HAKUBA MOUNTAIN Festival 2025

September 20th and 21st, 2025 at the international mountain resort "Hakuba Village"HAKUBA Mountain Festival 2025The festival was held on September 20th. Participants enjoyed high-quality live performances by artists from Japan and abroad while touring three stages, each with its own unique characteristics, and were able to deeply experience Hakuba's magnificent nature with all five senses. I had the opportunity to watch Maria Okabe's performance on the "Base Stage" on September 9th, as well as her performance on the "Mountain Stage."

The first music festival held in the natural beauty of the Northern Alps
The event will be held over two days, on Saturday, September 20th and Sunday, September 21st, in Hakuba Village, Nagano Prefecture, at an altitude of approximately 700m."HAKUBA MOUNTAIN Festival 2025"This was the first music festival to be held in Hakuba Village, surrounded by the magnificent nature of the Northern Alps, and it attracted attention as a new style of music event that combined nature, music, and the outdoors.

Three distinctive stages
The festival consisted of three stages with different characteristics.
The Mountain Stage was set up at the Hakuba Ski Jump Stadium, the venue for the Nagano Olympics in 1998. Performing at a special venue with Olympic history was truly a luxurious experience.
The Universe Stage was held at Hakuba Happo-one Usagidaira, located at an altitude of 1,400m, and the audience was surprised by the more dramatic location than they had imagined, as they traveled to the venue by gondola.
The Base Stage was set up on the lawn area of ​​the popular local facility, Snow Peak Land Station Hakuba. With the beautiful mountains of Hakuba spreading out as a backdrop, the stage was a wonderful space that made you want to take a deep breath and soothe yourself with the breathtaking scenery while listening to music.

■Maria Okabe

It was her first time performing on such a large stage as Hakuba Festival, and she performed five original songs that day.

1st song: "Ride in Summer"
Apparently, this song was created when he was in his second year of high school and was brushed up again, and this was the first time it was unveiled.

2nd song “Breeze”
She visits Nagano Prefecture almost every year, and when she came here with a friend, she composed this song with the image of a fantasy world in mind.

3rd song "In the Light"
As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, the song expresses the sentiment that being alive today is something that should never be taken for granted. It is a song filled with gratitude for the peaceful daily life we ​​live today.

4th song: "Because I loved you."
It was a sad ballad song about the love that everyone continues to have from their youth to old age. This was a self-cover of a song that was originally written for Miho Hayashi.

5th song "Harujion"
Apparently, the song was created as the theme song for a short film in collaboration with Aoyama Gakuin University. The song contains the message, "It's okay to be yourself," and the powerful message, "Find the right way to live your life," was impressive.

■CANDY TUNE

I was able to listen to a variety of songs, including the recently popular "Double Fight!", which sparked my interest in them even more. The song that included self-introductions conveyed each member's individuality and appeal, and it was a very cute performance.

■Shonan no Kaze

The concert was held in the rain, but the members of Shonan no Kaze were splashed with water during the show, making it impressive how they even incorporated the bad weather into the performance. With towels waving and other activities, the audience was enthralled by the passionate performance that is typical of Shonan no Kaze, and it was a very enjoyable time for the audience.

Student Newspaper Online September 20, 2025 Interview by Student Newspaper Assistant Maho Wada