[Kotohirayama Expo Executive Committee] The first shock in 146 years. Kotohira is on the move. The new music festival “Kōsaten” will be held for the first time at the Kotohirayama Expo, a relational art festival! –Three Days Where the Town’s Memories and Future
Intersect– Kotohirayama Expo Executive Committee Press Release: October 14, 2025 The first shock in 146 years. Kotohira is on the move. The new music festival “Kōsaten” will be held for the first time at the Kotohirayama Expo, a relational art festival! –Three days where the town’s memories and future intersect– -Have the best weekend in Kotohira! Letting the flow of sound and time resonate as the “cultural echoes” of Shikoku’s culture – October 14, 2025 Kotohirayama Expo Executive Committee
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https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/168432/3/168432-3-667bd73e412b9fa30a1d9a4ee58beee6-1679×1135.png ■ Festival Overview Kōsaten, a new local festival that combines music, food, and culture, is held at the foot of Kotohira Shrine in Kotohira Town, Kagawa Prefecture. will be held for the first time over three days, from December 5th to 7th, 2025. This festival is positioned as one of the official programs of the Kotohirayama Expo, which is being revived for the first time in 146 years. “KŌSATEN” is a place where you can experience the sounds and flow of time that you might not have encountered in Tokyo or Osaka, as the “cultural echoes” that are spoken of in Shikoku. Artists, DJs, markets, and even the atmosphere of the town come together, transforming visitors from a
“once-in-a-lifetime tourist destination” to a “place you’ll want to visit again and again.” The challenge to re-edit the future of the region begins in Shikoku. ■ Concept To the “intersection” of sound, people, and time KŌSATEN is a festival where you can experience the sounds and flow of time that you might not have encountered in Tokyo or Osaka, as the “cultural echoes” that are spoken of in Shikoku. Dance to the music of a DJ while stomping on Sanuki udon noodles. Local secondhand bookstores and record stores will set up shop, and travelers, participants, and locals will chat in the back alleys. All of this will take place in Kotohira, creating a new expression of Shikoku’s unique character. “An experience you can’t get from scrolling through your smartphone, right here in this town.” Kotohira’s “Relationship Population Festival” model is a collaborative effort between directors who have a passion for Kotohira, local businesses, and the local government. “Stomping udon noodles to the music of a DJ”!? The moment Sanuki culture comes to life. This festival, as an example of cultural design aimed at making the town “a place of choice for young people,” is a “challenge unique to Shikoku.” Beyond tourism and events, witness the “moment the town comes back to life.” Sanuki udon and music = re-editing local culture / The forefront of promoting a new regional brand from Shikoku begins.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/168432/3/168432-3-48e32c3cd61cc4b23c7b694e9fd0965c-2160×2700.png In addition to live music, there will also be DJ events, and you can dance to the music played by the DJ while stomping on udon noodles, making for the ultimate Kotohira weekend! ■ Performing Artists and Content Experience new music in the city with live music and DJs. Up-and-coming artists you’ll want to see now and DJs who’ll have you dancing to your heart’s content. ◎LIVE Schuwa, the unit from Yukiguni, the up-and-coming band that made waves with their performance at this year’s Fuji Rock Festival, features vocalist and guitarist Eiichi Kyo. They’ve achieved unprecedented success as newcomers, charting on J-Wave’s “TOKIO HOT 100” and being featured on numerous popular playlists on subscription services. SANDEI is a Tokyo-based R&B singer known for his unique sound that incorporates various genres of music while being influenced by hip-hop. Based in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo, Raihaku performs live, evolving from free jazz, club music, and bedroom pop to thrill even foreign audiences, while singer Amae Shindo is becoming a hot topic at festivals across the country for his lyrical lyrics that make the most of his naturally smoky voice and his delicate yet catchy melodies. This year’s lineup features artists that will make you say, “I’m glad I saw you this year.” Eiichi Kyo (Snow Country) Amahi Shindo SANDEI Schuwa Schuwa Kishiro mahalicc Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/168432/3/168432-3-42c518cfeb962e669e7b388601396a63-1242×624.png ◎DJ Originally from Kansai, Koichi “DJ Hana-G” Hanafusa has a diverse career, from startambourine (star-shaped tambourine) to journalism, and is a founding member of Fuji Rock Festival and founder of fujirockers.org. His DJ work has taken Japan, the US, the UK, and Taiwan by storm. From pop music to house music and techno!!! “DJs who love music and make you dance” will shake your rhythm. OG
startambourine (Star-Shaped Tambourine) Koichi “DJ Hana-G” Hanafusa matatabi MR GOSHI2
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/168432/3/168432-3-9ea9872ced92175302b296aaf37f4084-1245×611.png *There will also be time to dance to the DJ’s dance music, stomp on the udon noodles, and eat them together. ◎Marche Ruuptaun
(Antiques/Used Clothing/Old Furniture/Household Goods, etc.) 374 / Minayo (Clothing/Accessories/ZINE, etc.) tipi books (Magazines/Used Books) Hyakusai Shoten (Tempura/Gelato/Other Foods) ◎Record Shops Record shops from Kochi Prefecture and across the country will be participating. A selection of used records sourced from Europe, soul, jazz, Japanese music, and more. A superb selection that will make you exclaim, “This is it!” From collectors to DJs, you’re sure to find the one record of your life!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/168432/3/168432-3-4a5e73ef3e28f383d8913721392b63dc-999×794.png Other updates such as performers, used bookstores, etc. ■ Comment When I visited Kotohira on a trip, the moment I saw HAKOBUNE, I thought, “It would be amazing if music was playing here and everyone was dancing.” It was truly wonderful to see Hiroki Kishimoto, the architect of the building, continuing to host artists’ creative activities while renovating the HAKOBUNE Building into a “park-like” playground where everyone can use their creativity to recreate. I had a hunch that this place had the power to give birth to a new culture, and I honestly believed that the people gathering here, experiencing culture, and the intermingling of their emotions would surely create a truly memorable experience. Mr. Kusunoki, representative of Kotohira Bus and a member of the Kotohirayama Expo Executive Committee, gave us a tour of the town’s history and numerous buildings, while Mr. Ike of Ike Shoten shared the history of Kotohira. If you ask me why this location, I’d say it’s not so much because it’s an event venue, but because the groundwork for getting to know the city, experiencing its history, and creating its future was already in place. By the time we returned from our trip, the members had already formed an idea for the festival. When I told the artists and people involved about it, they all smiled and said, “Let’s do it.” The way the air fluctuates when someone starts playing. The warmth of someone’s body when our eyes meet and we smile. All of these experiences become things that I “couldn’t have gained if I hadn’t come to this place.” Since this is our first year, we may not have a perfect operation. But we’ll spend the weekend feeling each other’s warmth and chatting. That’s the story
