Town of Ikata

This month’s meeting of the Sadamisaki Adventure Club takes us to the Kawanazu neighborhood of Yawatahama city to see the Kawanazu Kagura dance, a prefecturally-designated cultural asset!

Kagura is an ancient Shinto dance originally performed, according to legend, to draw Amaterasu the sun god out of his cave to shine light upon the world.

The dance takes place at night, so be sure to dress warmly!

When

April 21, 2007

9:00pm to about 1:00am

Cost

Free!

Where

Kawanazu neighborhood, Kawakami area, Yawatahama (map)

The Adventure Club van will pick up participants at

1. Seto Agriculture Park — 8:00pm
2. Minatoura Lawson — 8:20pm
3. Gotanda Lawson — 8:50pm

As always, let us know if you have questions!

Check out the majestic view from Seto Wind Hill Park, without leaving the comfort of your home! You can see the Inland Sea, the Pacific Ocean, and the beautiful windmill-dotted mountains of Ikata stretching off into the distance, all from our new webcams (also accessible from the link on the right).

Clear your schedule because you don’t want to miss this! The Moo Moo Festival is back after a 1-year hiatus. Come on down to Ikata, then up to the Komo Plain atop Mt. Miharashiyama, to fill your stomach with delicious locally-raised beef.

There are lots of fun events planned:

• Women’s arm wrestling tournament
• Live taiko drumming
• Grass sliding—like sledding without snow!

…and much more!

Be sure to get there early, as the first 100 people to arrive will receive a free gift!

When

Sunday, April 29, 2007

From 10am

Where

The Daiwa House resort area in Komo Plain (map)

Ikata’s Seto area

Driving directions

Take R197 through Yawatahama toward Ikata / Misaki Port

Take a right up Mt. Miharashiyama, after the Oku-higashi Tunnel (大久東トンネル)

Cost

¥2,000 for the barbecue; the rest is free

As always, contact us if you have any questions.

Ikata is proud to send two of its upstanding high school students to the 2007 Youth Peace Conference in Red Wing, USA. Participants from Bosnia-Hercegovina, Belgium, Netherlands, Norway, and China will gather to explore the theme of Peace through various media including art, music, dance, speech, debate, essays, and photography. There will also be field trips and talks by speakers of national reputation.

Ikata’s participation in this project was made possible in large part by a very generous travel grant from the Red Wing conference committee. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone in Red Wing who have worked so hard to include Ikata in this wonderful educational opportunity.

Links

• Article in the Red Wing Current (PDF; page 14)

…and that means cherry blossoms! The mountain cherries that dot the Sadamisaki peninsula have started to bloom, feathering the stepped mountain slopes with strokes of soft pink. Our best estimates are that they will be in full bloom within the next 4 or 5 days, so if you like hanami (cherry blossom viewing) come take a drive down Melody Line, Route 197!