6th Okinawa International Movie Festival

Kokusai-dori, Naha’s main thoroughfare, played host to the red carpet of the Okinawa International Movie festival for the first time Sunday, with 58,000 people turning out to see celebrities and organizers parade on the main street.

With a large TV screen above a main stage erected in the front of Tenbusu Naha culture hall, the very heart of Naha came to a standstill as families, kids, and movie-lovers gathered the cheer on 371 guests as they strode in bright sunshine down the 150-meter runway.

 

Opened by Naha City Mayor Takeshi Onaga, Yoshimoto Kogyo President Hiroshi Osaki and Kyoraku Vice Chairman Yoshinori Enomoto, the first of 40 groups to walk the red carpet were MCs of X Factor Okinawa, Naomi Watanabe and local celebrity Jon Kabira.

As media and cameras from domestic and international snapped away, local Okinawans reach over barriers to get signatures from the guests as the event continued from 12 midday until 1.45pm. Some of the most popular included Osaka-based idol group NMB48 who were attending with their film “NMB48 Geinin! THE MOVIE Returns,” and the stars of “One Third.”

America daredevil and actor Johnny Knoxville dressed sharp as he signed autographs to well-wishers, before the stars of “Oh! Father” received the biggest cheer, Masaki Okada dressed in a smart floral jacket, alongside Shiori Kutsuna, who seemed to steal the show with a white outfit that mixed cozplay and glamor, frills and lace with black rubber shoulder decorations.