Happy Birthday Buddha! Ogusu Hanamatsuri 2026

Happy Birthday Buddha!

**Ogusu Hanamatsuri 2026**
**Temple Marche & Hanamatsuri Forum: A Gathering of Food, Items, Sound, and Dialogue**
**April 11 (Sat) 10:00-17:00 / April 12 (Sun) 10:00-15:00 @ Ashina Jora-kuji**

**On the Opening of the Event**
Everyone knows Christmas. But do you know Buddha's birthday? Let's celebrate the birth of Shakyamuni Buddha! The starting point of this festival was when Rena Suetomi, Chair of the Ogusu Hanamatsuri Executive Committee, connected the sea, mountains, flowers, and Buddha in gratitude for the richness and connections of this land.

Buddhism is a 'teaching to move away from suffering and toward joy.' We want to create a place where people can naturally touch these teachings, which are full of hints for everyone seeking happiness, in their daily lives. That is the core idea of this event.

**'In Heaven and Earth, I Alone Am Honored' — A New Interpretation**
This phrase is said to have been uttered by Buddha immediately after his birth. While it is generally interpreted as 'the only Buddha in this world,' at the Ogusu Hanamatsuri, we accept the subject as 'each and every one of us in the world.'

*In heaven and earth, I am the only, precious existence. — This applies not only to Buddha but also to you and me.*

Just like the song 'The Only Flower in the World,' every life born into this world is a unique and precious existence that cannot be compared. Even if no one recognizes you, you are already precious. This connection has continued from long ago.

In recent years, comparisons and superiorities/inferiorities abound. However, no one person alone is correct. Ogusu Hanamatsuri aims to deliver this message as a 'day of connection and gratitude' through music, flowers, and the temple.

**The Meaning of Disseminating from the Temple**
'Ogusu Mondo,' held on the second day, is a place to rethink the future of the region through the perspectives of various practitioners living in this land. We believe there is great significance in having the center of this message be a temple.

The concept of a 'Tomoiki' (symbiotic) society — leaning on and helping each other, valuing not just economic wealth but also human connections, time with family, and the succession of knowledge, experience, and culture as 'richness.' Living with gratitude and balance without comparing. We hope to show such a way of life through this festival.

**Event Overview**
**Program: April 11 (Sat) 10:00-17:00**
*Timetables and performers are subject to change. Please check Instagram for the latest information.

**Program: April 12 (Sun) 10:00-15:00**
**■ Ogusu Hanamatsuri Forum 2026: Ogusu Mondo 'Questioning the Future of the Ogusu District'**
This forum features practitioners active in the community questioning the future of this land from perspectives such as mountains, sea, agriculture, education, culture, religion, and tourism. It is a place for dialogue where practitioners fascinated by this Ogusu/West District talk about why they chose this place and how they want to pass on this rich scenery and culture to the next generation. Together with you, we will think about true richness, such as human connections and the succession of experiences, rather than just efficiency or economic value, starting from the temple.

**[Part 1] 11:00 Theme: 'Why We Chose the West District'**
**Tatsuya Negishi, Senshiro Noguchi, Ryo Sakasegawa**

* **Ryo Sakasegawa**: Musician, Qigong master, and coffee roaster. Moved from Tokyo in 2008, fascinated by the relaxed culture and calm nature of Akiya. While traveling nationwide for music, he is rooted in the community through starting shared houses, operating community cafes, and opening a Qigong salon at home. He practices creating a foundation for a peaceful culture through daily life, including raising children born through unassisted birth in 2024.
* **Senshiro Noguchi**: Director of PocketPort Co., Ltd. / Executive Officer of BBQ FACTORY LLC. Born in Kumamoto in 2001, studied tourism and regional policy at Meio University in Okinawa. Moved to Kanagawa in 2022 and started leisure businesses in collaboration with Sajima Marina. Currently produces experience businesses for marinas and fishermen and plans online fishing experiences.
* **Tatsuya Negishi**: Executive Director. Born in Miura City, Kanagawa in 1986. Joined Miura Kanko Bus in 2014 as a business successor. While managing chartered bus and rental car businesses, he promotes multi-faceted expansion and various regional revitalization projects across the entire Miura Peninsula, with his home now in the West Coast area.

**[Part 2] 13:00 Theme: 'What We Want to Pass On to the Future in This Land'**
**Makio Tenpaku, Mariko Miki, Naruhiko Yoshida, Shinji Kohara**

* **Naruhiko Yoshida**: President of Hit Content Institute Co., Ltd. Produced numerous hits like 'Checkers' and 'Dango 3-kyodai' at Pony Canyon. After working in internet business, he is involved in activities conveying Japanese wood culture and human resource education. He produced cultural tourism content for Jora-kuji. Honorary Professor at Digital Hollywood University Graduate School.
* **Mariko Miki**: President of The Blue Co., Ltd., Leader of 'chotto' environmental regeneration activities. Has lived in the Miura Peninsula (Zushi to Akiya area) for about 15 years. While working in corporate PR and planning, she has organized 'wild dolphin swimming programs' for 22 years. She organizes 'Daichi no Saisei' environmental regeneration activities at Jora-kuji and leads environmental volunteer activities in the Sekine River basin.
* **Shinji Kohara**: Broadcast writer, screenwriter, and environmental journalist. Debuted in 1990 and worked on 'Music Station' and 'Kindaichi Case Files.' Since 2016, he has been a personality on 'Shibuya no Radio.' As environmental journalist Kaoru Aoba, he writes about renewable energy and the circular economy. Published the anime 'Future Kid Takara' to tell his daughter that the future can be changed. Moved to Akiya in 2010. Member of Yokosuka City Environmental and City Planning Councils.