38th Hinokuni Festival - Looking for Participants!

[Roland Carlos]

Hello Kumamoto,

I hope you are all doing well in the midst of our rainy spell. I have a message that may help you start thinking about warmer (and drier) times ahead...

The Hinokuni Matsuri is one of Kumamoto's biggest festivals. This year the festival will be held on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8. The highlight of the festival is the Otemoyan Dance (おてもやん総おどり) on Satuday night. Groups of dancers will crowd the main streets of downtown Kumamoto and dance to traditional music playing from loudspeakers all around. Last year, around 4,500 dancers across about 50 groups participated in the Otemoyan Dance.

The Kumamoto Prefectural Office (kencho) is also entered in the festival, and they have asked if ALTs or other non-Japanese residents in the community are interested in joining! If you are interested in participating in the Otemoyan Dance, please consider joining the kencho team! The dance will start at around 7pm, on Saturday, August 8, but the kencho team will meet up before at 5pm. The dance should end at around 9pm.

It is free to participate and the kencho will provide the festival happi (coat) for all participants. However, they are asking that participants wear white shorts. If you don't have a pair of white shorts, the kencho can place an order for you (pay on the day of the festival). I've attached the pricing list for shorts orders to this e-mail.

You don't have to be good at dancing to participate! The kencho team welcomes all participants and there will be some time before the dance begins to learn and practice the dances (there are two songs, so two different dances). You can learn more information about the festival (Japanese only) here.

If you are interested in joining, please respond to this email by Friday, June 19. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you!

Roland

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商工観光労働部　観光経済交流局　国際課
International Affairs Division
Kumamoto Prefectural Government

Roland Carlos  ローランド　カルロス

Tel: 096-333-2157

Fax: 096-381-3343

E-mail: rolan...@gmail.com
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