CURRENT ISSUE
Pick Up Stories

Itoman Tug-of-War marks end of summer [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT]
Many Okinawan farmers and fishermen, in some form or fashion, pay tribute to the Gods, seeking their blessing and favor for a great harvest ...Read More

Awamori "Ku-su" Day [CURRENT ISSUE LIFE]
September 4th is the “Ku-su Day”, with September = ‘9’ which is pronounced ‘kyu’ or ‘ku’ in Japanese, and ‘4’ being pronounced ‘...Read More

Obon is time for family gathering to rem… [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE]
For three days starting on Monday, August 28th through Wednesday, August 30th, many privately owned businesses on Okinawa will close their ...Read More

Itoman Tug-of-War marks end of summer [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT]
Many Okinawan farmers and fishermen, in some form or fashion, pay tribute to the Gods, seeking their blessing and favor for a great harvest or to net large sums of fish during the ...

Awamori “Ku-su” Day [CURRENT ISSUE LIFE]
September 4th is the “Ku-su Day”, with September = ‘9’ which is pronounced ‘kyu’ or ‘ku’ in Japanese, and ‘4’ being pronounced ‘shi’, but sounds nearly ‘su’. So ‘9-4’ i...

Obon is time for family gathering to remember ancestors [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE]
For three days starting on Monday, August 28th through Wednesday, August 30th, many privately owned businesses on Okinawa will close their stores to take timeout to honor one of O...

“Eisa”, Okinawa’s Famed Tradition [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT LIFE]
These days, when people think of Okinawa, the first image that may spring to mind are dancers clad in ceremonious garb armed with taiko drums and folding hand fans. This is Eisa; a...

OkiEvents this Week!! [CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT Festival]
・7/29~30 Nago Summer Festival @ Nago Fishing Port 13:00~ Free to enter https://nagomun.or.jp/event/2528/ PIN: https://goo.gl/maps/hD3PbfAzXKgYMFGr6 ・7/29 ~ 30 Okinawa eSports Festi...

Day of Naha: Immerse Yourself in the Capital City of Okinawa [Community CURRENT ISSUE]
July 8th is Naha Day in Okinawa. This special occasion originated from the use of play-on-words or rather, a play-on-numbers. Naha’s two syllables ‘Na’ and ‘Ha’ are also syllables ...

June 23rd, Okinawa’s Peace Memorial Day [CURRENT ISSUE]
June 23rd is ‘Irei-no Hi’. This is Okinawa’s Peace Memorial Day. It is a prefectural holiday formally recognized in 1961. It is to memorialize the many lives lost during the Battle...

Okinawa marks 51st anniversary of reversion to Japan [Politics]
May 15th marked the 51st anniversary of Okinawa’s reversion to the Japanese administration in 1972. According to published figures, the Japanese ventral government has spent a tota...

OkiEvents in Golden Week!! [CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT Festival]
・5/3~5/7 Okinawa Zoo Kids Festival @ Okinawa Zoo in Okinawa city 9:00~18:00 Free to enter for Elementary School and younger https://www.okzm.jp/event/kodomo/entry-3017.html PIN: ht...
Okinawans consider April 28th as “the day of infamy” [CURRENT ISSUE]
Today April 28th is the 71st anniversary of the Japan’s restoration of sovereignty after its defeat in World War II. Since Okinawa was kept under U.S. control even after the ...

OkiEvents this Week!! [CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT Family]
・4/28~30 Craft Fair Okinawa @ Okinawa Kouei no Mori in Tomigusuku city (Next to Karate Kaikan) 10:00~18:00 Free to enter https://craftfair-okinawa.net/ PIN: https://goo.gl/maps/T34...

OkiEvents this Week! [CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT Festival]
・4/28~6/4 Jimmy Onishi Art Exhibition POP OUT @ Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum in Naha city 9:00 – 18:00 (6/3 & 6/4 until 20:00) Closed on Monday ¥1000 for adu...

Hamauri ritual purifies body of evil spirits [Community CURRENT ISSUE]
Hamauri is one of Okinawa’s oldest customs, a time when people cleanse themselves of evil spirits. On Mar. 3rd of the lunar calendar (April 22nd of the Gregorian Calendar in 203), ...

OkiEvents this Week!! [ENTERTAINMENT Festival Sports]
・2/25 – 2/26 Yomitan Yachimun Market @ Farmers Market Yunta Ichiba in Yomitan village 10:00~17:00 Free to enter https://www.yomitan-syakyo.com/kyouhan/yachimunichi.php PIN: h...

Pro-Baseball Spring Training 2023 [Family Sports]
Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture in Japan, and that means it’s the warmest place in the country in the wintertime. Because of that, many sports teams come here for training i...

‘Year of the Rabbit’ begins in Okinawan fishing communities [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE]
Legend has it that Buddha asked all animals to meet him on the Chinese New Year. Twelve came, and Buddha named a year after each one, and announced that people born in each animal’...

OkiEvents this Week!! [CURRENT ISSUE Festival]
・12/17 Itoman Night Market @Itoma-ru in Itoman city 17:00 – 21:00 Free to enter https://www.itoman-itomaru.okinawa/ PIN: https://goo.gl/maps/ybuxer1T8xLQ6Niv6 ・12/18 G...

OkiEvents this Week!! [ENTERTAINMENT Festival Sports]
・12/11 Churashima Air Fest at Naha Air Base 9:00 – 15:00 Free to enter (Free courtesy bus will be available from Naha Military Port and Shura-sun Beach) https://www.mod.go.jp...

OkiEvents this Week!! [CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT Festival]
・12/2 – 12/4 Shima no Sake (Sake of the Islands 47 brands of Awamori) Festival @ Saion Square in Naha city 11:00 – 18:00 (Fri: 14:00 – 18:00) Free to enter https:...

OkiEvents This Week!! [CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT Festival News]
・11/26 Nago Autumn Fireworks Festival @ Nago Fishing Port 17:00~21:00 (Fireworks 20:00~) Free to enter https://r.goope.jp/srb-47-37/info/4798793 PIN: https://goo.gl/maps/tWiWbp3mxd...