Art Festivals & Events

Okinawa performing arts developed in an island culture open to the influence of the Asian region as a whole. A traditional narrative Ryukyuan performing art, Kumiodori evolved from local traditions since the age of the Ryukyu Kingdom and through interactions with Noh, Kabuki, and other performing arts of the mainland in the Edo period (1603–1867). This project launches the first domestic tour of Kumiodori with the aim of bringing into the awareness of people around the country the “spirit and art” of the tradition that was designated a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage and is a leading form of Japan’s performing arts. The project is an attempt to carry on the distinctive aesthetic sensibility of the Okinawan performing arts as well as foster new culture and arts and transmit their appeal to the outside world.