【Designated by the City：Intangible Folk 】Myakuzutsu of Ikema Island

Over three days starting on the day of the horse or Kinoeuma every year from August to September in the lunar calendar, the largest festival on Ikema Island takes place, centering around the four Mutu (Maja, Agimasu, Mai-nu-Ya, and Maezato). The rituals conducted at each of the Mutu sites are done by Mutu-Nuya, an organization made up of men 55 years old by the traditional reckoning and older, grouped by age.
On January 26, 1981, the Myakuzutsu of Ikema Island was designated as an intangible folk culture asset by the Okinawa Prefectural Government, and the ceremony of that time is documented in writing. In the Miyako region, the Myakuzutsu festivities are celebrated lavishly in each of the areas including Sarahama, a village in Irabu Island which separated from Ikema Island, as well as in Nishihara, Hirara.
In such a way, it is clear that the Myakuzutsu of Ikema Island has kept the original form in its ceremonies and has been passed down to the present day. It is an important, intangible cultural asset to understand the people of Ikema Island, as well as the traditions and customs of the Sarahama and Nishihara districts, and also the social changes in the villages.