From October 8 (Thursday) to October 14 (Wednesday), 2026, Okinawa World is holding a participatory event in which visitors weave a single tapestry together. It takes place at the Fukuru (布繰) weaving workshop in the Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town area. The event marks two anniversaries this year: the 55th anniversary of Nanto Corporation, the company that operates Okinawa World, and the 30th anniversary of the Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town area.
A Chance to Learn About and Touch Okinawa's Weaving Tradition
Weaving is one of the traditional crafts that has been handed down in Okinawa's regions and islands, along with each place's climate and culture. Yet in everyday life, there are few chances to actually touch thread and work a loom.
At this event, participants handle thread and operate a loom, experiencing how fabric takes shape. By feeling for themselves the movement of the threads and the sensation of weaving, which can't be understood just by watching, visitors can get closer to the weaving tradition that has been passed down in Okinawa and discover its appeal. The event grew out of the artisans' wish to let everyone, whether new to weaving or long hoping to try it, touch Okinawan traditional crafts through the experience of weaving.
A Special Tapestry About 40 cm Wide with 820 Warp Threads
A regular weaving experience uses 280 warp threads to make a piece of cloth about 12 cm wide. This time, visitors will work on a large tapestry about 40 cm wide and about 1 m 55 cm long, using 820 warp threads.
The tapestry uses the same traditional Okinawan technique, Roton weave (ロートン織り; see Note 1), and the same pattern, Itsuyo (五四; see Note 2), as the regular weaving experience. What differs is the arrangement of the warp threads. They are normally lined up in a regular order, but here the 820 warp threads are deliberately arranged irregularly. Rather than being laid out evenly, the threads vary in subtle ways, giving the finished piece a distinctive look. It is a special tapestry designed by the artisans for this event, a little different from the usual weaving experience.
- Note 1: Roton weave is a traditional Okinawan technique in which some of the warp threads are floated to create a pattern with steps.
- Note 2: The Itsuyo pattern alternates square motifs of five and four. It carries a wish for lasting happiness, expressed in the phrase "itsu (five) no yo (four) made mo suekonagaku shiawase ni."
On the morning of October 12 (Monday, national holiday), the tapestry will be woven outdoors.
Visitors to Okinawa World during the event period will each weave a little at a time, together completing a single tapestry. The finished tapestry will later be displayed in the Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town.
Event Details
- Event name: Nanto 55th Anniversary! One Tapestry, Connected by Everyone (南都55周年記念！みんなで繋ぐひとつのタペストリー)
- Dates: October 8 (Thursday) to October 14 (Wednesday), 2026
- Experience hours: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM during the event period
- Venue: Okinawa World, Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town, Fukuru Weaving Workshop (機織工房 布繰)
- Participation fee: Free (Okinawa World admission is required separately)
- Capacity: First 10 people each day. No reservation required.
- October 12 (Monday, national holiday): The tapestry will be woven outdoors. In case of rain, the experience will be held indoors.
- Exhibition of the finished work: Planned from December 26 (Saturday), 2026 to the end of March 2027 in the Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town
- Inquiries: 098-949-7421 (Okinawa World)
