The 2025 Oshoshina-eki Matsuri festival was held at JR Yonezawa Station in Yonezawa, Yamagata, on October 18 to commemorate Railway Day. Organized to strengthen ties with the local community, the event also responded to disruptions from a Yamagata Shinkansen malfunction.
The 2025 Oshoshina-eki Matsuri festival took place in and around JR Yonezawa Station on October 18, commemorating Railway Day on October 14. The station organized the event to strengthen ties with the local community, partly in response to disruptions caused by a malfunction affecting Yamagata Shinkansen trains.
Three universities from Yonezawa participated, setting up festival stalls and a train station cafe. Passengers were welcomed on the platforms with a Hanagasa Ondo dance performance by students from the Kacho Fugetsu university club.
President Momotaro, the official mascot of the popular video game series “Momotaro Dentetsu,” also appeared. The event promoted “Momotaro Dentetsu 2,” set for launch on November 13, which features more properties available for purchase at the in-game version of Yonezawa Station compared to the current game. It also includes the historical figure Uesugi Yozan as a support character who joins the player after monopolizing the station’s properties.
“We were delighted that everyone enjoyed watching our dance, and we received a burst of energy from them,” said a 22-year-old fourth-year student at Yonezawa University of Nutrition Sciences who performed the Hanagasa dance that day. The festival fostered interaction between locals and visitors, boosting the station's vibrancy.