Iris will make a Yamaboko for the Sendai Aoba Festival and participate in the parade (24th, Sendai City)
Iris Ohyama announced on the 24th that it will make a new Yamaboko for the Sendai Aoba Festival, a seasonal early summer event in Sendai City, and will participate for the first time in this year's parade. It will be the first time in 30 years that a new Yamaboko will be added to the Aoba Festival. This year, the festival will be held from May 17th to 18th, and it will appear as the 12th Yamaboko in the Jidai Emaki parade of the main festival on the 18th, adding color to the festival.
The floats are made and operated by local companies and organizations, and Iris has created a new float called the "Bountiful Harvest Float." This year, it will participate in the festival in its unpainted, plain wood form, and will be shown painted at the 2026 festival. In addition to the company's employees, 20 international students from Tohoku University will also participate in the parade.
At a press conference on the 24th, Iris President Akihiro Oyama said, "We are very proud to be able to participate in a festival with such a long history. As a member of the local community, we would like to further strengthen our contributions to the community."
Chairman Saburosuke Fujisaki (Chairman and President of the Sendai Aoba Festival Support Association, which is the organizer of the festival) welcomed the move, saying, "With 12 floats, the Jidai Emaki parade will become even more spectacular." Sendai City Mayor Kazuko Gun said, "With the addition of such a large group of friends, this will be a festival that will be enjoyed by many people both in Japan and overseas."
The Aoba Festival features performances such as the "Sparrow Dance" performed by dancers in happi coats, and a period picture scroll parade in which floats and processions of military commanders parade through the city. In 2012, approximately 930,000 people visited the festival over two days.
Governor Murai (right) and others cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony (Sendai City, April 24)
The "Pokemon Local Acts Product Fair," where the popular character "Pokemon" promotes the charm of the region, began on the 24th at the department store Fujisaki (Sendai City). This is the first time it has been held in Miyagi, and it is scheduled to travel around the country, including Fukui and Miyazaki.
A ceremony was held prior to the opening, attended by Miyagi Governor Yoshihiro Murai and others. 15 Pokemon, including "Lucky" and "Dragonite," from each prefecture, also gathered to liven up the event. Fujisaki Chairman and CEO Saburosuke Fujisaki said in his opening remarks, "We hope you will enjoy the local specialties and cultures of each region through Pokémon."
The product fair is part of an initiative called "Pokémon Local Acts" that was started in 2018 by The Pokémon Company (Minato, Tokyo). The use of the Pokémon selected for each prefecture and prefecture is free of charge, and the company is currently working with 12 prefectures to support the promotion of the attractions of each region. The Pokémon selected for Miyagi Prefecture is Lapras, and collaborative products such as Sasakamaboko will be released.
The product fair in Fujisaki will run until May 6th. Approximately 540 types of original products and local specialties will be sold, and events where you can interact with Pokémon from each region are also planned.
