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00:00Good morning, I'm Terasu Tokio.
00:02Nice to meet you.
00:03Nice to meet you, too.
00:04Here's today's start-up.
00:06It's a festival support start-up that connects Japan's tradition to the future.
00:11Supporting festivals?
00:15Tokyo, Chiyodaku.
00:17The name of the company that started to save the disappearing festivals is Matsuri Japan.
00:22Matsuri Japan!
00:24If you look at the office, there's a woman working there in a happy outfit.
00:29She's the president of this company, and Mr. Kato, the mother of the rainbow.
00:36Actually, Mr. Kato is a big fan of festivals.
00:40That's why he started this company.
00:43What kind of business does he do?
00:47For example, if there's a festival that's short on funds,
00:51he'll bring in business partners.
00:53If there's a place he wants to invite foreign tourists to,
00:56he'll make a festival tour for them.
00:59He supports festivals all over the country.
01:03It's said that there are about 300,000 festivals in Japan,
01:07but this company has a network of around 5,000 festivals.
01:15On this day, Mr. Kato visited Shonan.
01:20This is the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Festival.
01:23Matsuri Japan has been involved in this festival since last year.
01:28This is the 72nd festival this year.
01:32It was started to revive the area after the war,
01:35and it's one of the three biggest Tanabata festivals in Japan.
01:39Tanabata decorations have always been colorful, and they've colored the city.
01:45In the past, the number of visitors was 3.61 million.
01:49Many people came to see the festival,
01:52but now it's down to about 1 million.
01:55Oh, I see. Why?
01:58Local people who've been to the festival say this about the current situation.
02:04In the past, people lined up in front of the festival.
02:07This street was the main street for food and home appliances.
02:10Due to COVID-19, the size of the festival has been reduced to a minimum,
02:14so people are starting to come back,
02:17but it's not the same as before.
02:19I see.
02:22Many festivals have been reduced before COVID-19.
02:28According to a survey conducted in 2016,
02:3160 festivals and dances designated as non-ethnic cultural assets
02:35have been put on hold.
02:41It's mainly due to the aging population,
02:44lack of people, and lack of funds.
02:47There's a lot of concern about that.
02:51Many festivals have been able to raise funds
02:54through donations from the government,
02:57shops, and local companies,
03:00but now it's difficult to hold festivals due to the lack of funds.
03:06So what is Omatsuri Japan going to do this time?
03:10That's a great name, Omatsuri Japan.
03:14Today, I'm going to be at the Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata Matsuri,
03:18which is a festival with Suntory.
03:22As for Suntory,
03:24we're doing a promotion at a fun and lively place.
03:30What Omatsuri Japan came up with
03:32is a match between a festival and a major company.
03:35Instead of advertising at a festival,
03:38the company supports the festival by sponsoring it.
03:42How many are there today?
03:44Today, there were about as many as last year,
03:47and now there are about 600 to 700.
03:50Really? That's amazing!
03:52It's more exciting when there are more people.
03:54There are a lot of kids, so it's hard to get along with them.
03:57So you're avoiding the car culture?
03:59Yes, I'm avoiding places where you have to come by car.
04:02The results are good, so it's motivating.
04:06They've proposed the best festival for the product they want to promote,
04:10and since last year, they've been working with Suntory
04:13on about 10 festivals.
04:15Why did Suntory decide to partner with Omatsuri Japan?
04:19It's difficult to communicate directly with people from Omatsuri Japan.
04:25It's hard to do that without an agency.
04:28Omatsuri Japan has a wide network of festivals all over the country,
04:33so this time, we're participating with Omatsuri Japan.
04:37In addition, they've teamed up with Nagatani En
04:40to promote Ochazuke to the younger generation.
04:44They've succeeded in creating benefits for both companies and festivals.
04:50And another major business of Omatsuri Japan
04:53is creating new content to further enhance the charm of festivals
04:56and increase the number of visitors.
04:59This is important, too.
05:00The stage of their efforts is Tokyo Kouenji.
05:04At the end of August, they'll be supporting
05:07the 65th Tokyo Kouenji Awa Odori.
05:12It's one of the most famous Awa Odori festivals in Japan,
05:16and you can see the power and beauty of Nagashi Odori
05:20in the peaceful atmosphere.
05:22Every year, about 1 million people come to see the festival.
05:27Six hours before the festival starts,
05:29the employees are working in the 31-degree temperature.
05:35Today, we're selling tours to foreign tourists.
05:40They'll get to know the history of Awa Odori,
05:43experience the dance,
05:45and see Awa Odori up close at the Ferris wheel.
