Okinawa Koyomi

Okinawa Event Dates

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Most Okinawan festivals follow the lunar calendar, so the dates change every year. These are computed from verified astronomical data and updated daily.

Coming up

DateEventFor visitors
September 18 (Fri) – 20 (Sun), 2026 Tarama Bon Dance
Tarama no Hachigatsu Odori・多良間の八月踊り
Three days of dedicatory performances on Tarama Island. Book travel and lodging early. 		Can be watched
September 25 (Fri), 2026 Harvest Moon
Jūgoya・十五夜
Okinawa offers fuchagi mochi topped with red beans, not dango. 		Can be watched
September 25 (Fri), 2026 Itoman Tug-of-War
Itoman Ōtsunahiki・糸満大綱引
A 10-ton straw rope pulled on the harvest-moon night. Streets are closed. 		Can be watched
October 17 (Sat), 2026 Kajimayā (97th birthday)
Kajimayā・カジマヤー
A community parade celebrating elders who reach the age of 97. 		Can be watched
February 7 (Sun), 2027 Lunar New Year
Kyūshōgatsu・旧正月
Mostly ordinary in Naha, but fishing towns like Itoman raise “big catch” flags. 		Can be watched
April 9 (Fri), 2027 Hamauri (beach purification)
Hamauri・浜下り
The year's lowest tide — a fine day for exploring tidal flats. 		Can be watched
May 3 (Mon) – 5 (Wed), 2027 Naha Dragon Boat Race
Naha Hārī・那覇ハーリー
Held over Golden Week on fixed modern-calendar dates. Easy for visitors to attend. 		Can be watched
June 8 (Tue), 2027 Yukkanuhī
Yukkanuhī・ユッカヌヒー
Dragon boat races (hārī) are held at harbors around the islands. 		Can be watched
June 8 (Tue), 2027 Itoman Dragon Boat Race
Itoman Hārē・糸満ハーレー
Still held on the lunar date; said to mark the end of the rainy season. 		Can be watched
August 14 (Sat) – 16 (Mon), 2027 Obon (lunar)
Kyūbon・旧盆
The biggest disruption of the year: many restaurants close and roads are congested. 		Shops closed, heavy traffic
August 14 (Sat) – 16 (Mon), 2027 Angama
Angama・アンガマ
Yaeyama's Obon visitation, with masked figures and witty dialect exchanges. 		Can be watched
September 8 (Wed) – 10 (Fri), 2027 Tarama Bon Dance
Tarama no Hachigatsu Odori・多良間の八月踊り
Three days of dedicatory performances on Tarama Island. Book travel and lodging early. 		Can be watched

Dates not yet announced

These are set by the organizers each year, not by the calendar. We do not publish a guessed date — please check the official announcement.

  • Four-District Harvest Festival（四カ字の豊年祭）— Ishigaki's largest festival, ending in a town-wide tug-of-war.
  • Tanadui (Seed-Taking Festival)（種子取祭）— Taketomi Island's ten-day festival; 80+ performances over two central days.
  • Naha Great Tug-of-War（那覇大綱挽まつり）— A Guinness-recognized rope; visitors may join. Route 58 is closed.
  • Yonabaru Tug-of-War（与那原大綱曳まつり）— Over 440 years old; costumed figures stand atop the rope. Held before Obon.
  • 10,000 Eisa Dancers Parade（一万人のエイサー踊り隊）— On Naha's Kokusai Street. The season itself has shifted in recent years — check the official date.
  • Shuri Castle Festival（首里城復興祭）— Ryukyuan court processions, including the Chinese envoy parade on Kokusai Street.

Dates are calculated in Japan Standard Time and cross-checked against the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's official almanac.