Yaeyama harvest festivals
八重山の豊年祭FestivalJuly, August, OctoberYaeyama Islands
The Yaeyama Islands hold their harvest festivals (豊年祭, puurii on Ishigaki) in July and August, and Taketomi's Tanadui and Iriomote's Shitsi follow in the ninth and tenth lunar months. They are village rites for the gods first, and Ishigaki's tourism association asks visitors to watch without getting in the way.
Photo Kugel · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Each island keeps its own cycle. Taketomi Town's calendar puts the harvest festivals on its islands in July and August, with Hateruma's Mushaama in August. On Ishigaki the four old villages hold their puurii (四ヶ村のプーリィ), which the national government selected in 1993 as an intangible folk cultural property to be recorded.
Kuroshima's harvest festival thanks the gods of Niraikanai beyond the sea. Its main event is a harii boat race, and islanders also offer performances to the gods. Taketomi's Tanadui (種子取祭) goes back about 600 years and centres on two days in the ninth lunar month, when islanders offer more than 40 traditional performances; it is a national Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. Iriomote's Shitsi (節祭) comes around the tenth lunar month, with boat rowing and performances on its second day. Many people who grew up on these islands come home for them.
These are ceremonies for the gods and for the villages. Ishigaki's tourism association asks visitors at its traditional events to mind their manners and stay out of the way of the rite. Stand well back during prayers, and ask before you photograph anyone.
Worth knowing
- The dates follow the lunar calendar, so check with the island's town office or your stay a few weeks ahead.
FAQ
Quick answers about Yaeyama harvest festivalsよくある質問
When are the harvest festivals in Yaeyama?
The Yaeyama harvest festivals run in July and August on the Taketomi islands, according to Taketomi Town's calendar, and their dates follow the lunar calendar. Taketomi's Tanadui and Iriomote's Shitsi come in the autumn, around the ninth and tenth lunar months.
Can visitors watch the Yaeyama harvest festivals?
Yes. Ishigaki's tourism association invites visitors to watch its traditional events with good manners and without getting in the way of the rite. The ceremonies belong to the villages first.
When is Yaeyama harvest festivals?
Yaeyama harvest festivals takes place harvest festivals (豊年祭, puurii on Ishigaki) in July and August by the lunar calendar; Taketomi's Tanadui and Iriomote's Shitsi in the ninth and tenth lunar months.