[Metsä Co., Ltd.] The Nordic summer tradition “Summer Solstice Festival” is coming again this year! Let’s dance around the summer specialty “Summer Solstice Bonfire” with guests related to
Scandinavia! The Crayfish Party Ambassador is Swedish talent LiLiCo!
Moomin Story Co., Ltd. Press release: April 30, 2025 The Nordic summer tradition “Summer Solstice Festival” is coming again this year! Let’s dance around the summer specialty “Summer Solstice Bonfire” with guests related to Scandinavia! The Crayfish Party Ambassador is Swedish talent LiLiCo! – “Mezza’s Summer Solstice Festival 2025” Information Release 1st – Metsä Village (Hanno City, Saitama Prefecture), a Scandinavian lifestyle experience facility operated by Metsä Co., Ltd. (President: Kiyoshi Mochizuki), will hold the Metsä Summer Solstice Festival 2025, which is based on the traditional Nordic summer festival, Midsummer Festival, from Saturday, May 24th to Sunday, June 22nd, 2025. The main event is the “Midsummer Ceremony” to celebrate the arrival of early summer in Scandinavia. Guests with ties to Scandinavia will light a “summer solstice bonfire,” and a dance experience event will be held around the fire that anyone can participate in. We also hold flower crown making workshops for ceremonies and dancing, a crayfish party that is a summer tradition, outdoor events such as yoga, nature tours, and Nordic walking on weekends, and a Nordic market. At the entrance, a flower crown decoration inspired by the national flags of the eight Scandinavian countries, “Summer Solstice Flower Crown Road of the Eight Scandinavian Countries,” will appear along a path of about 100 meters to welcome guests. After this, we will continue to release content that allows you to experience Scandinavian culture during the period.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-babcf0e86702490b9518b71327fa3fee-1667×1000.jpg ■Date and time: May 24, 2025 (Sat) – June 22, 2025 (Sun) Free admission ■Details: https://metsa-hanno.com/lp/midsummer2025/ ■Sponsored by: Embassy of Sweden, Embassy of Finland ■ Cooperation: Hanno City Library, Harmony Fields Co., Ltd. □You can see it every day! “Midsummer Library” with a huge flower crown decoration inspired by the national flag “Flower Crown Road of 8 Scandinavian Countries” and 200 Scandinavian books □At the “Midsummer Ceremony,” guests from Scandinavia light the “bonfire,” the symbol of the summer solstice festival. At the end, there is a dance time that anyone can join! Let’s make a flower crown, a must-have item for the summer solstice festival, at a workshop □Produced by LiLiCo! “Crayfish party” is a summer tradition in Sweden □LiLiCo will appear on Saturday, June 14th! Let’s enjoy crawfish party, dancing, and cocco together □June 21st (Sat) and 22nd (Sun) “Lakeside Scandinavian Market” □Yoga, Nordic walking, and nature tours are also special editions for the summer solstice □ – The sparkle of the sun, a festival of nature and people, a Nordic festival, the beginning of summer. ― The summer solstice festival season is coming again this year to Metsä, which is a collection of Nordic summer traditions The “Summer Solstice Festival” is an event as important as Christmas in Scandinavia, where the summer period is short, and celebrates the summer solstice, the day with the longest daylight hours of the year. Ahead of early summer in Japan, we will be counting down to the summer solstice by arranging various events that are typical of summer in Northern Europe in the Metsä style. The main event is the “Midsummer Ceremony” to celebrate the arrival of early summer in Scandinavia. Guests with ties to
Scandinavia will light a “summer solstice bonfire,” and a dance experience event will be held around the fire that anyone can participate in. Workshops on making flower crowns for ceremonies and a Nordic market will also be held. A crawfish party, a Nordic summer tradition, is being planned, produced by Swedish talent and film commentator LiLiCo*1, and on June 14th (Saturday), he will come to Metsä as a party ambassador. It is a festival that brings together the best of Northern Europe’s traditional summer culture. Now is the season when your mouth is craving crawfish! August is the official crawfish season in Sweden, but let’s get a little ahead of the curve. We have been blessed with good weather every year, and I will pray to the weather gods to make this year’s event a grand success. I would appreciate everyone’s cooperation (^.