Okinawa - 5 recommended events in January

For those who want to enjoy the traditional performing arts unique to Okinawa, we recommend the bustling forest. This event, which will be held at the Okinawa Convention Center in Ginowan City, will be held on January 25, 2025 (Saturday).
One of the most popular spots in the forest is the impressive stage where traditional Okinawan performing arts such as Ryukyu dance, Okinawa folk song, and Eisa folk dance gather at once. The programs that appear one after another, such as beautiful dance of women, stick art, karate, and lion dance by strong men, will not get tired of the viewer! Also, the appearance of a large number of performers dressed in Hanagasa and red costumes lined up on the stage that had been turned down is a masterpiece.

Outside the venue, a lively taste (Okinawa product sales corner) will be opened. The stalls also sell gourmets such as Okinawa soba and Juicy, as well as Okinawa's specialty awamori. In addition to enjoying the lively atmosphere of the forest, please enjoy the “buzz of taste”.

The popular illumination event "Okinawa Nankoku Illumination 2024-2025" in the winter season in Okinawa is being held at Tonan Botanical Paradise (Okinawa City).
The motifs unique to the botanical garden, such as the magnificent lotus flower illumination, hibiscus and Jade Kazura, color the park, and about 4 million balls create a world of illumination unique to Okinawa.

It's a recommended spot for romantic moments with lovers and to spend important memories with family and friends!

In Okinawa, cherry blossoms bloom around late January ahead of other prefectures. Therefore, at this time, Sakura Festivals are held in various parts of the prefecture. The first festival to enjoy cherry blossoms is the Motobu Yae-dake Cherry Blossom Festival. It is held every year from late January to early February at Yae-dake, a famous cherry blossom spot, with the catchphrase "Hitoshi, bloom".

The recommended point of such headquarters Yae-dake Sakura Festival is that you can see the cherry blossoms while walking as well as driving. You can enjoy Kanhizakura while feeling the clear air with your skin. The common cherry blossoms on the mainland, Yoshino cherry tree (Yoshino cherry tree), are light pink, while the cold scarlet cherry blossoms are dark and vivid like plum blossoms. This flower that blooms downward also has the characteristic that it is hard to scatter.

Mt. Yae is a hill, and if you climb it, you can see not only the sea but also I Eshima in the distance. If you turn your camera there, you can shoot a beautiful piece of cherry blossoms that stand out against the sea!
In addition, there is a Okinawa soba specialty store near the entrance of the Yae-dake mountain climbing road and a bakery selling bread and cookies on the mountain path, so you can enjoy mountain climbing and cherry blossom viewing while filling your stomach.

In addition, there are a number of popular sightseeing spots around Mt. Yae, such as Nago Pineapple Park and OKINAWA Fruit Land. If you plan to visit these spots for sightseeing in Okinawa in January, be sure to stop by Motobu Yae-dake Sakura Festival.

"If you eat Tida Sunsan, I'm gonju from Okinawa! Under the slogan “Okinawa Flower and Food Festival 2025” will be held at Ounoyama Park in Naha City on January 18 (Sat) and 19 (Sun), 2025, with the appeal of Okinawan agricultural, forestry and fishery products.
Agriculture, forestry and fishery products and processed products from the prefecture, which are in season at this time, such as the meat market and the seafood market where seafood gather.

In addition, there are various events related to flowers such as the Hanaki Horticulture Market and Flower Design Contest, as well as other experience corners, and there are plenty of fun events! You can learn about the charm of Okinawa, so you can have a fun time with your family and friends.

A special tour will be held in January and February to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the completion of the Fukuchi Dam, the largest dam in the prefecture in Higashimura, northern Okinawa Prefecture. On the first sightseeing boat dedicated to dam lakes in Okinawa Prefecture, you can infiltrate into the World Natural Heritage Area registered in 2021, and experience the magnificent dams up close, including the rich nature of Yanbaru Forest. The unique charm of this tour is that you can learn the history and role of Fukuchi Dam while receiving explanations from staff during the tour of the dam facility! You can tour the hydroelectric power generation facilities that are not normally open to the public and the dam downstream leak observation tunnel, so be sure to take this opportunity to participate.

How was it? In Okinawa in January, there are several events where you can easily participate in sightseeing. All of the five events introduced this time are content that allows you to feel the unique charm of the local area. By adding these to your January sightseeing plan, you will surely be able to enrich your memories of sightseeing.