The old residential area registered as a Tangible Cultural Property
1 hour north from Naha Airport, Ryukyumura is located in the resort area of Onna Village. In the old residential area which has recreated the Okinawa of a century ago, there are Okinawan houses with their characteristic red-tiled roofs and shisa lion ornaments that have been brought in from all over the prefecture among which 7 have been registered as Tangible Cultural Properties of the nation. With the idea to have you spend your time leisurely at the village, all of the clocks on the walls of the houses have been stopped. You can enjoy your time there in various ways by not just seeing the houses but by also participating in the programmes there and conversing with the staff.
Rich participatory programmes to enjoy a day
Inside the village, there are folk song and eisa dance performances every hour. Twice a day in the central area of the village, the Okinawan parade, the Michijune, begins with Ryukyuan dances and eisa before proceeding to the spectacular lion dances among other examples of traditional Okinawan entertainment to be enjoyed all at once. The singing and dancing which make up the finale also invites onlookers to join in the fun. As well, there are up to 40 other programmes including Okinawan costume rentals, the making of the Okinawan shisa guardians, and the yushibin (Okinawan sake cup and bottle) trial class which can only be experienced in Ryukyumura.
A theme park attractive for being able to talk with staff
One of the other attractions at Ryukyumura is the exchange with individual staff. Being local residents of Okinawa, the age range in staff is wide with many staffers over the age of 65. You will be able to spend time filled with conversations that you wouldn’t be able to hear on the average trip such as old Okinawan folk tales, traditional events and the war. Just in front of the entrance, there is a free area where you can enjoy souvenirs and food and trial programmes that can be experienced within a brief time so that you can take part in intervals during your trip.