Naha tug of war

[Fonze]

Has anyone been and how crowded and easily accesible is it?

[P_chan]

I've never been! First year I was here I missed it by a day! Last year I was on TDY so I didn't get to go. So you bet your ass I'm going this year!

[Muku]

The tug of war itself is held right in the middle of HWY 58 in downtown Naha. The center of the rope is in the middle of the Kumoji Crossing. Parking can be a problem, because it isnt free.

However if you can get there, it is a blast, people on both sides pulling the biggest friggin rope you probably have ever seen.

It is great too as the national holiday has been moved from October 10th, (Sports Day) to the second monday of October, creating what we call "Happy Monday". The tug of war coincides with the Naha festival held at Onoyama Park.

There is always a decent fireworks display on Sunday night as well. This year it will be on October 7th

[Fonze]

Is it a good place for a 3 and 1 year old? We missed it in 05, 06 the baby was born and this is our last year here and my wife is wondering if we should get a sitter or take them to experience it.

[Muku]

Is it a good place for a 3 and 1 year old? We missed it in 05, 06 the baby was born and this is our last year here and my wife is wondering if we should get a sitter or take them to experience it.
If you stay off to the sides, on the side walk and towards the back end of the rope you should be fine.

I took my youngest when she was still under one year old. That was a great time too.

Here I was a great looking, tall, handsome "gaijin" young guy :rolleyes: in my mid-twenties, pushing a stroller with a cute kid, all by his lonesome, wife was at work, down Hwy 58. Talk about a magnet for females......that is another story.:old: :star:

If you get a sitter, you guys can pull the rope, but if you have little ones all I could say is it would be better just to watch, as it gets nasty, sweaty, and hot stuck together with about 15,000 to 20,000 other sweaty, nasty, smelly, sometimes drunk, "other" types of people.

If that is your kind of thing.......get a sitter. If you want to watch the festivities, save your money and sit one the sidelines. :D

[dk]

You might want to get there a few hours early too. The one time I went, we were about 10 feet away from the rope but couldn't see it at all. If you can somehow manage to find a spot overlooking the rope it'll probably be more interested. My wife and I aren't fans of this though. It's just too crowded.

I personally recommend this one more. http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=3443

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

Once the tug-of-war is over, taking a piece of the rope home is considered to bring you good luck in the coming year. A lot of folks bring utility knives and the like to hack off a piece. Problem I noticed last year was that a lot of older local types were hacking at the rope with their knives before a winner was declared, and people were still pulling. Talk about dangerous!:scared:

[Fonze]

Can anybody stand on the rope? Is it allowed before or after the competetion?
Reason is my wife wants a picture on top of it and I;m thinking take and avoid all the after birth.

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

Can anybody stand on the rope? Is it allowed before or after the competetion?
Reason is my wife wants a picture on top of it and I;m thinking take and avoid all the after birth.
During the actual event, only various officials and performers are allowed there. After the event, I've seen spectators there for photo ops. Allowed? Dunno. Doable? Absolutely.

[socalheart]

You can check if MCCS or ITT has a tour going to it. You can save money and time on parking. It's supposedly quite an experience. I don't recall ever going though. I might've gone as a tyke, but I don't remember. :) It looks like a great time, when I see it on TV or in photos.

[Muku]

Once the tug-of-war is over, taking a piece of the rope home is considered to bring you good luck in the coming year. A lot of folks bring utility knives and the like to hack off a piece. Problem I noticed last year was that a lot of older local types were hacking at the rope with their knives before a winner was declared, and people were still pulling. Talk about dangerous!:scared:

Just remembe to take it from the winning side.:first:

[Fonze]

I personally recommend this one more. http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=3443

Thanks for the link. I was just wondering you wrote that it is not commercialized, so do you know what day this event takes this year? Is parking a problem? I also don't know much of the southern part of the island besides peace park.

[Muku]

Thanks for the link. I was just wondering you wrote that it is not commercialized, so do you know what day this event takes this year? Is parking a problem? I also don't know much of the southern part of the island besides peace park.
October 7th on Hwy 58 in downtown Naha. Parking can be a problem as it also coinsides with the Naha Festival at Onoyama Park.

The road will be blocked off probably starting sometime in the mid afternoon. Have to check on the start time again but I think it is somewhere around 4ish.

Doesnt the base have tours going down to the festival too?

[dk]

October 7th on Hwy 58 in downtown Naha. Parking can be a problem as it also coinsides with the Naha Festival at Onoyama Park.

