An Estonian songstress will come to Japan for a live performance during the summer solstice festival, a weekend where you can enjoy the Baltic countries! A forest and music festival from Southern Estonia, the European Capital of Culture in 2024 (2024rd information release on "Metsä's Summer Solstice Festival 3")

Metsä Village (Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture), one of the largest Scandinavian lifestyle experience facilities in Japan, will hold the Metsä Summer Solstice Festival 2024, which is based on the Nordic traditional summer festival, the Summer Solstice Festival, and will be held in various countries, including the Baltic countries. The event will be held from Saturday, May 2024, 5 to Sunday, June 25, 6, with special cooperation and support from the embassies of each Scandinavian country and the National Tourism Organization. On the weekend of June 23th (Saturday) and June 6th (Sunday), it has been decided that "Baltic Weekend" will be held, showcasing the charms of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. As the main program, ``Aigu Om!'', a festival held in southern Estonia with the theme ``Forest, Music, and Language'', is coming to metsä.
There will also be a special live performance by a diva visiting Japan from Estonia, field trips and talk events for children with forest experts, pop-up shops, screenings of Latvian films, and a library related to Lithuania.

<First information release content announcement! ＞
□<Estonia> Part of the cultural program “Aigu Om!” certified as “European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024” held in southern Estonia will be held in metsä
□ <Estonia> Diva Mari Karkun's special live performance in Japan & bonfire lighting ceremony
□ <Baltic countries> Forests and nature, special talk event of Latvia and Lithuania
□<Estonia> Field trip program for kids walking with forest experts
□<Latvia> Screening of a documentary film starring Latvia's most famous Japanese woman
□<Lithuania> Visiting library of photo books and picture books from the Lithuanian Embassy
□<Estonia> A POP UP shop that collects Estonian high quality and sustainable products
First information disclosure http://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000317.000020740.html
First information disclosure https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000000326.000020740.html

 

□South Estonia's special festival "Aigu Om!" will be held for the first time in metsä
"Aig Om"*1, whose image character is a snail, is an Estonian message that says, "There's plenty of time. Let's live slowly and naturally." This phrase is the festival's motto, and is derived from the desire to encourage participants to live slowly and close to nature.
The theme is to unite "forest, music, and words". Workshops, reflection spaces, concerts and forest walks offer opportunities to experience the rich traditional culture of the region, the knowledge and stories of its people, and the fascinating nature. A special program that can only be experienced in Estonia will introduce Japan through the forest.
It is loosely connected to metsä (forest).

 

□＜SPECIAL LIVE> “Mari Kalkun JAPAN TOUR -metsä's Summer Solstice Festival Edition-”
A special live performance will be held by songstress Mari Karkun*2, who is Estonia's leading singer-songwriter and organizer of the "Aigu Om!" festival. After the concert before dusk, we will also light the bonfire, a symbol of the summer solstice.
■Date: Saturday, June 2024, 6
■Time: ①13:00~13:30 ②16:30~17:00
■Location: Nordic Square
■ Participation fee: Free

 

□ ＜TALK EVENT＞
① “Forest, Music and Life - Aigu Om! in metsä-”
We will introduce local footage from "Aigu Om!", which has been held since 2021, what the forest means to Estonians, and the involvement of the forest together with the production team. (with interpretation)
■Date: Saturday, June 2024, 6
■Time: 14:00-15:00
■Location: Craft Bibliotech
■ Participation fee: Free
■Cast: Taavi Tazzi (Estonian forest specialist), Mari Karkun (singer-songwriter), Janne Funk (interpreter), Arisa Kawasaki (facilitator/facilitator)

② “If you like Scandinavia, your next destination is Estonia!” Unknown charm'
Estonia, famous as an IT country, has many different faces. We will tell you about the charms that you cannot experience on a day trip.
■Date: Saturday, June 2024, 6
■Time: 15:30-16:15
■Location: Craft Bibliotech
■ Participation fee: Free
■Cast: Shigeyoshi Noto *3 (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania National Tourism Board Japan Representative)

