The cultural festival event TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023, celebrating pop culture, occurred on October 21 (Saturday) and 22 (Sunday), 2023. The venue included the former Nishi-Ochiai Junior High School and the Tama Center Station area in Tama City, Tokyo.
Across two days, about 40,000 individuals congregated at TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023. The event, orchestrated and overseen by WACK—renowned for fostering artists such as BiSH, currently overseeing seven groups—and NiEW, dedicated to supporting alternative culture, was intricately planned through collaboration with the sponsorship of Tama City, local residents, and businesses. Leveraging the entire cityscape, encompassing the main thoroughfare in front of the station and an abandoned school building, professionals and citizens from the Tama New Town vicinity worked together to craft a distinctive and expansive event.
Reporting on the inaugural TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023, highlighting the event through a collection of photographs.
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Digest video of “TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023
The Overall Atmosphere of TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023
The venue was divided into two areas. In the former Nishi-Ochiai Junior High School, “WACK’s own cultural festival” was held with the participation of all WACK groups (ExWHYZ, GANG PARADE, ASP, BiS, Tameshiba no Oogun, Somewhere in Tokyo, KiSS KiSS, BiTE A SHOCK) and Richi. WACK members worked hard to create a festival that included live performances, art exhibitions, photo exhibitions, costume exhibitions, film screenings, theatrical performances, classes, live broadcasts, and even decorations inside the school.
Venue MAPWACK members
In addition to markets and exhibits by local creators, a choral festival with the Higashi Ochiai Elementary School Chorus Group and a kids’ dance program were also held at the same venue. While local events have been downsized due to the Corona disaster, this collaboration was the result of the hometown aspirations of the two organizers, Junnosuke Watanabe (WACK) and Mansaku Kashiwai (NiEW), who were born and raised in the Tama Center Station area.
The key visual for “TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023” was also created by FACE, an illustrator from the former Nishi-Ochiai Junior High School where the event was held, and Shinya Hanabusa, a designer.WACK’s own chorus festival” in collaboration with the Higashi Ochiai Elementary School Chorus Group of Tama City.MUSEUM for NEWTOWN,” a local market held in the schoolyard
The other venue, the area in front of Tama Center Station, was named “NiEW TOWN PARTY” and featured a special edition of “exPoP!!!!!”, a free admission music event organized by NiEW. Autumn”, a corporate exhibition event introducing new technologies, and “TAMA CURRY CAMP”, a curry festival.
exPoP!!!!!”, which was held free of charge on the outdoor stage in front of the station area. @TAMATAMA2023』。KIRINJI（弾き語り）、角舘健悟（Yogee New Waves）、Homecomings、柳瀬二郎（betcover!!） Laura day romance, Emerald, Neko Sen, Legend of Divorce, Miran, ako, Cody Lee (Lee), and Shinrhythm will perform.Curry festival “TAMA CURRY CAMP” held on Parthenon Boulevard in front of the station areaTAMA TECH 2023 Autumn – TAMA “Machi-zukai” Technology Expo” held at Parthenon Tama in front of the station area.
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”WACK-style Cultural Festival” – Gymnasium Area
WACK-style Cultural Festival” was held at the former Nishi-Ochiai Junior High School, with programs running simultaneously in four areas: the gymnasium, schoolyard, school building, and YouTube.
The gymnasium was the main venue for paid performances, with live programs by all WACK groups (ExWHYZ, GANG PARADE, ASP, BiS, Tameshiba no Oogun, Somewhere in Tokyo, KiSS KiSS, BiTE A SHOCK) held on both days, “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023”, and on the second day, the aforementioned “WACK’s own chorus festival” and “WACK’s own cultural festival performance” (live performance by the light music club in a mixed group, dance performance by the dance club, and theater performance by the drama club) were held.
ExWHYZ “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023GANG PARADE “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023ASP “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023BiS “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023A large group of bean bushes “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023″ in TokyoKiSS KiSS “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023BiTE A SHOCK “WACK EXHiBiTiON in TAMATAMA FESTIVAL 2023Light Music Club “WACK’s own cultural festival performanceDrama club “WACK’s own cultural festival performance” (Japanese only)Dance club “WACK’s own cultural festival performance” (Japanese only)WACK’s own chorus festival
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“WACK-style Sports Festival” – Schoolground area
The highlight of the first day of the schoolyard area was “WACK-style Sports Festival.” Groups were divided into three groups (red, blue, and yellow), and a sumptuous dinner with WACK representative Junnosuke Watanabe was prepared as the first prize.
