Three-day Okinawa ChaganZoo Festival at Furusato Park

Okinawa Kodomono-Kuni is busily preparing for its ChaganZoo Festival next weekend.

The Festival takes place at Furusato Park in Okinawa Kodomono-kuni from 10 a.m. ~ 5 p.m. September 15th, 16th and 17th. Admission is ¥500 for adults, ¥200 for those 13~18, and only ¥100 for kids 4 ~ 12. Toddlers 3 and under enter free.

Okinawa Kodomono-kuni is asking a serious question as it gets ready for the special festival related good old days of Okinawa, and that’s if residents remember the good old days. The festival features old-time Okinawa, and the purpose of the event is to recreate, experience, and find “good old memories of Okinawa”.

Moreover, festival organizers say it provides an opportunity for intergenerational exchange with young people and the age of their grandparents at the main venue Furusato-En Park — Furusato-En is registered on the country’s cultural heritage last year – in Okinawa Kodomono-Kuni.

Kodomono-Kuni offers interesting programs. Native livestock animals including Aguu (Black-Pig), Chaan (Chicken), Hiijyaa (Goat), and others will be present. There are histories of the animals and traditional customs in Okinawa. You will find the life style of Okinawan culture, the climate, and the folk tales; items that show how Okinawan people conducted their lives in the past.

At other scheduled attractions, experience “the past” in a special area, learning how to squeeze sugar from sugar cane by the older method called “saataa-guruma” (a sugar wheel). This program is on at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sun. the 16th. If you like Okinawan food, you can create an Okinawan diet, including brown sugar lumps and yushidofu and Okinawan soba, a kind of steamed bread with sweet bean paste inside. These cooking classes are set 11 a.m., with a different program each day.

Children will prepare special meals for the animals and pray additional wishes for the animal’s longevity. This ceremony is 4:00 p.m. on the each three days.
And other activities will be organized in the festival. This festival is a chance to travel through time!

Sep. 17th is a national holiday for elderly people, therefore tickets for people over 65 years of age are free. In addition, three special workshops promoting the holiday for elderly persons are provided from Sep. 8th~17th. One is “Let’s make Congratulatory Manju (steamed bread)”. On the program, Children with their grandparents or parents cook congratulatory Manju together and eat. The registration fee is ¥300. The start times are 10:30 a.m.~, 1 and 3 p.m.~on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays only.

“Let’s present grandparents a picture plate” is another special where Children will engrave messages and pictures sandblasted onto a plate with special equipment. The registration fee is ¥500, applications are accepted any time in 11 a.m.~4 p.m.

“Let’s create original Uchiwa (fan)”. With a computer, children make their original Uchiwa to present to their grandparents. Staff assigned to the activity teach how to combine pictures and photos with a computer. The registration fee is ¥500, applications are accepted any time in 11 a.m.~4 p.m. The workshops will be held on Saturdays, Sundays and national holidays only in Wonder-museum.

From Sep. 5th, Wonder-Museum offers “Korokoro”. You can enjoy rolling a ball on several courses. Children of all ages will be able to play and enjoy Korokoro. Balls will be prepared at the museum. No charge to participate.

If you would like to join these program, it is necessary to pay the regular admission fee to Kodomono-Kuni and Wonder-museum in addition to the possible fee for the program.

16:50 29 Mar , 2024