Hanami Expo at cherry blossom viewing spots, a big gathering of Kansai’s eemono and omoroi (interesting) foods!

This project was launched with the idea that it would be a waste not to use Ikeda City’s Gogatsuyama Park, famous for its cherry blossoms, during the cherry blossom viewing season, and to welcome everyone who comes to Ikeda City to enjoy cherry blossom viewing. At Gogatsuyama Park, located in the center of Ikeda City, a regional Expo will be held, bringing together the attractions of people and goods from Ikeda City and the Hokusetsu region to enliven both the region and hanami, as well as the Expo itself. This year’s event will also feature the “Osanpo Marche,” where local merchants will work together to enliven the area around the station, aiming to energize the entire city of Ikeda and link it with other hanami events across Japan before the Expo opens. This is a large-scale event to discover the charms of the region and the Expo in a fun way with more people. We will continue this event by enhancing cooperation among the cities of Hokusetsu and the public and private sectors.

Project Inauguration

This project was launched with the aim of “having a fun hanami (cherry blossom viewing) and marché with everyone to enliven Ikeda City. In the first year, we started with a plant-related marché, as Ikeda is a town of plants. Next, in response to many requests from visitors, food and drink stalls and kitchen cars were introduced. The project also aims to enliven Ikeda and Hokusetsu as a regional Expo (Ikeda Expo and Hokusetsu Expo) that also gathers attractive content from Ikeda City and surrounding cities, and aims to promote Ikeda and Hokusetsu and regional cooperation.

Project Activities

植木の街池田市を緑の街としてPRするべく始まったのが「グリーンマルシェ」、そして桜が有名な五月山のさくらの花見を連携させたのが「さくらグリーンマルシェ」、さらに、池田市や周辺都市（北摂）の人やモノの魅力を集めたのが「イケダ万博」です。今回はさらに地域の商店が連携して駅周辺を盛り上げるおさんぽマルシェも同時開催し、池田市全体を盛り上げます。また、池田市や北摂を盛り上げる春のイベントとして定着させるとともに、北摂各都市の協力や官民連携の代表的なイベントとして発展させていきます。

Future Prospects for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo

As an event held just prior to the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo, the Expo Bar Ikeda was held under the theme of “Public-Private Cooperation” mainly to enhance cooperation among the various government offices in Hokusetsu. Expo Ikeda will be established as a spring event that enlivens Ikeda City and Hokusetsu, and will be developed as a representative event for cooperation and public-private partnerships among the cities in Hokusetsu. As regional and public-private cooperation increases, we aim to implement the event in Umekita and surrounding cities (Ikeda in the spring, Minoh in the fall, Umekita in October, and Kawanishi in early November with increased collaboration and mutual cooperation).