The Yanbaru Art Festival, which will be held for the eighth time in 2025, is an art festival where visitors can experience and enjoy contemporary art and traditional crafts alongside the pristine landscape of Yanbaru, the northern part of Okinawa Island, which is registered as a World Natural Heritage site. With the former Shioya Elementary School in Ogimi Village as the main venue, visitors can enjoy works by various artists at a total of 11 venues.
Attracting significant attention from overseas, the event has attracted approximately 35 visitors to date, including Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese, and Korean tourists. It is a leading art event in Okinawa Prefecture. This time, we will introduce some of the artworks and atmosphere from other venues, focusing on the main venue, the former Shioya Elementary School.

<Table of Contents>
Main venue: Former Shioya Elementary School
Ogimi Village area (north of the former Shioya Elementary School)
Nago area (south of the former Shioya Elementary School)
Other area venues
Estimated viewing time for the Yanbaru Art Festival

Show all table of contents

Main venue: Former Shioya Elementary School

The theme for the 8th edition, to be held in 2024-2025, is "Yanbaru Honzen." "Honzen" means the original, inherent form, and the theme embodies the idea of ​​fusing art with the natural beauty of Yanbaru without altering its nature or culture.

The main venue is the former Shioya Elementary School, which closed in 2016. Its location, which makes it seem as if it's built on the sea, is truly one of a kind. 7-8% of the artworks are displayed here, allowing you to enjoy art while feeling the pleasant breeze. If you're coming by car, park along the coast in front of the school. Staff will guide you.
The building with the round roof, right in front of you as you pass through the gate, is the gymnasium. You purchase your tickets here first, and then head to the school building next door.
Admission is 500 yen for adults (300 yen for residents of Okinawa Prefecture), and free for high school students and younger.
The purchased tickets are handed to a staff member at the entrance in front of the school building. The school building itself is used as an exhibition venue, and you can freely look around from the first floor to the second floor.

▲Henning Wagenbrett, "Sunday in Mazouka"▲

"Sunday in Mazouka" by Berlin-based artist Henning Wagenbrett. Inspired by the quietness of a city on a Sunday, this work captures the details that are often blurred by the hustle and bustle of everyday life, allowing viewers to experience a city in stillness. It's wonderful to be able to see the work of an international artist on a small island like Okinawa.

▲Kyotaro Hayashi Ryu "Giving form."▲

"Giving Shape," a work by video director Kyotaro Hayashi and musician Ryu, features chiffon fabric printed with photographs. The gentle breeze created a pleasant atmosphere, and I felt as if time was passing more slowly in this space.
The hallway was a little lonely. The school building itself was like a work of art, and just walking around was incredibly enjoyable.
On the first floor of the school building, "YAF CRAFT MARKET" displays and sells a variety of unique works created by various artists. "PORTRIVER MARKET," a shop and gallery located in the Minatogawa Foreign Residents' Housing Area (Minatogawa Stateside Town), serves as the curator, and the shop mainly features artists and workshops active in the Yanbaru region.
A variety of works will be on display, including pottery, glass art, jewelry, and bags. Find your favorite and take it home as a memento of your trip.
The gymnasium where tickets are sold also offers workshops and merchandise sales. There are also cafe spaces in the center and by the windows, furnished with old-fashioned tables and chairs. Food vendors change weekly, and you can enjoy your purchases in this nostalgic atmosphere.
The window seating area is a popular photo spot. Shioya Bay stretches out before you, making it feel as if you're floating on the sea. The small chairs and table add to the charm. It's a poignant thought to imagine that just a few years ago, the voices of many children could be heard here.
The original merchandise sold at the gymnasium included stickers, T-shirts, and bags.

Yanbaru Art Festival

Address

538 Shioya, Ogimi Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture (Former Shioya Elementary School)

HP

https://yambaru-artfes.jp/

Remarks

会期2025年1月25日-2月24日　11:00-17:00　休館日：火・水曜日※2/11（火祝）は開館

Business hours

General admission: 500 yen; High school students and younger: Free; Residents of Okinawa Prefecture: 300 yen

Ogimi Village area (north of the former Shioya Elementary School)

In the Ogimi Village area, located about 10-15 minutes by car north of the main venue, the former Shioya Elementary School, art works are on display at four venues (Okuma Private Beach & Resort, Yanbaru Brewery, Ogimi Village Kijoka Nursery School, and Hentona Shopping Street).

