Forwarded for the Okinawa Association of America
Final Uchinanchu Festival Registration Session Held by Okinawa Assn
On Sunday, August 28, 3:00 PM, the Okinawa Association of America (OAA) in Gardena will hold their final registration session at their 5th information session for the 6th Worldwide Uchinanchu Festival (Sekai Uchinanchu Taikai) in Okinawa, Japan.
Established in 1990, the Taikai is hosted by the Okinawa Prefectural Government (OPG) every five years and serves as a "homecoming" for the descendants of Okinawan immigrants.
The 6th Taikai will take place from October 26th through 30th in Naha City.
By registering, participants will receive special passes prior to the event which will serve to gain access to various events, free bus fare on certain lines, a commemorative gift from the Okinawa prefecture, and more. It is free to attend the festival, but related events may incur entrance fees.
The OAA will assist in processing registration for their current members for free, and a $20 processing fee for non-OAA members.
Currently, over 224 people have registered through the OAA. Those that have registered are also invited to attend. In addition to final registration, topics at the August 28 registration and info session will include an updated schedule of events, recent program and event details, and the unveiling of LA's Taikai uniform t-shirt design.
Orders for the uniform will also begin.
The Uchinanchu Taikai is unique in that it is the only festival of its kind in Japan.
Okinawa Prefecture was once the independent Ryukyu Kingdom and that sense of identity has remained strong among Okinawan natives and Okinawans who emigrated over 100 years ago.
At the 5th Taikai in 2011, a record 5,000+ participants from the Okinawan diaspora converged in Okinawa with representatives from Argentina to Zimbabwe.
The OAA is located at 16500 South Western Avenue, Gardena 90247 (the event will take place in the OAA's Yamauchi Building).
RSVP is requested due to limited parking and seating. Please contact the OAA for more information: 310-532-1929, oaamensore@gmail.com
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