JAWS FESTA is the annual event of JAWS-UG, an AWS user group. This year, it was held in Akita on November 7th, and Ohtani from ASCII participated for both speaking and reporting. Here, instead of focusing on the sessions, I want to write about what Ohtani felt and enjoyed at JAWS FESTA 2026 in Akita from his perspective.
Here in Akita! Here at JAWS FESTA!
Go to Akita, Japan's Hidden Gem! JAWS FESTA Starts the Day Before
This was my second time in Akita. My last visit to Akita was also for reporting on the Tohoku IT Products Exhibition held 10 years ago. User communities always invite me on journeys. Moreover, this time, I was asked by the executive committee members to moderate a keynote panel where the Mayor of Akita would also speak. So, the purpose of this business trip was reporting and speaking.
After finishing my regular internal meeting on Friday afternoon, I headed to Tokyo Station and boarded the Tohoku Shinkansen "Komachi" for Akita. As the bullet train sped along, the bright outside quickly turned into dusk, and it was dark before we even reached Sendai. At Morioka, we bid farewell to the "Hayabusa" bound for Shin-Aomori, and the "Komachi" continued through the city, performing its famous switchback maneuver at Omagari. We arrived at Akita Station, traveling backward, around 8:20 PM, nearly four hours after departing Tokyo. While Tokyo was warm enough for a T-shirt, Akita in November was, as expected, cold. I was glad I dressed warmly.
Arrived in Akita after 8 PM. So cold!
I checked into my hotel near the venue and headed to "Hoshimiya," where I had a reservation. It's an ethnic and Akita cuisine restaurant recommended by JAWS-UG members from Tohoku, famous for its biryani. I had posted on Facebook beforehand to gather participants, and three veteran JAWS-UG members decided to join, so we met at the restaurant and immediately toasted. While enjoying lively conversation, we savored the famous biryani, along with local specialties like iburigakko (smoked daikon pickles) and kiritanpo (pounded rice skewers).
Biryani in Akita, absolutely delicious!
I returned to the hotel in high spirits, but my mind was too alert, and I started thinking about tomorrow's keynote speech. I had prepared slides, but this time there had been no prior meetings, so it was almost entirely an impromptu performance. Keynotes in previous years had been very substantial: in Hiroshima two years ago, the governor promoted an "AI-driven prefecture," and last year in Kanazawa, a former vice-governor spoke about disaster countermeasures and administration. Suddenly feeling the pressure, I spent the night tweaking slides and poring over articles about the speakers' past talks, ending up greeting the morning sleep-deprived.
The Impact of a User Community Utilizing an 800-Seat Hall
Finally, the day arrived. After a morning bath, still half-asleep, I went to a café near the venue for breakfast. The weather wasn't great; the wind was incredibly strong. It was a fierce wind, unlike anything you'd experience in Tokyo, and apparently, a strong wind warning had actually been issued. Occasionally, hail mixed in, stinging my face.
The venue was "Akita Performing Arts Center Milhas." It's a multi-purpose hall located within Senshu Park, close to the station, and having just opened in 2022, it's impressively large, clean, and new. JAWS FESTA was held in the medium hall (still 800 seats!), but the large hall, with a capacity of 2000 seats, was apparently hosting a Ringo Sheena concert, with queues for merchandise sales forming early in the morning.
Akita Performing Arts Center Milhas, the venue for JAWS FESTA 2026
Milhas event announcements, with Ringo Sheena's concert and JAWS FESTA 2026 side-by-side
A user community utilizing an 800-seat hall. I believe this is a breakthrough for JAWS-UG. In the past, JAWS FESTA often borrowed space in universities, vocational schools, or public facilities on holidays, but capacity overflow was always an issue. However, this time, thanks to the large number of participants, the number of sponsors, and above all, the enthusiasm of the organizing committee, the event was able to be held in such a splendid venue.
The main hall before the opening. It's amazing that it can hold 800 people.
Well, in such a magnificent venue, registration and sponsor booths were being set up at a rapid pace, and participants were gathering simultaneously. In addition to the usual crowd, more locals, students, and various other people arrived, taking their seats in the keynote hall as soon as the venue opened. Ohtani greeted Mr. Sasaki from Redcliff and Mayor Numaya, who were also speaking at the keynote, backstage, and then prepared to stand by the side of the stage. By the time the event began, the medium hall was quite full, and my tension steadily increased.
Sharing Akita's Deep-Seated Challenges and Overwhelming Potential
At 9:50 AM, the event finally began with opening remarks in the main hall. Executive Committee Chairman Takeda, Vice Chairmen Wakamatsu and Chiba dramatically rose from beneath the stage (lol). This year's JAWS FESTA surpassed 500 registered attendees, marking the second-highest number in its history. Over 150 people were first-time JAWS-UG attendees.
