Feel the pulse of the local community on a made-in-Nagoya day.
（I honestly did not expect to see such a large crowd when the doors opened. When I saw the line at the entrance, I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't believe my eyes. . It was a picture-perfect midsummer day with the sun beating down from the morning, and it was not exactly a popular annual festival. At the same time as being surprised to see such conditions, I was instantly convinced of the high level of sensitivity in Nagoya and the high level of interest in festivals.
At the entrance, pick up your choice of two original tote bags specially prepared for the occasion in six different colors!
Now, the main attractions of this year's BayCruise Fest are the booths and live music. The booths will be lined with familiar brands and stores from the Bay Cruise Group, including food and beverage and apparel companies. Among them are J.S. CURRY, LUKE'S LOBSTER, and L'ECHOPPE, which will be making their first appearance in Nagoya.
The popular menu items at the two restaurants, both of which were in Nagoya for the first time, were sold out as early as midday!
EDIFICE / L'ECHOPPE, with a collaboration T with "is-ness" (navy is a limited color),
The well-known Mr. Kaneko was also present at the store.
Workshops for parents and children, such as making flip-flops, will also be held.
Among them, local stores in Nagoya were as strong as those in the national market. These included "Arukaichi," a dried flower store in Tsurumai, Nagoya City; "panio," which offers a wide range of original items, selected mainly from domestic and imported brands with a unique aesthetic sense; and "DHONI," a hair salon with a store near the opening of the exhibition hall. They will show us the power of the local community with their original items and unique contents.
, a gray sign, marks the local store.
panio" introduced a number of original items that were created especially for today's event.
I hope we can show them in a unique way that the big companies can't!" He was very enthusiastic.
The beauty salon "DHONI" starts with UV and odor-care shampoos,
A unique lineup of candles, Swedish torches, and even artists' creations.
. By the way, ever since the event began, I have been concerned about the unusually high sense of unity that flowed through the venue. . It was not an atmosphere in which each visitor could just enjoy themselves individually.
. That's as it should be. In fact, this BayCruise Fest was not a top-down event, but rather, the Nagoya store staff became members of the project's organizing committee and took the helm of the project themselves. It was they who decided on the theme of "music" for the event. They also selected the local stores. From the selection of artists to the request of local stores to open their stores, it was all done by them.
. That is why every member of the staff throughout the venue was strongly committed to the event. And the close communication between staff and visitors was evident throughout the event.
We spoke with Mr. Maeda, store manager of the Journal Standard Takashimaya Gate Tower Mall store, a member of the store staff and a member of this year's executive committee.
When I was told, "Don't worry about the budget, just think about what you want to do!" ', there was of course a lot of pressure ...... (laughs). . It took more than six months of meetings with the managers of the 18 Nagoya stores and discussions at each store to finally complete the project. It was my first time making appointments at festival venues, contacting artist offices, etc., and I was at a loss at times, but the company was supportive."
The day's staff ran around the venue throughout the event, handing out candy and drinks to prevent heat stroke and calling out for people to take a rest in the shade.
They were very busy.
Incidentally, on this day, all the store staff working in Nagoya, as well as the head office staff to cover for them, will be at the stores to help out and send staff to the venue in their place. Not only the visitors, but also the staff enjoy the event as much as or more than the visitors. This seemed to bring a sense of unity and enthusiasm to the entire venue.
A flea market where Nagoya store staff release their favorite personal items will also be held.
At the entrance, staff members were willing to lend a helping hand for taking pictures, without regard to their duties. The mood of welcome was already in full swing from the entrance of the venue!
We found a group of five new graduates who will join us in 2020. Hmmm...fresh!
Now, along with the booths, the highlight of the festival was the live music performances by artists. As mentioned earlier, it was the local store staff who decided on "music" as the theme for the festival in Nagoya. They were also the ones who selected the artists and sometimes even approached them about performing at the festival.
The opening act was Nagoya-based band "ROUTE 052," composed of high school (!) and university students. The opening act was Nagoya-based band "ROUTE 052," whose members consist of high school students (!) and university students. The band, who are close friends of the BayCrews staff, gave an imposing stage performance, overflowing with youthful power and freshness.
Emerald," whose second album, released in 2017, was picked up by Spotify playlists and is highly acclaimed in various fields, and "Have a Nice Day! The new wave of bands such as "Have a Nice Day!" aka "Habanai," with their danceable music and romantic lyrics that are perfect for festivals and have a devoted fan base, were as exciting as the greats such as "KAN SANO" and "D.A.N." and "D.A.N." were as exciting as the twosome of "KAN SANO" and "D.A.N.".
So, anyway, the Bay Cruise festival was filled with a happy sense of unity from start to finish. It was a day in which we were bathed in the power of Nagoya's local community in a highly concentrated way. This makes me wonder about the three more festivals that will follow in the next three cities. I am sure that the staff of the stores in each city will take the lead in creating festivals that are dripping with local flavor. Next up is Kyoto. The next festival will be held in Kyoto on a certain date in October, so we will have to wait for more details!
