▁to ▁decrease ▁as ▁households ▁with ▁sen iors ▁continue ▁to ▁increase . ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁assumed ▁that ▁this ▁tr end ▁will ▁continue ▁for ▁the ▁for ese en ▁future . ▁ ▁Events ▁ ▁F lower ▁Festival ▁( H ana - m ats uri ) ▁March ▁ 2 5 ▁– ▁May ▁ 6 ▁A ▁festival ▁which ▁wel comes ▁the ▁coming ▁of ▁spring ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁blo oming ▁of ▁various ▁flowers . ▁ ▁Cher ry ▁bl oss oms ▁and ▁Ts ut su ji ▁( az ale a ) ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁central ▁area ▁of ▁M oto y ama , ▁while ▁the ▁highlight ▁of ▁the ▁festival ▁can ▁be ▁seen ▁at ▁the ▁nearby ▁K iz enz an ▁Park ▁( <0xE5> <0xB8> <0xB0> 全 山 公 園 ) ▁where ▁over ▁ 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁Sh ak un age ▁( rh od od end ron ) ▁are ▁displayed . ▁ ▁As emi ▁River ▁Mar athon ▁late ▁July ▁An ▁annual ▁mar athon ▁first ▁held ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁where ▁roughly ▁ 5 0 0 ▁participants ▁run ▁along ▁the ▁As emi ▁river . ▁ ▁Y osh ino ▁River ▁R aft ing ▁Festival ▁middle ▁of ▁August ▁This ▁ra ft ▁racing ▁festival ▁has ▁orig ins ▁from ▁when ▁l umber ▁trad ers ▁sh ipped ▁hin oki ▁( cy press ) ▁wood ▁from ▁Sh i rag a ▁Mountain ▁in ▁ra ft s ▁down ▁the ▁river . ▁ ▁Part icip ants ▁can ▁race ▁in ▁either ▁traditional ▁style ▁ra ft ▁racing ▁or ▁the ▁free ▁style ▁division . ▁ ▁The ▁traditional ▁style