Okinawan Youth Festival in Peru Invites International Participants

The Worldwide Youth Uchinaanchu Festival includes sports competitions.

The Uchinaanchu (Okinawan) youth across the globe have come together once again to put on the sixth Worldwide Youth Uchinaanchu Festival (Sekai Wakamono Uchinaanchu Taikai).

Made by and for young people of Okinawan descent, this event is set to take place Feb. 6 to 10, 2018 in Lima, Peru. It offers a unique opportunity to participate in activities that will explore cultural identity, teach about the history and current issues of Okinawa, and help to build global networks and friendships.

Collin Hoo, a fourth-generation Okinawan in Hawaii, participated in the second and fourth festivals held in the U.S. and the Philippines. “To be able to meet people from halfway around the world and talk to them about what it’s like growing up in their countries as Okinawan – it was a very perspective changing experience for me,” he says.

This is a rare and special chance for Uchinaanchu youth to unite in shaping the future by creating and implementing different projects that will help preserve and promote the culture of Okinawa. The festival also provides an opportunity to grow in leadership, bond with fellow young Okinawans, find a community back home, and have an experience of a lifetime.

The festivities include international performances, a sports competition, a youth symposium, and the study of native Ryūkyūan languages. The 2018 festival will also have a focus on Okinawan immigrants in Peru, featuring study tours, a Peruvian cooking class, and participation in Peru’s annual Okinawan Festival, featuring a performance from Okinawa pop/rock group HY.

“There’s so much potential to create an even stronger global Uchinaanchu network by working and connecting with Okinawans in South America, across the U.S., throughout Asia, and even Europe,” Hoo continues. “In turn, we can help to make the future for Okinawa, our homeland, a lot brighter.”

The registration fee of $350 includes lodging, transportation for all festival-related activities, and meals on the main festival days. The fee does NOT include round-trip airfare, overseas travel insurance, transaction and application fees related to registration requirements, and personal expenses. Deadline for international participants: Nov. 15.

For online registration form and more information: http://eventregist.com/e/wyuf-peru2018-english. Participants must be between the ages of 18 and 35, be in sound health, and take full responsibility of overseas travel. English-speaking staff is available to answer any questions: wyuf-entry-o@wyua.okinawa.