle in which many people discover what they like about Shimotsui, share it, and connect through their shared appreciation.
We’d be happy if people—even those who aren’t from Shimotsui—wore these items and thought of Shimotsui, even just a little.
A portion of the proceeds from “THINK GOOD SHIMOTSUI” will be used to contribute to Shimotsui’s development. We plan to put the funds toward activities to preserve the fishing industry and the environment, as well as community revitalization projects.
The logo is stylish. What does it represent?
Nakamichi
The “O” in GOOD is based on the infinity symbol, expressing community development as a cycle and limitless possibilities.
The distinctive wave symbol was actually hand-drawn by a member of the Shimotsui Think Tank.
We asked members to draw wave symbols with various pens and brushes, and in the end, everyone unanimously chose the one they felt was “the wave of Shimotsui!” It can look like the gentle waves of the Seto Inland Sea, or like the distinctive currents that are so characteristic of Shimotsui. Through the wave symbol, we expressed a sense of freedom and diversity.
We didn’t want it to be something that was just the designers’ own vision; we wanted it to reflect everyone’s thoughts. I think that’s why we ended up with a logo we created together.
How do you recommend enjoying the festival?
Fujiwara
More than 20 food vendors will be there, so first of all, I hope you’ll enjoy trying a variety of dishes. Performances are constantly taking place on the main stage, so I think you’ll be able to watch without getting bored.
And please take the stamp rally as an opportunity to explore all of Shimotsui Castle Ruins on foot. I’d be happy if you could feel the history and think, “So this is what the castle used to look like.”
Nakamichi
Okayama has many famous cherry blossom spots, but I think Shimotsui Castle Ruins is a hidden gem, with truly beautiful cherry blossoms and views from the mountaintop. The lovely scenery you find after climbing the hill, and the cherry blossoms you can enjoy in its peaceful atmosphere, are unique to Shimotsui Castle Ruins.
It’s also an event where you can enjoy local specialties and restaurants, so I hope you’ll come and visit as a way to get to know Shimotsui.
Finally, do you have a message for our readers?
Fujiwara
In fact, Shimotsui Castle itself only has a history of about 30 or 40 years. When it was destroyed under the One Castle per Province system, the corners of the stone walls were broken off to prevent the castle from being rebuilt. This is called “castle demolition,” and it is a rare archaeological site in Japan.
Because the ruins retain this valuable history, I think they’re a place where you can experience something out of the ordinary. Please come visit Shimotsui Castle Ruins, the place that helped Shimotsui prosper.
Nakamichi
What kind of image do you have of Shimotsui? You might find your impression changes when you come to the cherry blossom festival.
Delicious local specialties, scenery you’ve never seen before, or Shimotsui’s hidden charms… We want to make this a festival where more people discover that “Shimotsui is a great place!”
We’d be happy if the cherry blossom festival became one of the ways people get to know Shimotsui. We look forward to seeing you!
From the Writer
The second Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival looks set to offer plenty of ways to enjoy Shimotsui’s charms.
It was an event packed with reasons to keep visiting Shimotsui even after the festival ends.
Since the venue is a castle ruin on top of a hill, there are many steep stairs, but it might be just the thing to get some exercise. I’m already looking forward to the views from the mountaintop.
You can go for the cherry blossoms, enjoy the flavors of Shimotsui, or take in its history.
Enjoy it in your own way, and see if you can discover what makes Shimotsui special.
2nd Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival Information
| Name | 2nd Shimotsui Castle Ruins Cherry Blossom Festival |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, March 30, 2025 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| Location | Shimotsui, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Website | Official Instagram of Shimotsui o Kangaeru Kai |
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