Hiranai Town Swan Festival 2016

Hiranai Town Swan Festival 2016
平内町白鳥まつり (Hiranai-machi Hakuchou Matsuri)

Hiranai Town's (Whooper) Swans on Kominato and their Wintering Place (小湊のハクチョウおよびその渡来地 kominato no hakuchou oyobi sono toraichi) is a nationally designated Special Natural Monument (特別天然記念物 tokubetsu tennen kinnenbutsu). However, due concerns related to the outbreak of avian influenza, from 2008 people were asked to refrain from feeding and observing the swans, and overall local interest in and activities promoting the swans was greatly reduced. Now, 8 years since the last time the event was held, the Swan Festival has been revived as part of an effort to restore Hiranai's identity as "The Town of Swans" and to promote the Asadokoro Coast in particular and the Natsudomari Peninsula as a whole as a place of scenic beauty.

Date: January 23-24, 2016
Time: 9:00-16:00
Admission: Free
Locations: 

• Main Venue: Former Asadokoro Elementary School, Hiranai Town  旧浅所小学校 (map)
• Secondary Venue: Asadokoro Coast 浅所海岸 (map)

Main Venue Schedule:

• "Town of Swans" Photograph Contest Exhibit

Saturday January 23

• 9:00-9:25 Opening Ceremony
• 9:30-12:30 RAB Karaoke Competition
• 9:30-10:25 Preliminaries (30 contestants)
• 10:30-10:45 Kasugai Ballet Dance Gallery Guest Performance
• 10:50-12:15 Main Competition (10 contestants)
  "Namari Uta" Guest Singer Yuka Oohashi
  (Namari Uta = singing in the local dialect)
• 12:20-12:30 Award Ceremony
• 13:00-16:00 9th Hiranai Town Local Performing Arts Festival
• 13:00-13:15 Opening Ceremony
• 13:20-13:30 Yosakoi Team Kassai (よさこいチーム華彩)
• 13:30-13:45 Matsunoki Kenmai Odori Sword Dance (松野木剣舞踊り)
• 13:45-14:00 Atago Shrine Gongenmai Dance (愛宕神社権現舞)
• 14:00-14:15 Special Guest Aomori Prefecture-Designated Intangible Folk Cultural Property Tohoku Town Nenbutsu Keibai Bird Dance (東北町「念仏鶏舞」)
• 14:15-14:30 Karibasawa Gongenmai Dance (狩場沢権現舞)　
• 14:30-14:45 Sotodoji Koma Odori Horse Dance (外童子駒踊り)
• 14:45-15:00 Higashitaki Gongenmai Dance (東滝権現舞)
• 15:00-15:10 Break
• 15:10-15:25 Azukisawa Gongenmai Dance (小豆沢権現舞)
• 15:25-15:40 Uchidoji Shishimai Lion Dance (内童子獅子舞)
• 15:40-15:55 Higashitaki Mochitsukimai Rice Cake Making Dance (東滝餅搗き舞)
• 15:55-16:00 Closing Ceremony

Sunday January 24

• 9:00-12:10 "Town of Swans" Symposium
• 9:00-9:30 Opening Events
• Swan Knowledge Exam Certificate Awarding Ceremony
• Photo Contest Award Ceremony
• Volunteer Guide Introductions
• 9:30-10:30 Keynote Lecture: "Revitalizing Nature & the Region The Lake Kasumigaura Asaza Project"
• 10:30-10:40 Break
• 10:40-12:10 Workshop: My "Town of Swans" Community Development Planing Envisioning Hiranai  10 Years from Now Mapping Out the Future
• 12:00-12:50 FREE Shuriken Sentai Ninninger Live Show 
• 13:00-13:30 Swan Call Contest
• 13:30-14:10 Bravo Nakatani Ikasama Magic Show
• 14:20-14:50 Tsugaru Shamisen, Hotate Taiko Drum Group 
• 15:00-15:50 FREE Shuriken Sentai Ninninger Live Show

Secondary Venue Schedule (both days)

• 10:00～ Free Scallop Dishes (first 500 people only)
  (Jan. 23 Baby Scallops Grilled in Butter; Jan. 24 Young Scallop Miso Soup)
• Volunteer Guided Tours 
• 10:00-10:30
• 10:30-11:00
• 11:00-11:30
• 13:00-13:30
• 13:30-14:00
• 14:00-14:30 

Free Shuttle Bus (～10-15 min one way)
8:30-15:00 Kominato Station → Numadate → Asadokoro Coast
11:00-16:30   Asadokoro Coast → Numadate → Kominato Station

Former Asadokoro Elementary School, Hiranai Town  旧浅所小学校
Raidenbayashi-1-50 Fukudate (東津軽郡福伊達雷電林１－５０)
Hiranai Town, Higashitsugaru District, Aomori Prefecture 039-3311


Asadokoro Coast 浅所海岸


More Information:
Hiranai Town Website (Japanese): http://www.town.hiranai.aomori.jp/events/index.cfm/detail.1.10121.html