^) Enjoy crawfish, delicious drinks, talk and dance at Metsä, which is the closest to Japan’s Scandinavian environment! Fashion is summer-like, fun and stylish in your own way. Crawfish cosplay is also okay (lol) After eating the crayfish, be sure to visit Moomin and his friends. Enjoy Metsä’s Scandinavian world all day long, and watch the fantastic bonfires at the end to feel the start of a full-fledged summer (Heart)︎ We look forward to your participation!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-0417b7929329da233ef011ec153b4c85-1575×2362.jpg □The huge flower crown road at the entrance is decorated with the national flags of eight Scandinavian countries At the entrance to Metsä, “Mezzatier,” there will be a “Summer Solstice Flower Crown Road from 8 Northern European Countries” with the motif of the summer solstice festival’s must-have item, “flower crowns.” The impact of the huge corolla, elegantly decorated with ribbons in the colors of each country’s national flag, is outstanding! This is a photo spot that you can enjoy every day during the period.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-b8fa584b53ce5ba3f111adcaf65c5a01-1667×1000.jpg □Dance around the summer solstice bonfire with live music and ignition guests associated with Scandinavia! 1. Midsummer Ceremony In Finland, the symbol of the summer solstice is the “bonfire” called “Kokko”. On Saturdays during the event, we will host a “Midsummer Ceremony” with guests from Scandinavia, live music, lighting, and dancing around the fire! At Metsä, we hold bonfires using thinned wood from local Hanno wood called Nishikawa wood. Celebrate the arrival of summer by the lake with a roaring bonfire.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-d073fe903724f89a51c7fbe7bd97a48c-600×400.jpg ■Date and time: May 24th (Sat), June 14th (Sat), and 21st (Sat) 16:00~ ※Cancelled due to rain/strong winds, participation is free ■Ignition guest: Live performance: Ville Hiltula (Finnish bandoneon player) & Ikumi Nakayama (piano) *2 Cocco Ignition: Ville Hiltura Dance: Usva (Finnish traditional dance) *3 Live performance: Musikanterna (traditional Swedish music) *4 〇 Dance: Musikanterna (Swedish traditional music & dance) Live performance & Kokko ignition: Keijiro Suga (poet, comparative literature researcher) & Keita Kojima (musician, writer, translator) *5 Dance: Usva (Finnish traditional dance) ■Location: Nordic Square
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-3a4e1e325279c687f982fdb878444e99-873×555.png 2. Other special events on the day of the Midsummer Ceremony 1. Dancing and live music around the maypole (free of charge) A unique style of dancing around a maypole from Åland, an island located between Sweden and Finland. After the demonstration, let’s join together! ■Dance 1. May 24th (Saturday) June 21st (Saturday) Finnish Dance (Performer: Usva) 2. June 14th (Saturday) Swedish Dance (Performer: Musikanterna) Time: 1.14:30~2.16:00~ (approximately 30 minutes each time) ■Live music May 24th (Sat) 14:00~ Ville Hiltula & Ikumi Nakayama (Finnish music performance) ■Location: 1.14:30~Mezza Aukio 2.16:00~Nordic Square *Cancelled in case of rain
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-5925d7f17edda548b27322bcf73cca8a-800×257.jpg A workshop to make an original “flower crown”, a must-have item for the summer solstice festival, will also be held at the same time. ■Date and time: May 24th (Sat) June 14th (Sat) 10:00-16:30 ■Location: Nordic Square *Cancelled in case of rain
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-9bbaf44e0fecf9f9f4eea6db886d719a-759×1136.jpg 2. Keijiro Kan and Keita Kojima will appear at the Midsummer Ceremony to commemorate the publication of “Kenji Miyazawa of Samiland” x Metsä’s Summer Solstice Festival special event A talk and live event by poet Keijiro Kan and musician Keita Kojima, who have continued their activities with the reading drama “Night on the Galactic Railway” to this day. Last February, 100 years after Kenji Miyazawa wrote “Night on the Galactic Railroad,” the two decided to take a journey to take Kenji’s spirit and words, who longed for the “north,” to Samiland in northern Finland, the northernmost place. We