The music festival, which began as "OTO TO TABI" from 2011 to 2021, and continued as "Shake Ongakukai" since 2022 after a hiatus and smaller-scale events due to the COVID-19 pandemic, will come to a close after this year's event. Over the years, it has hosted a wide variety of musicians across all genres, including Sunny Day Service, Tabito Nanao, TOWA TEI, Predawn, and Tatsuya Nakamura.

We spoke with Shoko Minami, one of the organizers, about her passion for the event and her thoughts on its final run.

"OTO TO TABI" held at Factory Hall in 2014 (Photo by YURI)

――First, could you tell us about the history of "Shake Ongakukai"?

Shoko Minami (hereafter "Minami"): This event's predecessor was a winter music festival called "OTO TO TABI," which ran from 2011 to 2021. While Hokkaido has many summer festivals, we started this with the aim of creating an event that could be enjoyed in winter.

The first event was a small-scale, acoustic-focused gathering at the JR Tower Planis Hall on the 11th floor of ESTA. It gradually grew in scale, with venues like Factory Hall and Zepp Sapporo. From 2016, we held it simultaneously across five venues at the Sapporo Art Park's Art Hall, incorporating unique winter elements like a snow stage, expanding the winter fun for music lovers.

Then, the pandemic forced us to cancel or hold smaller events, and in 2022, we restarted as "Shake Ongakukai." We also changed the venue to the outdoor stage at the Sapporo Art Park in the summer.

The scene at the Sapporo Art Park Outdoor Stage in 2022 (Photo by Asako Yohikawa)

――How did you get involved in organizing the festival?

Minami: I've been involved since the very first time. Back then, I was just a music fan who had bought a ticket, but I saw a middle school classmate posting about "OTO TO TABI" on mixi. I wondered, "Huh? Why are they promoting this?" and when I asked, it turned out that my classmate and a junior from school were the organizers (laughs). They asked if I wanted to help, and I joined the organizing team on the spot.

――Weren't you nervous about organizing an event for the first time?

Minami: I had some experience with event planning, like being on the committee for my university's festival, but it was my first time organizing a live music event. However, most of the other members were practically amateurs too. We were a group of friends, partners, and friends of friends who came together out of sheer enthusiasm. But what we didn't lack was our love for music. We hired professionals for the sound system, but everything else was trial and error. In the end, it went off without any major trouble and was incredibly fun, which is why we were able to continue.

The winter venue in 2019 (Photo by Asako Yohikawa)

"Shake Ongakukai" held in 2022 with measures to prevent crowding (Photo by Asako Yoshikawa)

――We heard that the pandemic hit you hard.

Minami: It was the winter of 2020, when the infection was spreading rapidly. Partly due to the Snow Festival, Sapporo was one of the first places in the country to have a cluster, and we had no choice but to cancel "OTO TO TABI." At the time, COVID-19 was still treated like an unknown virus, and we were featured in the online news as "the first festival to be canceled," which brought us attention in an ironic way...

――And from there, you decided to continue on a smaller scale.

Minami: In September, we held a live show for a limited audience of 100 people on the rooftop of Sapporo PARCO. It was also meant as a "practice run" for the following year's event. We felt it went well, but the effects of the pandemic lingered, and we faced a mountain of challenges, such as capacity limits and the possibility of venues canceling on us. We gave up on holding it in winter when infections were rising and instead held "OTO TO TABI in GREEN" in the summer of 2021. The future remained uncertain, so from 2022, we decided to relaunch as "Shake Ongakukai."

――What's the meaning behind the name "Shake Ongakukai"?

Minami: While "OTO TO TABI" emphasized a sense of the extraordinary, "Shake Ongakukai" is the opposite; it's conscious of being an "extension of everyday life." We wanted to create a place where people who had stepped away from festivals due to life changes could come back with their families a few years later. We wanted it to be a festival where everyone, including staff and performers, could "return like salmon (shake)."

Children enjoying themselves freely at "Shake Ongakukai" in 2023 (Photo by minaco.)

The 2024 event. The venue decorations are also handmade (Photo by minaco.)

――And now, this year will be the last one.

Minami: The driving force for continuing this long was purely our love for it. But the financial losses from the pandemic were significant... We tried crowdfunding, but we didn't reach our goal, and we decided it would be difficult to continue.

We were originally planning to end it last year, but we received so many requests to do it one more time. Encouraged by those voices, we decided to hold it this year as a final festival worthy of our "15th anniversary" milestone. I think we're fortunate to be able to properly announce that it's "the end," rather than just letting it fade away.

――What kind of event will the final one be?

Minami: I want to cherish what makes "Shake Ongakukai" special. It's a calm venue surrounded by nature, the grassy slope provides a great view of the stage, and we have a nursing room and a kids' space, so families with small children can enjoy it without worry.

The lineup will feature a wide range of artists, from big names to Hokkaido-based musicians. I'd be happy if people could also discover the charm of local musicians they might not usually have a chance to hear. Our popular craft beer collaboration with "Streetlight Brewing" will be on sale again. I think it will be a space where you can enjoy not just music, but also food, drinks, and shopping.

A kids' area is also available for children to enjoy (Photo by minaco.)

――Could you tell us about the main performers?

Minami: The headliner is "Scha Dara Parr & STUTS." This year marks Scha Dara Parr's 35th anniversary, and they're holding commemorative shows in Tokyo and Osaka. It's been a while since their last Sapporo performance, so fans shouldn't miss it!

Other performers include hip-hop artist "KMC" and the new wave techno-pop band "LAUSBUB" from Sapporo. There are many other wonderful artists lined up, so please check them out on the official website.

――Finally, do you have a message for our readers?

Minami: Rather than putting on a brave face because "it's the last time," my feeling is that I want to properly conclude the usual "Shake Ongakukai." For those who haven't been able to come for a while, I really hope you'll return like "salmon," and newcomers are also very welcome. Let's enjoy the final "Shake Ongakukai" together!

Lots of food, drink, and merchandise stalls too! (Photo by minaco.)