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<p>On October 5th, I had the honor of participating as one of the judges for the <em>International Red-White Singing Festival in IKUNO</em>, which was held for the first time under the organization of the local government.</p>

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Twelve groups from seven countries, who had passed through four rounds of selection, took part in the event. The program featured the comedy duo <em>Mujinzou</em> as hosts; senior participants amazed the audience with elegant（？） Latin dance steps; the wife of a popular Nepalese restaurant owner from the local shopping street sang “Osaka Lover”; a Vietnamese man who works at a care facility performed “Naniwabushi da yo, Jinsei wa”;</p>

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<p>And even Mayor Sujihara sang a celebratory song in English. The whole venue was filled with energy and excitement.</p>

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<p>In Osaka’s Ikuno Ward, more than 20% of registered residents are foreign nationals. It truly feels like a community where people recognize and respect each other’s cultures.<br />
I am genuinely delighted that the <em>International Red-White Singing Festival</em> continues to grow as an event where both Japanese residents and those from abroad can mutually acknowledge and celebrate one another.</p>

<p>To everyone who has devoted so much time and effort to making the <em>International Red-White Singing Festival in IKUNO</em> a reality—thank you so much for your hard work.</p>

<p><strong><em>Finale of the International Red-White Singing Festival in IKUNO: “Continuation of This Earth”</em></strong></p>

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<p>（written by the founder of the International Red-White Singing Festival(IRWS) Kazumi Miyazaki)</p>
