What is the Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival?
2024/12/28 22:41
What is the Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival?
The Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival is a unique and progressive event that brings together people with Okinawan roots from all over the world, much like a large family reunion. Here's an overview of this significant gathering:
Purpose and History
The Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival aims to:- Honor the achievements of Okinawan descendants worldwide
- Expand and develop the "Uchina Network" through exchanges with Okinawa residents
- Reaffirm participants' roots and identity in their ancestral homeland
- Pass on Okinawan culture and heritage to future generations
Background
- Okinawa has a rich history of emigration spanning over a century
- Approximately 420,000 people of Okinawan descent (known as "Uchinanchu") live abroad
- Okinawan immigrants have overcome hardships and maintained strong ties to their homeland
Key Aspects of the Festival
- Held every five years in Okinawa
- Features cultural workshops, stage shows, and welcome events in various municipalities
- Includes exhibitions on Okinawan immigration history and cultural exchange events
- Promotes understanding of Okinawa's unique soft power (culture, traditional arts, history, language, customs, and nature)
Objectives
- Strengthen the Uchina Network and deepen bonds among Uchinanchu
- Encourage younger generations to explore opportunities abroad
- Promote understanding of diverse cultures and Okinawa's peace-loving spirit
- Showcase Okinawa as an international tourist destination and its local products
Significance
The festival coincides with the 50th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan, making it a particularly momentous occasion. It serves as a platform for cultural exchange, identity reinforcement, and the continuation of Okinawan traditions worldwide
This year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan, the "7th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival" is generating great excitement. Although not widely known in mainland Japan, this is a very progressive and warm event where people with Okinawan roots living around the world gather like a large family. It's a once-in-five-year opportunity. I will also participate as an observer for three days starting from October 30.
(Kazumi Miyazaki, Organizer of Global Community)
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