Izena Ward Unner

What is Unner?

Unna is a traditional event held around July 15th of the lunar calendar in each village of Izena Village. Unna" means "big tug of war" in Okinawan dialect, and a tug of war and Okinawan Sumo wrestling are held throughout the night using a big rope woven from rice straw harvested that year. It is a festival unique to Izena Island, where rice cultivation is thriving, to express gratitude for a bountiful harvest and to pray for a good harvest in the coming year.

Event Summary

• Date: Saturday, August 8, 2026
• Venue: Unna Venue, Izena Ward
• Location: Izena Village, Izena, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa Prefecture
• Admission: Free

Contents

• Tug-of-war: A tug-of-war in which the entire village pulls on a large rope made of rice straw
• Okinawa Sumo: A traditional sport in which sumo wrestlers fight for the belt around their waists and throw each other vigorously.
• Song and dance: Folk songs and dances performed by the villagers
• Sake feast: celebrating a good harvest over a glass of awamori (Okinawa rice wine)

Unna Schedule of Izena Village

In Izena Village, each village will hold the Unna in turn.

• Seriaku District: Tuesday, July 28, Seriaku Community Center
• Nakata District: Saturday, August 1, Nakata Community Center
• Moromi District: August 7 (Fri.) Moromi Community Center
• Izena-ward: August 8 (Sat.)

Access

It takes about 55 minutes by ferry "Izena Shoen" from Unten Port in Nakijin Village, about 2 hours drive from Naha.