Katsuren Castle Sky Lantern Eve Festival (38th All-Island Shishimai Festival Eve Festival)

About this event

Set at the World Heritage Site Katsuren Castle Ruins in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture, this event brings together traditional performing arts and magical illumination. At the eve festival, powerful performances by local children's lion dance (shishimai) troupes, who represent the future of the community, will kick off the celebrations. In the night sky, LED sky lanterns carrying "Umui" (heartfelt thoughts and prayers) for peace and gratitude will be released, creating a mystical atmosphere. A special live performance by the Okinawa-born three-sister unit "Dream Sisters" will also take place to liven up the venue. This event presents the appeal of shishimai—a precious cultural heritage preserved across Okinawa—as a new experiential value. It offers tourists an opportunity to connect with Okinawa's deep history and spiritual culture beyond its blue seas and skies, showcasing a distinct charm where living traditions and people's heartfelt wishes come alive. By combining the historical and cultural significance of the Katsuren Castle Ruins with lanterns carrying participants' "Umui," the event creates an opportunity for a wider audience to experience the region's unique heritage.

Venue

Katsuren Castle Ruins First Enclosure (Ichino-kuruwa)

Katsuren Haebaru, Uruma, Okinawa 904-2311