National Theatre Okinawa

The National Theatre Okinawa is a national theater that opened in January 2004 to preserve and pass on Okinawa's unique traditional performing arts, such as Kumiodori, which is registered as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, Ryukyuan dance, Okinawan opera, and classical music. Located in Urasoe City, Okinawa, it has a large theater with 632 seats and a small theater with 255 seats, where regular and independent performances are held throughout the year. Kumiodori is a classical Ryukyuan song-and-dance drama created in 1719 to entertain the Shofutsu envoys, and is still designated as an Important Intangible Cultural Asset of Japan. Video clips and displays of materials can be enjoyed free of charge in the theater lobby, and trainees are practicing daily in the adjacent Kumiodance Traditions Hall. The theater is easily accessible with a 20-minute drive from Naha Airport and free parking for 209 cars.