Updated at 09:59 on August 13, 2024
This year, students from Kasuga Junior High School and Joetsu University of Education will be participating in the “Departure Procession” for the “Kenshin Festival” to be held on the 24th of this month, and are practicing hard for their martial arts demonstration. The participants in the demonstration are two first- and third-year students from Joetsu Municipal Kasuga Junior High School, and ten students and graduate students from Joetsu University of Education. Approximately 280 people will participate in the “Departure Procession,” wearing armor and parading along the foothills line. The students will perform a one-minute demonstration at Kasugayama intersection.
Practice began this month, and on the second session on the 8th, the participants were taught how to form formations and how to lower their swords by three members of the Echigo Joetsu Uesugi Hospitality Samurai Corps. 
The demonstrations by students and others were started by the executive committee seven years ago, in an effort to encourage interest in the festival through participation. The “Departure Procession” was canceled for the first time last year due to the risk of heatstroke caused by the temperature not dropping, so this year will be the first time it has been held in two years. 
A student from Kasuga Junior High School, who participated again from last year, said, “Last year the event was cancelled, so all our efforts were for naught. This year, we want to put on a performance that will make people say it was amazing.”
The Joetsu Graduate School of Education student who will be playing the role of Naoe Kanetsugu was enthusiastic, saying, “I want to act out the part where I swing my sword wildly in a dynamic way. I think people will come from all over the country to watch, so I want to do my best to promote the Kenshin Festival.”
There will be one more practice session on the 15th. The “departure procession” will be held on the 24th from 4:30 pm at Kasugayama intersection on the Sanroku Line and other locations.
JCV will broadcast live the marching procession and the “Reenactment of the Battle of Kawanakajima” that will be held from 6pm on the same day. It will also be streamed simultaneously on the local information site “Joetsu Myoko Town Information”. Please come and see this powerful historical picture scroll!
