| Traditional Events, Festivals, Sporting Events |
Throughout the year, there are many events and festivals held on Ishigaki and Yaeyama Islands. Some are open to the general public while others are solemn religious services that are open only to the people of that town or village. Make sure to follow the instructions of the locals.
Some events to check out are the Hari Sea God Festival (Dragon Boat Race), the Ishigaki Triathlon, the Harvest Festival ?Honensai?, the Kyubon (Ancestors? Memorial) Festival, and the Southern Island Star Festival.
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Ishigaki Island Marathon: End of January
The New Year starts with the Ishigaki Island Marathon! The marathon course runs along the southern part of Ishigaki Island. The emerald green and the colorful subtropical flora is enough to encourage even the most inexperienced runners to run for the goal. You could run full speed ahead or move at your own pace to the cheers from the Shimanchu (Islanders). Volunteers serve local products at the Aid Station in the middle of the course, so you can enjoy the taste of the island, too!
Item?Full Marathon, Half Marathon, 10km Run
Contact? Ishigaki Island Marathon Office
[ TEL ]0980-88-6666
http://www.ishigakijima-marathon.jp/index.html |
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Local Performing Arts Night: Twice a month
Performing arts in Yaeyama are not only done during festivals in hope of an abundant harvest, but they are also done throughout the year for cultural appreciation. At these events, you can enjoy a variety of Yaeyama folk dances and songs that are inspired from life in Yaeyama. They hold these performances twice a month.
Location: Ishigaki City Auditorium Middle Hall
Time: Door opens 7:30 p.m. /Open 8:00 p.m.
Contacts: Ishigaki City Tourist Association
TEL?0980-82-2809 |
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Ishigaki ITU Triathlon World Cup / Ishigaki Island Triathlon: Mid-April
It is a triathlon that is held in the early summer on the southernmost part of Ishigaki. This triathlon is a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike, and a 10km run through the streets of Ishigaki Island. Many citizens and tourists cheer and support the athletes along the route! Near the finish line, the local people cheer on the athletes by dancing and singing for them. After the amateur race finishes in the morning, the World Cup starts in the afternoon featuring the world's top triathlon athletes. Ishigaki is the only place in Japan that the ITU Triathlon is held.
Ishigaki Triathlon World Cup 2011 / Ishigaki Island Triathlon 2011
Official Site: http://ishigakijima-triathlon.jp/ |
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Sea God Festival ?Hari Festival): May of the Lunar Calendar
The Hari Festival takes place on May 4 of the Lunar Calendar. Fishermen (Uminchu) pay tribute to the Sea Gods to ensure their safety at sea and to request an abundant catch of fish.
During the Hari race, Uminchu use a traditional style of small boat (Sabani). The events that receive the most attention are those in which rival groups of fishermen proudly compete against each other! Other local groups participate in the races for fun. Hari is gaining more recognition each year, and people all over the island get very excited about it! It is said that when the Sea God Festival is over, the summer season begins.
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Harvest Festival (Honensai): Mid-July to the beginning of August?
Harvest Festival is held from mid-July to the beginning of August (this is June of the Lunar Calendar). These festival thanks the gods for this year's harvest and also asks for a good harvest the following year. This harvest festival is conducted in each of the small villages of Ishigaki Island such as Arakawa, Tonoshiro, Ishigaki, and Okawa.
Each village has a parade with people from the village carrying large flagpoles that are intricately decorated on top with a special ornament know as ?Hatagashira?. Various dances are performed by each district and each one is highly entertaining and worth seeing.
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Kyubon Angama ? Angama Procession: Kyubon, July of the Lunar Calendar
?Angama? is a unique way to honor the ancestral spirits. At this festival, dead ancestors are welcomed back to the land of the living. Grandfather Spirit (Ushumai) and Grandmother Spirit (Umi) visit this world with their Grandchildren Spirits (Fama) and the group will spend the evening visiting houses and answering questions about the after life.
Angama Dances and Shishimai-Lion Dances and rhythmic Sanshin music can be seen and heard as nightfall approaches. (Some villages have included traditional Okinawan Eisa Dances as well.)
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Southern Island Star Festival: Around beginning of August
?Turn out all the lights Ishigaki city and enjoy looking at the Milky Way?
Ishigaki is the southernmost district of Japan, and the Yaeyama Islands are near the equator. From here, you can see many stars clearly. There is an ancient archive called ?Seizu (Star Chart)? that shows that people in Yaeyama have been observing stars for at least 300 years. Many ?Star Legends? have been passed down by tradition.
This event takes place during the Tanabata period of the Lunar Calendar. This is the foremost place in Japan to enjoy the stars. During this event, all houselights, signboards, and streetlights are turned out at 8:00 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. in order to see the Milky Way. The event also features live entertainment and food.
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Tubarama Song Contest: Around beginning of September
?Tubarama? is a type of Yaeyama folk ballad that has been passed down from generation to generation between the different islands in this region. They are a treasured part of the cultural heritage in Yaeyama and their heartfelt and melancholic melodies are usually about the desire to return to one?s hometown, or lover.
The ?Tubarama Song Contest? is a competition between all of the ?Masters of Tubarama? in which only one champion is chosen each year. The tournament takes place on a stage under the full moon on August 13 of the lunar calendar.
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Ishigaki Island Festival: Beginning of November
The largest festival in Ishigaki is the ?Ishigaki Island Festival.? It is a civic festival that takes place on the first Saturday and Sunday of November. Here folk dancers perform for the public at Maezato Park, the main meeting venue for the island. More than 50 booths and exhibitions are set up in the park.
On the second day, the highly anticipated citizen parade proceeds down ?Yaima O-dori Street? (Main Street). This parade is approximately 1.2km long and it contains more than 30 dance groups who dance in various costumes. At the end of the night, more than 100 fireworks mark the finale of the festival!
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Attention in viewing sacred rites and traditional events
Traditional events inherited from the ancient times still exist here in Yaeyama. Because these events are sacred, taking pictures or recording video is prohibited. (Note: Some events are so sacred to certain communities that they are even forbidden to people who are from Ishigaki, but not from the same village as the festival.)
When you observe the traditional events, please be careful to follow the instructions.
?Please follow the instructions of locals when you visit sacred events.
?If you see a large entrance way that is made up of two vertical and two
horizontal pillars (known as Torii gate in mainland Japan), please do not
enter this area or take pictures without permission. This is the Utaki
(AKA: ON) and it is a sacred place of worship for the island people.
?Please do not walk across or disturb the ceremony and the procession.
?Please take pictures quietly when you are permitted, and use a light or flash sparingly.
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