is an annual festival of the

Okinawa Islands The Okinawa Islands ( or ) are an island group in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan and are the principal island group of the prefecture. The Okinawa Islands are part of the larger Ryukyu Islands group and are located between the Amami Islands of Kagoshi ...

of southwestern

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, which is traditionally celebrated on the 4th day of the 5th month of the

lunisolar calendar A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, combining lunar calendars and solar calendars. The date of Lunisolar calendars therefore indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the Sun in the Ea ...

. It centers on the traditional

dragon boat A dragon boat is a human-powered watercraft originating from the Pearl River Delta region of China's southern Guangdong Province. These were made of teak, but in other parts of China, different kinds of wood are used. It is one of a family of t ...

(''haarii'', or ''haaree'' in

Itoman ''ʔIcuman'' is a Cities of Japan, city located in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The city occupies the southern tip of Okinawa Island. As of April 2013, the city has an estimated population of 59,605 and a population density of 1,335.53 persons pe ...

) races. The festival dates back to circa 1400, where it is said to have been adopted from the Chinese. The dragon boat races are a form of giving thanks to the sea and agricultural gods and asking for their continued help for the future. Currently,

Naha is the capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). The total area i ...

is host to the largest dragon boat race, although

and

Tamagusuku was a legendary local ruler of Okinawa Island. According to Ryukyu's official history, Okinawa was split into three polities during the reign of Tamagusuku.Kerr, He was the third son of Eiji (r. 1309-1313), he was the fourth ruler of the Eis ...

are also known for holding large races.http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=7556 Charles, Bill "Dragon boat races add excitement to Golden Week" (2007-05-02) Like many other elements that characterize modern Okinawan culture, ''yukka nu hii'' used to have a limited geographic distribution. In northern Okinawa, it was seen as a festival of south–central Okinawa. The dragon boat race is said to have been introduced to Unten, Nakijin Village in the mid-

Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...

, or from the end of the 19th century to the early 20th century. Since the Meiji period, many Itoman fishermen have migrated to other parts of

Okinawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city o ...

, with their ''haaree'' races. For example, they started the boat race in Ishigaki City of the

Yaeyama Islands The Yaeyama Islands (八重山列島 ''Yaeyama-rettō'', also 八重山諸島 ''Yaeyama-shotō'', Yaeyama: ''Yaima'', Yonaguni: ''Daama'', Okinawan: ''Yeema'', Northern Ryukyuan: ''Yapema'') are an archipelago in the southwest of Okinawa ...

in 1906. Ethnologist Matsuo Kōichi noted that in some coastal communities of the Miyako and

, boat races were no longer associated with the ''yukka nu hii'' festival but with the harvest festival of the 6th lunar month or the ''shichi'' festival of the 9th month. The

Amami Islands The The name ''Amami-guntō'' was standardized on February 15, 2010. Prior to that, another name, ''Amami shotō'' (奄美諸島), was also used. is an archipelago in the Satsunan Islands, which is part of the Ryukyu Islands, and is southwest o ...

Kagoshima Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyushu and the Ryukyu Islands. Kagoshima Prefecture has a population of 1,599,779 (1 January 2020) and has a geographic area of 9,187 km2 (3,547 sq mi). Kagoshima Prefecture borders Kumamoto P ...

have similar boat races. They are usually held in August and appear to have distinct roots.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Yukka Nu Hi Festivals in Okinawa Prefecture Religious holidays May observances