Moromi 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 the rice straw harvested that year.

Event Summary

• Date: Friday, August 7, 2026
• Venue: Moromi Community Center
• Location: Moromi, Izena Village, Shimajiri-gun, Okinawa Prefecture
• Admission: Free

Moromi Ward Unner Features

This festival is held in Moromi District, located on the east side of Izena Village, and is steeped in the traditional culture unique to the district. It is said that the villagers pull a big rope, handmade by villagers, from east to west, and the winners and losers of the contest predict the good or bad luck of the next year.

Contents

• Tug of war: Villagers pull each other on a rope made of rice straw.
• Okinawa Sumo: Strong 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-banquet: celebrating a good harvest with a glass of awamori (Okinawa rice wine)

Unna Schedule of Izena Village

• Seriku District: Tuesday, July 28
• Nakata District: Saturday, August 1
• Moromi District: August 7 (Fri.)
• Izena District: 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.