12th Hitachi Construction Machinery Festival

The 12th Hitachi Construction Machinery Festival was held at Tsuchiura Works on November 6th. The event is held to express our gratitude to local residents and all others who consistently offer their support and cooperation. The weather was perfect on the day of the event. Around 5,000 visitors, an all-time high, attended the festival.

There were many popular events. There was an area to display products, such as the ICT hydraulic excavator ZX200X-5B, the ever-popular mini excavator that children could try out, and factory tours. The tours are given by bus and electric-powered carts. Many visitors also waited in anticipation for the annual all-you-can-stuff potatoes by the bag and charity game zone. All-in-all the festival was a great success.

On center stage, performances lived up the festival. There was a variety of entertainment. Street-performers Clowncon & Tom entertained guests. There was a taiko drum troupe performance. Sally Onitsuka, the ambassador to Kasumigaura City which is her home town, gave a miniconcert. Furusato O-entai Gaura-C, the city’s unofficial hero, also gave a show. Local characters representing HCM sites also put in an appearance to the delight of the children—Tsuchimaru from Tsuchiura, Uraha and Horoma, representing the town of Urahoro, Hokkaido the home of the Urahoro Test Site, and Batamocchi from Kita-Akita City the home of Shintohoku Metal Co., Ltd.

At the convention hall, visitors were offered a cross-cultural experience. Trainees from China, India, and Indonesia participated in the event. Guests took pictures wearing traditional garb from various countries and regions. There was also an area for visitors to experience virtual reality. Visitors were thrilled by both events.

The day was filled with many smiles!