If you have never been to Okinawa, this is about the easiest way to get a taste of it near Tokyo. The Tsurumi Uchina Festival (鶴見ウチナー祭) takes over Irifune Park in Yokohama’s Tsurumi Ward for two days, with food stalls from local shops with Okinawan roots and from Okinawa itself, plus a stage program packed with folk music and eisa drum dancing. Uchina is the Okinawan word for Okinawa.
This is the 11th edition. The organizers bill it as one of the largest events of its kind in Yokohama, and it usually draws around 50,000 people. Entry costs nothing.
- When: Oct 31 (Sat) and Nov 1 (Sun), 11:00–17:00
- Where: Irifune Park, 1 minute on foot from JR Asano Station
- Cost: free entry, no parking
- Do not miss: the crowd sanshin session around 12:00 on Sunday
Festival details at a glance
| Event | 11th Tsurumi Uchina Festival (第11回 鶴見ウチナー祭) |
|---|---|
| Dates | Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1, 2026 |
| Hours | 11:00–17:00 on both days |
| Venue | Irifune Park (入船公園) |
| Address | 3-1 Bentencho, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa |
| Admission | Free |
| Weather | Goes ahead in rain; cancelled only in severe weather |
| Parking | None. Use public transport |
| Organizer | Tsurumi Uchina Festival Executive Committee (鶴見ウチナー祭実行委員会), co-hosted by Tsurumi Ward |
| Official site | tsurumi-uchinafes.jp |
The event was announced by the City of Yokohama on October 16, 2026 (press release).
What to eat and drink
Food is a big part of the draw. Stalls are run by shops and restaurants in Tsurumi Ward with ties to Okinawa, and a good number of vendors come up from Okinawa Prefecture as well. The announcement names three staples you can expect:
- Okinawa soba: Okinawa’s own noodle soup, quite different from buckwheat soba
- Taco rice: taco fillings served over rice, an Okinawan favorite
- Awamori: Okinawa’s traditional distilled spirit
Menus, prices and accepted payment methods are not listed in the announcement, so check the official website closer to the date. Food festivals in Japan are often good value. If you like this kind of event, the Taiyo no Tomato Men free ramen coupon festival is another example of how far a free-entry food event can stretch your budget.
Stage highlights by day
More than 30 performances run across the weekend, mostly by artists and groups closely tied to Okinawa. Expect Okinawan folk songs (min’yo) and plenty of eisa, the drum dance traditionally performed in Okinawa. There are two stages: the main stage and an eisa stage on the park’s baseball field.
| Day | Who | What to look for |
|---|---|---|
| Both days | Esu Seinenkai (江洲青年会) | Youth eisa group from Uruma, Okinawa. Baseball-field eisa stage. |
| Sat, Oct 31 | Ikuma Akira (イクマあきら) | Eisa with local elementary school kids to his song Dynamic Ryukyu. |
| Sun, Nov 1 | Iidushi (いーどぅし) | Duo who appeared in a film set in Tsurumi, plus other Okinawa-linked guests. |
Esu Seinenkai is the guest act traveling from Okinawa. The group was formed in 1947, not long after the war, when young people in the area came together. Watch for how tightly the whole group moves, and for the graceful fan work in the women’s dance (onna odori). They perform on both days at the baseball-field eisa stage.
On Saturday, Ikuma Akira joins local elementary school children for an eisa performance set to Dynamic Ryukyu, his best-known song. Sunday’s lineup features Iidushi, a duo who appeared in a film set in Tsurumi, along with other guests with Okinawan connections. Full set times will be on the official website.
Join the 1,000-person sanshin session
The one moment worth planning your day around is the crowd session nicknamed Tsurumi 1,000 Sanshin (めざせ鶴見1000人三線). The goal is to get the whole audience playing the Okinawan folk song Asadoya Yunta together on the sanshin, Okinawa’s three-stringed instrument.
- When: Sunday, November 1, around 12:00
- Where: in front of the main stage
- Sign-up: not needed
- No sanshin? Air sanshin is welcome
You can turn up empty-handed and still join in. If you want a good spot, head to the main stage a little before noon.
Getting to Irifune Park
There is no event parking, so plan on trains or buses. Two routes are listed:
- By train: JR Tsurumi Line to Asano Station (浅野駅), then a 1-minute walk
- By bus: from the East Exit of Tsurumi Station, take Yokohama city bus route 15 or 27 to the Irifunebashi (入船橋) stop, then walk about 3 minutes
The Tsurumi Line is a small branch line, so check the timetable before you set out, especially for the trip home in the evening.
Weather and practical tips
- Pick your day by the stage act you want: Saturday for Ikuma Akira, Sunday for Iidushi and the sanshin session. Esu Seinenkai appears on both days.
- With crowds of around 50,000 in a typical year, lunchtime is likely to be the busiest stretch at the stalls.
- Food menus, prices and payment options are not in the announcement, so look at the official website before going.
Looking for more free things to do this autumn? The Shibaura Canal Festival guide covers another free waterside event, the Musashino Art University Festival guide is a good pick for a campus festival day, and the Setagaya Tamagawa fireworks guide shows how we plan around big crowds and the trip home.
FAQ
- Is there an admission fee for the Tsurumi Uchina Festival?
- No. Entry is free on both days, October 31 and November 1.
- What happens if it rains?
- The festival goes ahead in rain. It is cancelled only in severe weather, and a cancellation will be posted on the official website by 7:00 on the day.
- Can I drive to Irifune Park?
- There is no parking for the event. Take the JR Tsurumi Line to Asano Station, or a city bus (route 15 or 27) from Tsurumi Station East Exit to the Irifunebashi stop.
- Do I need my own sanshin to join the crowd session?
- No. No registration is needed, and air sanshin is welcome. Gather in front of the main stage around 12:00 on Sunday, November 1.
- What food will be at the festival?
- Okinawan dishes such as Okinawa soba and taco rice, plus awamori, from shops in Tsurumi Ward with Okinawan ties and vendors from Okinawa Prefecture.