News

Hello everyone! I’m Yoshikawa, who is currently staying in Yakumo, Hokkaido after being charmed by the place all the way down from my home in Shiga Prefecture. Even though I was only wearing T-shirts in Shiga, I still need my down jacket in Hokkaido now. It has barely been a month since I arrived here, but I strongly feel the vastness of Japan every day.

Despite being chilly, summer is just around the corner in Hokkaido! And with the refreshing summer breeze comes Yakumo’s biggest festival, the 40th annual Yakumo Parade of Floats, which attracts 30,000 visitors every year. This year marks its 40th anniversary!

Would you like to join us for this special opportunity of evolving this cherished event by collaborating with both locals and visitors from outside the region?

Yakumo Festival Supporters Wanted! Let’s create the magnificent floats together!

About the Yakumo Parade of Floats

The Yakumo Parade of Floats was conceived in 1984 by the youth of Yakumo to invigorate their community. This year marks its 40th milestone anniversary!

Each group crafts unique and impressive floats and on the day of the festival, these diverse and vibrant floats parade through the streets of Yakumo. What began with a single float being pulled across a field has now grown into the town’s largest festival, attracting visitors from all over and filling local accommodations to capacity.

Watch a video of the Yakumo Parade of Floats on Doshin News: Video Link

Challenges Facing the Yakumo Parade of Floats

Amidst the excitement of celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Yakumo Parade of Floats also faces several challenges:

①Declining participation due to an aging and shrinking population
②Difficulty in ensuring smooth generational transitions
③A lack of variety, leading to a sense of monotony throughout the years

To address these issues, we aim to bring in fresh talent and ideas from outside the town. However, local accommodations are fully booked every year, making it challenging to host external participants.

The Birth of the Float Parade Camp Village

In response to these challenges and to celebrate the festival’s 40th anniversary, we plan to establish a temporary “Float Parade Camp Village” during the festival. In addition to addressing concerns about accommodation, this camp will also enable participants to be involved in creating and managing the village while contributing to the festival’s evolution.

The camp village will open for about a week from Saturday, June 29th to Sunday, July 7th in Yakumo Town.

This camp will be more than just a place to stay. Participants will spend the week creating a float, offering various experiences themed around “disaster prevention” and “eco-friendliness,” and organizing stage performances and interactive activities. We hope you’ll join us in brainstorming these ideas!

We are actively recruiting people to help build and manage the camp village, create exciting content, build the floats, and participate in the festival.

Recruitment Details

Are you someone who is…
・Interested in engaging with the local community?
・Curious about Hokkaido (or already a fan!)?
・A festival enthusiast?
・In love with meeting new people?
・Excited about nature and camping?
・Interested in community development and revitalization?
・Looking to change yourself?
・A university student?
・A remote worker who wants to engage in local activities?
・Considering a career change or starting your own business?

<Activities>

・Setting up, operating, and dismantling the Float Parade Camp Village
・Planning and managing camp village activities (e.g. events, performances, social gatherings)
・Assisting with camp village operations (e.g. reception, firewood splitting, tent setup, campfire management, trash collection)
・Building the floats (which will be used during the festival on July 5-6)
・Participating in the main festival (e.g. pulling the floats through the town)

<Activity Period> June 28, 2024 (Friday) – July 7, 2024 (Sunday)

<Location> Yurakubu Park & Saranbe Park, Sakaemachi 1, Yakumo Town, Futami District, Hokkaido

<Benefits>
・Transportation from Yakumo Station to the camp village
・Meal support (the quantity of food provided will be based on the amount of help)
・Free accommodation (mainly tent camping; indoor accommodation can be discussed)
・Experience rural life with activities like wood splitting, fishing, and campfires
・Interact with international guests (Yakumo study abroad program)
・Enjoy saunas and hot springs (transportation provided)
・Experience primary industries

<How to Apply> Please apply using the form.
We will contact you after reviewing your application form. 

<Application Deadline>Saturday, June 22, 2024

<Number of Positions Available> 100

<Contact Information> yakumodashigyouretu@gmail.com

In Conclusion

Throughout the year, a variety of people visit Yakumo Town, engage with the community, and contribute to its development. Some are travelers stopping by, some stay for a while, and still others eventually relocate and settle down here.

To those who join us as festival supporters this year, we hope to maintain long-term relationships with you. We are excited to discuss how you would like to be involved and the kind of future you envision we can create together.

Thank you for your interest! We look forward to hearing from you.