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.