Yosomono Fest 2026: More Than an Event, A Shared Experience

On February 22nd, 2026, we held Yosomono Fest at the Ichinohe Community Center. I’m still processing what that day truly meant.

Everything started right on time. After a long period of preparation (meetings, ideas, adjustments, testing, and coordination), the moment finally arrived. This year, I wanted to be more involved in the organization, and among other things, I designed the event poster myself. It was a personal challenge. I still want to improve my design skills here in Japan, but seeing the poster printed and displayed on the day of the event gave me a quiet sense of accomplishment.

Talent in Every Booth, Talent in Every Story

Each member had their own booth and also participated in the talk session. What impressed me the most was how each person demonstrated completely different talents:

• Board games
• A fitness experience
• Bear trap setting practice
• Photo books and travel journals
• A Jōmon cultural experience
• And many other interactive activities

It wasn’t just a presentation of our roles and activities so far. It was an experience.

For my part, I tried to showcase what I have been building. I shared my projects, my journey, and something that made me especially happy: this website and my social media platforms — created to share Iwate and its surroundings, particularly Ichinohe — have reached more than 20,000 people across over 60+ countries worldwide.

Since this event was mainly intended for the residents of Ichinohe, I also wanted to share something more personal: my roots and my present self. My identity has not changed — I am still the foreigner, the Colombian, the Latino who arrived in Japan just two years ago and has been learning the language and culture, especially here in northern Japan.

For example, since October, I have been learning in the Ichinohe shamisen circle, and I wanted to share that learning process as well.

Flavors That Connect Cultures

The event also featured food and drinks that reflected this cultural blend:

• Hot cocoa (a special version prepared by Hashizume-san, who moved here from Tokyo)
• Hitsumi (a Kansai-style version prepared by Nagai-san, who came from the Kansai region)
• And a hot drink I made called “AG” — short for Agua Panela con Limón, a traditional Colombian beverage, made with Okinawan panela sugar

More Than 75 People, Countless Conversations

More than 75 people attended. Beyond the number, what truly stayed with me was the atmosphere: conversations, curiosity, laughter, questions, and exchange.

Officially, the event was meant to showcase our activities as members of the Chiiki Okoshi Kyoryokutai program. But in reality, it became something deeper. It was an opportunity to rethink the meaning of the word Yosomono (よそ者), which in Japanese means “outsider” or “foreigner.”In the end, all members of the program share something in common: we came from outside, bringing different talents, ideas, and experiences.

We come to learn from the place we chose to live in for three years, but we also come to share what we bring with us.

It is an exchange.

We learn, we teach, we make mistakes, we improve.

And if everything goes well, we create a positive feedback loop, for the community and for ourselves.