headed north from Rovaniemi, the town of Santa Claus, and visited a poet from the Sami ethnic minority who lives in Finland’s northernmost village, where he read Kenji’s poems at a lake that is a sacred place for the Sami. The world described in the book will be brought to light in three dimensions by showing photos of the two’s travels, as well as poems and songs created locally. In addition, the two artists, who were invited to represent Japan at the “Lahti Poetry Marathon 2019” held in Lahti, Finland, will also introduce episodes from their summer stay in Finland. *A book sale will also be held before and after the event time. Questions about the autograph and the contents of the book are also welcome! ■Date and time: June 21st (Sat) 13:00~ ■Location: Craft Bibliotech
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-c652187faf8cee36efdc6a14a0680fb5-762×1100.jpg □“Swedish-style crawfish party” produced by LiLiCo Would you like to experience a full-fledged “crayfish party”, a summer pastime of Swedish people, produced by Swedish talent LiLiCo? Just like at a real party, everyone wears paper aprons and hats with crayfish
illustrations on them, sings a toasting song called “Helan Går” that is often sung at festivals and parties, and drinks the distilled spirits in shot glasses while shouting “Squall!” For a metsä-style toast, enjoy REISHI GIN,*6 a 100% plant-based distilled spirit and wellness spirit that is kind to the earth and people. On June 14th (Saturday), a special episode will be held where you can enjoy a party with LiLiCo!
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-27ee62350ef86a0169d6f1d710356e59-3900×2523.jpg “Midsummer Crayfish Special Course” *2 servings/Image is for illustrative purposes only Olive and cheese snack set, crawfish salad with homemade dressing “REISHI GIN,” (non-alcoholic apple juice) Nordic plate (3 types of herring (tomato, dill onion, mustard)), potato Domestic crayfish (6 per person) Vanilla ice cream (with crawfish cookies) All-you-can-drink menu Alcohol: Highball, Coke High, Lemon Sour, Red Wine, White Wine Non-alcoholic: Oolong tea, apple juice, cola ※Additional all-you-can-drink beer is 500 yen per person ■Date and time: May 24th (Saturday) June 14th (Saturday) 13:00~ (Approximately 90 minutes) *Rain or shine ■Location: Near the boat pier *Utepils in case of rain ■Participation fee: May 24th (Saturday) 10,000 yen for 2 people/group, June 14th (Saturday) 15,000 yen for 2 people/group *Advance reservation required, first 15 groups, 30 people Application: https://passmarket.yahoo.co.jp/event/show/detail/0228dfmfvbe41.html □Held on the summer solstice weekend! “Nordic Market by the Lake” which collects only good things related to Northern Europe An outdoor market where you can enjoy the summer Nordic atmosphere and
once-in-a-lifetime encounters. More than 15 stores gather each day, from famous Scandinavian brands to miscellaneous goods, crafts, vintage, and food! ■Date and time: June 21st (Sat) and 22nd (Sun) 10:00-17:00 *Cancelled in case of rain ■Location: Metsa Aukio ＜Store PICK UP＞
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-5b2c5d254d5eaa33987e1fb6a3a2db25-800×171.jpg (Storers: from left: tuikku, KNUT, CAFE SUCRE, Verbe Kome) □The weekend outdoor event is also a special version of the Summer Solstice Festival collaboration! 1. Summer Solstice Festival Lakeside Yoga A special version of the yoga program for this day only, incorporating elements of Scandinavia, nature, and the summer solstice. Purify your mind and body with yoga and meditation during the season when the leaves are in full bloom. ■Date and time: May 24th (Sat) 10:15-11:00 *Cancelled in case of rain ■Location: Nordic Square ■Lecturer: Maro Marumo Application:
https://passmarket.yahoo.co.jp/event/show/detail/02hmsqyawc941.html
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-a1e430c4dd2368315b3418fc20b5194f-3680×2456.jpg 2. Nordic Walking Festival 2025 Enjoy the charm of Nordic walking, which originated in Finland. Beginners are welcome with lessons included! ■Date and time: May 25th (Sunday) 10:00-12:30 *Cancelled in case of rain ■Meeting location: In front of Metsä Village Information ■ Sponsored by: Japan Nordic Walking Association Application: https://www.jnwa.org/archives/12211
