Kume Island Festival

久米島まつり

Festival Tents

The Kume Island Festival is the largest matsuri of the year.

It is a two day event that takes place in August and as with most Japanese festivals, is a time for celebration and thanksgiving. On Kume Island, the festival has developed into a huge mix of food, entertainment, and fun.

When

For 2014, the Kume Festival is scheduled for August 2-3, but may be rescheduled in the event of incliment weather.

  • Saturday – 4p.m. to 10:30p.m.
  • Sunday – 4:30p.m. to 10:30p.m.

Where

The Kume Island Festival takes place at Furiai Park, located in the Nakadomari neighborhood in the southern part of the island.

Event Details

Kume Festival Center

Furiai Park is a large flat grassy space before a large stage. Generally, the space is enclosed by tents with food drinks, games, and other attractions, leaving the center open for picnic style seating. The stage is the focus of the area, with multiple performances throughout the evening. The center of the area is reserved for lighting, sound, and projection booths.

This year Kume Island celebrates the return of the giant tug of war to the Kume Island Festival. The giant rope was a common attraction that took place every two to three years, but has not been seen in Kumejima for 13 years (since the combination of the two villages into one town). Celebrate at with Kume this year!

Kume Festival Sumo

In addition to the main stage, there is also an Okinawan sumo competition that takes place along with the Festival on Day two. Sumo is an integral part of traditional festivals as it acts as a way to give back to ancestors or spirits, depending on the beliefs of the people. In modern times, it is a fun way for students to compete against each other in this traditional sport.

2013 Schedule

August 16

TimeEvent
16:00-17:15Young Live – High School performance
17:45Opening Ceremony
17:50-18:10Character Show
18:10-18:15Kume Island Charachter Reveal
18:15-18:25Festival Poster Awards
18:30-18:35Festival Chairman Greetings
18:40-20:10Giant Tug-o-War
20:15-20:35Eisa
20:40-21:30Saturday Night Concert- Saiyama Shoten
21:30~Fireworks Countdown

August 17

TimeEvent
16:30-18:00Okinawan Sumo Competition
17:45-18:15Charachter Show – Masked Wizards
18:20-18:40Award Ceremony
18:45-19:05Tunnaha Eisa
19:10-19:30Student Performance
19:35-19:50Kumejima’s Tourism ‘Lady’ Introduction
19:55-20:25Raffle Drawing
20:30-21:30Special Live Concert – Dynamites
21:30~Fireworks Countdown

2012 Schedule

August 10

TimeEvent
17:00-18:00Young Live – High School performance
18:00Opening Ceremony
18:10-18:20Festival Drawing Award Ceremony
18:25-18:50Island Song and Folk Dance
18:55-19:00Board of Education Chief Greetings
19:05-19:30Hula
19:35-19:55Bonodori Kumejima Circular Dance
20:00-20:25Island Song and Folk Dance
20:35-21:30Saturday Night Concert- Miyagi Mamoru
21:30~Fireworks Countdown

August 11

TimeEvent
16:30-18:00Okinawan Sumo Competition
18:00Opening Ceremony
18:05-18:35Kamen (masked) Rider Character Show
18:40-19:00Ground Golf Award Ceremony
19:05-19:30Eisa Performances
19:35-19:45Kumejima’s Tourism ‘Lady’ Introduction
19:50-20:30Raffle Drawing
20:40-21:30Special Live Concert – ON THE DO=RO
21:30~Fireworks Countdown
Concert

The evening concerts are always great fun.