05:52This is a special seat.
05:55Omatsuri Japan does everything from planning to setting up the venue.
06:01Today, we're planning a tour to let foreigners know the charm of festivals.
06:07They'll learn the history of Awa Odori at Tokyo Kouenji,
06:09and experience the dance.
06:16Finally!
06:20A lot of people haven't done this before.
06:22Actually, this is not just to let foreigners know
06:25the charm of festivals in Japan.
06:27They have other goals, too.
06:29To invite foreign tourists,
06:32we're using government subsidies.
06:36We're doing this to make sure that
06:39the funds will be used for the festival.
06:43Wow!
06:45The Ministry of Tourism supports the development and event
06:48of tourism services to increase the number of foreign tourists.
06:53They're providing funds to the festival's management.
06:57However, in order to be accepted,
06:59a lot of work is required,
07:01from planning to setting up the venue.
07:06So, Omatsuri Japan supports the development
07:09of new content and management.
07:13How do the festival's management feel about this initiative?
07:19Actually, there was almost no knowledge
07:22about women's business in Japan.
07:25We didn't even know if it was a good idea
07:28or not.
07:31But Omatsuri Japan was able to guide us
07:34and lead us on this path.
07:37We're very grateful for that.
07:41Omatsuri Japan solves festival issues
07:43with a variety of ideas.
07:46The festival was established by
07:48President Kato.
07:50Five months after the Great East Japan Earthquake,
07:53it was the Aomori Nebuta Festival.
07:57During the earthquake,
07:59we didn't see anyone smiling or energetic.
08:02But when the Nebuta Festival started,
08:04the locals came to see us.
08:07They were enjoying the festival from the bottom of their hearts.
08:11I realized that festivals can cheer people up.
08:14I realized that festivals are the source
08:17of power in Japan.
08:20While they felt the power of festivals
08:22during the earthquake,
08:24President Kato was shocked by the news.
08:28When I read the local newspaper,
08:30there was news that the number of participants
08:33in the Nebuta Festival had halved.
08:35I didn't know that such a big festival
08:37would cause such a big problem
08:39to the festival community.
08:41I realized that if such a big festival
08:43causes such a big problem,
08:45a small festival would cause
08:47a bigger problem.
08:49I started to think
08:51about how to solve this problem.
08:53Three years after the earthquake,
08:55President Kato started the festival
08:57with his university friends.
09:00The Aomori Nebuta Festival,
09:02which was the starting point of the festival,
09:04is now one of the festivals
09:06supported by the festival Japan.
09:08Is that so?
09:09Among the festivals,
09:11there is a 90-centimeter-tall
09:13premium viewing facility
09:15built by Yagura.
09:17Actually, the price of this facility
09:19is 1,100,000 yen per person.
09:211,100,000 yen?
09:22At this special seat,
09:24you can enjoy Aomori prefecture's food
09:26and alcohol,
09:28and see the powerful Nebuta
09:30up close.
09:34I think it's hard to find
09:36a place where so many people
09:38who come to enjoy
09:40can stand together
09:42and gather in one place
09:44with a smile.
09:46That's why I'm running
09:48Aomori Festival Japan.
09:55Aomori Festival Japan
09:57may save festivals
09:59all over Japan.
10:01But I can't forget this name
10:03once I hear it.
10:05It makes me want to say it.
10:07Aomori Festival Japan.
10:09Aomori Festival Japan.
10:11That's right.
10:13I wanted to name it
10:15Aomori Festival Japan.
10:17Was there a precedent?
10:19No, there wasn't.
10:21That's why we're here.
10:23That's right.
10:25It's hard to make money
10:27without a precedent,
10:29including the local government.
10:31I think it was really hard
10:33to convince them.
10:35Yes, it takes time.
10:37Our members live
10:39in half of the land
10:41and talk to the local people
10:43about how to make money.
10:45How many employees do you have?
10:47We have 16 people,
10:49excluding the managers.
10:51But only the people
10:53who love festivals gather here.
10:55Yes, it must be hard
10:57if you don't like festivals.
10:59There's a festival
11:01every week.
11:03You're the mother of the festival.
11:05Yes, I am.
11:07You're really good at it.
11:09Yes, I am.
11:11I'm sure you get a lot of support
11:13from the local people.
11:15Yes, I do.
11:17When I was a kid,
11:19I didn't like festivals.
11:21But now that I'm an adult,
11:23I don't care about festivals anymore.
11:25I see.
