- Sunday, November 22, 2026 · 14:00–16:30 (doors 13:30)
- SHAKOBA, Takeshiba (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
- Food and drinks at the venue are extra
On Sunday, November 22, 2026, seven towns and villages from Okuaizu in Fukushima Prefecture are coming to Takeshiba, Tokyo for an afternoon. The event is called Atsumare! Okuaizu no Nakama-tachi (あつまれ！奥会津の仲間たち), or Atsuoku for short, and entry is free.
You get short pitches from local project leaders, a talk, a mini live set by a singer-songwriter from Tadami, local sake and snacks, a traditional game with local products as prizes, and booths where you can ask about moving to the area or hometown tax donations. You can drop in and leave whenever you want, so it fits easily into a Sunday in the city.
What Atsuoku is about
Many places in Japan carry the word oku in their name. It points to the area behind or beyond somewhere better known, and the organizers see it as a door: once you open it, you find food, pastimes and culture that outsiders rarely hear about.
Okuaizu is made up of seven municipalities:
- Yanaizu
- Mishima
- Kaneyama
- Showa
- Tadami
- Minamiaizu
- Hinoemata
The region is hard to appreciate until you have visited, so the organizers are bringing its people (they call them okubito) and its food to Tokyo. The goal is simple: whether this is the first time you have heard of Okuaizu or you already have family there, you should leave with an idea of how you could stay involved, from following a local project to joining one.
Date, venue and getting there
| Event | Atsumare! Okuaizu no Nakama-tachi (Atsuoku) |
|---|---|
| Date | Sunday, November 22, 2026 |
| Time | 14:00–16:30 Doors open and food service starts at 13:30 Come and go freely |
| Venue | SHAKOBA |
| Address | 1-10-45 Kaigan, Minato-ku, Tokyo WATERS takeshiba Theater Building 1F, inside atré Takeshiba |
| Access | Takeshiba Station (Yurikamome): 3 min walk Hamamatsucho Station (JR, North Exit): 6 min walk Daimon Station (Toei, Exit B1): 7 min walk |
| Entry | Free (food and drinks at the venue are paid) |
| Registration | Requested in advance via Peatix or Google Form |
| Organizer | Tadami River Basin Promotion Council (Okuaizu Promotion Center) 只見川電源流域振興協議会（奥会津振興センター） |
| Supported by | Fukushima Prefecture and the offices of the seven Okuaizu towns and villages |
| In cooperation with | SHAKOBA (Rebita Inc.) |
| Run by | Chiiki Jinzai Kyoso Kiko (一般社団法人地域・人材共創機構), as the contracted operator |
The venue sits on the Takeshiba waterfront in Minato-ku. If you enjoyed the free boat rides at the Shibaura Canal Festival, this is the same side of town.
The six parts of the program
Speakers and performers
Names are listed as they appear in the announcement.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| mini-LIVE | 大竹涼華 (singer-songwriter from Tadami) |
| TALK | 紫牟田伸子 (editor; CEO, Future Research Institute) 北舘亮 (Secretary General, Okuaizu Promotion Center) |
| Navigator | 石井重成 (Associate Professor, Aomori University; Okuaizu Regional Co-creation Fellow) |
| MC | 高橋朝美 (Japan Environmental Partnership Council; fellow, Chiiki Jinzai Kyoso Kiko) |
The seven pitch speakers:
| Name | Area | Pitch theme |
|---|---|---|
| 大貫皆人 | Yanaizu | An archive show of a Yanaizu crossover exhibition, and a base built in a vacant house |
| 木村大輔 | Showa | Building a new foundation for life in snow country together |
| 栗城沙羅 | Showa | A village project for healthy minds and bodies |
| 櫻澤孝佑 | Mishima | Sharing Okuaizu through AI and 3D technology |
| 志田雅史 | Mishima | Misaka Kogen, a highland shaped by what people want to try there |
| 萩原舞 | Hinoemata | An Oze nature interpreter linking Oze with the village below and its people |
| 平松結子 | Tadami | YUI: connecting local life with travelers |
Partner groups include the Tadami Line management office, the Sedomori no Utage organizing office (SATORU Inc.), the Showa Village related-population project office (tsuguto LLC) and the seven Okuaizu municipalities.
How to register
Entry is free, but the organizers ask you to sign up in advance so they can prepare. Friends and family who are curious about Okuaizu are welcome too.
- Choose Peatix or the Google Form (either one is fine).
- Fill in the form and submit it.
- Come to SHAKOBA on November 22 any time between 13:30 and 16:30.
Questions go to the organizer, the Okuaizu Promotion Center (official site). Updates from the region are also posted on their note page.
| Phone | 0241-42-7125 (8:30–17:15, Mon–Fri) |
|---|---|
| [email protected] |
Tips for the day
- Arrive at 13:30 if you want food. Doors open and sake is served half an hour before the program starts.
- You do not have to stay for everything. Coming and going is free, so you can catch only the pitches or only the mini live set.
- Budget only for food and drinks. Entry costs nothing; check prices at the venue.
- Bring questions for the booths. If you are considering a move, the volunteer program or a hometown tax donation, this is a rare chance to ask all seven areas in one room.
- Check the official pages before you go. Details can change after this article was written.
Looking for more weekend plans? See the Musashino Art University Festival or how we covered the Setagaya Tamagawa Fireworks.
FAQ
- Q. Is Atsuoku free?
- Yes. Entry is free, but food and drinks sold at the venue are paid.
- Q. Do I need to register?
- Entry is free, and the organizers ask attendees to register in advance on Peatix or the Google Form so they can prepare.
- Q. Can I come late or leave early?
- Yes. You can come and go freely during the event, which runs from 14:00 to 16:30.
- Q. When does food and drink service start?
- Doors open and food service starts at 13:30.
- Q. Which station is closest to SHAKOBA?
- Takeshiba Station on the Yurikamome line is a 3-minute walk. Hamamatsucho Station (JR, North Exit) is 6 minutes and Daimon Station (Toei, Exit B1) is 7 minutes on foot.
Information as of October 19, 2026, based on the organizer announcement (press release). Please check the event page for the latest details.