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-12f216283d36082b2987d764ba1ac90c-1000×667.jpg 3. Midsummer Festival Nature Tour ~ Plant dyeing and flower bookmark making ~ Observe the plants and creatures that can only be found in early summer, dye plants using “Gerophyllum japonica”, and make bookmarks from picked flowers and leaves to give shape to the arrival of summer. *The designated invasive species, the “Gerophyllum japonica,” is a plant that is usually cut down because it affects native plants. This time, we will learn how to use them effectively while exterminating them, and also learn about the relationship with alien species. ■Date and time: May 31st (Sat) 13:00-16:30 *Rain or shine ■Meeting location: In front of Metsä Village Information ■Lecturer: Mori no Feed Gakusha Application:
https://passmarket.yahoo.co.jp/event/show/detail/0214v1wgmmd41.html
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-e75551ccbc0afd7782cf0e31506d6c7b-1000×667.jpg □Midsummer Library, a select library with books about eight
Scandinavian countries Special project with Hanno City Library *7. Approximately 200 books will be sent to Metsä from the Hanno City Library and Children’s Library, including books related to eight Scandinavian countries selected by professional book librarians, and books donated by the Finnish Embassy. Why not deepen your knowledge about Scandinavia at “Bibliotek”, which means “library” in Swedish, Danish, and Norwegian. ■Date and time: May 24th (Sat) – June 22nd (Sun) 10:00 – 18:00 (Saturdays, Sundays and holidays until 19:00) ■Location: Craft Bibliotech *No rentals available. ■ Cooperation: Hanno City Library
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-63465a6a03988b57a146b61904f4d357-3900×2195.jpg ＜Party Ambassador LiLiCo *1＞ Born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1970. He came to Japan at the age of 18 and started his entertainment career in 1989. He has appeared on TBS’s “King’s Brunch” as a movie
commentator, and has appeared on many programs such as Fuji TV’s “Nonstop!” and J-WAVE’s “ALL GOOD FRIDAY.” He is active in many fields, including the voice actor, narrator, and actor for the role of Cartman in the animated series “South Park.” In 2024, he received the HAPPY WOMAN Award for his contributions to creating a sustainable society, and the Yodogawa Nagaharu Award for his contributions to the promotion of foreign films. He is also enthusiastic about fashion, and also designs and produces clothes and jewelry.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-b29903ac01194fc6f5f2dce1eeee04d39-1800×2700.jpg ＜5/24 Live Music Ville Hiltura & Nakayama Ikumi *2＞ ・Ville HILTULA (Ville Hiltura) A bandoneon player and tango player from Finland. Over the years, he has performed in various European countries, as well as around the world, including Argentina, the United States, Japan, Korea, and Russia, and has built a wide-ranging and international career. He has previously established tango orchestras such as Ville Hiltula Tango Cuarteto, Ville Hiltula Ensemble, Tango Borealis and Locura Tanguera, and has also performed for 10 years from 2005 to 2015 as a member of the world-renowned tango orchestra, Carel Kraayenhof y su Sexteto Canyengue. Currently based in Japan.
https://www.villehiltula.com
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-6daefee22ab32c78f57cdd061724cbe1-1440×2160.png ・Nakayama Ikumi (Nakayama Ikumi) Graduated from the Department of Music at Toho Gakuen University. He frequently traveled to Europe to participate in the Jouje musical at Saint-Germain-en-Ray in France. Solo, chamber music, accompaniment. He is also involved in composition and arrangement activities. In addition to arrangements by the Tokyo Chamber Orchestra, over 30 sheet music has been published, including Ark Publishing and IKM Publishing’s “The Fun of the Trio I, II.” He participated in the “Ourunsaro Music Festival” in 2001 by arranging and performing Piazzolla’s works. He also works as a tango pianist as a member of “Okamoto Akira and Tanguissimo.” He also entered the field of old jazz and participated in the jazz orchestra CDs in arrangements and performances.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-c7daea477fb74cfbd06040daa8709db7-852×1280.jpg This group was formed by volunteers who wanted to dance Finland from people who have experienced folk dance around the world.
