Not seen published on the Okinawa Tourism website where events are usually published, I found found out about this tug of war because my wife is from Yakena and she was tipped off. This tug of war happens only once every seven years, so I felt somewhat lucky to be able to capture it.
Unlike the larger, more commercial Naha tug of war, the Yakena tug of war did not have a large amount of tourists. The people who were on the streets were all locals from the villages/towns.
On day one the two sides of the city battled on the west followed up by a battle on the east on day two. When I say battle, I mean more than just the pulling of the rope itself. The groups would run and collide together, smashing each other, taunting one another. Like most matsuri on the island the women danced and sang, but they were also involved in the taunting before the groups paraded the ropes through the streets.
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