Savor the ocean, the mountains, the wind, the sounds, all of it.
The value and potential of the local community as felt at Setouchi JAM.

The "Setouchi JAM" was filled with good sounds, children's cheerful voices, and smiles from start to finish. Here is a look back at the festival, with a talk with Hideyuki Okamoto, the organizer of the event.

While working as a film and media producer, Okamoto-san is also involved in multiple activities, including branding projects in the Setouchi area. Born and raised here in Tamano, he moved to Tokyo upon graduation from high school. He says that behind the launch of this event was a sense of crisis he felt about the future of his hometown, Tamano City.

I had been living in Tokyo for a long time, but I went back to my hometown for three and a half years to help out in the family business. Since I was in the real estate business, I could feel the issues that Tamano was facing, such as the "declining population," so painfully and realistically. I knew that if things continued as they were, we were in trouble. That is when I began to think about how to prevent the decline of the local community.

What then came to mind was an event that would take advantage of Tamano City's scenery. Tamano City is home not only to the Seto Inland Sea, which has been introduced so far, but also to "Ojigatake," a 235-meter-high peak designated as a Seto Inland Sea National Park. It is popular among locals as a view spot where they can see the beauty of the many islands of the Seto Inland Sea and the entire Seto Ohashi Bridge at the same time. It is also famous as a sacred place for bouldering, with many huge rocks and odd-shaped rocks, including Nico Nico Iwa (Nico Nico Rock).

But simply holding a bouldering event is not enough to attract visitors. That's why we planned "Setouchi JAM," which combines music and bouldering, both of which everyone is familiar with.

In fact, some people come for the bouldering, while others are music fans who come to see artists perform. Synergy effects should be possible, and people who come to see an artist they are interested in may suddenly become interested in climbing after climbing the wall. Of course, it could work the other way around as well."

Well, I certainly saw such a scene today. People dressed like "climbers" gradually approached the stage as the performance began. It seems that Okamoto-san's aim was right on target.

By the way, did you have any special intention in inviting local students of "Tamano High School Brass Band Volunteers" and preparing a stage in collaboration with Mr. Izawa, in addition to the famous guests?

There is an underlying theme to this event. It is to let the younger generation see the potential of their hometown. Tamano is not a city, so I think there are many young people who want to leave the city after graduation. I was the same way when I was a student.

But if you have good memories of your hometown, even if you go far away, you can be proud of this city and I think you will continue to have feelings for your hometown. I want the students to invest the experience they gain outside in the city and build the future of Tamano City. With that in mind, I want to leave an impact on the students' memories."

Not only the students who volunteered for the brass band, but also the young people who visited the venue that day, the "Setouchi JAM" must have been an event that made them realize the potential of Tamano City. Lastly, we asked Mr. Okamoto about his vision for future city planning.

In the end, it is the people who will change the city. What is important for the future of Tamano is how to approach people. I intend to continue to hold events such as "Setouchi JAM" steadily and create opportunities, if not to ignite people's feelings.

In recent years, many people have moved here from urban areas, and the number of nice guesthouses and cafes has been increasing. We would like to expand our ties with such "traveler's eyes" while communicating the charms of this town to as many people as possible.