On February 28, 2016, the "Kuroshima Beef Festival," a major island-wide event, was held with great fanfare on Kuroshima Island in Taketomi Town, Yaeyama District, Okinawa Prefecture.

Kuroshima has a population of only about 220 people, but more than 3000 cows! It's an island full of cows, with more cows than people.
It is also known as Heart Island because of its heart-shaped form.

This year marks the 24th annual Kuroshima Beef Festival, which is becoming so famous that some people even travel to the island specifically to attend.
What kind of festival is it exactly? I infiltrated this year's Ushimatsuri (Cow Festival)!

The Kuroshima Beef Festival in 2017 will be held on Sunday, February 26th!

Table of contents
1. How do I participate in the Kuroshima Beef Festival?
2. Arrived at Kuroshima! The venue is Kuroshima Multipurpose Plaza.
3. When it comes to the Beef Festival, you definitely want to eat some delicious beef dishes!
4. Music live performances, quizzes, and exciting battles! Lots of fun events planned!
5. Now for the main event: a grand raffle where you can win a whole cow!
6. Things to keep in mind when reflecting on the Kuroshima Beef Festival
7. Finally

1. How do I participate in the Kuroshima Beef Festival?

First, you purchase tickets issued by each ferry company at the Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal.

The ticket includes a meal voucher, a round-trip ferry ticket between Ishigaki and Kuroshima, and a raffle ticket for a chance to win a whole cow, all for just 2900 yen for adults and 1900 yen for children!
A dream ticket that could win you a whole cow... you absolutely must not lose it.

These tickets go on sale a few days in advance, so you can purchase them beforehand.

↓Shipping companies selling tickets
Yaeyama Sightseeing Ferry　http://www.yaeyama.co.jp/
An'ei Kanko　http://www.aneikankou.co.jp/
Ishigaki Island Dream Tourism　http://www.ishigaki-dream.co.jp/

I thought I had arrived at Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal early enough to make it in time for the 10:00 AM opening ceremony, but there was already a huge queue for the ferry to Kuroshima.
With excitement palpable, we boarded the boat and headed for Kuroshima Island!

2. Arrived at Kuroshima! The venue is Kuroshima Multipurpose Plaza.

The venue is a large multi-purpose plaza located a 5-minute walk from the port.

There was a huge teru teru bozu (weather doll) at the entrance to the venue!
After days of continuous rain and cloudy weather, it was a beautiful sunny day!

It was a beautiful day, just as everyone on Kuroshima had wished!

At the reception desk, I put my cow raffle ticket into the raffle box and went inside the venue.

3. When it comes to the Beef Festival, you definitely want to try some delicious beef dishes!

A beef thigh being grilled with gusto! Quite wild...
There are also various other stalls selling things like beef soup, beef bowls, beef soba, and meat-wrapped rice balls!

Out of all the options, I chose a beef bowl using the meal voucher from my ticket!
The beef, slow-cooked until tender, is absolutely delicious! And enjoying it with a beer in the middle of the day is just wonderful!

4. Music live performances, quizzes, and exciting battles! Lots of fun events planned!

The event also featured live performances by Yaeyama-based artists Yoshitoo! and Yu Oshiro, who greatly enlivened the venue.
Participants could also take part in other competitions such as stacking hay towers, rolling hay bales, and an Okinawan sumo wrestling weight-guessing quiz, and everyone was engaged in some pretty intense battles!

The host for the day will be Niinii from Kuroshima, a local.
Apparently, she doesn't usually work as an MC, but her laid-back talk full of dialect is incredibly funny!

She was incredibly active, going around the venue conducting interviews and directing people to clear areas, saying things like, "This spot will be used for a competition now, so please clear it up!"

5. Now for the main event: a grand raffle where you can win a whole cow!

The host will draw lots in order, and if you win, you will come forward and receive your prize.
There are all sorts of amazing prizes available, so you'd be incredibly lucky to win one of them...

My target is definitely the top-prize cow! I want to win it this year!!

I won a whole cow! ♡

I'd like to say that, but unfortunately, nothing was won, and this year's grand raffle has come to an end. (cries)
I'm so disappointed, so I'll try to pretend I won something by getting the Beef Festival towel.

By the way, this is the first-place winning cow!
Congratulations to the winners!
But I'm curious how they're going to get the cows home...

As soon as this raffle ends, some people will be catching the last ferry from Kuroshima, bringing the Cow Festival to a close!

To everyone on Kuroshima Island and the cows, thank you for a wonderful time!

6. Things to keep in mind when reflecting on the Kuroshima Beef Festival

The thing I think we need to be most careful about is ultraviolet rays!

Even in February, the UV rays in Okinawa are incredibly strong.
Spending half a day in a sunny, blazing, shadeless square... resulted in a terrible situation. (crying)

The weather was warm enough for short sleeves, but I endured wearing long sleeves, and even so, my hands and wrists got severely sunburned.
I was especially careless with my lips! I forgot to use UV lip balm, and my lips got sunburned, swollen, and painful.

If you don't want to get sunburned, take sufficient precautions such as wearing a hat, UV arm warmers, or a UV hoodie!
Since you'll be sweating, be sure to reapply sunscreen frequently.

Also, things I'm glad I brought were a picnic blanket, wet wipes, garbage bags, sweat wipes, and rain gear.
Participants in the competition will sweat, so it's a good idea to bring a change of clothes.
Drinks and food could be purchased at the stalls, so that wasn't a problem.

Extra ferries will be running for the outbound and return journeys, but please be aware that they will be extremely crowded.
If you plan to stay on Kuroshima Island on the day of the Cow Festival, it's recommended to book your accommodation months in advance, as there aren't many options available.

6. Finally

Through the Ushimatsuri (Cow Festival), I was able to feel how rich Kuroshima is as an island and how hard the islanders have worked on the festival. I left the island feeling warm and happy.
This year marks the 24th anniversary of the Kuroshima Beef Festival, a festival aimed at revitalizing the island, and it has become a well-established annual event.

It still has a very local feel, but because it's handmade, a sense of unity is created where the customers all come together to make the festival a success!
Today was a day that made me realize once again that Kuroshima truly is a heart-shaped island.

You should definitely experience this grand festival that involves the entire island!

Kuroshima Beef Festival
Held annually in late February
*In 2020, it was held on Sunday, February 23rd.
The official Facebook page is here.
https://www.facebook.com/ushimatsuri/

Please make your hotel reservation here.

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