11:27So I want to make
11:29a festival for
11:31people who enjoy festivals.
11:33In fact,
11:35Aomori Festival Japan
11:37has a lot of activities
11:39related to festivals.
11:41We have a project
11:43called Bunkyo Hanameguri
11:45in Bunkyo Ward.
11:47Is this related to festivals?
11:49Yes, it is.
11:51In Bunkyo Ward,
11:53there are festivals
11:55for flowers,
11:57such as Tsutsuji,
11:59Azisai, Hozuki,
12:01Asagao, Kiku, and Ume.
12:03We have seven festivals
12:05in Bunkyo Ward
12:07for children.
12:09In festival Japan,
12:11we create quizzes and produce items
12:13for children to participate
12:15in festivals.
12:19By letting them know the area,
12:21children in Bunkyo Ward
12:23can become the future.
12:25They can enjoy the town.
12:27I see.
12:29In addition,
12:31we use festivals to
12:33encourage people to come to the town.
12:35We are planning to
12:37take a tour of Nebuta
12:39for three days.
12:41I see.
12:43Do you go there
12:45even if it's not Nebuta?
12:47That's right.
12:49In summer,
12:51Aomori is very popular,
12:53but in winter,
12:55we want to make it even more popular.
12:57You want people to see Aomori
12:59throughout the year.
13:01Festival Japan
13:03Festival Japan
13:05Aomori Nebuta Festival
13:07was held when I was a student.
13:09Mr. Kato founded
13:11a festival company
13:13that no one had tried before.
13:15He is working on
13:17the development of the business.
13:19It's like
13:21Festival Japan since I was a student.
13:23Yes, it is.
13:27Do you still use
13:29the knowledge of art?
13:31Yes, I do.
13:33I think it is
13:35because of my way of thinking
13:37and creativity.
13:39At first,
13:41I designed posters
13:43and made stage props.
13:45That's what I did at first.
13:47Did you graduate from an oil painting school
13:49and work at a pickles company?
13:51Yes, I did.
13:53Why?
13:55I was interested in
13:57redesigning
13:59pickles.
14:01Young people
14:03think pickles are old-fashioned.
14:05But I thought
14:07if I used my creativity,
14:09people would eat more.
14:11That's why I designed
14:13and made products.
14:17There is a big difference
14:19between pickles and
14:21Aomori Nebuta Festival Japan.
14:23What happened?
14:25It's like a circle
14:27in Aomori.
14:29The name of the circle is
14:31Aomori Nebuta Festival Japan.
14:33At first,
14:35I helped with the festival
14:37and created a graffiti corner.
14:39Interesting.
14:41Ms. Kato thought
14:43she could make her favorite festival
14:45into her job.
14:47She participated in
14:49various business contests
14:51and made a start in 2014.
14:53However,
14:55she was in danger of bankruptcy.
14:57When I joined the festival,
14:59I realized that
15:01the festival is not for making money.
15:03So even if I supported them
15:05for half a year,
15:07they gave me money
15:09as a thank-you gift.
15:11But I was in trouble.
15:13There were no people
15:15and no money.
15:17I thought it would be a job.
15:19I thought there would be a chance
15:21to start a business.
15:23So I started to get money
15:25from companies,
15:27countries, and local governments
15:29to start the festival.
15:31That's how I started
15:33the business.
15:35Ms. Kato recommended
15:37three famous festivals
15:39to us.
15:41I didn't know which one to introduce.
15:43The first one is
15:45Saga International Balloon Festa.
15:47Balloon Festa?
15:49That's a lot of people.
15:51Saga International Balloon Festa
15:53has been held in Saga
15:55since 1980.
15:57It's the biggest international
15:59balloon festival in Asia.
16:01More than 100 balloons
16:03perform in Saga.
16:05They compete to reach
16:07their destination.
16:09They perform in the morning
16:11and at night.
16:13It's so beautiful.
16:15It's so beautiful.
16:17There are a lot of
16:19food and events.
16:21It's a big festival.
16:23There are a lot of stalls
16:25and stages.
16:27You can enjoy the festival
16:29all day long.
16:31Do you have any other
16:33recommended festivals?
16:35Yes, I do.
16:37I've never been there,
16:39but I'd like to recommend it.
16:41I really want to go there.
16:43There is a strange festival
16:45in Okinawa called
16:47Pa'an.
16:49It's a festival
16:51where a god
16:53who is covered in mud
16:55paints people and houses
16:57with mud.
16:59This unique custom
17:01brings happiness and
17:03prosperity to the island.
