What to do and see in Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa Prefecture: The Best Events

The highlight of the Ryukyu Kaiensai Matsuri is a distinctive fireworks display, the "Fireworks Illusion" aimed at celebrating the heritage of the island of Okinawa. This rich cultural background is brought vividly to life when the fireworks display is set off alongside a score of Okinawan folk music. Throughout the festival, public concerts are held close to the water; Okinawa's traditional livelihood; which are free to attend.

Eisa is a traditional art of Okinawa and the Amami Islands involving a dance and parade combining poetry and music to welcome ancestors that return during the Buddhist O-Bon festival. The Okinawa Zento Eisa Matsuri is an eisa festival held every year in Okinawa City on the second weekend of the Bon Festival. Formerly, it was the "Zento Eisa Competition" hosted in what was the city of Koza (now Okinawa). It was started to revitalize the spirit of eisa during a time of recession in 1956. The reverberations of the shamisen, rhythms of taiko drumming, along with the characteristic colorful costumes offer an authentic and impressive experience. The festival took its current name in 1977, and in recent years has grown into one of the largest events in Okinawa, drawing as many as 300,000 visitors, and incorporating a fireworks display, laser show, and more.

Various places in Okinawa have a custom believed to have been practiced since the 1600's that involves predicting sunshine or darkness by way of a tug of war. After having a moment of popularity during the war, the practice faded out, but in 1971 it was revived as the Naha Festival (renamed the Naha Giant Tug of War Festival in 2011). The event is currently held every October for three days that include the Japanese holiday Health and Sports Day. On the first day, about 50 groups put on dance performances on Kokusai Street known as the People's Performance and Ethnic Arts Parade. The giant tug of war main event takes place on the second day, with tens of thousands of people representing respective leaders pulling all at once on the giant rope. A new rope close to 200 meters long is made every year out of straw. The event made it into the Guinness Book of World Records in 1995. The longest rope thus far was recorded in 1997 to be 186m long, with a diameter of 1.58 Meters, and weight of 40.22 Tons.

This festival is held between late January and mid February in Nago Park, one of Japan's top 100 famous cherry blossom sites. When the perfectly pink Taiwan cherry blossoms are in bloom, other prime locations are the main crossing in Nago and at the Nago fishing harbor. A wide variety of events are held every year on the main streets and on temporary stages, including an ice sculpture contest, a tuna butchering show, live performances by local musicians, and Nago Sakura Taiko.

The Ryukyu Dynasty ruled for 450 years (1429-1879) with the main island of Okinawa at its center. Its symbol was Okinawa's largest castle, Shuri Castle. You can still see its restored structure and castle walls at Shuri Castle Park. The Shuri Castle Festival celebrates the history and traditions of the Ryukyu kingdom by reenacting events such as an imperial procession to a shrine to pray for peace and a great harvest for the kingdom, and the "sapposhi ceremony," in which a new king is crowned. A special highlight is the Ryukyu dynasty picture scroll procession held at the Naha International Festival, involving 700 participants dressed as the king and queen, foreign envoys, traditional artist troupes, and more. Even more events are lined up, including a traditional arts banquet and the Shuri Castle Music Festival.

Yaedake is the highest peak on the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa's main island (elevation: 453.3M), and its mountainside is the grounds (Yaedake Cherry Forest Park) for the Motobu Yaedake Cherry Blossom Matsuri. From January to late February, the area's roughly 7,000 cherry trees are in bloom, making it the earliest cherry blossom festival in Japan. On weekends during the festival, the event space will host a diverse program including concerts, the Miss Cherry Blossom contest, and taiko performances, and the area will be bustling with food stands and exhibition booths.

This is the largest industrial expo in Okinawa, held in late October every year at the Ounoyama Park in Naha. There you will find new products and specialties created by Okinawan companies, organizations, and producers, and bonuses include the Orion Beer Garden and ceramics fair. The event is loved by locals and sees 50,000 attendees daily. Unique catchphrases like "Local products chock-full of oceanic flavor" and "Quality, snazzy, and happy goods" stand out, hinting at the effervescent mindset of the locals.