Tokyo, 13 October 2026: During the traditional 'Great Tug-of-War' competition in Naha city of Japan, thousands of people pulled a rope 160 meters long and weighing 30 tons.
15th century tradition
This tradition dates back to the 15th century. People gathered at this festival to pray for good harvest, health and the joy of having children; In which teams representing East and West compete against each other.
Victory is achieved by pulling the rope five meters or more than the rival team within 30 minutes. There is also a tradition of cutting the rope into small pieces and taking it home. This year the competition lasted for about 10 minutes, but the match ended in a draw.
status of intangible folk cultural heritage
This tradition, known as 'Sendai Otsunahiki', was started by the warrior Shimazu Yoshihiro of Satsuma (present-day Kagoshima Prefecture) with the aim of boosting the morale of his soldiers for the Battle of Sekigahara. The government has declared it as an important intangible folk cultural property.
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