Report: Participation in the 4th NETSUGEN Summer Festival @ Gunma Prefectural Office

On August 30, 2025, the NETSUGEN Summer Festival was held at the Gunma Prefectural Office.

This event was organized by monthly members of NETSUGEN, a public-private co-creation space, and featured food stalls, product sales, hands-on booths, and workshops—a lineup that families could enjoy together.

As an alliance partner of NETSUGEN, Kusatsu Onsen Coworking also participated, setting up a booth at the venue.

This year’s event theme was “Connections That Don’t End There.”

With the aim of building relationships that last—both among exhibitors and with visitors—
we’d like to share a look back at the event and the wonderful exchanges that took place.

Sharing the Refreshing Spirit of Kusatsu Onsen

At the Kusatsu Onsen Coworking booth, we hosted a wind chime painting experience.

In summer, wind chimes are displayed all over Kusatsu Town.
We wanted more people to enjoy their soothing sound and learn about Kusatsu, so we planned this activity.

We had previously held the same event for Kusatsu residents,
which proved successful in sparking conversations and letting participants share the joy of creating.

Still, with so many attractive booths around, we worried whether anyone would stop by ours…
but right after the event began, we heard excited voices saying, “I want to paint a wind chime!”

Families with children, couples, and many others soon gathered,
and before long our booth was packed—much more lively than we had imagined!

Next to children freely painting with bold strokes, their mothers carefully planned out designs.
Some fathers worked together with their kids on a single wind chime,
while others—like one young woman who stopped by alone—crafted her piece with the precision of an artisan.

It was wonderful to see so many different styles of engagement.

(The yellow wind chimes turned out to be a hit! Lots of participants painted their own versions of the sample sunflower design 🌻)

The Beloved Gunma-chan Makes an Appearance!

Our booth was lively throughout the day,
but at one point an especially large crowd gathered.

That was when Gunma-chan, the beloved mascot of Gunma Prefecture, came to visit each booth.
Surrounded by fans and photographers, Gunma-chan looked just like an idol on tour!

When the group noticed our Gunma-chan-themed wind chime, they stopped and sparked a lively discussion.
At that moment, even participants paused their painting to watch Gunma-chan’s every move.

Come visit Kusatsu at least once!

While the children were absorbed in painting,
we had many chances to chat with their parents and guardians.

As we asked questions like:
“Where are you visiting from today?”
“Have you ever been to Kusatsu Onsen?”

people kindly shared their stories with us.

Some said:
“Kusatsu sounds cool—maybe we’ll visit next summer.”
“I actually lived in Kusatsu a few years ago!”
“We own a vacation home there and go often—Kusatsu is wonderful.”

Others asked questions like:
“I’d love to take my kids—are there private family baths?”
“Wait, there are free hot springs?! I didn’t know that.”
“What’s the climate like in Kusatsu? Is it comfortable to live there?”

These conversations gave us many hints on what people want to know about Kusatsu,
and were a great learning experience for us.

It made us realize, “Ah, so that’s what people are curious about!”
We even came up with new ideas for future events—something we’re very grateful for.

More than just a connection.

The summer festival ran from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,
and welcomed a total of about 2,500 visitors, making it a truly grand event.

We were delighted to have such a wonderful opportunity to share both Kusatsu Town and Kusatsu Onsen Coworking with so many people.

We hope that these encounters will inspire more people to discover the charm of Kusatsu and eventually visit in person.

We also treasure the new connections we made with fellow exhibitors,
and look forward to collaborating on more enjoyable projects together.

Reaching beyond Kusatsu and connecting with so many inspiring people across Gunma
was a true asset for Kusatsu Onsen Coworking.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone at NETSUGEN, and to all who joined us that day!