Festival
Pick Up Stories
Itoman Haaray; a traditional and fun eve… [CULTURE Festival]
The Itoman Haaray takes place on the May 4th of the Lunar Calendar. This day is actually June 18th 2026 of the Gregorian Calendar. Most peop...Read More
Chasing the Dragon – The Naha Haarii [Festival]
The Naha Haarii Festival will happen during Golden Week from May 3-5, 10:00 ~ 19:00 at the Naha New Port. Haarii — meaning “dragon boat” in ...Read More
Golden Week, Japan’s Mega Holiday [CULTURE Family Festival]
Spring is here. And in Japan that means warmer weather, cherry blossoms, and rainy season. But, before the rainy season takes hold and shrou...Read More
2014.09.05
Harvest moon leads to Chushu no Utage [CULTURE Festival]
By Bill Charles For many, the events of next Monday equate to a mid-autumn celebration party, when the harvest moon is full and everyone is ready to celebrate. Monday the 8th is Au...
2014.08.30
How to enjoy yourself at Orion Beer Festival [Festival]
By David Higgins One of the greatest things you can enjoy in your life is beer. It is my opinion that beer should be a staple in everyone’s diet, like bread. Every year on Okinawa ...
2014.08.30
‘Sakae-machi’ arcade Yatai festival plays Saturday [Festival]
Sakae-machi means prosper, describing a flourishing town that is one of the oldest shopping arcades in Okinawa. It started after the war, and used to be the center of Naha City’s s...
2014.08.29
Zanpa plans Unique end-of-summer beer festival [Festival]
It’s different, to say the least, as the Izakaya Gosamaru in Yomitan hosts an end-of-summer beer fest on Sunday. Advance tickets for the beer festival are ¥1,800, or ¥2,000 at the ...
2014.08.29
JASDF hosts Chinen sub base summer festival Saturday [Festival]
The Japanese Air Self Defense Force is celebrating its 60th anniversary Saturday with a free festival at the Chinen Sub Base in southeastern Okinawa. The festival takes place at th...
2014.08.23
Itoman ready for Sea & Summer Festival [Festival]
It’s the biggest festival of the year in Itoman, with three festival events all being lumped into the same set of venues this weekend. There’s definitely something for everyone at ...
2014.08.20
Eisa fills Uruma City air this weekend [Festival]
The 9th Uruma City Eisa Festival kicks off at 4 p.m. Saturday for a two-day run at the Yonashiro Comprehensive Athletic Park. The free festival takes place at a good time of day, o...
2014.08.15
Spotlight is on Izena King Sho-En festival [Festival]
The 15th Izena Island King Sho-En festival kicks off tomorrow and runs through Sunday evening at Izena Rinkai Fureai Park on Izena island. Friday’s activities are actually the fest...
2014.08.15
Higashi Village festival keeps nature close [Festival]
Although best known for its spring Azalea Festival and as the hometown of professional golfer Ai Miyazato, Higashi Village is also proud of its summer festival taking place this Sa...
2014.08.14
Orion beer shares venue with super Eisa festival [Festival]
By Bill Charles The throbbing beat of traditional drums will be heard across beginning Friday, Aug. 15, and pounding through Sunday, a post-Obon dance celebration that fills the ai...
2014.07.29
10,000 dancers parade at 20th Kokusai Street Eisa [Festival]
By Bill Charles Sounds of Eisa head to a crescendo this weekend, when thousands of dancers of all ages will fill Kokusai Street to perform in front of tens of thousands of spectato...
2014.07.27
Hagoromo Festival is built on legend and dance [Festival]
Ginowan Hagoromo Festival is one of the largest festivals on the island regularly attracting more than 100,000 visitors during two-day run over the weekend of Aug. 2 (Sat) and 3 (S...
2014.07.26
International Theatre Festival expands Okinawa horizons [Festival]
The 2014 International Theatre Festival Okinawa for Young Audience is living proof that the theatre art form is far from fading, but actually growing as it expands to both Naha and...
2014.07.24
Kin Town hosting weekend Festival [Festival]
Festivals abound across Okinawa this weekend, with a small town on the northeast coast hosting its Kin Town Festival. Kin Town’s chosen the theme “The spirit of Kin in our hearts” ...
2014.07.24
Nago Summer Festival has something for everyone [Festival]
Blue skies and beer festival is the theme for this weekend’s 37th Nago Summer Festival happening at the Nago City Fishing Port. The two-day event will be filled with contests of be...
2014.07.24
Live performances headline Tomigusuku Festival [Festival]
Special live performances from four leading local bands set the tempo for this weekend’s 31st Tomigusuku Festival in southern Okinawa. Admission is free to the festival, which feat...
2014.07.24
Yonabaru Tug-of-War has its roots in Ryukyu Kingdom [Festival]
Yonabaru Tug-of-War, one of the three big tug-of-war events on Okinawa, takes place starting at 5 p.m. Sunday, and is the culmination of the annual Yonabaru Festival on Saturday an...
2014.07.23
Peruvian Festival entertains Saturday in Okinawa City [Festival]
Flamenco music, Peruvian bands, Peruvian foods and Peruvian culture are all on tap Saturday as the 2nd Peru Cultural Festival takes place in Koza, Okinawa City. Admission is free f...
2014.07.19
Mashiki’s tug-of-war pulls with twist [Festival]
There’s a traditional Okinawa tug-of-war taking place Sunday in Mashiki just outside Okinawa Convention Center, but the way it plays out is anything but what’s expected. Mashiki...
2014.07.17
Fireworks spectacular to light up Motobu skies [Festival]
By Bill Charles More than 10,000 fireworks will be launched near Emerald Beach at Motobu’s Ocean Expo Park Saturday in a brilliant display of pyrotechnics billed as Okinawa’s best ...
RYUKYU PRESS