HOKOTEN Autumn Festival in front of Oji Park Station in Kobe to be held for the first time with the aim of revitalizing the commercial district

　The “Oji Street Festival,” a pedestrian paradise autumn festival, will be held for the first time on November 13 at the Oji Koen Ekimae Shopping Center (1 Oji-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe City), the entrance to Kobe’s Suidosuji shopping district.

Capybara, a signboard showing its face, for commemorative photos of visitors to the street

　The event is organized by “Wakuwaku Nishinada,” a non-profit organization launched in 2020 to revitalize the Nishinada district on the west side of Nada Ward, overlooking Mt. The event will be held in front of Oji Koen Station on the Hankyu Railway, which is also the entrance to the shopping arcade, to promote awareness of the shopping arcade not only among local residents but also among visitors to Oji Koen and other places outside the area, and to encourage people to come and visit the shopping arcade.

　Toshiharu Matsumoto, the representative director of “Wakuwaku Nishinada,” said, “We were able to receive certification as an urban revitalization promotion corporation from the city of Kobe when we started, but it was difficult to hold events with the new Corona Disaster. We are finally going to be able to realize the dream of our members to hold a hokoten event utilizing the wide streets of the Oji Koen Ekimae Shopping Center,” smiles Mr. Matsumoto.

　At the venue, there will be food and drink stalls run by members of the Oji Koen Ekimae Shotenkai, and game stalls run by Wakuwaku Nishinada, including touchdown pass, jumbo omikuji, yo-yo scoop, and senbon-draw. In addition, local musicians will perform live on a music stage, and there will be a total of eight different face signs for visitors to take commemorative photos.

　Matsumoto said, “The shopping street and market are located in front of Oji Park Station, nestled to the east from the Oji Park Shopping Association. To the west are Oji Zoo, the Tadanori Yokoo Museum of Contemporary Art, and Oji Stadium, and there is a great flow of people, but the area on the other side of the Hankyu Railway elevated railway line lacks a bit of excitement at the moment. We have established an NPO to enliven the Nishinada area, centering on the Suidosuji shopping district, by making use of the know-how we have accumulated in event management,” he said. Despite the headwind of the new Corona, we were able to hold the Suidosuji Night Market in September for the first time in three years, and we saw the smiles of many customers and staff. The Oji Koen Ekimae Shotenkai has never really been on the radar, but from now on we would like to spin an “exciting Nishi-Nada Monogatari” (tale of Nishi-Nada),” he added.

　The event will be held from 12:00 to 15:00.