Arguably the most famous martial art in the world, more than 130 million people around the world practice karate. Even those with next to no knowledge of the sport will associate karate with Okinawa thanks to the 1980s Karate Kid franchise (despite the movies actually being filmed in Hawaii).
If you’re yet to visit Japan’s subtropical southern islands, we have a great excuse for you to add them to your to-visit list this October: The 20th anniversary of Karate Day.
Held annually on 25 October since 2005, the date was chosen by the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly to commemorate when the name ‘karate’ was decided upon in 1936. The martial art dates back 700 years, with roots in the Indigenous Ryukyuan martial art called ‘te’, but it has gone by various names since then.
Karate masters from across the world will descend upon the prefectural capital Naha for the occasion, with the main performance taking place along Kokusai-dori Street. There, thousands of karateka will perform a kata together, an impressive display that made it into the Guinness World Records book in 2016 when 3,973 enthusiasts took part.
You’ll also be able to see special demonstrations at the Shurei no Yakata dojo in Karate Kaikan, the complex which is home to a museum and numerous dojos.
Outside of Karate Day, there are plenty of places you can visit on Okinawa to learn about karate, including monuments to the founders of the different karate styles, such as Funakoshi Gichi, founder of Shotokan style, Kanbun Uechi, founder of Uechi-ryu karate, and Kanga Sakugawa, who founded tode, a predecessor of karate.
More information: visitokinawajapan.com
Read next: Off the beaten track in Japan’s subtropical islands
AloJapan.com