③ “First time in the Baltic countries! Exploring the Summer Solstice Festival, Sauna and Gourmet Food”
There is a mystical summer solstice festival that is a bit different from Scandinavia, a deep sauna, and local cuisine, which is also Michelin-approved gourmet food. Introducing Baltic's summer highlights.
■ Date: September 2024, 6 (Sun)
■Time: 15:00-15:45
■Location: Craft Bibliotech
■ Participation fee: Free
■Cast: Shigeyoshi Noto (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania National Tourism Board Japan Representative)

□<FIELD TRIP> Kids event: Walking in the forest with Taavi
Explore the Metsä Forest with Taavi Tazzi*4, a forest expert from southern Estonia. We will fully experience the charm of nature while singing Estonian forest songs, and together we will learn about the fun and wonders of the forest. You'll definitely love the forest even more! (with interpretation)
■Date: Sunday, June 2024, 6 *Cancelled in case of rain
■Time: 10:30-11:30
■Location: Metsä Village, meet in front of the information desk
■Participation fee: Free (advance application required, first 15 people)
■Target age: Elementary school students and above (participants under 3rd grade of elementary school must be accompanied by a guardian)
■Application-only site:https://passmarket.yahoo.co.jp/event/show/detail/02a7scb6eeq31.html

 

□＜MOVIE＞ Latvian movie screening “Lucci and Yie”
The Republic of Latvia is one of the Baltic states. Arsunga village, with a population of 200, is located about XNUMX hours by bus from the capital Riga. The people living in the village are called ``Suiti'' and wear colorful ethnic costumes and sing powerful songs.
A Japanese student, Norie, comes to the house of Grandma Lucci, who lives alone in the village. Yie lives with Grandma Lucci and learns various things from her grandma in order to study Sweetie's songs for her master's degree. And overcoming various differences in culture, language, age, and other differences, the two form a friendship... There is something "important" that Japanese people are forgetting.
Director: Inara Colmane / Produced in 2015 / 65 minutes / Latvia
■ Date: September 2024, 6 (Sun)
■Time: ①13:00-14:05 ②16:00-17:05
■Location: Craft Bibliotech

 

□＜BOOK LIBRARY＞Library of books related to Lithuania is now open
Approximately 30 books from the Lithuanian Embassy's collection, including photo books and picture books, will make a special trip to the Midsummer Library.
■Date: May 2024, 5 (Sat) - June 25, 6 (Sun)
■Location: Craft Bibliotech
*No rentals available. Please pick it up and take a look on the spot.

 

□＜POP UP SHOP＞metsä's first! Estonia FOOD＆DESIGN shop
High-quality food is not just a part of the Estonian lifestyle, but a cornerstone of it and an important element of daily life. In addition, a pop-up shop will be available for two days only, filled with design products that are filled with sustainability, using natural and recycled materials, and are filled with playfulness and sensibility!
■Date: Saturday, June 2024, 6, Sunday, June 15, 6
■時間： 6月15日 （土）11:00～18:00、6月16日 （日）11:00～17:00
■Location: Craft Bibliotech

<Recommended products PICK UP>
① Roosiku Chocolate VEGAN, RAW, ORGANIC
The ultimate raw chocolate whose temperature is strictly controlled below 42℃. Sweets that children can enjoy with confidence, made with ingredients selected by a former chef, chocolatier, and father of six children. This vegan chocolate does not contain any animal ingredients and can be safely enjoyed by those with milk allergies.

② Honest Nektar Real honey from pure nature
100% organic honey from Estonia. We use only ripe honey from bees, without any additives or artificial feeding. The hives are surrounded by more than 3 kilometers of unaltered natural environment, which is the honey bee's active range. Estonia has rich forests and grasslands for bees, and a variety of wild plants that thrive in the subarctic climate provide a source of nectar.

③ Põhjala Teetalu The finest quality and taste that can only be produced from our own farm
Organic herbal tea proudly introduced by a small tea farm in Estonia. Most of our raw materials are grown on our own farms. We use naturally derived, renewable, and biodegradable materials, and we value not only deliciousness but also environmental friendliness.

