Source: Kawasaki City press release
Official Site: https://kawasakicity100.jp/

Kawasaki City in Kangawa Prefecture is celebrating its 100th anniversary. As a launching point for creating a "new Kawasaki" for the next 100 years, the entire city is carrying out a variety of commemorative projects with the slogan "Colors, Future! Actions."

The "Asao Kawasaki 100th Anniversary Festival" will be held on Saturday, February 1st and Sunday, February 2nd, 2025. In honor of SHIN GODZILLA (シン・ゴジラ, Shin Gojira, 2016), which was filmed on location in Kawasaki City, and Koichi Kawakita, one of Japan's leading special effects directors who had lived in Ozenji in the Asao Ward of Kawasaki for many years, the city will celebrate its 100th anniversary with concerts, film screenings, and other events themed around Godzilla. As a finale to the 100th anniversary of Asao Ward, organizations active in the ward will come together to hold various events at three venues, Asao Ward Office, Asao Civic Hall, and Shin-Yurigaoka Twenty-One Building, to liven up the city's 100th anniversary.

 

■ Special Event: "Godzilla | Asao Ward" (Sponsors: Asao Ward Office, Shin-Yurigaoka Area Management Consortium)

1: Godzilla Concert

Professional musicians and civic music groups active in the ward will come together to hold a concert to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city's founding.

Date and Time: Sunday, February 2, 2025, 1:00 - 2:00pm

Venue: Asao Civic Hall (1-5-2 Manpukuji, Asao Ward)

GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE will be screened in 4K. Photo courtesy of Kawasaki City. Godzilla TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.

Eligibility and Capacity: 800 people who live, study, or work in the city.

Application: Please fill out the application form by December 20. Winners will be chosen by lottery.

Song Titles: SF Symphonic Fantasy (with Godzilla theme), Kawasaki no Neiro (song commemorating the 80th anniversary of the city's founding), Kurumawasaki Ai no Machi (song commemorating the 60th anniversary of the city's founding), and more.

 

2: GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE Screening & Special Effects Director Koichi Kawakita Memorial Talk Show

In conjunction with the Kawasaki National Urban Greening Fair, a 4K digitally remastered version of GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE (ゴジラvsビオランテ, Gojira Tai Biorante, 1989) will be screened, depicting the battle with the rose monster Biollante. This was the first Godzilla film by special effects director Koichi Kawakita (1942-2014).

Koichi Kawakita's life and career will be the topic of a talk show featuring Kenji Suzuki, who worked as an assistant to Kawakita before directing the special effects for GODZILLA 2000 and GODZILLA VS. MEGAGUIRUS, and manga artist Shinji Nishikawa, who worked on Kawakita's Godzilla films. The moderator will be Shogo Tomiyama, President of the Japan Academy of Moving Images, and producer of Kawakita's Godzilla movies.

Date and Time: Sunday, February 2, 2025, 4:00 - 5:45pm (Screening), 5:55 - 6:40pm (Talk Show)

Venue: Asao Civic Hall

Capacity: 800 people (general public)

Application: Please fill out the application form by December 20. Winners will be chosen by lottery.

 

3: Godzilla Special Exhibition

Special effects director Koichi Kawakita revived the Godzilla series in the Heisei era. The exhibition will showcase the appeal of Kawakita's Godzilla, starting with GODZILLA VS. BIOLLANTE and continuing through GODZILLA VS. DESTOROYAH (ゴジラＶＳデストロイア, Gojira Tai Desutoroia, 1995).

Date and Time: Saturday, February 1 - Sunday, February 2, 10:00am - 8:00pm  (no reservations required)

Venue: Asao Civic Hall, Civic Gallery

 

 

■ Cafe Grande Asao ~Let's all grow the seeds of art!~ (Organizers: Asao Ward Office, Shinyuri Art City Development NPO)

Visitors can experience the arts and culture of the ward by watching, listening to, making, and visiting the stages, workshops, and exhibitions. This event allows everyone from small children to adults to experience the charm of the ward's arts and culture, with collaborations that can only be seen at this event, and workshops where performers/exhibitors and visitors come together to enjoy art of various genres. On January 11th,there will be a performance and a workshop to make masks for the finale.

Date and Time: Saturday, February 1, 11:00am - 3:30pm

 

1: Stage: Asao Civic Center Main Conference Room

Folktale readings by Mingei Theater Company, opera concert by the Japan Opera Foundation's Opera Singer Development Division, joint concert by the Asao Art Town Concert and the Kawasaki-Tomikawa Citizens' Exchange Association, parent-child yoga by Link mama, finale by participating groups and visitors

 

Photo courtesy of Kawasaki City. © Colors, Future! Actions Kawasaki 100th All Rights Reserved.

