About Us / Ojika International Music Festival 11

Ojika Islands, consisted of 17 volcanic islands, are located at 70 km away from the Sasebo, Nagasaki. Surrounded by East China Sea, these islands are symbolic in Saikai National Park. The Ojika International Music Festival, operated by people of Ojika, proposes creative leisure activities.

Two islands will be the main venues: Ojika Main Island, the most populated among others, and Nozaki Island, uninhabited island with 500 wild deer. Visitors discover rich history and culture in these two islands. You will find the sincere prayer of ancient people in a pair of Kojima Shinto Shrines, which are facing toward each other, one from Ojika Main Island and the other from Nozaki Island. These two shrines was built to pray for the safety on the long journey of Japanese envoy to China in the Tang Dynasty. The Nokubi Church in Nozaki Island, built in 1908, is nominated as a candidate of a World Heritage site by Japanese Cultural Affairs Agency.

The idea of Ojika Music Festival has developed from the “heart to heart interaction concert" of Vienna Dante Quadrates from Austria, invited by Tsunenori Masuda, an artist who loves Ojika, in May, 2000. While their performance moved Ojika people's heart, it was very inspirational for the performers as well to play music in the nature and the tranquil environment. Since then, the committee for Music Festival, created by local people, has invited domestic and international performers from various genres. Our Music Festival is remarkable as the festival allows its participants to enjoy both lessons and concerts, in addition to the beautiful nature of Ojika.