Mr. Wakamatsu, Mr. Takeda, and Mr. Chiba on stage. The other Vice Chairman, Mr. Miura, was tearfully absent due to COVID-19. (Photo courtesy of @east_takumi)
Next to take the stage was none other than Hideyuki Kanbe, the Vice Governor of Akita Prefecture. What he spoke about after his welcoming address was not a perfunctory greeting or a political appeal as a regional leader, but rather the serious challenges facing Akita Prefecture. The population decline rate recorded 8.1% for the sixth consecutive year, and the aging rate exceeds 40%. With a relatively low child population of 11.2%, school consolidations and closures are occurring one after another. Mr. Kanbe pointed out that "Akita is Japan's future, 10 to 15 years ahead." Vice Governor Kanbe's message, urging us to consider solutions together, deeply resonated with me as I stood by the side of the stage.
The third speaker was Jun Numaya, the Mayor of Akita. In contrast to Vice Governor Kanbe, who highlighted Akita's challenges, Mayor Numaya captivated the audience with a lighthearted talk, uncharacteristic of a regional leader. Upon learning that 90% of attendees were first-time visitors to Akita, he quipped, "Welcome to Akita, Japan's hidden gem, where the Shinkansen runs backward!" Regarding the strong winds outside, he commented, "In Akita, rain comes sideways. Umbrellas are useless (lol)," which drew significant laughter from the audience. On the other hand, he emphasized Akita's strength in renewable energy, particularly wind power, and expressed high hopes for the planned mega data center project.
The final address was given by Mr. Sudo from S2, a local IT company involved in the operation of that very data center and a director of the Akita Information Industry Association. He began by greeting, "I'm Sudo, a super user. Good work on the PHP matter, everyone!" immediately capturing the hearts of the engineers present. He then highlighted, "Thanks to these strong winds, our data center's power supply will be abundant." From these pre-session greetings, the content was rich with local challenges and potential, unique to JAWS FESTA, significantly raising expectations for the event.
'Not Someone Else, But Me': The 'Personal Stake' and 'External Perspective' Needed for Local Problem Solving
With such high expectations set, it was time for the keynote speech where Ohtani would serve as moderator. I was tasked with moderating a talk session titled "The Potential of Technology to Energize Akita: A Discussion Between the President of Japan's Top Drone Company and the Mayor of Akita," featuring Akita Mayor Jun Numaya and Komei Sasaki of Redcliff, a company that produces drone shows.
Ohtani, Akita Mayor Jun Numaya, and Komei Sasaki on stage for the keynote speech (Photo courtesy of @k_adachi_01)
While a full report on the speech will be covered in another article, for this session, I specifically insisted on having Mr. Sasaki of Redcliff, who hails from Akita City, as a speaker. Although Redcliff is not a typical IT company, I believed that their use of drones—devices that are an extension of physical AI and IoT for engineers—in entertainment, and their contribution to regional revitalization in Akita and other areas, would make a significant impact on the attendees. After all, I myself had been deeply moved by the drone show at the Osaka-Kansai Expo, which led me to write a rather passionate email requesting his participation.
And then, Mayor Numaya. This time, it was truly an impromptu performance with no prior meetings; I only met Mayor Numaya for the first time on the morning of the event. However, after hearing his opening remarks, I was confident it would be an interesting discussion. For the first theme, "Akita's Challenges and Potential," we had him discuss Akita's issues and potential as a glimpse into Japan's future, and by also getting insights from Mr. Sasaki, who gained an "external perspective" in Tokyo, I believe we were able to convey the challenges and sense of urgency in a multi-faceted way.
Of course, Akita also has great potential. The food is delicious, the people are kind, and from an IT perspective, power from offshore wind generation is a strength. By understanding these challenges, and with "not someone else, but me" leveraging such potential, Akita should be able to thrive again. Mr. Sasaki also explained the drone show at the Akita Kanto Festival, which he implemented as a way to "return home in glory."
As a result, we ran significantly over time, but the session concluded. I wished we could have heard more, but I believe the attendees felt a much closer connection to Akita, understanding its challenges, sense of urgency, potential, and how these issues can be solved personally. Above all, I am one of them. As a speaker, I would be truly delighted if this event inspired even one more engineer or business person to replace "Akita" with "my hometown" and confront its challenges.
Enjoying the Hospitality-Filled 'Festival Track' and Towards the Closing
Well, after the morning keynote speech, Ohtani, who had been on edge since the previous night, finally relaxed at this point (lol). With Mr. Shigemori also present as a writer, I was in a position to enjoy the event relatively freely. In the afternoon, I had lunch with JAWS-UG connections, reported on "Jeff Barr's Room" (the AWS Evangelist), chatted with engineers while snacking on local treats, and got excited at the "JAWS FESTA 2026 in AKITA Edition Oogiri Contest." In short, I enjoyed the event to my heart's content.
