I went to Sukiyaki Meets the World Festival. It's a world music festival that's open to the public with a history of more than 30 years. It is held every year in a small town about 30 minutes drive from my house.

The outdoor stage is free of charge, so there are many families and others from the neighborhood. There artists perform short 15-minute shows. If you want to see more, you can buy a ticket and enter the indoor venue.

The indoor venue is not terribly crowded, so children can be seen jumping around in the front of the floor. There is seating upstairs where the elderly can enjoy the show as well. Music enthusiasts also come from all over Japan. Many of the volunteer staff are neighborhood middle and high school students. Since English is the common language of artists and staff, it is an opportunity for students to practice their English conversation skills.

Today's indoor shows featured three groups of artists from Japan, the Golan Heights, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively.

I was most impressed by TootArd from the Golan Heights. I wondered why they were introduced as "from the Golan Heights" instead of their nationality. In fact, they do not have nationality. I later learned that there was also a public interview with them this morning. It's a shame I missed it since I'm interested in their backgrounds now.

I enjoyed the festival for its great diversity of both artists and guests.