January Yaeyama New Year's Bullfight Tournament First Sunday (Ishigaki Island) Come and enjoy the excitement and thrill of Yaeyama bullfighting. Bullfights are also held during events such as the Opening of the Swimming Season Day, Hari Boat Races, and Ishigaki Island Festivals. For more information, call the Yaeyama Bullfight Association at 0980-82-4512. Tanedori Festival (Taniduri) (Hirae, Shiraho, Tonoshiro areas of Ishigaki Island) Festival that celebrates the planting of rice and prays for a successful harvest. Horse racing also takes place in the Shiraho area. Tug of War Festival Jan 1 of Lunarsolar Calendar (Kuroshima Island) The Tug of War Festival celebrates the first month of the lunar calendar and asks the gods to bring happiness for everyone. Yaeyama Mainichi Relay Race (Ishigaki Island) Runners representing each area of Ishigaki participate in the 76.1K relay race. Locals show their community spirit by cheering on all the athletes. Ishigaki Island Marathon 4th Sunday (Ishigaki Island) Avid runners come from across Japan every year to run in Japan's southernmost full-length marathon. You also have the option of running a half-marathon or 10K. February 16th Day Festival Jan 16 of Lunarsolar Calendar (Yaeyama Islands) People gather with delicacies at their family tomb and spend the day there in memory of the ancestors. It is a day when the spirits of ancestors gather together with the family and enjoy the food. Elaborate meals are brought to the tom, and people play music and sing with their families. J-League Camp Beginning of February (Ishigaki Island Soccer Park Akanma) Watch professional soccer players like FC Tokyo play soccer during the training camp. Chiba Lotte Marines Camp Beginning of February (Ishigaki Island Baseball Field) Baseball fans love to watch the Chiba Lotte Marines train hard during their off-season in Ishigaki. Yamaneko Marathon 2nd Saturday (Iriomote Island) Run 3K, 10K, or 23K while enjoying Iriomote Island's beautiful natural scenery.The race afterparty features two huge boats of "sashimi" or raw fish which are brought in to the room. It is then a free-for-all as everyone grabs whatever they can hold. The afterparty lineup features great performers as well as a last song in which everyone gets up and dances on the stage. It is quite an experience. Kuroshima Cow Festival Last Sunday (Kuroshima Island) There are so many cows on the island that there are reasons to celebrate! The island hosts its cow festival each year with live music, dance, games, and the chance to win a real cow (worth about $1800 US). Usually held in February, the island becomes filled with people from all over Japan and the World. The day also features a tug of war in which teams try to pull a cow. The usual outcome is the cow winning and the people being dragged along kicking and screaming. The steak and soup dishes are especially tasty. March Ishigaki Island Coral Week First week of March (Ishigaki Island) The week that includes March 5th is designated as Ishigaki Island Coral Week. Various events such as coral monitoring, shell ginger tree-planting, beach clean-up are held during the week. The WWF Coral Research Center at Shiraho Coral Village also has a photo exhibit and talk show on the variety of coral that are found in the Yaeyama Islands. Opening of the Sea Ceremony (One of Yaeyama's Islands) Yaeyama's ceremony marking the opening of the sea to swimmers is the earliest in Japan. It also marks the start of the tourist season and the event is tied with the Miss Yaeyama Pageant, a marine sports tournament, as well as an offshore fishing tournament. Setting Foot on the Beach (Sanizu) March 3 of Lunarsolar Calendar (Yaeyama Islands) During Sanizu, local women go to the beach to pray for happiness and health. Many families also gather at the beach to collect shellfish. April Ishigaki ITU Triathlon World Cup Mid-April (Ishigaki Island) Elite athletes from around the world gather in Ishigaki to compete in the one and only World Cup race in Japan. Since the race in Ishigaki is one of the qualifying events for the Olympics, spectators are sure to see a race full of energy and top class competition. Ishigaki Island Triathlon (Ishigaki Island) Held on the same day as the World Cup race, the Ishigaki Island Triathlon has become extremely popular among athletes within Japan and abroad. Athletes can compete individually or as a 3-person team. The race day is topped off with a party filled with live music, dancing, drinks, and food. Iriomote Island Music Festival 3rd Sunday (Iriomote Island) Held in Funauki on Iriomote Island, this annual music festival features local musicians as well as music artists from mainland Japan. May Hatoma Island Music Festival (Hatoma Island) Held during Golden Week, the Hatoma Music Festival features a variety of different music genres. Yaeyama Product Fair (Ishigaki Island Indoor Arena) See all of Yaeyama's special handmade products in one place. With booths ranging from traditional pottery, goods, and food to modern artwork and crafts, you will surely find what you are looking for here. June Diving Festa Ishigaki Beginning of June (Ishigaki Island) Fun diving sessions as well as night diving, a lecture by a famous underwater photographer, and a photo contest are held over 3 days for diving fanatics. Tropical Beach Lovers Festa (Ishigaki Island Fusaki Resort Village) Spend the afternoon at the beach with your family and friends and enjoy the entertainment provided by famous artists. With a beautiful sunset in the backdrop, this event combines the three themes of environment, culture, and community contribution. Dragon Boat Race (Hari) May 4 of Lunarsolar Calendar (Ishigaki, Kohama, Yonaguni Island) The Hari race is held as a tribute to the sea god and as a prayer for a year of good fishing season. Athough local groups participate, the main attraction is the race featuring the local fishermen. They do an nteresting race which includes flipping over the boat and then all getting back in. Traditional wooden boats called Sabani are used. Orion Beer Festival (Ishigaki Island Shinei Park) This festival is sponsored by Orion Beer each year and features lots of food, drinks, live entertainment, and a lively fireworks show. Shinei Park becomes packed with locals and visitors so make sure to get there early. Memorial Day June 23 (Ishigaki Island Banna Park South Entrance Memorial Stone) The Malaria Memorial Stone was erected in memory of the