TANEDORI FESTIVAL

Taketomi-jima hosts the Tanedori Festival for ten days from the end of September to the beginning of October according to the lunar calendar. In 1977, the festival was designated as "an important intangible cultural asset of the indigenous people of the island". During this event, Ishigaki-jima is crowded with festival patrons. Seventy kinds of traditional performing arts, which are held on the 7th and 8th days, provide a major drawing card for tourists. Many people born on Ishigaki-jima also return at this time. Wherever you are on the island, the sounds and sights of Tanedori Festival will enchant you.

The origins of the Tanedori Festival lie in religious worship by the island's farmers. The festival provided an opportunity for the farmers to gather and pray for a bountiful harvest. Even though island residents are now not actively engaged in farming, each of the festival's events is performed according to ancient ceremonies.

The dedication of traditional performing arts on the 7th and 8th days is classified into Budoui (dancing) and Kyongin (kyougen). Women dance and men perform kyougen, a kind of short comic drama. The various forms of dancing and kyougen originated from separate sources. Some originated in Taketomi-jima, while others came from
the Yaeyama Islands, or from the main island of Okinawa, or from Japan proper. In Taketomi-jima, kyougen also includes Kumi Odori and modern dramas from Japan proper.

On Taketomi-jima, there are two villages: one named Hazama and the other Nakasuji. Hazama village is divided into Hazama West and Hazama East. During the Tanedori Festival, the villages compete with each other to see which village can perform better. Hazama village performs on the 7th day and Nakasuji village on the 8th day.