10,000 Eisa Dancers | Okinawa, Japan
4 Aug
This weekend my wife and I went down to Naha to check out the 10,000 Eisa Dancer parade. Although this was my second time at the event, I was truly impressed by the number of participants and viewers.
The 10,000 Eisa Dance Parade is held every year on the first Sunday in August. More than 100,000 people make it to Naha to catch a glimpse of 10,000 Eisa Dancers performing on the famous Kokusai street. Eisa is a traditional dance with a long history. It originates from a folk song that used to be sung several hundred years ago.
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The dance style was passed down by groups of young people who would pay respect to their ancestors each summer by marching through their neighborhoods while playing taiko drums.
What made this year amazing was the fact that it was down pouring throughout the day. My wife and I spent a couple hours in Naha and figured for sure that it would be canceled. However, around 3 p.m everyone started showing up. With the rain pouring down, nearly 10,000 Eisa dancers lined up on Kokusai street and continued to dance. The truly inspiring event was the fact that even the smallest child and elderly person participated in this yearly ritual.
You can check out some of the pictures from the event below or go here if you want to view more pictures from Okinawa.
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Sweet man. I wanted to go, but Ash and I were getting our pictures taken.