[Winter Version of Pochi Bags Arrives] Pochi bags produced by Nishiokoppe Uenshiri Daiko featuring illustrations of Setoushi-kun. This winter, poch i bags themed for Christmas and New Year will be displayed at facilities around the village. One member of the drum team designed motifs inspired by Christmas and the New Year. Each design is sold in a set of three. The price is 200 yen. All three bags in a set have different illustrations, so we hope you enjoy the moment of deciding who to give them to. The regular versions we have produced and sold so far—five-piece and three-piece sets—remain available. Why not use a pochi bag to give a small amount of money or a message? On sale at Hotel Rimu, Roadside Station Kamu, and Komu – Forest Art Museum. We also welcome performance requests for Nishiokoppe Uenshiri Daiko. For inquiries, please contact ni.uentaiko2488 at mark gmail.com. #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Setoushi-kun #Pochi bags #Nishiokoppe Uenshiri Daiko #Winter #Christmas #Otoshidama

Tomoya Kaneko Live in Nishiokoppe Centennial Celebration of Nishiokoppe Village Singer-songwriter from Shimokawa Town Tomoya Kaneko will perform a live concert in Nishiokoppe Village! The show opens with BEAR HUGS, Nishiokoppe Village’s visual-kei rock band, who also appeared at this year’s entertainment show, to get the crowd going 🐻 Friday, November 21 at Hotel Morimu Plum Hall, Nishiokoppe Village Doors open 18:00 Show starts 18:30 All-you-can-drink with light refreshments included Unreserved seats High school and older: ¥5,000 Junior high and younger: ¥1,500 Preschool children: Free Reservations by QR code or phone. Tel 070-9097-3611 (Tsushima) Tel 080-6728-1980 (Henmi) Tel 090-2768-8710 (Dan) Our staff are working hard to make this a fun show 😆 We look forward to seeing many of you! #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Live #Tomoya Kaneko #Singer-songwriter #Centennial celebration of village founding #BEAR HUGS #Hotel Morimu

Autumn Event Information Yesterday the Village Revitalization Festival ended. Thank you to everyone who attended!! And even though summer is over, events continue. First, here is the news for September. September • Saturday the 6th — Kamiokoppe Evening Festival Around 6:00 PM in front of Kamiokoppe Shrine. • Thursday the 11th — Time Capsule Opening Ceremony and Variety Show Will we open a time capsule buried 20 years ago!? We’re excited to see what will be unearthed. This begins at 6:00 PM. The variety show follows at 6:30 PM. Enjoy performances by villagers and food stalls. Both events take place in the public hall’s large auditorium. • Saturday the 13th — "Turning the Power of Books into the Power to Live" This project is organized with Shanti International Volunteer Association and people from Myanmar living in Nishiokoppe Village. Would you like to create translated picture books and send them to Myanmar? From 10:00 AM at the public hall. • Saturday the 20th to Sunday the 21st — Autumn Market & KAMU Music A small market celebrating the autumn harvest. A live music event will be held on the 21st. Both days run from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. At Roadside Station Nishiokoppe KAMU. • Wednesday the 24th — Puppet Theatre Company Pook Performance Pook Puppet Theatre, active nationwide and internationally, is coming to town! The program includes two pieces: "Little Monk Zuiten" and "It Might Be an Apple." Doors open at 6:00 PM, curtain at 6:30 PM. At the public hall’s large auditorium. • Sunday the 28th — Clear Stream Festival A festival at the Clear Stream Village. There will be entertainment and food stalls. At Seiryu no Sato in Kamiokoppe. Information about events from October onward will be posted later. #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Autumn #Events #September

Program for the Variety Show A variety show will take place on the evening of Wednesday, September 11. There is less than a week to go. We are sharing the program details here as well! The performance segment features participants ranging from elementary school students to adults. People of many different generations will appear. There will be taiko drumming, dance, and band performances… Everyone is practicing hard as they prepare for the big night! The karaoke segment planned for the second half welcomes walk-in participants, too! Venue: Hotel Morimu Plum Hall Doors open: 6:00 PM / Show starts: 6:30 PM We look forward to your attendance. #Nishiokoppe Village #Variety Show #Revival #Festival #Karaoke #Performances #Enjoy an Evening Together

Teachers’ Read-Aloud Play They spent only three weeks rehearsing. In that short time, elementary and junior high school teachers gathered in the elementary school gym after work to do warm-ups, voice exercises, and acting practice. Holding scripts, they conveyed the story through a read-aloud play. Reading, projecting the voice, and performing the narration. They considered the intention behind each line and who it was addressed to. They asked how best to read each passage so it would reach the audience. With each rehearsal, the tones of the teachers’ voices grew richer and reached the ear more deeply. When they moved to stage rehearsals, tension and excitement filled not only the cast but the staff as well. Looking back, the final week’s push felt truly intense. We were delighted that not only the teachers’ former pupils—elementary and junior high students—but people of many ages came to watch. On a stage lit by a pale pink moon, wrapped in the sound of guitar and violin, they delivered a confident read-aloud performance. Thank you very much.

Village Culture Festival 2023 I heard someone say, "There’s a village culture festival in November," and I was surprised, thinking, "There’s such a festival…!" In Nishiokoppe Village, the culture festival ran for three days. On November 1–2 there were only exhibitions, and on the 3rd the community center area hosted performances, award ceremonies, and stage presentations. The venue, a hotel, is connected to the community center and library, and a used book fair took place in the library area. Sometimes books villagers let go of find their way into the hands of nearby residents. While enjoying displays like ikebana and picture-letter art, you could taste wagashi and tea in the tea room. This year, as a first-time experiment, the puppet-theater group Doremi presented a staged reading and read picture books aloud. Bathed in sunlight streaming through the skylights, I slowly sank into the world of the staged reading and picture books. Stage presentations included a volunteer band, the junior high school brass band, and piano performances, and, a Nishiokoppe Village staple, children from the abacus class performed "flash mental arithmetic." For adults it was a precious opportunity to present. It was a culture festival full of nervous excitement and delight.

VOICE Comes to Nishiokoppe! About a month ago I found myself listening to “24-Hour Myth” and waiting eagerly for the live show. When the concert finally began, even songs I heard for the first time drew me in with the guitar tones and soaring vocals. Nearly two hours flew by in an instant! Partway through, during a song that imagined the feelings of salted salmon roe, the audience joined in at a certain part, and the whole venue felt united. By the final act, the applause and cheers never stopped… The excitement was palpable. It was their first Nishiokoppe live in five years. I’m already looking forward to the day the two of them return!!

VOICE 30th Anniversary Live "24-Hour Myth" The twin artists who created that hit song, VOICE— They are on a tour celebrating 30 years since their first single was released, and they will come to Nishiokoppe on Saturday, October 14!! For inquiries, please contact the following. The application deadline is October 10. 090-8707-0944 (Takahashi) Doors open 17:30 / Show starts 18:00 At Hotel Morimu Ticket price: 4,000 yen (light meal and all-you-can-drink included)