Date: May13th(Sat.)~May14th(Sun.),2017
Place: Akakura Onsen in Mogami-cho Mogami-gun, Yamagata-ken
  Activity and attraction:
Mogami-cho is placed in the northeastern part of Yamagata-ken.  Akakura district is 8 km far from the center of Mogami-cho and there is known as one of hot-spring resort towns.  Annual OSAIDO-MATSURI (TORIOI-MATSURI) Work Camp according to custom as usual is held over 10 years.  Many people came and joined us and stimulated local people to carry out the event.  It has grown to be an extremely lively affair in there.  

Now we have had a work camp for a spring festival during spring thaw season from 2 years ago.  

This spring festival work camp is for “YAKUSHI-JINJA-REISAI (Yakushi Shinto Shrine annual festival)”.  The festival is dedicated to Yakushi-nyorai (he is Buddhist image for hot-spring and believed in various districts of Japan).  It holds during a month of May in the timing before rice planting started.  It’s called as “AKAKURA-ONSEN-HARUMATSURI (the spring festival in Akakura-Onsen)” between local people.  
People march through town as carrying the portable shrine in order.  The first is a brass band team of junior high school, the second is kindergarten pupils carry portable shrine, the third is elementary school students carry one, and the last is “HON-MIKOSHI (main and big portable shrine)” by adults.  The festival is carried out by all together from little kids to adults in Akakura-district living people.  

Though the kids loved to participate in the festival and liven up it, adult members for carrying HON-MIKOSHI are not enough every year.  We work on this problem with “TORIOI-KAI (main operating members of the Torioi festival)” and “CHIIKI-OKOSHI-KYOURYOKU-TAI (cooperation members for liven up local districts)”.  
This work camp has plenty of chances interacting with local people than OSAIDO-TORIOI-MATSURI work camp.  We aim this new work camp to interact and liven up in Akakura district through a year.  “TOMOSHIBI (the club group acting for local revitalization in Yamagata Univ.)” will join us, too.  
We aim the festival to spread out interacting chances between young fellows living in Mogami-cho, university students, and young people from various places of Japan.  

Activities:
We plan to assist carrying the portable shrine, handing out “OFUDA (amulet with writing on wood or paper)”, supporting pupils and kids, taking photos and movies.  

<Schedule (plan)>
May13th(Sat.),2017 (the festival eve)
Around 17:00 Meeting at Akakura-onsen Station on JR-Rikutou-Line
18:00~ Meeting at Akakura-onsen.  
Accommodation will be community center named Oyutopia.
You can take hot spring for bathing.  

May14th(Sun.),2017 (a day of the festival)
8:00 Meeting at the foot of Yakushi-Shinto-Shrine, Participating the prayer rite 
9:00 Start of the festival (marching in order through local community)
11:30 Lunch (lunch will be prepared by local people)
12:30 Resume 
14:00 End of the festival (we plan to hold a party with festival participants)
16:30 Breaking up at the site (please contact us for back ride to the station) 

May14th(Sun.),2017 (a day of the festival)
8:00 Meeting at the foot of Yakushi-Shinto-Shrine, Participating the prayer rite 
9:00 Start of the festival (marching in order through local community)
11:30 Lunch (lunch will be prepared by local people)
12:30 Resume 
14:00 End of the festival (we plan to hold a party with festival participants)
16:30 Breaking up at the site (please contact us for back ride to the station)  

Meeting time: May13th(Sat.),2017 17:00
*Please contact us if you want to participate only part of the work camp on May14th.

Meeting place: Akakura-onsen Station on JR-Rikutou-Line.  
*They have only few trains, so please make sure to check the train timetable.  

Breaking up: May14th(Sun.),2017 16:30 (pan)

Accommodation: Community center named Oyutopia
*All participants need to sleep together using sleeping bags.  (The room will be separated by sex.)
*We lead you to one of hot spring for taking a bath.  Please take a set for taking a bath.  

Belongings: Wearing suitable clothes for working in which you may get dirt, A sleeping bag, Outfit for cold weather (it will be possibility cold in May), A set for spending a night, Anything you need, your VITALITY and SMILE!
*We are feasible to rent some sleeping bags.  Please contact us in advance.  

Price: NICE members \2000, Non-members \2300
*Price includes one day accommodation, lunch on May 14th.
*Price does NOT include transportation fee and all meals except lunch on May 14th.  

Application: To Ichikawa traveler_1kawer@yahoo.co.jp
Please fill out application form below.  
1)Name, 2)Male or Female, 3)Address, 4)Telephone number or E-mail address, 5)NICE member or Non-member, 6)Arriving time, 7)Transportation (by train or by car)
*Please don’t hesitate to contact us above if you should have any question.  

Capacity: 8 people

Memo:
*Local people where you visit will give you big feast during the festival.  
*You can participate all part of the work camp or a part of the work camp on May 14th(Sun.).  Please contact us if you want to participate only a part.  
*You are welcome with your own car.  

Correspondence in English: Possible

We are looking forward to seeing YOU with vitality which can be liven up the festival with local people!