Mayu Kondo — Introduction Video to Nishiokoppe Village [②] - The second introduction video of Nishiokoppe Village is now available - Mayu Kondo, a singer-songwriter who also works as a YouTuber. Her first trip to Hokkaido was, surprisingly, to Nishiokoppe Village!? From Haneda Airport in Tokyo to Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport. A one-hour drive from the airport brings you to Nishiokoppe Village. Her first stop was Okhotsk Musical Instrument Industry Co., Ltd., which manufactures electric guitar bodies. In Kondo’s video, she gives a detailed report on the factory work and the body manufacturing process🎸 The video also showcases Forest Park, where you can bat and go bouldering; Komu – Forest Art Museum, an indoor facility with wooden playground equipment and toys; Kuuraku, a dining spot inside Forest Park; and Nishiokoppe Guest House GA.KOPPER. Soothing narration from Kondo carries you through a video full of highlights to the end. Mayu Kondo Thank you for visiting Nishiokoppe Village! #Settlement Promotion #Introduction Video #Mayu Kondo #Influencer #Singer-Songwriter #Eat #Stay

Kopi: Introduction Video to Nishiokoppe Village [1] - The introduction video to Nishiokoppe Village has been released ① - Kopi is active as a singer, actor, and influencer. Following last year, Kopi visited Nishiokoppe Village again this year! Over a one-night, two-day stay, she toured many spots in Nishiokoppe Village and introduced them to viewers 🏃🏃🏃 The Experience Farm, where visitors can stay long-term while taking part in agricultural activities, Forest Park, where you can play at a batting center and go-karts, the village’s only supermarket Q Mart, Tao Shoten, where you can buy venison and bear meat sourced within the village, Okhotsk Musical Instrument Industry Co., Ltd., which manufactures electric guitar bodies, GA.KOPPER, a guest house renovated from a wooden junior high school that closed down, and Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu, where you can enjoy a flower park. In a roughly 30-minute video, all of these are tightly packed together ✨ For more on Okhotsk Musical Instrument Industry Co., Ltd., watch the upcoming YouTube video featuring Mayu Kondo or Kopi’s past videos to see detailed manufacturing processes 👀 Fans of Kopi won’t want to miss her cooking scenes. Don’t miss how she enjoys Nishiokoppe venison and Kouei beef! Watching the video will make you want to eat it 🤤 Kopi braved the cold of Hokkaido in October to convey the experience. Thank you, Kopi, for visiting Nishiokoppe Village! #Settlement promotion #Introduction video #Kopi #Influencer #Actor #Eat #Stay

Tomoya Kaneko Solo Live in Nishiokoppe Born in Shimokawacho, Tomoya Kaneko is active not only as a singer-songwriter but also as a radio host and variety show personality. In Nishiokoppe Village, there was someone who attended the same high school and belonged to the same soft tennis club as Kaneko. That person invited Kaneko and organized the live event. As part of Nishiokoppe Village’s 100th anniversary celebrations, the concert used village subsidies and received support from the organizing committee members as well as many villagers and people from outside the village. At the entrance and in front of the hall at Hotel Rimu, the live venue, life-size (slightly smaller) panels of Kaneko and a welcome board greeted guests. Inside the venue, Tomoya Kaneko fans’ uchiwa fans were placed on each table, and the stage featured illuminated letters reading KANEKO TOMOYA. Kaneko’s humor-filled talk and passionate singing electrified the audience. During the show, as people approached to take photos, a sweaty Kaneko was nearby. Standing alone on stage in front of 110 guests, he shone as he entertained the crowd. He joyfully responded to segments that brought children onstage, and the excited children, even when they weren’t onstage, stood toward the back of the hall and swayed happily. Thank you to everyone who helped with video production and the raffle, and to all who came to the venue. Tomoya Kaneko, thank you for coming!! #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Tomoya Kaneko #Live #Setoushi-kun #100th Anniversary of Village Founding #Music #Live

