Features Okinawa HDR Features and News Festivals and Holidays
 

1. Obon
Obon is a three-day holiday set aside each summer to honor deceased ancestors. During this period, family members celebrate the return of ancestral spirits by gathering together, feasting, and praying.
31/07/2008 | 4031 Hits | Print | PDF

Though not unique to Okinawa, September in Japan is the peak season for the annual Undokai (one day of sporting events held locally at elementary schools and kindergartens). Pupils work hard for this day when parents, relatives and community...
25/11/2007 | 1078 Hits | Print | PDF | Read more...

21/09/2007 | 3747 Hits | Print | PDF

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21/09/2007 | 2421 Hits | Print | PDF

9. Hanami
21/09/2007 | 2579 Hits | Print | PDF

21/09/2007 | 1748 Hits | Print | PDF

11. White Day
21/09/2007 | 2231 Hits | Print | PDF

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21/09/2007 | 1975 Hits | Print | PDF

Festivals in Japan have always been part of a greater religious meaning. Festivals in Japan, which date back to the late first-century A.D., have come to represent expressions of the soul, life, death, and the divine nature of being. These combine...
17/09/2007 | 6389 Hits | Print | PDF | Read more...

Spiritually, Okinawans believe that man and woman are tied eternally to the heavens and the sea. This belief is what ties together many of their festivals, spiritual holidays, and annual celebrations. In northern Okinawa the honoring of this...
17/09/2007 | 5907 Hits | Print | PDF | Read more...

In general, Christmas is not celebrated as a religious event in Japan. Here in Okinawa, central areas (Chatan, Okinawa city, Kadena, Yomitan) host many non-Japanese families in each community. During this season, many people enjoy driving around...
08/11/2005 | 2450 Hits | Print | PDF | Read more...