New attractions in Okinawa: Ryukyu Bingata, Hariko and Okinawan plays[English Guide]

【Implementation date】
・Craft experience Feb 12th (9:30~16:30) + Okinawan play Feb 12th (②7:00 p.m.~)
・Craft experience Feb 13th (9:30~16:30) + Okinawan play Feb 12th (①5:00 p.m.~ or ②7:00 p.m.~)
*Please select your Okinawan Play viewing schedule to purchase your tickets.

・This cultural tourism product allows you to immerse yourself in Ryukyu crafts and enjoy Okinawan entertainment in your native language. In the morning and afternoon, you will create one piece each of Bingata and Ryukyu Hariko, followed by a multilingual guided tour of an Okinawan play.
・Bingata is used as a backdrop for performing arts, and Ryukyu Hariko is a toy modeled after characters from the performing arts. Both are traditional Ryukyu crafts. You will create a backdrop with Bingata and characters from Okinawan plays with Ryukyu Hariko, combining the two crafts into one. This unique combination of two Ryukyu crafts into one has never been done before. The interaction between these experiences offers a high cultural value, allowing you to engage hands-on with Ryukyu craft culture.
・Okinawan plays were the greatest form of entertainment for the people of Okinawa before the advent of television and movies, and they are enjoyable even for first-time viewers. You can enjoy the performance while listening to an Okinawan language guide in five languages (Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, English, and Japanese). Our organization is the only one in the prefecture offering this multilingual guided tour, allowing you to deeply enjoy Okinawan entertainment at a level equivalent to native Okinawan speakers.

[What is Cultural Tourism?]
Cultural tourism in Japan is defined as "tourism to deepen understanding of culture."
One of its main appeals is that it stimulates intellectual curiosity in culture. It is a suggested tourism product for individuals who want to learn about and experience the local culture.

[Efforts Toward Sustainable Tourism]
Earnings will be used to preserve and pass along Ryukyu crafts, Okinawa theatre, and the Ryukyu language. You may track the progress of these contributions here:

①The number of craft experience participants: We can better maintain and carry on Ryukyu crafts (Bingata and Ryukyu Hariko) with more participants.

②The number of Okinawa theatre performance days: We will more effectively help preserve and carry on this cultural tradition if there are more Okinawan theatre performances.

③Ryukyu Languages: Preservation Videos and Inheritance Days

④Ryukyu Languages: The number of inheritors and inheritance scores

[Meeting Place]
Craft Experience: Okinawa Craft Industry Promotion Center (1114-1 Tomishiro, Tomigusuku City)                
Okinawan Play: Palette Civic Theatre (Palette Kumoji 9F, 1-1-1 Kumoji, Naha City)    

[Course Contents]
① Meet at the site by 9:15 AM: Please arrive at the site by 9:15 AM, which is 15 minutes before the start time.
② Craft Experience (Morning) 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM: You will create either Bingata or Ryukyu Hariko. The order in which you make them does not affect the value of the experience.
③ Lunch 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Enjoy lunch at the adjacent Karate Hall or in a separate room within the facility.
④ Craft Experience (Afternoon) 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM: You will create the craft (Bingata or Ryukyu Hariko) that you did not make in the morning. The crafts you made in the morning and afternoon will be combined to complete the "Bingata and Ryukyu Hariko" piece.
⑤ End of the Day 4:30 PM~: You can take your created crafts home with you. The adjacent Karate Hall is open until 6:00 PM (last admission at 5:30 PM), so please feel free to visit if you are interested (admission fee not included).
⑥ Okinawa Play Viewing (only on the 2nd day: ①5:00 PM - 6:00 PM ②7:00 PM - 8:00 PM): Please arrive at the venue 15 minutes before the start time. All participants from Plans 1-3 can enjoy the play.

[Notes]
Bingata backdrops are stretched using two thin bamboo sticks with needles attached to the tips, called “Shinshi". When stretching Bingata backdrops with a shinshi, please handle the shinshi so that it does not fly away, and be careful of the needles on the tips.

[Cancellation Fee]
・Cancellation up to 10 days before the event date: Free of charge
・Cancellation 9 to 5 days before the event date: 20% of the experience fee
・Cancellation 4 to 2 days before the event date: 50% of the experience fee
・Cancellation on the day before the trip or on the day of the trip, or no-show: 100% of the experience fee