Town of Ikata

Come see the Oise Dance, one of Ikata’s annual traditions of old. From “Misaki events“:

The Oise Dance began long ago with the second Mongol invasion of Japan (1281), when Japan was miraculously saved by typhoons for the second time. People took the typhoons as a sign that anything could be overcome with the help of the gods, and the Oise Dance was created to celebrate their glory. It is not clear exactly when Futanazu’s Oise Dance began, but it is said that at one point there was a great fire in the village, and they began performing the dance soon afterwards.

The Sadamisaki Adventure Club will go see the dance, so if you’re interested please join us!

When

January 15, 2007

1:30–4pm

Where

The Club will meet at the Seto Agriculture Park

The dance itself will be held in Futanazu and Misaki

Cost

Free!

As always, feel free to drop us a line if you need directions or have any other questions.

I’ve been updating and overhauling the English Wikipedia’s page about Ikata. Check it out to learn more about Ikata and the surrounding area. If you’re already an expert on Ikata, please contribute!

Hello all you singles out there! Looking to meet that special someone in the West Iyo area? Join the Valentine Bus Tour, a singles-only 1-night-2-day tour of the West Iyo area.

Who

20 men and 20 women (singles 20 years of age or older; men must be residents of the West Iyo area)

What

A 1-night-2-day bus tour of the West Iyo area. See detailed itinerary below.

When

February 3 (Sat) & 4 (Sun), 2007

Cost

¥3000 for women; ¥5000 for men

Deadline

Participants must send in their requests by January 10 (Wed), 2007

Anyone who is interested in going and would like assistance in applying, please contact us.

Itinerary

Saturday the 3^rd

• Nanyo residents meet at the JR Yawatahama station; others meet at the JR Iyo-ozu station
• Buffet-style lunch in Uchiko, then bowling in Ozu
• Bus tour of Seiyo with quiz game by popular radio personality Kobayashi Shinzo
• In the evening will be dinner and a surprise event, with prizes!
• After dinner is free time, and an overnight stay in Seiyo

Sunday the 4^th

• After breakfast the bus will head to Ikata while Mr. Kobayashi holds a fun and interesting talk on romance
• A special seafood lunch awaits in Ikata. Then it’s off to Yawatahama for tea, and then to JR Yawatahama station to end the tour

When

December 23rd, 1–3pm

Where

Machimi Community Center, Ikata (map)

Cost

Free!

It’s the end of the year, which means it’s time for the annual cleaning of Ikata’s oldest stone structure, the Tower of Bonta. After getting it all spic-and-span, we’ll discuss the club’s activities for for the next year.

Afterwards, those who are interested can come along on an inspection of the Machimi-area trees!

If you’d like to attend this meeting and need directions, please contact us.

Background:

The Sadamisaki Adventure Club is a group of Ikata locals who get together every month to check out something new in Ikata. It’s organized by Mr. Takashima of the Machimi History Museum, a friendly young man who is passionate about preserving local history. If you’re at all interested in Japanese culture and history, please come visit!

It’s mid-December and there’s definitely a nip in the air! Ikata is getting into the holiday spirit with its “City of Lights” celebration, going on from December 8th until mid-January. Beautiful Christmas lights brighten the streets in the neighborhoods of Konakaura, Minatoura, Kawachi, Nitanohama, Kawanagata, Kucho, and many other spots along Melody Line (Route 197). Come for the lights; stay for the mikans!