Shrine Festival The Kamikoppu area holds its shrine festival on September 7, and Nishiokoppe Village celebrates its shrine festival on September 11. It’s the day when people parade through their neighborhood with the portable shrine. In Kamikoppu, a night-before celebration called yomiya-sai is also held, making for a lively few days. In Nishiokoppe, an entertainment show takes place on the evening of the festival day, where villagers perform and enjoy drinks together while watching the acts. People wearing happi coats and children dressed as ochigo (festival pages) add to the festive atmosphere. Walking through the streets of Kamikoppu, I heard the taiko drums echo off the surrounding mountains and return as a distant rumble. I’ll post about the entertainment show in a separate entry. #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Shrine Festival #Autumn #Mikoshi (portable shrine) #Procession #Ochigo (festival child) #Happi coat #Mochimaki (rice cake throwing)

Here are some recommended experiences. In Urahorocho, where forestry thrives, charcoal burning has been practiced for about 100 years. At one of the few remaining charcoal kilns in Japan, you can hear stories about charcoal from the producers and experience traditional Japanese techniques and culture. On this tour, you will visit shrines that convey Japanese history and culture, learn proper worship from a kannushi (Shinto priest), and after praying draw omikuji fortune slips and enjoy a tea ceremony as a form of Japanese hospitality. You will also take part in mochi-tsuki, the traditional ritual of pounding mochi offered to the gods, making and eating anko mochi (mochi with red bean paste) and ozoni (mochi soup) yourself. Mochi-tsuki is a Japanese ritual of giving thanks to the gods and receiving their blessing; because it is a cooperative activity done by several people, it also offers a chance to strengthen bonds among family and community. In the afternoon, you will try charcoal burning. In Japan, charcoal has long been produced by carbonizing wood using traditional techniques. Cooking over charcoal enhances the sweetness of ingredients and makes food more delicious. Charcoal also has other benefits, such as adsorbing impurities to purify water and removing odorous substances to deodorize. On this tour, you will taste the deliciousness of ingredients cooked on a charcoal barbecue. We want visitors to meet producers they would not normally encounter, learn about their thoughts, and experience the region’s culture and food. We hope these experiences lead to new discoveries and perspectives, helping people live healthier, richer lives. If you are interested, please apply at the following URL. We introduce some recommended experiences. In Urahorocho, where forestry flourishes, charcoal burning has been a livelihood for about 100 years. At one of the few remaining charcoal kilns in Japan, you can hear producers talk about charcoal and experience traditional Japanese techniques and culture. This tour visits places that let you feel Japan’s history and culture, including shrines where a kannushi will teach you the etiquette of worship directly. After visiting, you can draw omikuji and experience tea ceremony as Japanese hospitality. You will also try mochi-tsuki, making and eating anko mochi and ozoni yourself. Mochi-tsuki is a traditional Japanese ritual offering thanks to the gods and receiving their power; as a cooperative activity performed by several people, it provides an opportunity to deepen ties with family and local people. In the afternoon, you will experience charcoal burning. Using age-old traditional techniques, wood is carbonized to make charcoal in Japan. Grilling with charcoal brings out the sweetness of ingredients and cooks them deliciously. Charcoal also offers various effects, such as adsorbing impurities to purify water and adsorbing and removing substances that cause unpleasant odors to deodorize. On the tour, you will enjoy a charcoal-grilled barbecue to experience the food’s flavor. We want people to interact with producers they normally cannot meet, learn about their feelings, and taste the region’s culture and food. Through these experiences, we hope participants gain new discoveries and values and lead healthier, more fulfilling lives. If you are interested, please apply via the URL below. https://slow-life-hokkaido.com/tour/urahoro-charcoal-kiln-tour/...

New Year Mochi Pounding The annual mochi pounding event said to take place at Guesthouse GA.KOPPER! It was held on January 2nd! Guests staying at the guesthouse and village residents gathered around a single mortar to pound mochi, while those who wanted to relax sipped sweet sake in the dining room. White mochi and mochi with beans or brown rice were lined up, and everyone enjoyed them with nori, grated daikon, nameko mushrooms, sweet red bean paste, or roasted soybean flour to their liking. A hit with the children was chocolate! Eating mochi with chocolate was an idea we had never seen before! Timed with the mochi pounding, the sight of watching children jumping with serious faces made for a heartwarming day. #Nishiofuke Village #GA.KOPPER #New Year #Mochi pounding #Mochi and chocolate #Nameko mushrooms and grated daikon were delicious

[New Year's Event] We held various New Year's events on New Year's Day! Here's how it 💁🏻 ♀️ looks First of all, we distributed candy lucky bags for children! A lucky bag 🍭 with a lot of sweets such as delicious sticks We prepared two types, lion dance and dharma, but it seems that 😏 the dharma bag was more popular For adults, behave 🍶 sake Japan sake from New Year's Day is exceptional! When you put salt on the spout and drink it, the taste of the sake stands out and is delicious, so I also prepared salt. Please try 💁🏻 ♀️ it at home And we also had mochitsuki! First, the general manager and deputy general manager show off their mochi tsuki! By the way, the general manager is 🐲 a man who is old this year At the end, we handed out red and white mochi! There were two colors of rice cakes, red and white, which are ♪ perfect for the New Year In addition, we were able 👏🏻 to hold an event full of New Year's feeling, such as offering afternoon tea🧁 limited to New Year's at noon We hope you enjoyed it! This year, we will continue to plan more and more events that will please everyone, so please join 🙋🏻 ♀️ us

Shrine Festival A shrine festival giving thanks for the autumn harvest was held recently. The Kamiokoppe area held its festival on September 7, and Nishiokoppe held theirs on September 11. In the mornings, lanterns hung from the streetlights and other decorations fluttered in the breeze. The mikoshi procession featured blue and orange happi coats, colorful banners and fans carried by elementary and middle school students, and the bright costumes of the o-chigo children. From preschoolers to adults, people of many generations living in the village formed a line and paraded through the town for about two hours. A lion dance performed by five middle school students was also splendid. There were so many shutter moments that my photo folder is full.

Location: Udon restaurant in Takamatsu City, Kagawa Prefecture. Sanuki udon with anmochi. Especially in the eastern part of Kagawa Prefecture, there is a custom of eating white miso zoni with bean cake on New Year's Day. You can also enjoy Sanuki udon with anmochi as a New Year's udon.