Historical note: This memory was written in October 2025. The promise to return in November and the festival dates of November 2–3, 2025 belong to the perspective of that account.
The night before, I could barely sleep. My heart beat hard, and my soul trembled softly, as though sensing the emotion of what was about to begin.
In the morning, I picked up the car from the repair shop. With her usual tenderness, Nami lovingly prepared everything for the journey. In every item she placed in the suitcase, there was a silence filled with affection.
And so, wrapped in love, a journey I will never forget began.
It was Friday. I had just finished teaching my ‘Alegrías de Córdoba’ class at BG Flamenco Academia. It was a lesson ablaze: the body alive, the soul illuminated. That night, I set out on the road.
The journey to Matsuzaki took two days. After class, I drove halfway and slept at a hotel. At dawn, with body and soul rested, I got behind the wheel again.
Despite the distance, I felt no weariness. Every kilometre brought me a new warmth, as though someone unseen were waiting for me at the end of the road.
Matsuzaki… Some things cannot be put into words. Its people, its silence, its love that embraces you without asking for anything in return.
— ◆ —
When I arrived, the event organisers, my friend Shin-chan, and the town’s mayor welcomed me. Their greetings were full of joy and Japanese courtesy, a perfect blend of respect and sincere affection. I did not feel like a guest: I felt part of something greater.
Facing the sea, in the midday rain, I danced on a mobile stage sheltered by a tarpaulin. To me, it was the most beautiful theatre in the world.
The audience, hungry for flamenco, was so close I could feel their breathing. Their eyes said more than words. Their hands, as they moved, were pure love.
Then I understood that art lives neither in the stage nor in the lights, but in the beating hearts of those watching you.
After the performance, the culture team treated us to Yamazaki whisky and other drinks we enjoyed. Their hospitality was so warm that it filled my heart.
Amid laughter and toasts, I heard the word ‘Abayo’ for the first time. As the people around me in Matsuzaki used it, I understood it as ‘see you later’, but there it sounded like a promise: ‘we will meet again’.
That word stayed with me like a flamenco echo: soft, warm, and true.
— ◆ —
Later, we went to the house Uchida-san had prepared. Paper doors, tatami, the scent of wood and incense… A stillness that seemed to hold centuries within it.
As I lay down on the grey futon, I felt a comfort I had never known before. The wind slipped through the gaps, carrying the ancient breath of Japan.
It was not a place to visit, but a place to live.
That evening, we had dinner together: the mayor, Jun Fukasawa, Shin-chan, Uchida-san, Heima-san, Junko-san, Mayuko-san, Mayumi-san, Nami-san, and many warm hearts from the town.
It was not a formal dinner: it was a family meal. Afterwards, we all went to karaoke. We sang, danced, and laughed… until half past one in the morning.
In every smile, I felt a love that embraced me as though they were my own family. The performance had ended, but the soul of flamenco lived on in that laughter.
The next morning, I walked through Matsuzaki’s quiet streets. The air was pure, and the houses breathed at their own pace. When I returned, Uchida-san was waiting with breakfast ready: bread, eggs, fruit, and coffee. Nothing extraordinary, yet everything was full of soul. In every dish, you could see the hearts of the people of this town.
After just one night in Matsuzaki, I felt a love and joy impossible to describe. There is something unique there: a humanity that loves without expecting anything in return.
I am in love with Matsuzaki.
— ◆ —
I will return in November. On November 2 and 3, 2025, Matsuzaki’s Autumn Festival will take place, a celebration that fills the whole town with light.
Lanterns, drums, mikoshi carried high on shoulders, laughter and singing echoing through the night. It is a celebration where fire, music, and hearts come together.
This time, I will not go to dance, but to let its beauty wash over me, to feel its culture in my heart, and to love Matsuzaki more deeply.
— ◆ —
Travelling is not simply moving from one place to another. Travelling is finding yourself. This journey taught me that even in silence, the rhythm keeps sounding.
My heartfelt thanks to all the people of Matsuzaki for the love they gave me.
And especially to everyone at the Port Club: your kindness and your generous hearts will stay with me forever.
— Benito García · Matsuzaki, October 2025