The story of 'A Middle Schooler Starting a Business with New Year's Money' was incredibly good.
Normally, my coverage of JAWS FESTA and JAWS DAYS focuses on the sessions, so I often can't pay enough attention to these non-session events. However, this time, I was able to fully enjoy the fun and hospitality of these "Festival Tracks," which are the fruit of JAWS-UG's history and experience.
This year's Festival Track featured numerous permanent activities such as "Generative AI Dress-Up Experience: JAWS FESTA 2026 in AKITA Edition," "Revival! Reiwa Edition AWS Karuta," "JAWS FESTA 2026 in AKITA Edition! Development Tips Gacha-Gacha," "JAWS FESTA 2026 in AKITA Edition! Memory Upload," "JAWS FESTA 2026 in AKITA Limited Project! Tawarabashigo (Straw Bale Ladder)," and "JAWS FESTA Tea Party Table 'Pure Cafe Same' (Shark)." These were designed to be enjoyable for both regulars and first-time attendees.
These activities provide opportunities for communication even for those who find it difficult to talk to others or are not very familiar with AWS. They inspire participants to want to interact more next time, or even join the organizing committee. Personally, I burst into laughter at the "AWS Oogiri," which showcased the brilliant inspiration of the participants.
People concentrating on AWS Mahjong
Bursting into laughter at AWS Oogiri
Fun times fly by quickly. During the closing, I witnessed a touching scene where Executive Committee Chairman Takeda was overcome with emotion and cried. In the moment when each sponsor was read aloud and all participants applauded, JAWS-UG's attitude of respecting its sponsors was evident. Then, it was announced that "JAWS DAYS 2027," a nationwide event, would be held on March 13, 2027, with its logo unveiled for the first time. Furthermore, the next JAWS FESTA 2027 was announced to be held in Kobe on November 6, 2027.
The logo for JAWS DAYS 2027, to be held on March 13, 2027, was unveiled.
Finally, Mr. Takeda, who had introduced JAWS-UG's four core values: "Have Fun!", "Make a difference!", "Go global!", and "Find new heroes!", broke down in tears. I cheered him on in my heart, thinking, "It's okay, Takeda, just cry!" Embraced by Mr. Wakamatsu, Mr. Takeda declared the event closed. A commemorative photo was taken, and the event concluded.
Executive Committee Chairman Takeda and Mayor Numaya Form a Comedy Duo?
The fun wasn't over yet. There was the after-party following the event. It's often said that "the after-party is the main event of a study session," and indeed, networking events are crucial for making many connections. However, in the past, capacity issues often meant not everyone could attend. This time, the organizers were committed to "not having a waiting list," so participation was possible even on the day of the event. This meant there was enough capacity for people who thought, "The event was fun, so I'll just join the after-party too."
At the after-party venue in a hotel near the station, a long line of participants formed for Akita's famous "Babahera" ice cream. Everyone quenched their thirst with beer and enjoyed local dishes like kiritanpo and FESTA-mai rice balls, reflecting on the day's event. A real Namahage (folkloric demon) even made an appearance, and a digest video covering the entire day, created by Kiro, was shown. This video was truly excellent. My own speaking scene was clearly captured, and the music and lyrics were genuinely wonderful, really moving me.
Then came the final remarks. Executive Committee Chairman Takeda, once again, broke down in tears. With a tearful voice, he spoke, "Even though I once abandoned Akita and returned reluctantly, my hometown was endlessly kind to me." Teasing Mr. Takeda was Mayor Numaya, who apparently was his high school classmate. Standing side-by-side with Mr. Takeda, they were dubbed "a new manzai comedy duo" (lol).
The moment a manzai comedy duo was born (Photo courtesy of @k_adachi_01)
Nevertheless, Mayor Numaya, as expected, knew how to conclude. He stated, "The rice you are eating now—the cool sensation of the water when planting seedlings, the squishy feeling of stepping on mud—these cannot be felt by AI." He emphasized the importance of uniquely human values and will, receiving a huge round of applause. Finally, Mr. Takeda was hoisted into the air by community members, and the after-party concluded with immense excitement.
Wow, how emotional! Even at the subsequent after-party, I spoke with many people, and it's rare to encounter such a raw, emotional tech event. JAWS FESTA 2026 in Akita, centered around AWS, blended technology, business, and social issues, sowing various seeds among many participants. JAWS FESTA is a treasure of an event, and this time was truly a wonderful experience. I want to express my gratitude once again to the organizers, sponsors, and participants. I chickened out of the long line and missed out on Babahera ice cream, so I'll definitely be going to Akita again!
Also enjoyed the souvenir rice!
