NoMaps" will be held in Sapporo, Hokkaido from October 19 (Wed) to 23 (Sun)! Although the event has been held mainly online due to the impact of the new coronavirus, it will be held in a real city for the first time in three years. This year, more than ever, a variety of blograms are planned, and we can expect to meet a diverse range of people.

How will we draw out the possibilities and fun that this city has to offer? We interviewed Mr. Shinichiro Igarashi, general producer.

Mr. Shinichiro Igarashi, general producer of NoMaps2022

NoMaps is now in its sixth year of full-fledged holding. Originally, NoMaps started as a pre-event in 2016, led by leading companies and government agencies in Sapporo, with the aim of creating a festival in Hokkaido similar to SXSW (South by Southwest), the world's largest combined festival held every March in Austin, Texas, U.S.A. NoMaps is now in its sixth year. The Sapporo International Short Film Festival and the music industry also collaborated to launch the festival as "a festival to open up a future without a map.

Takafumi Horie, Founder of Interstellar Technologies, Inc. at the NoMaps Conference (2019)

Interactive hands-on exhibition booth at the Sapporo Ekimae-dori Underground Walking Space (Chi-ka-ho) (2018)

To date, we have held conferences featuring top players at the forefront of the times on a wide range of topics from cutting-edge business to lifestyle. It has also held a series of exhibitions where visitors can experience new technologies and services, events offering creative experiences such as movies and music, and demonstrations of cutting-edge technologies. Meetups, where people from different generations and industries interact with each other, have triggered unpredictable encounters that have led to exciting movements toward the future.

A demonstration test of automated driving in Sapporo. Reservations are required, and the general public will be able to experience the ride (2019).

Such events are also referred to as the "urban festival" genre, and events such as "Meisei Waraku" in Fukuoka City and "078KOBE" in Kobe City have been held in Japan. These events have been created by various players, including local startup companies, in an effort to create new festivals that enliven their hometowns.

NoMaps has also been involved in a variety of activities, but I think the general public is still unaware of these events because they have a strong business flavor," says Igarashi.

After two years of difficulty meeting and interacting with people due to the new coronavirus, Igarashi assumed the role of general producer to spearhead the re-launch of NoMaps, and his first task was to redefine NoMaps as "a festival that makes the world fun with tech, entertainment, and creativity from Sapporo and Hokkaido. He then redefined NoMaps as "a festival that makes the world fun with tech, entertainment and creativity from Sapporo and Hokkaido. He then adopted the slogan, "If it's not fun, it's not the future," as his motto.

I want to make NoMaps a special once-a-year festival that not only certain people, but also the people who live in this city, will be enthusiastic about," he said.

NoMaps has always been a mix of film festivals, music, culture, and technology, but this year NoMaps is expanding the scope of the event even further. More than 40 talks will be held on topics ranging from business startups, education, and the hot web3 to film, music, and sauna. More than 100 programs will be held in Sapporo.

Top players in various industries, including media artist Yoichi Ochiai and Interstellar Technologies Inc. founder Takafumi Horie, will take the stage at the talk sessions.

For example, the Sapporo Ekimae-dori Underground Walking Space (Chi Ka Ho) is scheduled to exhibit the new para-sports experience "CYBER BOCCIA S" and robots from a high school team that participated in the Robocon World Championships. Social experiments will also be conducted in Odori Park, including the preparation of a co-working space, food and drink booths, and a play area.

Providing a new sports experience with enhanced entertainment through projection and automatic measurement by sensing

Igarashi is excited about the event, saying, "I believe that when people with a high level of enthusiasm gather and meet during the period of the event, various chemical reactions will be generated and a new wave of events will be born. While all the events have a strong edge, the general public will be able to participate with excitement in these new events that will color the city of Sapporo this year.

Sapporo Lantern Night" was planned by the Junior Chamber of Commerce and Industry to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Sapporo's incorporation as a city.

This year we were able to collaborate with the Sapporo Junior Chamber and the Young Men's Club of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. There are many organizations working to make this city more exciting, and that is why we wanted to work together rather than separately. A number of organizations are creating various projects all at once at this time. It will definitely be chaotic, but I hope that this will create a space and looseness that will allow for more involvement. In the future, I hope that NoMaps will become a fixture in the city, and that during the event, stores will spontaneously start events, restaurants will offer limited-edition menus, and many other challenges will arise," says Igarashi.

Igarashi further explained the significance of NoMaps: "I think that both Hare and Ke are important. By creating a place that is different from the everyday, I think it will lead to a new everyday life for the city. By creating a place that is different from the everyday, I think it will lead to a new everyday life for the city. By establishing such a place as a "festival" in Sapporo, I hope that the daily life of not only this city but also of Hokkaido will be updated.

When asked how many programs there would be, he replied, "More than 100, I think. (Laughter). Because we do not focus on a specific target, there must be one program that sticks in everyone's mind, no matter who they are. Each program is shaped by someone's passion, and there are high heat events all over the city.

During NoMaps2022, various programs will be held in various places in Sapporo.

During NoMaps2022, a variety of programs will be held in various locations throughout Sapporo City. I want to make NoMaps into a festival that has never been seen anywhere before. This year is the first step in that direction.

If you feel you would like to experience a little of this passion, why not visit NoMaps2022 and see for yourself? You will surely be able to touch the "passion" of each person.