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The Tokorozawa Campus Festival, commonly known as the Tokosai Festival(所祭), scheduled to be held on Sunday, October 22, 2023, will celebrate its 20th anniversary this year. This year's slogan, which will be held in a fully face-to-face format to overcome the effects of pandemic, is "Remake ~Tokosai 20th Festival~." This reflects their determination to restore the pre-pandemic vibrancy and pass on the "Tokosai" that has grown even further to the next generation.

We asked the management staff of Tokorozawa Campus Festival 2023, who are preparing various plans to enliven the festival, about this year's highlights and things to keep in mind when visiting.

"Tokorozawa Campus Festival 2023" management staff
Taketo Horii, Staff Representative, 3rd year student School of Human Sciences
Yui Komine, Director of Planning and Development Department, 3rd year student School of Human

We want to convey the unique charm of "Tokosai Festival" and revive its vibrancy.

--This year's slogan is "Remake~Tokosai 20th Festival~". Please tell us the thoughts behind that slogan.

Horii: We would like to recreate the "Tokosai festival", which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, with the hope of restoring the vibrancy created by our predecessors.

Before the pandemic, the Tokosai Festival was said to be a lively event, with so many visitors that it was difficult to walk smoothly around campus. This is the result of the efforts of senior members of the executive committee. One of my seniors, whom I respect, is usually playful, but when it comes to "Tokosai,'' the senior took things seriously. I've been watching the back of the senior since I was a first-year university student.

However, during the pandemic, there were restrictions on holding events such as setting an upper limit on the number of participants, and no matter how strong the feelings of seniors were, it was difficult to make the Tokosai a lively one. Having experienced that frustration, we are all approaching this year's event, which will be held in a completely face-to-face format, with the mindset of "Let's rebuild it into a new "Tokosai Festival'' in order to regain the vigor it once had!'' I also hope that my juniors will continue to grow Tokosai based on this year's experience.

――What kind of plans are you preparing to restore vitality?

Komine: One of the featured projects is the "Celebrity Project.'' This year, two groups have been decided to perform: music unit FAKE TYPE. and singer-songwriter Taisei Miyakawa. The appeal of the Tokosai stage is that it is close to the audience, allowing you to enjoy the live performance of the latest artists up close. First of all, we would like people to come to the event because of the celebrity project and learn about the other charms of the Tokosai Festival.

――Please tell us again about the appeal of “Tokomatsuri”.

Komine: For example, being able to connect with other visitors and the local community. At last year's Toksai Festival, I was the team leader for the matching project to connect visitors. At that time, I saw guardian of students meeting each other for the first time and exchanging SNS accounts, and I realized, "This is the appeal of Tokosai.'' The "Tokosai Festival'' is a community-based festival, and people of all ages come. Also, since the number of buildings is limited, it is easy to remember each other. We would like to make Tokosai even more lively while conveying the unique charm of Tokosai.

Horii:Last year we established a new "Foreign Affairs Bureau'' for connecting with external organizations frequently, and we are currently preparing plans that emphasize connections with the local community.

On September 24th (Sunday), we will hold the "Pre-Month Festival" in cooperation with Tokorozawa City Tourist Information and Product Center "YOT-TOKO". The purpose of the festival was to rent a space and hold the festival so that the local people could have fun and learn about Tokosai Festival. We are also collaborating with the Kadokawa Musashino Museum, also located in Tokorozawa City, and the executive committee will be participating in the Musashino Corridor Cultural Festival, a community-based festival to be held on Saturday, November 18th and Sunday, November 19th. We are working to communicate the charm of the region.

In this way, while valuing connections with the local community, we aim to create a "Tokosai Festival'' that will attract even more local residents.

The state of the "Pre-Month Festival'' in 2023. They have prepared a project that can be enjoyed by many people from children to adults.

There are plenty of "experience-based projects" that create interaction!

--Aside from "celebrity projects," what other projects do you have coming up this year?

Komine: We have increased the number of experiential events in hopes of fostering interaction between participants. We are preparing a total of 20 to 30 outdoor and indoor projects, and the three highlights are:

• Attraction planning

This is a project where you can ride attractions similar to those found at an amusement park and enjoy target shooting. To ensure that children and others can enjoy the game with peace of mind, we have taken safety into account by moving it slowly by hand without using electricity, and by using cushioning material that absorbs shock. We hope that visitors will deepen their relationships with each other while experiencing something out of the ordinary.

• Escape Game

The project is to solve the mysteries hidden in the classroom and escape within the time limit. Last year, we played an escape game as a part of our project, and we were surprised at how popular it was. In order to improve the quality compared to last year, this year the executive committee members have visited escape games many times and are also researching the content of the games. This is an escape game unique to Tokosai that can be enjoyed by a wide range of generations.

• Exercise games

We have made it possible for children to participate in sports events such as the TV program "SASUKE'' (TBS). Aiming to be a "school festival where you can enjoy sports'' unique to Tokorozawa Campus, we are planning to hold "athletic game projects'' and "futsal classes'' in the sports hall of Building No.106.

--Are there any precautions to take when visiting?

Komine: To participate in the celebrity project, please purchase an admission ticket. This year we have increased the number of seats compared to last year, but there is a possibility that they may sell out, so we recommend purchasing by the day before. Same-day ticket sales are undecided.

Horii: We ask that you come by bus. You cannot come to the venue by private car, so please use the school bus from Kotesashi Station (Seibu Ikebukuro Line). Although we have increased the number of buses than usual, we expect them to be crowded, so please arrive in plenty of time.

Additionally, this year we plan to install information boards to help visitors avoid getting lost in the maze-like building. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask the executive committee members who are wearing green happi coats!

--Please give us a message at the end!

Horii: We have prepared various projects to enliven the 20th anniversary of Tokosai Festival. For the main event, we will invite two groups that are popular with university students, and in cooperation with local restaurants, we are preparing around 20 food stalls, about four times as many as last year. Through these efforts, we will create a "Tokosai Festival'' that is a little different from anything that has come before, so we hope you will experience the energy of it on-site.

Komine: Over the past year, all of us in the planning and development department have worked hard to realize a project that will be as enjoyable as possible for the visitors. We would like to enliven the "Tokosai Festival'' by creating plans together with visitors. We have many plans for you to enjoy together, so please visit Tokosai Festival!

Interview and text: Kaori Sasuga
Photography: Kota Nunokawa

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