　Okuma Private Beach & Resort: 913 Okuma, Kunigami Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture
　Yanbaru Brewery: 417 Takari, Ogimi Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture
　Ogimi Village Kijoka Nursery School: 1136 Kijoka, Ogimi Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture
　Hentona Shopping Street: Hentona, Kunigami Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture (Hentona Main Street)

Okuma Private Beach & Resort features sand sculptures by Hideo Nagai, Yanbaru Brewery has a large-scale art mural, Kijoka Nursery School in Ogimi Village has works by two groups of artists, and the Hentona Shopping Street has an artistic coin laundry designed by Aya Ito.

This time, we'll be showcasing artwork from Kijoka Nursery School in Ogimi Village. It's about a 10-minute drive from the main venue, the former Shioya Elementary School.
An entrance fee is only required for the main venue; here, you don't need to purchase tickets, and anyone can freely view the artwork. If you are visiting by car, please park in the space directly in front of the building.
The corridor evoked a sense of nostalgia. Lush greenery surrounded the building, creating an atmosphere that suggested it was returning to nature.

▲Image of the venue at Kijoka Nursery School in Ogimi Village▲

At the heart of the park is "Shy Turtle," a work by "Team Yameyou," a group formed in Hiroshima in 2009. Team Yameyou is an artist collective that focuses on the theme of "things you want to quit but can't," which increase as society and relationships mature. This particular piece was created with the simple wish that "everyone can get along and move forward together."

▲The space where Hyougo Mugita's "Edge Complex" is exhibited▲

The theme behind photographer Hyogo Mugita's work and photographs is "Edge Complex." His photographic works are reflections on the contrasts that exist everywhere, from society and human relationships to life itself, and on the "lines" that seem to be there but aren't.

Nago area (south of the former Shioya Elementary School)

In the Nago area south of the former Shioya Elementary School, art works are on display at three venues: Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa, Kanucha Resort, and Nago Civic Hall. Each venue is about a 30-40 minute drive from the former Shioya Elementary School.

　Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa: 1490-1 Kise, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture
　Kanucha Resort: 156-2-1 Abe, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture
　Nago Civic Hall: 2-1-1 Minato, Nago City, Okinawa Prefecture

Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa features works by two artists, Kanucha Resort has a giant sculpture by Noboru Tsubaki, and Nago Civic Hall displays an Agu pig statue.

This time, I went to see the artwork on display at the Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa.

The artwork is displayed in the lounge located directly opposite the entrance. While this space is reserved for hotel guests, it seems that you can enter the lounge to view and photograph the artwork if you ask a staff member.

You Ru Maru "Dance with me・Mizukagami" / Quoted from PR TIMES press release

The Oriental Hotel has exhibited artwork seven times in the past, and this year, a large-scale piece by the art unit You Ru Maru will be featured again. Titled "Dance with me・Water Mirror," the work depicts the abundant water sources of Yanbaru and the brilliant sunlight pouring down as a water mirror.

Furthermore, in the patio of the hotel's restaurant, you can admire the "Yanbaru Giant Gargoyle Fish," a collaborative project between the Yanbaru Art Festival and artist Yodogawa Technique.

Several hotels, including the Oriental Hotel, are serving as satellite venues for the Yanbaru Art Festival, so staying overnight and enjoying a relaxing art-filled trip would be a great idea.

Other venues (Onna Village, Naha City)

In addition to the venues mentioned above, Hoshino Resorts BEB5 Okinawa Seragaki and Hotel Anteroom Naha are also participating as satellite programs of the Yanbaru Art Festival.

BEB5 Okinawa Seragaki has collaborated with illustrator Chocomoo, who is popular with a wide range of generations. Throughout the building, you can encounter Chocomoo's delicate monochrome illustrations.

Anteroom Naha is hosting "REGION FREE," an exhibition featuring the work of Okinawan photographer Tokio Kuniyoshi, who is based in New York. Visitors can enjoy his unique photographic works that blend New York and Okinawa.

　Hoshino Resorts BEB5 Okinawa Seragaki: 1860-4 Seragaki, Onna Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa Prefecture
　Hotel Anteroom Naha: 3-27-11 Maejima, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture
　

Estimated viewing time for the Yanbaru Art Festival

The main venue, the former Shioya Elementary School, can be viewed in about an hour if you're just taking a quick look, but if you want to see everything thoroughly, we recommend setting aside about two hours. The venue's location is wonderful, allowing you to enjoy the art in a relaxed atmosphere and making you want to linger. Other venues, such as the Kijoka Nursery School in Ogimi Village, can be enjoyed in about 30 minutes, allowing you to fully appreciate both the art and the space.

While there are plenty of activities to enjoy in Okinawa during the winter, why not take a trip to Okinawa that allows you to forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life and immerse yourself in the tranquil atmosphere of Yanbaru and the vibrant spirit of art?