people who perished from Malaria during WWII. Malaria claimed the lives of over 3,000 people in Yaeyama and many of the local people in Yaeyama were forced out of their homes into the jungle areas. The Battle of Okinawa Memorial Stone pays respect to the many people that perished during one of the bloodiest land wars of all time. In Okinawa alone, over 250,000 people were killed. In addition to respecting those who were lost, the stone represents Ishigaki's and Japan's resolution to work towards world peace. July Yonaguni Island International Swordfish Fishing Tournament (Yonaguni Island) Anglers from around the world participate in this famous fishing tounament. The coasts off Yonaguni have the largest haul of swordfish in Okinawa prefecture. Among the tournament's events include big game fishing, offshore angling, and family fishing contests. Harvest Festival (Puuri) (Ishigaki Island) Honensai is the most important festival in Ishigaki as it thanks the gods for the year's harvest and prays for good harvest the following year. On the first day of the festival, people celebrate at their respective shrines in their own area. Originally, the area of Arakawa produced the most rice and people from other areas were invited to come to their shrine. This tradition continues on the second day when all areas parade to the shrine located in Arakawa. Hundreds of people gather near the Arakawa Shrine and perform dances. One of the main features of the procession are the "kashira" or large banner poles. One person balances the pole on their stomachs while other group members prevent it from falling.The finale includes a staged fight which represents a farmer holding sickles and a warrior holding a halbert. The match goes unfinished and the crowd is left to decide the fate through a huge tug of war. If the red side representing the farmer wins then the year is supposed to be a very prosperous one. Ishigaki Port Festival (Ishigaki Island Ferry Terminal) This event is held annually to commemorate Ocean Day and to have more people learn about Ishigaki Island's port. People not only gather for the music and food, but also for the fishing contest and boat open to the public on this day. August Angama Kyubon July 13-15 of Lunar Calendar (Yaeyama Islands) This is the time when ancestors are welcomed back to the land of the living. Each area has its own Angama group and members visit houses covered from head to toe with a hat, handkerchief, and yukata. They depict a grandmother and grandfather spirit visit households with their grandchildren spirits. The Angama procession shows respect to the families ancestral alter, drink Okinawan awamori, and perform various dances and songs to the beat of the drum, flute, and sanshin. Mushama July 13-15 of Lunar Calendar (Hateruma Island) Mushama is the largest event held on Hateruma Island. The island is divided into three groups and participate in a costume parade to pray for a rich harvest and for ancestors. Itashikibara July 16 of Lunarsolar Calendar (Yaeyama Islands) This ceremony is a cleansing ritual performed to tell spirits that came back for Kyubon to return to their spirit world. The tradition of dancing the Makiodori and the lion dance are still practiced in the areas of Ohama, Miyara, and Shiraho districts on Ishigaki Island and in Hateruma Island. South Island Star Festival (Minami no Shima no Hoshi Matsuri) (Ishigaki Island Yashima Island) The stars can be seen bright and clear as the entire island participates in the light-down event. Enjoy the live entertainment and food with your family and friends while looking up at the Milky Way. September Yunkai August 8 of Lunarsolar Calendar (Taketomi Island) This ritual welcomes the bringing of seed grains by the god from Niraikanai or utopia. Tubarama Song Contest August 13 of Lunarsolar Calendar (Ishigaki Island) The Tubarama is a famous Yaeyama ballad that has been passed down though the generations in Ishigaki. Participants perform their own versions of the famous Tubarama singing style. Held since 1947, this event attracts competitors of all ages. Densa Bushi Contest End of September (Iriomote Island) The song Densa Bushi was originally made to comfort a group of people that had been forced to separate from their family and settle in a new place. A song contest is held and contestants are judged on their singing quality and sanshin playing ability. October Kitsugan From Day of Dog or Boar in August of Lunarsolar Calendar (Taketomi, Kohama, Kuro, Hatoma, Ishigaki Island) This is the closing event for rituals of the year. Performances dedicated to the gods are performed in splendor. It is the biggest event in Kabira of Ishigaki Island and Kohama Island. November Ishigaki Island Festival Beginning of November (Ishigaki Island Maezato Park) This is Ishigaki's largest festival featuring a parade, live entertainment, food booths, and exhibitions featuring local Ishigaki products. Yonaguni Marathon Mid-November (Yonaguni Island) Full marathon participants take on this challenging course that does a complete circle around the westernmost island of Japan. There are also 24K and 10K races. Ishigaki Island Earth Ride (Ishigaki, Iriomote Island) Apart from Ishigaki, Earth Ride is also held in Hokkaido Furano, Tokyo, and Kyoto. However, Ishigaki's course (40K, 60K, 100K, 120K) is the only one in Japan without traffic lights for a distance of more than 100K. December Tanedori Festival (Tanadui) (Taketomi Island) WIth over 600 years of history, this festival has been designated as a Nationally Important Tangible Folk Cultural Property. The festival is held over two days to pray for a bountiful harvest. 70 different traditional styles of performing arts are performed during this time. Yaeyama Pottery Festival (Ishigaki Island) Look at each of the different styles of Yaeyama pottery and see for yourself what distinguishes the Yaeyama style from pottery made in other parts of Japan. Ice Lantern Festival (Ishigaki Island) Each winter, the Ishanagira community youth group puts on a lively Ice Lantern Festival for children and their families. Ice snowmen shipped from siter city Wakkanai, Hokkaido (northernmost city of Japan) decorate the event area where live entertainment and food are provided. Click here to see lunarsolar calendar. Event schedules are subject to change without prior notice. Please check the dates and locations before planning your trip. (c) 2012. Ishigaki City. All rights reserved.