I often feel that Nagoya and Aichi are lacking when it comes to tourism infrastructure, but I believe their festivals and events are top-class in Japan. Perhaps it's due to a local culture that has traditionally embraced wild and eccentric festivals; modern celebrations like Hashinoshita, Toyorock, and Morimichi also fully march to the beat of their own drum, and frankly, they are all cool as hell. Everyone really should come to see them, and locals should take even more pride in them.
Now, last year, a super typhoon hit on the day of Toyorock, bringing torrential rain both days. The second day was canceled due to weather warnings, dealing a massive blow to an event that relies on beer sales for its survival because it's free to enter, leaving the organizers with a mountain of debt. (They even refunded vendor fees... something unheard of for a bicycle event.) And now, various actions are beginning to take shape to pay off that debt and make this year's event happen.
As is the case with all three events mentioned above, they are run by their own means, without backing from the government or large corporations. Just think about how incredibly difficult that is for an event on the scale of tens of thousands of people, how much freedom that risk-taking affords, and how much fun such free-spirited events can be.
(Like traditional festivals,) Toyorock has no entrance gates or enclosures. It is continuous with the city and our daily lives, so you can just drop in and enjoy it. A festive space that appears when you step out of your everyday routine might seem like a given, but it is sustained by the passion and hard work of the people behind it, and thanks to such an environment, our lives are filled with color.
Yes, we need these "hare" (extraordinary) spaces. If no one were to host bicycle races, or music festivals, or markets... when I think about that, this is not just about "SAVE Toyorock," it's about "SAVE MY LIFE" too.
There are various ways to support, including gigs and crowdfunding, so I hope you will join in.
SAVE Toyorock GIG!!!
- Date
- Saturday, March 17, 2018
10:00-18:00 (Doors open 10:00 / Start 11:00) - Venue
- Toyota Budokan (Former Toyota Higashi High School Martial Arts Hall)
5-80 Kosakahonmachi, Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture 471-0034 - Admission
- Advance 3,000 yen / Door 3,500 yen
Free admission for high school students and younger - Lineup
- TURTLE ISLAND / Kamu Asou Tribes / T-jiro s / Yasuoil the Welkers / GIANT STEPS & Ilya Mulya / Hazu / Kim Morrison / nutsman
MC Ukulele Michi / Enshi Daichi
Difficult to hold due to typhoon damage!
Support project for the free-admission festival "Toyota Rock Festival"
Crowdfunding isn't just about supporting with money; there are corresponding rewards as well. Depending on the support plan you choose, you can get stickers or postcards by the artist Washio, known for SimWorks' art collective " Lazy Parade." Even if creating an account is a bit of a hassle, I think it's worth the reward.
I hope Toyorock can be held again this year, that we can set up a bicycle cloakroom, and that we can all go play by bike.
SAVE Toyorock
https://toyotarockfestival.com/savetoyorock
Photo by Eri Tanaka