Takefu Chrysanthemum Doll Festival and OSK Nippon Revue

I went to the Takefu Chrysanthemum Doll Festival in Echizen City after a long time. Speaking of the Takefu Chrysanthemum Doll Festival, it’s a very familiar event in Fukui. When I see an announcement about its opening, I feel that autumn has truly arrived. On the other hand, I thought that it always had finished before I was aware. This year, it has been held from October 5^th to November 5^th. 

When I got the site, I found the facilities have greatly improved. “Daruma Doll Square” supervised by Satoshi Kako, who is a famous picture book author from Echizen City, was completed. There are cafe and bakery in a new facility which is next to Echizen City Culture Center. In the main building for chrysanthemum dolls, there are countless numbers of chrysanthemums dressing dolls in many scenes of a popular NHK historical drama. 

Also, for the first time, I saw the stage of OSK Nippon Revue, which is another main event of the festival. The OSK Nippon Revue, which is called one of the three major girl revues in Japan, was established in 1922 and they are active and based in Osaka. The stage is titled “OSK Symphony” and they show a glammorous one-hour revue. There are “Beauty And the Beast” dance, flamenco, jazz dance, funny hip-hop dance featuring Fukui dialect and line dance. Even more than the great songs and dances, Yan Rin, who is playing a male part, is so cool and good looking. And female part dancers’ cute smiles made me feel comforted. 

While the show, Yan Rin and other members came down to the audience seats, so you can feel much closer to them. Their one-month performance at the festival is a grueling schedule that they play twice on weekdays, three times on the weekends and days off is only one day. Furthermore, I was touched by Yan Rin’s greeting at the end “We have practiced very hard for a long time to show great stage to everybody here.” I wish I could go to see them again before the final day. If you want to go to see them, please enter the center early because there are many fans from Osaka there. (H.S)

    

      There were still a lot of buds, so it will be more beautiful in the latter half. 

                    

                                     The lead role, Naotora Ii.  

Naotora, when she was a trainee priest. 

                                      The leftmost is Naomasa Ii. 

       Artisans of growing chrysanthemums come all this way from Yamagata                 Prefecture. 

Huge Yan Rin is waiting for you at the Echizen City Culture Center, where is

the hall of the OSK Revue.