2024 Fall Okinawa Naha Rope Festival Tour #1

2024 Fall Okinawa Naha Rope Festival Tour #1

Enjoy your choice of Japan Airlines’ “Economy” or “Business” class service. Business class customers will begin their journey with a relaxing visit to JAL’s brand new “Sakura Lounge – Hale.”

Very unique tour itinerary!

• 8 Nights / 10 Days
• 13 Meals (8 Breakfasts, 5 Dinners)
• Escorted from Honolulu
• Includes English-Speaking Local Guide

TOUR DATE AND MANAGER:

October 07 – 16, 2024 • Tour Manager: Jackie Wehrfritz

OVERVIEW:

Okinawa is home to a unique culture that differs considerably from that of mainland Japan. Until the islands were invaded by the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture) in 1609, Okinawa existed as an entirely separate country from Japan, known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. After the invasion, the Ryukyu Kingdom served as a tributary state to Japan, but continued to be governed by the royal family from Shuri Castle. It was not until 1879, a few years after the Meiji Restoration, that the kingdom was abolished and incorporated into Japan as Okinawa Prefecture. The castles of Okinawa, known as “Gusuku” in the Okinawan language, are among the most vivid monuments that testify to the unique cultural and historical heritage of the Ryukyu Kingdom. In the year 2000, five castles and four related sites were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the collective title of “Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu”.

NAHA ROPE FESTIVAL:

Long ago, tugs-of-war were held throughout the island to give thanks for a bountiful harvest and to pray for rain. The tug-of-war was a community ritual in which people of all ages took part, symbolizing Okinawa’s spirit of yuimaaru (cooperation). The Naha Great Tug-of-War is the highlight of the Naha Rope Festival, the largest cultural festival in the prefecture, which lasts for three days over a long weekend in mid-October. Its roots can be traced back to the 17th century, when the two rulers of Naha battled one another. Their battle is represented in the tug-of-war between the two factions from the East and West. In 1997 it was officially recognized in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest tug-of-war with the largest straw rope in the world. About 280,000 people visit the event every year, of which about 15,000 can actually take part in the pulling.

VISIT:

Naha • Nanjo • Itoman • Onna • Manza • Motobu • Nakijin • Kitanakagusuku

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Okinawa World • Gyokusendo Stalactite Cave • Habu (Snake) Museum • Glass Factory • Masahiro Sake Brewery • Ryukyu Mura Village • Okinawan Sweets Making Experience • Manzamou • Manza Beach • Churaumi Aquarium • Nakijin Castle Site • Shisa Painting Experience • Okashigoten Onna Shop • AEON MALL Okinawa Rycom • Traditional Cultural Parade • Naha Rope Festival • “Ryuzen Zome” Coral Dyeing Experience • Shuri Castle (Shurijo) • Ryusou Ryukyu Kimono Dress-Up • San-A Naha Main Place • Himeyuri Peace Museum • Mabuni Hill • Okinawa Peace Memorial Park • Ryukyu Dance Performance

UNESCO WORLD HERITAGE SITES:

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu