Naha Haarii Hall updated with photos, chronology

The exhibition area of Naha Haarii Hall, a facility dedicated to Naha dragon boat races located in Tomari, Naha City, has gone through as update. The exhibition now includes a large chronological table of the history of Haarii, and a photo exhibition of Haarii sites before and after the War.

Naha Haarii Hall opened in 2015 on the north side of Tomari Port. The exhibition area is in the lobby of the first floor that used to house an exhibition of special clothes the teams used to wear for the races. Instead, there’s now the chronological table showing the history and photos of the races. Some of the explanations are now written in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, English, and Korean in order to accommodate foreign tourists.

Naha Haarii has a long history, having been introduced to the Ryukyus sometime between 1392 and 1405. Haarii used to be held for praying for the safety good catches of the Ryukyu Kingdom fishermen, but it was abolished in 1879 together with the Ryukyu Kingdom.

The Tomari Youth Association worried that the tradition would be lost, and started the annual Haarii again in 1975, when the traditional races were resurrected. This year the races will be held for the 43rd time.

The entry to the exhibition area of the Naha Haarii Hall is free, but an advance reservation before a visit is required. For details, call to 098-861-1494.