Tochigi Matsuri no Sato is a regional development organization that brings people together around matsuri, traditional festivals passed down through the generations chiefly by Shinto shrines and their local communities. Our work follows an integrated approach to rural development known in Japan as sixth-sector industrialization.

Throughout Japan, communities have long held festivals to honor deities, pray for good harvests and good health, and give thanks. Passed down in particular by communities affiliated with local shrines, these festivals have played an important part in preserving local culture and tradition. Today, as the number of villages where working-age residents are dwindling and people aged 65 and older make up at least half the population grows, festivals without people to carry them on risk disappearing.

Our regional development work connects primary industries such as farming, forestry, fishing and livestock production with processing, distribution, retail and tourism. At the heart of this work is our plan to establish Matsuri no Sato, a theme park dedicated to preserving local festivals and passing them on to future generations.