17:05It's been long-established
17:07in the local area.
17:09When is it held?
17:11It hasn't been announced yet.
17:13That's interesting.
17:15It hasn't been announced yet.
17:17It's hard to
17:19make a decision.
17:21There are other festivals
17:23that young people love.
17:25I love this festival.
17:27It's called Akutai Festival.
17:29It's held in Kasama
17:31in Ibaraki Prefecture.
17:33Akutai is a bad word.
17:35It's a festival
17:37from the Edo period.
17:39It's held at Iitsuna Shrine
17:41and Atago Shrine in Ibaraki.
17:43It's held in December
17:45every year.
17:47It's a festival
17:49where participants
17:51wear bad words
17:53and swear
17:55to the god
17:57who wears
17:59white clothes.
18:01Did you say something
18:03because you were there?
18:05Yes.
18:07At the end of December,
18:09I said something
18:11like,
18:13I don't care.
18:15That's interesting.
18:17Not only that,
18:19there are some shrines
18:21at the top of Tengu.
18:23People make offerings
18:25to the shrines.
18:27If you get an offering,
18:29you can stay healthy
18:31for a year.
18:33The more I know about it,
18:35the more I wonder
18:37how the management
18:39does it.
18:41Mr. Kato started
18:43a new initiative
18:45to protect traditional arts
18:47as well as festival support.
18:59Kabukicho, Shinjuku.
19:01Kabukicho Tower was
19:03built last year
19:05in the bustling town.
19:07Here,
19:09Omatsuri Japan is
19:11holding a festival
19:13every Sunday
19:15in Shinjuku.
19:17That's great.
19:19They use the festival-themed
19:21dining space
19:23to invite festivals
19:25from all over the country.
19:27On this day,
19:29a creative acer group
19:31based in Tokyo
19:33performed a powerful performance
19:35at the festival.
19:47With the powerful sound
19:49of the drums,
19:51the crowd got excited
19:53and said,
19:55It's the best.
19:57Once a year,
19:59two or three times a year.
20:01In Okinawa,
20:03it's a good idea
20:05to have three festivals.
20:07The audience
20:09wants more festivals.
20:11How did Mr. Kato
20:13start this initiative?
20:17The festival organization
20:19told us
20:21that we can't keep
20:23our motivation
20:25if we only
20:27hold festivals
20:29once a year.
20:31I was very happy
20:33that we were able to hold
20:35such a festival.
20:37This initiative
20:39started in April last year
20:41and about 50 groups
20:43have already performed.
20:45What do the dancers
20:47think about this activity?
20:49We can drink beer
20:51and watch the performance
20:53in a circle.
20:55If there is a proper stage,
20:57the motivation of the dancers
20:59and the audience
21:01can enjoy the performance
21:03as a whole.
21:05I think it's a great idea.
21:07Mr. Kato wants to
21:09increase the number
21:11of places to perform
21:13and make festivals
21:15a part of their lives.
21:17I think
21:19Japanese people
21:21don't get to see
21:23festivals all over the country.
21:25I think it's a great opportunity
21:27for Japanese people
21:29to get to know Japanese culture
21:31and feel the festival.
21:33Kabukicho is not only
21:35a place for Japanese people
21:37but also for foreigners.
21:39I think it's a great place
21:41to get to know
21:43Japanese culture.
21:45That's right.
21:47In big festivals,
21:49there are museums
21:51and museums
21:53where the dancers
21:55can dance with tourists.
21:57But I think
21:59we should increase
22:01the number of places
22:03to perform.
22:05That's right.
22:07Especially in Tokyo,
22:09if a dancer thinks it's interesting,
22:11they can go there.
22:13That's right.
22:15In that sense,
22:17I think it's a regional activity.
22:19I want people from Tengu to come.
22:21Don't jump, you bastard!
22:23It's a festival like that.
22:25It's a festival like that.
22:27I'd like to see it.
22:29I'd like to see it.
22:31I don't know why foreigners
22:33get angry all of a sudden.
22:35I'm surprised.
22:37It's interesting.
22:41Next time,
22:43we'll start selling fashion
22:45that can last forever.
22:47Oh!
22:49Oh!
22:51It's cheap.
22:53Is this 1,500 yen?
22:551,500 yen?
22:57The president of Rockna
22:59will solve the problem of fashion
23:01with fashion.
23:03No, no, no.
23:05I'm scared.
23:07I'm scared.
23:09I'm scared.
23:11I'm scared.
23:13I'm scared.
23:15I'm scared.
23:17I'm scared.