Tripbaa Fun Bar!: Asia’s Free Travel Experts
When you think of Okinawa, what comes to mind? The sea, the blue sky, or the food? What you absolutely can’t miss when visiting Okinawa in summer is the grand annual Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival!
Especially the “2019 Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival” is not only Japan’s earliest summer fireworks display but also the final fireworks show of the Heisei era. With all that said, how can you not go see it?Now let’s take a look with us at what makes the Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival so fun and worth seeing!
Fireworks are an essential part of Japanese festivals, and the Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival takes them as its central theme, combining them with Okinawa’s natural and cultural charm for a summer celebration.
It is also Japan’s earliest fireworks festival, and next year’s
16th Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival will be held on April 13, 2019.
This year’s Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival will once again take place at Ginowan Marine Park,
where up to 10,000 fireworks will burst into the sky alongside original Okinawan music, creating the most beautiful visual × auditory feast of the night.
The entire fireworks performance is expected to last about one hour,
making it a festival event you absolutely can’t miss during Okinawa’s summer!
■ Event Date: April 13, 2019
■ Event Location: Ginowan Marine Park
■ Official Website: 16th Ryukyu Sea Fire FestivalSince 2010, the Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival has specially invited world-renowned designer Koshino Junko to design the fireworks, and she has continued to participate in the design every year since.
The Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival fireworks use the latest technology, launching approximately 10,000 fireworks using computer technology.Paired with music and lighting, they create the perfect performance, sparkling over the just-opened sea of Okinawa, shimmering with light and dancing fireworks.
Fireworks indeed have the power to move people’s hearts, bringing a lingering, slightly intoxicated early summer evening.
KUBO Takashi, the producer responsible for planning the Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival, once said: “Every year, many people watch from beginning to end with tears in their eyes. Therefore, we hope to spread these traditional Japanese fireworks and music collaborations—something that makes Japan proud—to countries around the world in the future.”
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Tickets for the Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival usually go on sale early, and because they are very popular, we recommend doing your research on ticket types and packages in advance.
When the official sales channels are announced, be ready to grab yours as soon as possible!
■ Regular Admission Ticket:
Includes admission but no seat. Can be used in the designated beachfront area (yellow box in the image below), and you may bring your own picnic mat.
■ TA Designated Seat:
Includes admission and an exclusive reserved seat (red box in the image below).
Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival venue & seating map. (Image / Tripbaa Fun Bar!: Asia’s Free Travel Experts)
If you don’t want to wait for official information to be released or camp in front of your computer or rush to convenience stores to grab tickets,
A: Outside food is not allowed. There is a food zone within the venue.
Q: What items are prohibited at the Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival?
A: Tents, umbrellas, tables and chairs, pets, bicycles, skateboards.
Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival. (Photo / Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival FB)
If we had to pick the most special event from past Ryukyu Sea Fire Festivals in Okinawa, it would undoubtedly be the concert held in 2018 for the festival’s 15th anniversary, featuring Rimi Natsukawa, a singer from Okinawa. At that time, she performed songs such as “Anata no Kaze” and “Nada Sousou,” bringing an incredibly moving atmosphere to the venue. The presence of Japanese artists also infused the area with a unique pop culture vibe.
Additionally, the Okinawa Convention Center Theater, where Rimi Natsukawa’s concert was held, was also the venue for Namie Amuro’s final farewell concert when she retired from the Japanese music scene last year. It is just a one-minute walk from the Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival venue. Fans of these two popular Japanese singers might want to make a pilgrimage here while visiting the Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival.
Also held annually in mid-April is the “Okinawa International Film Festival,” organized by Japan’s largest entertainment company, Yoshimoto Kogyo. Since its inception in 2009, it has gradually evolved into a full-scale island-wide celebration incorporating elements of film, music, dance, and fashion, aiming to liven up Okinawa’s spring season.
During the film festival, various venues across Okinawa host events, and popular Japanese celebrities are often invited to walk the red carpet, making it a vibrant and exciting event.
■ Official Website: Okinawa International Film Festival
Okinawa International Film Festival. (Photo / Okinawa International Film Festival)
[Authorized Repost by Tripbaa] Original article from [2019 Okinawa Ryukyu Sea Fire Festival: The Last Hanami Fireworks of Heisei Era – Okinawa Sea Fire Festival Guide]