Photo By Lance Cpl. Joseph Kreis | Members of the East and West Ojima Island teams celebrate before the Oujima Island Dragon Boat Race at Nanjo City, Okinawa, Japan, June 23, 2026. Dragon boat racing was first introduced to Okinawa from China around 600 years ago and was popularized in southern cities. Dragon boat races are held every year on the fifth month of the Lunar calendar. Ojima Island’s dragon boat race has three teams per heat, and 11 members per team. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Joseph Kreis) see less
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Rowers in the Mist: U.S. service members and Okinawans continue the Haarri tradition
OKINAWA, Japan — The air over the Ojima island shoreline on June 18, 2026, was thick with humidity, wrapping the harbor with a light grey mist. While the weather was unbeatably somber, it did nothing to lower the spirits of the contestants and spectators gathered along the coastline.
The sounds of upbeat pop-culture and traditional Okinawan music, guided by the sounds of the announcer, echoed throughout the tiny island. The noise cut through the damp humid air while accompanied by the sounds of laughter and joy from hundreds of spectators. Families scattered the area under pop-up umbrellas, children darted through the crowds, and venders huddled together selling local food and merchandise. On the water, the vibrant colors of the traditional Sabani boats sliced through the waves.
This wasn’t just another sporting event or a social gathering; this was Okinawa’s traditional Dragon Boat Race.
Dragon boat racing, known locally as Haarii or Hari, dates back to the 14th century and is deeply rooted in the maritime culture of the former Ryukyu Kingdom. According to local tradition, the races were introduced by seafaring leaders, such as Nagahama Taifu or Oso of Nanzan, and have long served as prayers for safe voyages, abundant fishing harvests, and prosperity.
Held on the waters off Nanjo City, the event brought together competitors and spectators to celebrate Okinawan culture through friendly competition and longstanding tradition.
A total of 58 teams from local communities and the U.S. military competed in the sabani races, with each traditional wooden fishing boat crewed by 11 or 12 members — including paddlers, a helmsman, and a drummer.
For generations, fishermen from Itoman navigated these narrow vessels across waters stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean in search of productive fishing grounds, making the sabani a lasting symbol of Okinawa's seafaring heritage. Between the mid-Meiji period and World War II, those fishermen relied on their strength and teamwork to survive the open ocean — a spirit mirrored by the teams racing today.
“We’re so tied in with our Okinawan patterns and the opportunity for Marines to participate in one of their solemn traditions really means the world to us,” said U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj.Brian Downing, the senior enlisted leader of Headquarters Battalion, 3rd Marine Division. “It’s a great opportunity for the Okinawan people to open up their ceremonies and their traditions to the Marines to show that they’re willing to accept us on their island and it’s a great opportunity for us to show how committed we are to our partnership and to honor their traditions in being side by side with them.”
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