 

2: Workshops: Asao Civic Hall, 3rd Floor

3D paper cutout art, making musical instruments, 4-panel manga, making rosette keychains and aroma bath bombs, thaumatrope fans, making masks for the finale.

In the pre-workshop, participants will try making masks out of colored construction paper.

 

3: Exhibition: Asao Civic Center Main Conference Room

Introduction of group works and activities

Application: Please apply for the pre-workshop by December 23 on the ward website. Winners will be chosen by lottery. *No application required for events on the day.

 

 

■ Asao Music Festival 40th Anniversary Project: 1000 People Singing with an Orchestra! (Organizers: Asao Ward Office, Shin-Yurigaoka Area Management Consortium, Asao Music Festival Executive Committee)

Singing instructor Kimihiko Tsujibata. Photo courtesy of Kawasaki City. © Colors, Future! Actions Kawasaki 100th All Rights Reserved.

The entire audience will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the city by singing the ward's image song “Kagaite Asao” and other songs related to Kawasaki accompanied by an orchestra.

Date and Time: Saturday, February 1, 1:00 - 2:30pm

Venue: Asao Civic Hall

Capacity: 800 people on a first-come, first-served basis.

Performers: Asao Philharmonic Orchestra, Kanehira Junior High School Brass Band, Tartare Saxophone Quartet, Jaito and Chinamin, 200 members of the public choir

Applications for the public choir: by December 20 by return postcard or on the ward's website [lottery].

 

 

 

 

■ Kawasaki Wine Summit (Organizers: Asao Ward Office, NPO Okaue Agri Resort)

Grapes harvested in the Kawasaki Wine Project. Photo courtesy of Kawasaki City. © Colors, Future! Actions Kawasaki 100th All Rights Reserved.

A talk session by students and winemakers connected through the "Kawasaki Wine Project," in which universities in the ward are involved in winemaking. They will talk about the charms of the ward and their winemaking efforts.

Date and time: Saturday, February 1, 5:30 - 7:30pm

Venue: Asao Civic Center Main Conference Room

Capacity: 100 people on a first-come, first-served basis

 

 

 

 

 

■ 21×21 Festival (Niichi × Niichi Festival) (Organizer: Kawasaki City Urban Development Corporation / Co-organizer: Asao Ward Office, Shin-Yurigaoka Area Management Consortium, Kawasaki Jazz Players Festa Executive Committee / Cooperation: Sustainable Map, NPO Okaue Agri Resort, Kawasaki Jazz Executive Committee)

Date and Time: Saturday, February 1, 11:00am - 8:00pm

Venue:: Shinyuri Twenty-One Building (1-2-2 Manpukuji, Asao Ward)

 

1: KJPF Jazz Live

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the Urban Development Corporation, a jazz live performance will be held in Hall 21, featuring six combos and a big band.

 Kawasaki SDGs Promotion Team. Photo courtesy of Kawasaki City. © Colors, Future! Actions Kawasaki 100th All Rights Reserved.

2: Attractions, Food and Drink (until 7:00pm)

Drone piloting experience, underground facility exploration tour, alcohol and other beverage sales, etc.

 

3: Shinyuri Sustainable Marche (until 4:00pm)

Planned and run by the Kawasaki SDGs Promotion Team, which is made up of elementary and junior high school students from the Shinyuri area. Under the theme of “sustainability,” booths from various fields such as business, medicine, health, and music will be exhibited, talk shows will be held, and picture books will be read to the audience to accompany the music.

 

 

 

■ Town Square Festival (Organized by Asao Ward Office, Asao Ward Social Design Center)

Children can experience working in a candy store.Photo courtesy of Kawasaki City. © Colors, Future! Actions Kawasaki 100th All Rights Reserved.

This is an event where people can learn about local activities, learn about the community, and participate through stage performances, workshops, citizen lectures, and more.

Date and Time: Saturday, February 1and Sunday, February 2

Venue: Asao Ward Office Square, Conference Room (1-5-1 Manpukuji, Asao Ward)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

■ Memories Screening (Organized by Civic Cultural Promotion Office, Civic Cultural Affairs Bureau)

The screening of municipal government news films from the 1940s to the present, including nostalgic images of Asao Ward, the birth of art and culture centers, etc. Let's all talk while watching these treasured short films.

Date and Time: Saturday, February 1, 1:00 - 3:00pm

Venue: Asao Civic Hall Audiovisual Room

Capacity: 30 people per session

Application: Apply by December 27 on the city's website