④ Jaanihanso Craft Cider High-quality cider with secondary fermentation in the bottle
Cider is an alcoholic beverage made from delicious Estonian apples. High quality taste made using the champagne method. The cider is produced using only wild yeast, and is a sparkling cider made from apples with a rich aroma produced by the short northern summer. Enjoy the finest craft cider made with only carefully selected fruits and with fine champagne-like bubbles.

⑤ Puhaste Beer Estonian craft beer exported to beer superpowers Germany and Belgium!
The packaging is stylish and has received high praise for its quality, manufacturing method, and design. The packaging includes original art inspired by the beer's taste and story. Using Estonian malt as a base and slowly fermenting it with natural yeast, we create the finest craft beer filled with Estonian craftsmanship.

⑥ Reet Aus
Estonia's most popular upcycled fashion brand. The T-shirts are all made from surplus production fabrics, and are all patchwork-style T-shirts that do not use any prints.

<*1 About “Aigu Om!”>
A forest spreads out a few minutes after leaving Estonia's capital, Tallinn. The original landscape of Estonia is one where trees stretch out beyond your field of vision. South Estonia, which has not yet become much of a tourist destination, has many forests and springs that are called sacred places, and the region is home to distinctive features such as the ``smoke sauna'' and the traditional singing ``Setrero'', both of which are registered as intangible cultural heritage sites.
Mari Karkun, a nationally-known singer-songwriter who is fascinated by the natural beauty of this region, holds a festival called ``Aigu Om!'' every July with the theme of ``forests, music, and words.'' This year, Tartu and the region of Southern Estonia were selected as the European Capital of Culture Tartu 7, and <Aigu Om! Japan Special> is also recognized as an official event. Musicians, mountain specialists, mountain monks, and others will be participating from Japan, and you will be able to spend time in the Estonian forest that you would not experience in everyday life. https://www.aiguom-jp.com/

<*2 About Mari Karkun>
Musician, singer, and composer with roots in southern Estonia. Many of her songs are original works inspired by nature, Estonian poetry and folk music. She studied at the Biljandi Cultural Academy, expanding her skills on the accordion and kannel (traditional Estonian instruments), continued her studies at the Estonian Academy of Music and Drama, and then obtained a master's degree in "Traditional Singing" at the Sibelius Academy of Music in Helsinki, Finland. . In June 2018, the British newspaper The Guardian praised her album ``Ilmamõtsan'' (In the Woods of the World), stating that her language is not a barrier. She also produced a special program on Mali for the UK's BBC Radio 6 in February 3.
In 2020, Estonian Public Broadcasting selected Mari as Musician of the Year. He was the first traditional musician to receive this award. His latest album ``Stories of Stonia'' will be released in July 2023 on Peter Gabriel's label Real World Records (UK). He has been featured on international radio and TV stations including BBC7, BBC3, BBC Scotland, J-Wave Tokyo, Osaka Radio, Scotland TV and BBC Alba.
Estonian Music Award (2024) Ethno/Folk Album Category Winner. Selected as Musician of the Year (2020) by Estonian Public Broadcasting. Recipient of the Estonian Cultural Foundation's Annual Music Award (2019). Winner of Tallinn Music Week Artist Award (2018).

<*3 About Shigeyoshi Noto>
After working at a major travel agency, he joined the Finnish Tourism Board as a marketing manager in 1993, and since 1996 has been the director of Japan. He has been involved in Finnish promotions for over 20 years. In 2010 he founded Foresight Marketing Co., Ltd., which will continue to promote Finland until 2022. Since 2014, he has served as the Japan representative for the Baltic countries' national tourism boards. He is also involved in promotional strategy planning and marketing as a market specialist for EU projects.

<*4 About Taavi Tazzi>
Forest specialist. He studied forestry and worked at the Pähni National Forest visitor center in southeastern Estonia. From hiking and leisure activities to field trips for school children, she educates and provides information on various aspects of the forest environment.