The first step was preparatory exercises!Opening speech by Junnosuke WatanabeAthletes’ Pledge of AllegianceThe first event was “Dodgeball.Yui Ga Dokson acted as the MC.The second event was “100-meter sprintThe third event was “Pedometer ChallengeThe fourth event was “Jump ropeThe final event was the tricycle race.The yellow team won!
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Participation-Driven Events including Singing Contest and Minors’ Assertion Took Place in the Schoolgroundyard Area
In the schoolground area, which could be enjoyed by anyone with a school admission ticket priced at 1,000 yen, many events were held with public participation, including the “MUSEUM for NEWTOWN,” a market by creators in the Tama Newtown area.
MUSEUM for NEWTOWN ” was held in both the schoolyard and inside the school building. In the schoolyard, about 30 groups opened stalls, sold items, and held workshops.About 50 groups performed in the “throat singing contest.Underage Claiming” in which non-minors could participate.On the schoolyard stage, LiVS performed live and 4LIKES, a dance studio located in Tama Center, performed a kids’ dance.Twelve kitchen cars named ” Gourmet Street Kitchen Car ” gathered in the schoolyard.
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Creative Showcase on Campus: WACK’s Art, Photography, and Costume Exhibitions on the 1st Floor
As in the schoolyard, 10 programs were held on the 1st through 3rd floors of the school building, which was open to visitors with school admission tickets priced at 1,000 yen.
School Building MAPWACK members and volunteer staff worked together to create the decorations and displays inside the school building.1st floorIn the “WACK My Art Exhibition,” all members created paintings and sculptures.The caption of each artwork expressed their thoughts and feelings.In the “WACK’s own Photo Exhibition,” all members exhibited photos taken under the theme of “Memories of this summer.Some of the photos were also on sale.In the “WACK’s My Costume Exhibition,” favorite costumes from each group’s past were displayed.Face-framed panels were also displayed.At the “Kids Area,” where children can play, local groups held workshops and games for children.
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Cinema, Live Broadcast, and Academic Test by WACK” on the 2nd Floor, and “Haunted House” on the 3rd Floor at the School Building
At “WACK’s own cinema,” a short film “Sweet Memories,” starring and produced by Yuka Terashima, Chan Baby, and Aina Star of GANG PARADE, was screened.In “WACK’s own Academic Achievement Test,” a special version of the “Academic Achievement Test” that is held as part of WACK’s auditions will be presented.WACK’s own live broadcast” was streamed on YouTube from the school site on both days, with approximately 20,000 people participating from onlineMUSEUM for NEWTOWN.” Thirteen groups opened stalls in the school building, selling items, exhibiting art works, and holding workshops.Flea market by the “Flea Market Club of Boy Scout Tama Troop 3The entire 3rd floor was used for the “Cosmology Lecture’s Haunted House: Going Crazy! WACK managers also struggled as ghosts in the “Kagamikyubu Jigoku (Mirror Ball Hell)” event, which was held on the entire 3rd floor.
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“WACK-style Classes” Featured WACK Members as Teachers
Lesson 1: “Synchronized Chanz @Beauty”: Teachers: Tsukinohagi (GANG PARADE), mikina (ExWHYZ)Class 2 “Mayu Sanpo”: Teacher: mayu (ExWHYZ)Class 3) “Matilda and Knowing Xavier Dolan” Teacher: Matilda Twins (ASP)Lesson 4) “Dogenzaka Ramen Club: Manji’s Extracurricular Class” Teacher: Yui-ga Doxon (GANG PARADE), Na-mae Na-so (ASP), Nao of Na-o (Tou-Shiba no Huge Group)Lesson 5: “Hitori Disney Gokyoku” Teacher: Miki Yamamachi (GANG PARADE)Class 6 “Panda this and that will be black and white! Yumeka Naokana? Panda Studies” Teacher: Yumeka Naukana? (ASP)Lesson 7: “Let’s be a Pokemon Master! Teacher: Nano3 (BiS)
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