Musashino University Happiness Research Institute (Director: Seiko Konishi) will hold the parenting plaza "Yururi Yurari" at the Musashino Campus on July 8, 2026 (Wed).

"Yururi Yurari" has been an initiative implemented since 2021 as a place for participants to connect gently and interact with peace of mind, targeting children with disabilities and their guardians. This event will be held thanks to the adoption of the 2026 Happiness Activity Fund.

This year, in addition to interaction as a parenting plaza, it will be open to the general public. The event will feature folk songs passed down in the Noto region, offering a program to experience Japanese traditional culture through songs and dances. The theme is "Sunatori-bushi," a work song related to "Agehama-shiki salt making," a traditional salt-making technique that has continued in Japan for approximately 500 years, the only one of its kind.

This song, which was once on the verge of being lost due to changes in work, has been protected and passed down by the local people. Participants can experience the charm of the life and culture inherited in Noto while experiencing the songs and dances.

Participation is free, but voluntary donations will be accepted at the venue to support the reconstruction from the Noto Peninsula Earthquake and to maintain traditional culture. Through songs and interaction, we aim to create an opportunity to connect with the culture and people of Noto. The learned songs and dances will be performed at the "Sunatori-bushi Festival" held on August 13 (Thu) at the Ishikawa Prefecture Suzu City Natural Recreation Village Center in Umatate Town, Suzu City, Noto. The collected donations and goods will also be delivered to the site on this occasion.

[Key Points of This Initiative]

- Experience the traditional Noto work song "Sunatori-bushi" at the Happiness Research Institute's parenting plaza "Yururi Yurari."

- While the parenting plaza is usually mainly for children with disabilities and their guardians, this time it is open to the general public.

- Participants will be asked for voluntary donations, which will be used for Noto's reconstruction support and traditional culture maintenance.

[Event Overview]

Date:

July 8 (Wed) 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Venue:

Musashino University Musashino Campus Koun-dai 2nd Floor Large Hall (1-1-20 Shinmachi, Nishi-Tokyo City, Tokyo)

*Please come directly to the venue. Please use public transportation when visiting.

- Approx. 10 minutes by bus from Mitaka/Musashi-Sakai Station / Approx. 15 minutes by bus from Kichijoji Station, get off at "Musashino University"

- Approx. 5 minutes by bus from Tanashi Station, get off at "Shisei Gakusha Tokyo Mae" and walk 5 minutes.

Content:

Practice of "Sunatori-bushi," sung for salt making in Noto

Vocal Instruction:

Ai Yamaguchi

Singer who connects people and travels with sound (https://www.ai-otodama.com/)

Leader of "Hakkou Suru Min" and "Imagine Bon Odori Bu"

Fee:

Free

*Participation is free, but we ask for voluntary donations to Noto.

We accept both monetary and in-kind donations. However, please refrain from perishable items.

Donations received will be used for reconstruction support and traditional culture maintenance.

Application Method:

Please contact us via email at the following address to express your interest in participating:

mihomae@musashino-u.ac.jp

*Please include your name (furigana) and contact phone number.

Organizer/Inquiries:

Miho Maehira, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Musashino University / Certified Social Worker, Maehira Laboratory

*Please follow the signs to the venue. If you cannot find the location, please contact us.

Correspondence Education Affairs Section: 042-468-3481

Co-organizers:

Ariake-sha General Incorporated Association, Musashino University Kindergarten

Sponsorship:

Musashino University Happiness Research Institute

*If you wish to cover this story, please contact the Public Relations Section.

Musashino University School Corporation, Management Planning Department, Public Relations Section Mail: kouhou@musashino-u.ac.jp

[Comment]

Miho Maehira, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Musashino University

I planned this event with the aim of making the parenting plaza "Yururi Yurari" not just a place for people in similar situations to gather, but also a place where people in different circumstances and those who do not usually interact with disabilities can connect. The work song "Sunatori-bushi" has overcome the threat of extinction and is a culture that the people of Noto have cherished and passed down. I hope that by experiencing Noto's culture through song, it will become an opportunity to engage in reconstruction support and the inheritance of traditional culture.

[About Musashino University]

Musashino University Ariake Campus

In 1924, founded Musashino Women's College with the ideal of character education based on Buddhist principles. It was formerly Musashino Women's University and changed its name to Musashino University in 2003. Since becoming co-educational in 2004, it has promoted university reforms and developed into a comprehensive university with over 14,000 students, including 13 faculties, 21 departments, 14 graduate schools, and a correspondence division. In 2019, it established the Faculty of Data Science, the first in a private university in Japan. In 2021, it established the Faculty of Entrepreneurship, the first in Japan, and launched "Musashino INITIAL," a common basic curriculum for all students, making "AI Utilization" and "SDGs" compulsory subjects. In 2023, it established the Faculty of Sustainability, the first in Japan. In 2024, celebrating its 100th anniversary, it established the Faculty of Wellbeing, the first in the world. In 2026, it will establish the Faculty of Data Science for Communication, proposing a new form of learning for its correspondence education. The university is advancing reforms to foster creative human resources for the future towards 2050.

Musashino University HP: https://www.musashino-u.ac.jp/

[Related Links]

Musashino University Happiness Research Institute:

https://www.musashino-u.ac.jp/research/laboratory/happiness_incubation.html

Suzu City Tourism Site Sunatori-bushi Festival:

https://www.city.suzu.lg.jp/site/kankou/1288.html

FACT BOX

  • Source: PR TIMES
  • Category: Event