Representative Kajiwara Salla is from Turku, Finland. From 1996 to 2012, he joined the folk dance group Virsut in Finland and
participated in many domestic and international dance festivals and demonstrations every year. This was established with the desire to create a place where musicians who are interested in Scandinavian music and dancers who are obsessed with the appeal of Swedish dance can interact freely, not for commercial purposes. You can enjoy Swedish folk dance and the performance of the traditional Swedish instrument Nyckelharpa. ・Suga Keijiro (Suga Keijiro) Born in 1958. Poet and comparative literature researcher. Professor at Meiji University’s Faculty of Science and Engineering and the Graduate School of Arts. In 2011, he won the Yomiuri Literature Award for his work on “A Triple Line Journey.” Many authors and translated books. In 2011, he began his reading drama “Night on the Galaxy Railroad” with Furukawa Hideo, Shibata Motoyuki, and Kojima Keitany Love. In 2022, the compilation drama won the Miyazawa Kenji Award Encouragement Award. In June 2019, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Japan-Finn friendship, he was invited to represent Japan at the “Lahati Poetry Marathon 2019” held in Lahati City, Finland along with Kojima Keita. In February 2024, he took a trip to Samiland, the northernmost part of Finland, along with Kojima Keita, carrying the words and ideas of Miyazawa Kenji, who had longed for the north. In December of the same year, Miyazawa Kenji was published.
https://www.hakusuisha.co.jp/book/b654968.html
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-da49c793f1ecb261e6e3eda3585846fa-2300×1530.jpg ・Kojima Keita (Kojima Keita) Born in 1980. Musician, writer, and translator. As singer-songwriter Kojima Keitany Love, she has produced NHK Minna no Uta, “Blanket Day.” In 2011, he began his activities in the reading drama “Night on the Galaxy Railroad” along with Furukawa Hideo, Shibata Motoyuki, and Kan Keijiro, and has performed as a performer and music director. In 2022, the compilation drama won the Miyazawa Kenji Award Encouragement Award.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-481242d3ddbe23ad6db3c6a57bcf4816-1803×2700.jpg REISHI GIN, the first collection of wellness brand REUNION, which has the concept of “MAKE IT COLORFUL” (colors life with fun), is a domestically produced “REISHI,” which has been called “Mogami Medicine” in Chinese medicine and has been valued for wellness since ancient times. A 100% plant-based wellness spirit that is gentle on the earth and humans, using reused bottles and using plants grown in environmentally regenerative agriculture as the ingredients, and is finished by hand from brewing to distillation. The bitterness and richness unique to Reishi, and the spicy flavor of the sansho pepper, make it a refreshing highball when mixed with cocktails or soda. It can also be enjoyed as a drink while eating.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/20740/402/20740-402-a1c3d9153a06229e82d8441bc555b80c-1800×2700.jpg A library with a wooden scent, made from Nishikawa wood, a local Hanno wood, and used as a finishing material for ceilings and walls. The ceiling is high, inspired by a forest with trees, and the walls are glass-covered, allowing natural light to pour through the trees, allowing you to read and research while feeling the softness, warmth, and scent that Nishikawa wood possesses. Hanno Municipal Children’s Library is a library for books for children and children. The building is a log house-style building, and the shoes are woven into the building, so even small children can enjoy a relaxing time with peace of mind.
https://img.youtube.com/vi/CPDcA0DMu_Y/sddefault.jpg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPDcA0DMu_Y
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