Please don't overdo it! Don't force yourself to run! The best thing is to have fun!" These are the opening words of the half-marathon race. That is the Obuse Mimini Marathon, held in Obuse, Nagano Prefecture.

Obuse is a town in the northern part of Nagano Prefecture whose keywords are chestnuts and Katsushika Hokusai... I'll leave the explanation to a Google search, but the town of Obuse has a unique gravitational pull. The Obuse-mi ni Migi ni Marathon is a race that symbolizes such a town.

The four participants in the race were. Mr. Imori is a beginner runner. Mr. Kuboe runs occasionally. How does a marathon look from a beginner's perspective to Obusemi?

On the other hand, Ms. Ida, a stylist, and Mr. Nagashima, a member of the Huinamu editorial staff, have experience running a full marathon. It was hard to imagine what it would be like to run while having fun.

As mentioned earlier, "Take it easy!" the race starts with these words. First of all, the peaceful countryside is just soothing. Except for the front group, most participants run at a slow jogging pace.

OFF NO MICHI" is a phrase that symbolizes the Obuse Tourist Marathon. It is meant to give visitors a taste of everyday Obuse life through the alleys and scenery, rather than running along tourist paths. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery and relax with an "OFF" feeling.

And what is noteworthy is the abundance of "aids".

Lots of sweets.

Nozawana.

Mini Tomatoes.

Nectarine.

Cherry Kisses Gelato. It is amazing that all of this is official behavior.

The highlight of the event was the barbeque! I was even more surprised to learn that the barbeque was served voluntarily and free of charge by the townspeople.

Many of the participants stopped to eat and chat with each other on the spot. It was such a fun and magical scene that I forgot the fact that I was in the middle of a half-marathon race.

The Obuse-mimi Marathon celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2017. Some say that the culture of running in costume began here. I was honestly encouraged by a man who mumbled, "Only X kilometers to go to the ice cream" to advertise the "ice cream" available at the end of the course! (That still has a strong impact.)

Some run while playing wind instruments. They should be quite heavy, but they are light on their feet. Each participant is naturally trying to have fun and be entertained, so they encounter a variety of events at a dizzying pace.

It's better to dress up like a normal person," said a veteran participant. We saw a variety of costumes. Here we have a "I'm not aBest Costume Awardis announced, please refer to it for next year.

The cheering along the roadside is also spirited: the 21-km race is enlivened by the positive spirit of enjoyment among the townspeople. This is where the concept of "community," which has been gaining attention in recent years, can be found.

Despite the pain in my knees, it didn't take long thanks to the costumes, cheering and aids.

The goal with all four of us. We ran 21 kilometers while enjoying nature, interacting with people, and eating a lot of food. The sense of accomplishment, of course, left an aftertaste of "it was fun," which is different from the aftertaste of an ordinary race.

The two first-timers in the half marathon said, "I was able to run the marathon because it was in Obuse! They were talking about how they were able to run the marathon because it was in Obuse. Mr. Ida, who has experience completing a full marathon, said, "I've never run a marathon while having so much fun.

Running is communication. This race was also connected to the philosophy of the ♡Huinamu Running Club, "Running is communication.

The Obuse Mimi Marathon is a marathon created by the townspeople. How on earth can such a town-wide race be run? The mayor of the town, Mr. Ryozo Ichimura, explains.

I don't feel that I am doing anything special. It is important to have an environment where each of us can do what we want to do. Regardless of age or position, we listen to people who are experts in their fields and try to put them into practice. For some reason, Obuse attracts people who like things, so we can do all kinds of things.

While we were conducting interviews at the mayor's house, we were constantly being visited by residents of the neighborhood and tourists. There is a beer server at the entrance and they are allowed to drink beer without permission (!). The beer server is located at the entrance of the house, and visitors are allowed to drink it at their leisure.

Open Gardens" is another charm of Obuse. This is an initiative in which private homes open their gardens to the public and allow anyone to walk around without permission. What? What about privacy? For some reason, that's not a problem in Obuse. This is possible because the town trusts people.

Perhaps it is not the intention to "create a community," but rather a comfortable "place" where people spontaneously gather, and an airy, flat relationship. There is a mysterious charm to this place that cannot be understood until you experience it for yourself.

The 2018 Obuse Mimi Marathon will be held on Sunday, July 15, 2018. Applications for race participation will open at 10:00 AM on Sunday, December 17. Each time the race is held, the number of participants reaches the stipulated number immediately and closes.this way (direction close to the speaker or towards the speaker)Please apply from the "Application" page. We are sure you will fall in love with Obuse.