Festival and Event of Kokusai-dori

The Naha Tug of War is said to be Okinawa's largest traditional cultural event with a long history, continuing the tradition of the Naha Shicho Tug of War from the Ryukyu Kingdom period.The tug of war originated around 1450 A.D. As a local agricultural event, the tug of war was a rain-making, fertility, and wish rope for rice cultivation, while the tug of war in the town (city) symbolizes the trading city of Naha.
It was discontinued after 1935, but was revived in 1971, the year before Okinawa's return to the mother country, as a commemorative project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the city's incorporation.

Guinness World Records

The Naha Tug of War has been recognized by the Guinness Book of Records three times, first as the "World's Largest Straw Rope" in 1995 and twice since then.
The Naha Tug of War has established itself as the largest tug of war in the world and the largest traditional event in Okinawa, influencing the promotion of tourism in Okinawa.
The Guinness Book of Records lists the tug of war as 186 m in length, 40.220 tons in total weight, 1.58 m in diameter, 236 reins, 15,000 handlers, and 275,000 people participating in the festival.

What is Eisa?

Eisa is a Buddhist dance performed on the last day of the Bon Festival (July 15 on the lunar calendar) on the main island of Okinawa and the surrounding islands to send our ancestors off to the other side of the world.
Today, it is one of Okinawa's representative traditional performing arts.

10,000 Eisa Dance Parade

The 10,000 Eisa Dance Parade is one of the largest eisa festivals in the prefecture, held every year on the first Sunday in August on Kokusai-dori Street in Naha City.
The festival began in 1995, and since then has featured a wide variety of eisa performances, including "traditional eisa," which is performed for the purpose of ancestor worship and has been handed down to youth groups throughout the prefecture, "creative eisa," which is performed without being bound by formalities such as music or costumes, and "eisa for children's groups," which is performed with a free spirit.
The festival also features a wide variety of eisa, including those performed by children's groups.
The 10,000 Eisa Dancing Team began as a way to revitalize Kokusai Dori, not only economically, but also to strengthen local solidarity and a sense of community.

Unfortunately, last year (2021), due to the effects of the new coronavirus, we were unable to enjoy Eisa through all five senses. However, the event was held online using YouTube and other media.
In the online event, various eisa videos are connected by editing, and videos are posted to unite the hearts of the participants.
Also, since it is possible to watch it on YouTube from the official website, we encourage everyone to participate in the festival, as the eisa will bring energy to many people in this difficult situation caused by the Corona disaster ^^