Mensore Festa welcomes cruise ship arrivals

The Wakasa youth group will be at hand to welcome tourists on the cruise ships.

The Wakasa youth group will be at hand to welcome tourists on the cruise ships.

Naha Port is expecting a record number of cruise ships to dock at its Naha Cruise Terminal in 2016. Mensore Festa – ‘Mensore is ‘Welcome’ in English – is a welcome event for foreign tourists from the cruise ships aiming to introduce local people and culture of the island. The event takes place outside of Naha Cruise Terminal in Naha City.

On Feb. 9th and 11th, cruise ships carrying 2,100 and 1,800 tourists from Taiwan and China respectively are scheduled to dock at the port. The event features a variety of stage events scheduled not only for the tourists but also local people to enjoy. Fireworks will also be launched at night on both days. There also are food stalls and a play area for kids.

The festival takes place on Tuesday, Feb. 9th and Thursday, Feb. 11th, which is a Japanese national holiday, the National Foundation Day. A short version of the festival is on Tuesday from 17:00 – 20:00 with the fireworks starting at 20:30. On Thursday, the events run all day from 10:00 to 21:00 with the fireworks at 20:00. The Thursday events include an Eisa and Karate performance, Wakasa youth group ‘Hatagashira’ performance, ‘mochitsuki’ rice-cake pounding, bouncy castle for kids and a kids’ dance show.

Chieri Project will appear on stage for a live music performance starting at 19:00.

Organizer note that there is no free parking space in the area. A charged parking lot is adjacent to the event site where parking costs ¥500 per vehicle. Admission to the events is free on both days.

18:46 28 Mar , 2024