My in-laws came to visit us this past holiday season from Puerto Rico!! We met them in Tokyo for a few days (will blog about this later) and then we flew down together to show them around Okinawa. After living here for 5 years, it was amazing to have them in our home and to drive them around the island. Of course we took them to all the touristy spots, but had to squeeze in a few places from my top holiday must do’s, one of them being the Ryukyu Lantern Festival at Murasaki Mura in Yomitan.
This was the third edition of the Ryukyu Lantern Festival. I attended the previous year… but I wasn’t able to get my camera to work in my favor, so I decided to put it down and just enjoy it. This time around I was able to capture this awesome place and I’m so happy! Guys taking photos at night is really hard!!
^^ Loved that beniimo (purple sweet potato) tart lantern!! ^^
The symbols on the hearts are known as Minsa. The alternating pattern of five and four small rectangles symbolizes ”love forever”. In the olden times, a woman would give a textile with this pattern to the man she loved. The handwoven piece was also believed to protect the person who received it.
There were so many handmade shisas in this area!! This band was my favorite!! You could also pay to create some yourself.
^^ Can you spot the hearts? ^^
^^ A local craft beer, yakitori (chicken skewer) and some hot chocolate were must haves that night ^^
Then there were some handmade lanterns by kids I believe. These were some of my favorites…
Ryukyu Lantern Festival
Address: 1020-1 Takashiho, Yomitan, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture 904-0323
Lantern Festival: beginning of December – end of February
Admission: 600 yen for adults; 500 yen for teens; 400 yen for kids