Heartful Human Festa Kamagaya 2025 Held in! Kamagaya City and the Ichikawa Human Rights Awareness Activities Regional Network Council will co-host the Heartful Human Festa 2025 Held in. This year, as a special year once every three years, we will send you a lot of content. Why don't you take this opportunity to feel close to human rights? Date: Saturday, November 29, 13:00 【Venue】Kirari Kamagaya City Civic Hall Kirari Hall 【Access】Keisei Matsudo Line 3 minutes walk from Hatsutomi Station [Capacity] 500 people (all seats unreserved, priority given to pre-applicants) 【Remarks】For details on how to apply, application period, etc., please visit the leaflet or the city Home page 【Citizens Activity Promotion Division】 https://www.city.kamagaya.chiba.jp/sesakumidashi/sesaku-danjokyoudo/danjo_center/centerkikaku/R7human.html...

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

Nishiokoppe Village Variety Show Thursday, September 11 That variety show that returned last year is back again…! This year it starts at 6:00 PM There will also be a time capsule opening ceremony. A time capsule buried 20 years ago. Who buried what inside, nobody knows. Even the person who buried it seems unable to remember what they put in… The variety show begins at 6:30 PM. Food stalls and festival booths will be available. Enjoy performances by village residents and karaoke! The venue is the Nishiokoppe Village Public Hall large hall. #Nishiokoppe Village #Hokkaido #Variety show #Time capsule #Opening #100th anniversary of the village founding #September 11

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

【Flower Park LIVE "KAMUon"】 We greeted September 22nd with our hearts pounding, wondering whether it would rain. We held the live event "KAMUon" inside the Flower Park at the Roadside Station Kamu. A breezy autumn wind swept through the garden. On that day, all kinds of sounds filled the wide space surrounded by nature. Elementary school bands and dancers stole the show, a unit captivated us with original songs, and idol Goichi delivered an hour full of cuteness and fun. A boy shared mysterious sounds and strange stories, someone memorized and read essays aloud in a lovely voice, and another person read a picture book accompanied by the koto’s tones. We are truly grateful to all the performers. Every act held our attention—what wonderful stages they were! *** We wanted visitors passing through the Roadside Station to enjoy the attached garden. With that in mind, we decided to try an event that would make people want to step into the garden, and planned this live. For venue preparation, the gardener tidied the paths and stage area, and on the day staff and performers arrived early to set up. The children’s fair popped out from the market area and enlivened the event with a mobile gacha machine and candy fishing. *** The Flower Park can be enjoyed through Sunday, October 20th. Come relax in the autumn garden. #Nishiokoppe Village #KAMUon #Roadside Station #Kamu #Regional Revitalization Cooperation Team #Flower Park #Autumn Marche #Live Event #Ritts Pritz Khao Man Gai #Pipopapo #LOCKHAMA #Original Song #Kitami #Goichi #Kuma Robo #Yura Henmi #Otoineppu #High School Student #Villager A’s Reading #Essay #Koto and Picture Book Time #Mizunara no Inochi #Mochi Mochi no Ki

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.

Teacher Read-Aloud Play Have you ever watched a read-aloud play? Nishiokoppe Village has one elementary school and one junior high school, and this time teachers from both schools will come together to perform a read-aloud play. The story is based on the picture book Otsukisan Momo-iro (The Moon Is Pink). Author: Miyoko Matsutani Illustrator: Fumihide Inoguchi Alongside the teachers’ voices, live guitar and violin music and lighting that conveys the book’s color palette combine to bring the story to life. A village resident with many years of theater experience directs the show, and rehearsals are now underway. Please come and join us. Date and Time: Saturday, November 18, 2023 Doors open 14:00 / Performance starts 14:30 Venue: Nishiokoppe Village Community Center Plum Hall Admission: Free (unreserved seating) ※The performance will last about 30 minutes.

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!!

