Coming up the first weekend of June at Asama Onsen is the 2nd Annual Tryjin Festival, an international music, food, and cultural exchange festival hosted by the Shinshu Toraijin Club to celebrate people of all cultures who cross over (torai suru) to Japan. The celebration is being held over three days, starting Friday, June 1st, and continuing on Saturday June 2nd and Sunday June 3rd. The days’ various scheduled activities are as follows:
June 1st: Music Festival at Asama Jinguji Temple
June 1st-3rd: Display of “Holy Crown” artifact excavated from Sakuragaoka Burial Mound (5th Century, thought to have been brought to Japan by a visitor from mainland Asia, probably present-day Korea).
June 2nd-3rd:
1. The Story of the Holy Crown artifact and Hands-on metalworking class at Asama Onsen Hot Plaza
2. Outdoor Concert at Asama Onsen Event Hiroba
3. Food Tasting at Asama Onsen Event Hiroba
4. Tryjin Go Festival at Asama Onsen Bunka Center
The event looks like fun and Asama Onsen should be a great place to have a party. It’s also a cool chance to learn about and experience Korean-Japanese culture and its history and to participate in the blending of old-fashioned Japanese culture with newcomer cultures here in the Matsumoto region. I think it’ll be pretty cool, and I’ll post pictures when I get back from it. If you’d like to go, be sure to check out the Asama Onsen page on this website for directions and for more information about what’s up there at Asama.