On October 14th (Monday/holiday), we attended the 33rd Odawara Lantern Festival held at Odawara Castle in Odawara City, Kanagawa.
Singer Miyuki Kadomatsu (31) from Odawara participated and sang on stage. This is Miyuki Kadomatsu’s second appearance following last year.
This is a community event with citizen participation that uses the historic Odawara lantern as its symbol.In addition to the Odawara Lantern Dance and the Fuma Ninja Show, a local mikoshi parade parades around the castle ruins park. There are plenty of things to see, including parades.
A huge lantern was hung on a special stage built in Ninomaru Square in the castle, and when Miyuki Kadomatsu appeared on stage, cheers of “Miyuki!” erupted. The venue was filled with excitement as local governments and citizens came out to support the local singer who had made his major debut. I sang three songs on this day. First of all, there is “Odawara Kouta,” a traditional song that has been passed down in the local area for a long time and has been included in the CD coupling. After getting the audience excited with a cheerful round of applause, they belted out their original song, “Hamamomen Shigure,” which has a pleasant mid-tempo, and their new song, “Imamo Yokohama,” which was just released in July. “Imamo Yokohama” is Miyuki Kadomatsu’s second song in the popular song line, and is a work set in Yokohama that depicts a woman who cannot shake off her regrets. The melody, which is a mix of nostalgia and fashion, is layered with Miyuki Kadomatsu’s profound singing to create a new popular song. The music video is currently receiving positive reviews with over 160,000 views on YouTube.
This stage was held under clear skies. Miyuki Kadomatsu’s singing voice echoed through Odawara Castle as loud as the giant lanterns.
Miyuki Kadomatsu comment
“I was invited again like last year.It’s a festival I’ve been coming to since I was a child, so I’m very happy to be able to stand on this stage.I had 10 years of training, so it took me a while to make my debut. I am finally where I am today because of the long-term support of the local people who have supported my dreams since I was a child.I am truly grateful to the people of Odawara, and I am able to hold local events like this. I’m happiest to be able to stand on stage and see what I look like now.For the new song, I’m just visiting Yokohama, the city of memories I had with my ex-boyfriend, but it doesn’t mean I’ve abandoned Odawara (lol). I want to work harder and become something bigger than this giant lantern and give back.”
set list
① Odawara Kouta
② Hama Momen Shigure
③ Still Yokohama
◆New song “Imamo Yokohama”
Released on July 24, 2024 ¥1,500 (tax included) COCA-18216
1 “Yokohama Now” Lyrics: Shoichi Yoshii Composer: Shuji Kuniyasu Arrangement: Tadashi Yatabe
2 “Hamamomen Shigure” Lyrics: Shinichi Ishihara Composition: Ryunosuke Fuji Arrangement: Shunichi Makaino
3 “Kamome no Machi” Lyrics: Tetsuya Chiaki Composer: Masato Sugimoto Arrangement: Shingo Nishimura
4 “Yokohama now” (original karaoke)
5 “Hamamomen Shigure” (original karaoke)
6 “Kamome no Machi” (original karaoke)
7 “Now Yokohama” (2 chorus karaoke)
8 “Hamamomen Shigure” (2 chorus karaoke)
◆New song “Imamo Yokohama” MV