Hello to everyone watching Cool Japan Video! I’m Kurashima, Tourism Officer with the Community Revitalization Team of Nishiokoppe Village. I’d like to share lots of enticing tourist information about Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido. I look forward to your interest. Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido, lies inland from the Sea of Okhotsk in Eastern Hokkaido. The population is 1,002 (as of the end of July, Reiwa 5), and about 90 percent of the village area is covered by forest. The contrast between the forests and snowy landscapes is beautiful, and many public buildings are unified by orange-colored walls. The village experiences large temperature swings: winter can reach minus 20 degrees Celsius and summer can exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Despite the harsh natural conditions, the area is rich in nature and full of remote, scenic spots and waterfalls to explore. Now, here are some of the attractive sightseeing spots in Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido. At the foot of Mount Wenshiri, the “Ice Tunnel” offers a mystical, ice-filled world and is a popular destination. The tunnel, formed by water flowing from spring snowmelt, sits in a mountain valley so the ice remains even in summer, creating a mysterious scene. Because of collapse risks it is usually closed, but this July it was opened for one day for the first time in four years. Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu blends a flower park with a roadside station. Inside the roadside station you can find a rare wooden mechanical organ called Oto-Ki-Bayashi that plays music using wind. The shop sells dairy products such as soft-serve made with Nishiokoppe-produced grass-fed milk, and processed Ezo deer products (leather goods, pet food, etc.). The adjacent flower park features a garden designed around a “natural garden” concept that recreates plants suited to Nishiokoppe Village’s climate and landscape. About a 10-minute drive from Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu, the Komu Museum of Art, “Komu,” follows the concept of seeing, touching, playing, and creating. It exhibits about 3,000 wooden toys and works, and large wooden play structures are available for visitors to touch and play with. One especially popular attraction is the wooden sandbox filled with 160,000 wooden balls, where you can enjoy the scent of wood and a kind of woodworking bath. You can also take part in hands-on woodcraft workshops to make things yourself. Enjoy a luxurious time experiencing art in the forest. Gyōja Falls, a 20-meter waterfall where you can feel the power of nature, is another highlight. The falls began to be called Gyōja Falls after a woman in the late Meiji period repeatedly stood under the waterfall praying for her parent’s recovery from a serious illness. Upstream from Gyōja Falls are Akaiwa Falls, with a beautiful brick-colored riverbed, and Kuroiwa Falls, which flows through a primeval forest of Ezo spruce; you can enjoy all three falls along a single route. Next, here are campgrounds where you can enjoy wide-open nature and outdoor activities. Forest Park underwent major renovations over two years in Reiwa 4 and 5, preparing tent site improvements and new playground equipment for a renovated reopening in Reiwa 6. In Reiwa 5 the tent sites are available until October 15, but playground equipment is not usable. The park also has paid log houses available year-round and a BBQ house for day-use barbecues. Surrounded by primary forest, Wenshiri Campground has no cooking facilities and is recommended for a wild camping experience. Like the Ice Tunnel, it is located on Mount Wenshiri and offers one free bungalow that can accommodate up to ten people. Note that the area around the primeval forest may have bear sightings, so caution is required when using the site. Nishiokoppe Village is also known for its guitar factory, Okhotsk Musical Instrument Industry Co. Ltd., where beautifully sounding instruments are made. Founded in a way that succeeded a lumber company, Okhotsk Musical Instrument Industry now produces 20,000 guitar bodies annually. A separate building on the factory grounds houses a free showroom open to visitors for casual tours. Access to Nishiokoppe Village: From Haneda Airport to Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. From the Osaka area, you can fly from Kansai International Airport or Osaka International Airport to New Chitose Airport (about 1 hour 50 minutes), take JR to asahikawa station (about 2 hours 10 minutes), transfer to a JR limited express and get off at Nayoro (about 1 hour), then take a bus to Nishiokoppe Village (about 1 hour). A bus from Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport to Nishiokoppe Village takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. From the Ice Tunnel to other beautiful landscapes and delicious local food, Nishiokoppe Village offers a variety of experiences. We will continue to share the charms of Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido, so please stay tuned!