The road will be blocked off probably starting sometime in the mid afternoon. Have to check on the start time again but I think it is somewhere around 4ish.

Doesnt the base have tours going down to the festival too?
He's talking about the one I wrote about, not the Naha one.

Fonze, I'll ask my boss. He should know. When I went, parking wasn't a problem. We just sorta parked on the side of a road. It's really kind of out of the way but worth it.

[Muku]

He's talking about the one I wrote about, not the Naha one.

Fonze, I'll ask my boss. He should know. When I went, parking wasn't a problem. We just sorta parked on the side of a road. It's really kind of out of the way but worth it.

Even kids get a half day of school off in most cases to participate in the tug of war. I am fairly certain the day is decided according to the lunar calendar , so each year the tug of war is on a different day.

It was yesterday in Itoman. Sorry Fonze you'll have to wait until next year.

[glittle75]

I've been all 4 years i have been here, it is alot of fun, but make sure you get there a bit early or you wont even be able to see the rope. Bring water or some form of Hydration with you as on ground level it gets really hot because its so crowded. The rope itself is about 4-5 feet in circumference, so it is big, but hard to get to if you get there while the thing is going on. After a winner is declared you can get on top of the rope for pictures and all, but make sure you do it fast because people chop that thing up as soon as its all over.

Its alot of fun, and definitly something everyone should see before they leave the island. Have fun with it. Its a good part of the culture here that is really fun to see and do.

[OCanadaOurHomeAndNativeLand]

The rope itself is about 4-5 feet in circumference, so it is big, but hard to get to if you get there while the thing is going on.
The diameter is 1.58 metres, or just over 5 feet. That makes the circumference just over 6 metres (bit over 20 feet). Big rope!

[Fonze]

Sorry Fonze you'll have to wait until next year.[/I]

That really sucks. We leave next july so I will be missing it. I guess I'm gonna have to go to the big show.

[Muku]

That really sucks. We leave next july so I will be missing it. I guess I'm gonna have to go to the big show.
Extension....Extension....Extension......:D

[Fonze]

Extension....Extension....Extension......:D

I don't know what that means?:dead:

[Muku]

I don't know what that means?:dead:
Sorry about that, you wrote you were rotating next July so you couldn't see the Maezato Tug of War, and I was suggesting that you could always ask for an extension. Request to stay for another 3 years.:D

[Fonze]

Sorry about that, you wrote you were rotating next July so you couldn't see the Maezato Tug of War, and I was suggesting that you could always ask for an extension. Request to stay for another 3 years.:D

OOOKKK duh. Ya my wife is miltary and she asked for a c.o.t but the detailer said no. so she might ask to otep if there is no place to put her because we don't want to wait for the last minute like last time.

[Muku]

OOOKKK duh. Ya my wife is miltary and she asked for a c.o.t but the detailer said no. so she might ask to otep if there is no place to put her because we don't want to wait for the last minute like last time.


You could always let the wife leave and you stay:eek:

[Muku]

Naha Festival (http://www.naha-navi.or.jp/naha_matsuri.html)

Just to update folks here about the festival this weekend. Due to numerous problems with kids staying out late at night and the concerns as well about drunk driving the festival hours at Onoyama Park have changed this year.

10月6日（土）
14:00～18:30
（交通規制は、13:45～パレード終了時まで）

Saturday 6th a parade on Kokusai Street from 1345

10月7日（日）


10月7日（日）
旗頭行列：
12:00～14:30
With activities around the Kokusai St area towards Hwy 58 and the actual tug of war.

大綱挽：
15:00～19:00
（上記時間は交通規制を含めた時間です） 旗頭行列： 国際通り

The tug of war activities are scheduled to start at 1500 and finish around 1900




10月6日（土）
10月7日（日）
10月8日（月）
各日とも
11:00～18:00
Sat, Sun and Monday
Onoyama Park from 1100 until 1800

[Muku]

Due to the close proximity of the typhoon that is approaching from the south and the expected rain and wind that will come as the typhoon passes to the east of us.......hopefull it wont hit directly as it is a big typhoon:-|

THe Naha Festival and Tug of war have been rescheduled for next weekend October 13th and 14th

[Fonze]

Ya we just got a call from mccs if we wanted to still do it or not.

[Muku]

I must clarify something here....The festival has been cancelled.

The parade and tug of war are rescheduled for next weekend. Sorry for any confusion.

[Fonze]

Just got back from Tug of war and it was pretty cool at least now i can say i've been. My side one and I got tons of rope and a couple of bloody fingers.