More than 250,000 people sweated it out on the streets of Naha on Okinawa?s main island on October 7 for a competition with near-600-year-old roots, and which also happens to feature a world record that?s unlikely to be topped.
They were taking part in the 42nd Naha Great Tug-of-War Festival, the centerpiece of annual seasonal rites that date back to the 15th century.
The custom, which gives thanks for an abundant harvest, dates back more than 550 years. It?s a ritual of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which once ruled the Okinawa islands.
An actor playing the monarch who united the kingdom, Sho Hashi, makes an appearance before the tug-of-war begins.
Divide and conquerOrganizers divide the crowd into two teams -- East and West -- and the heaving mass of humanity takes over the Kumoji Intersection of Route 58.
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