Rope breaks for the first time at annual Great Tug-of-War

Rope breaks for the first time at annual Great Tug-of-War

The West and East teams tug on the massive rope during the evening of October 13, on Route 58 in Kumoji, Naha City. (Photograph taken by Keizo Shinzato)


October 13, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo

The 49th annual Naha Giant Tug-of-War took place on October 13, at the Kumoji intersection on Route 58. The event, organized by the Office of the Conservation Society of the Naha Giant Tug-of-War, attracted about 270,000 locals, Japanese tourists, and visitors from abroad. The 15,000 contest participants split in two teams—East and West, and the “pull” commenced at 4:35 p.m. Both teams shouted “hah-iyah!” as they tugged at the rope in a back-and-forth battle. Five minutes later, the rope broke on the West side. According to organizers, this is the first time in the event’s history that the giant rope broke. After deliberation, the match was declared a draw. The East team currently comes on top, with 16 wins, 14 losses and 16 draws.

(English translation by T&CT and Monica Shingaki)

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