Naha Tug-of-war

We were able to attend the Naha Tug-of-war along with some other members of our church and about 25,000 other folks. According to Wikipedia, it dates back to the 17th century. There are supposedly many such events annually, but this one is the largest in the region. They close off the main street and bring in a rope that's about 4' tall using cranes to put it in place.

Leading up to the actual tug-of-war, there are many performances. First, a large number of 'floats' pass by, which are basically large poles around 15' high with decorations at the top. An individual carries the pole while a crew of people around them make sure it doesn't fall over. Then they stand each pole up using four forked poles to steady the large pole in the center.





They also have a gigantic golden ball suspended between buildings at the very center where the two sides of the rope are joined together. The ball opens before the match begins.

After the decorated poles pass, two emperors from opposite ends of the rope are carried to the center, symbolizing the leaders of each side, East and West, for the tug-of-war. They are dressed as Ryukyuan emperors. When they reach the center of the rope, they perform a ritual sword contest. While they perform in the middle (which can only be seen by a fraction of those who are in attendance), there are many other performances down the length of the rope. There are martial arts performances and fan-dances. We were lucky enough to be in front of a group of students of martial arts. After the emperors perform their contest in the middle, they are carried back to opposite ends of the rope, the ball opens up, showering the crowd in balloons and confetti, and the match begins!


There is much adjustment that needs to happen in order for the match to begin. The rope is actually made of two ropes, joined in the middle with a sort of 'pin' (the size of a somewhat large tree trunk). In order to join the two sides, the ropes first have to be pulled to the center to meet. The participants grab hold of smaller ropes which extend to either side of the main rope and pull in rhythm to bring the two ropes together in the middle. Once the two ropes are joined, the tugging can begin! Every 8 meters or so, a guide stands on top of the rope to give the participants a steady rhythm for pulling. Our section was a little odd because the guide just behind us didn't keep on rhythm with all the guides in front of him, so we often fell off-beat. When either side got off-beat from each other (that is, North and South), the middle of the rope became a precarious place to stand as it moved side to side from conflicting motions. The tug-of-war lasts 30 minutes, and then the winner is chosen. I heard from one announcer that it was a tie, but I suspect that the East won.

Afterwards, it is tradition to cut off a piece of the ropes used to tug on. They are thought to bring good luck, and are hung as decoration in the home. During the winter months, people make them into wreaths, too.

It is clearly one of the primary events of the year in Okinawa, drawing locals, American military, and many tourists to participate. The street vendors were out in full force to support the hungry participants! All in all, a fantastic experience. As we were leaving, those who brought the decorated poles took them away, and the cranes came to claim the center rope.

I loved that even the metro stop closest to the tug-of-war paid homage to it: