September 22: Manmaru-san’s Wagokoro News

Tuesday, September 22

Today's broadcast from Sakuraba featured Mr. Michiichiro Ito.

The main theme was [Festivals].

The discussion started with the recent Akasaka Hikawa Shrine Festival on September 21st, where Sakuraba had the honor of carrying the Takahari Chōchin (tall lantern).

"What is a Takahari Chōchin?"
- It is a long lantern mounted on a tall pole, carried by the person who leads the omikoshi (portable shrine).

The conversation then expanded to include festivals across Japan. The two navigators laughed and expressed surprise as their childhood memories of festivals differed greatly depending on their hometowns, covering events like the Aomori Nebuta Festival, the Akita Kanto Festival, the Toyama Owara Kaze no Bon, and the Kumamoto Yamaga Lantern Dance.

It turned out to be a broadcast that highlighted the rich cultural diversity of the long Japanese archipelago.

The discussion also branched out to the topic of seasonal food and the different names used for vegetables. We talked about the importance of passing on a sense of the seasons to the next generation.

It was a broadcast that reaffirmed the value of respecting, accepting, and connecting through differences in culture and customs.

This feeling of harmony and connection is precisely what we aim to convey—the "Marumaru-san's Wagokoro" (a perfectly round, harmonious Japanese spirit).

（2025年9月23日）

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