Culture of Ishigaki

Haari Boat Festival

Haari is a boat festival that is held on Ishigaki island in which 'Sabani' boats are raced between two points at Ishigaki's fishing port. The wooden sabani were used by Okinawan fishermen for hundreds of years and it is said that the tradition of racing these boats was imported from China. The events of the day which receive the most attention are those in which rival groups of fishermen compete. Some of these races involve the boats being intentionally capsized by the rowers, who then flip the boat back over before...

Hounensai

While haarii is the fisherman's festival, hounensai is a harvest festival which starts at the beginning of August. During the hounensai season multiple festivals take place throughout Ishigaki, with individual festivals ranging in length from a few hours to entire days. If you're lucky enough to be on Ishigaki island during the hounensai season then I'd highly recommend that you take the time to check out one of these festivals as they are highly entertaining and steeped in Okinawan culture...

Orion Beer Festival

The Orion beer festival is a one night event that is held at Ishigaki's Shinei park, which is located right in the center of town. A few thousand people turn out every year to check out the live music while enjoying a beer with friends under Ishigaki's mid-summer sun. Entrance is free of charge and there are no age restrictions...

Shiisa

If you wander around Ishigaki you're bound to notice an abundance of ornaments and statues presented in pairs which look like a cross between a dog and a lion. These are 'shiisa', and their origin can be found in an Okinawan folklore. A legend describes how a sea dragon was defeated by a brave islander who held a necklace decorated with a figurine in front of him as the creature approached. According to this myth, as soon as the dragon saw the shiisa a huge boulder fell from the sky and landed on its tail, which in turn led to its death...

Yaeyama Music Festival

The Yaeyama music festival is an autumn event which is held on Ishigaki's Maezato park on a Sunday during the first half of October. Unlike the Orion beer festival, which receives greater publicity, this event places greater emphasis on performances by local artists, although a few do fly in from further afield. Despite the fact that some of the acts are amateur or semi-professional the standard of the performances is very high...