Yaguzai Dance Returns to Harvest Festival in Nakijin

OKINAWA, Nov 07 (News On Japan) - The Yaguzai dance, featuring performers spinning in midair on swings, was showcased for the first time in eight years at the Shoshi Harvest Festival in Nakijin Village, Okinawa Prefecture.

The festival, held every four years to pray for the prosperity of descendants and the development of the local community, returned this year for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. Its highlight, the Yaguzai dance, involves performers swinging and spinning atop a four-meter-high wooden structure known as the “yama.”

As the sounds of drums and conch shells filled the air, children energetically performed midair rotations, drawing loud cheers from the crowd. Shoshi, known for its many residents from outside Okinawa, also saw four participants originally from other prefectures perform the traditional “Yotsudake” dance. The festival brought together people of all ages, from children to the elderly, for a day celebrating the preservation and continuity of local traditions.

Source: 沖縄ニュースOTV

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