MG is a YouTuber from Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture, known for his channel “Okinawa Samurai.” His deep involvement in local culture began in junior high when he discovered the traditional Okinawan dance, Eisa. He joined a youth association in Miyazato, Okinawa City, at age 16, and served as its chairman from age 19 to 24, leading the group to perform at the All Okinawa Eisa Festival. After gaining various professional experiences, he launched his current YouTube career. More recently, on July 10, 2024, he opened “Live Izakaya Shimauta Dining Michijyune” on Kokusai Street, where he personally leads the live stage performances.
“Tigany Festival”: Giving Kids a Chance to Play
Since 2022, MG has organized “Tigany Festival,” a charity festival dedicated to children.
Tigany is an Okinawan word meaning “assistance” or “help.” The primary goal of this festival is to allow children from low-income families and their guardians to enjoy a fun experience together. MG’s vision is to create a space where adults can reach out to children facing difficult circumstances and help them hold onto their dreams. The festival is built on the hope that this circle of assistance (Tigany) will spread throughout the community and local businesses.
An Urgent Desire to Let Kids Play
The inspiration for the festival came during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, as stay-at-home measures led to fewer smiles among children, MG felt a strong desire to “let the kids who haven’t been able to play because of COVID have fun to their heart’s content.” This conviction led to a free event at a bento shop in Okinawa City that September. The success of that event was followed by the first official Tigany Festival in 2022 at Music Town in Okinawa City, which drew over 2,000 attendees and marked the beginning of the festival.
Tigany Festival 2023 Draws Over 30,000
In 2023, the Tigany Festival held in Yonabaru Town on October 22nd grew into a massive event, attracting over 30,000 visitors. The venue was completely filled with the smiles and hope of children.
MG says:
“There are so many people in Okinawa who want to provide support and help others. But because their ability to get the word out is weak, they rarely get the chance for people to know about their activities. That’s why, through Tigany Festival, I want to build an infrastructure of assistance so that support reaches the people who need it.”
Tigany Festival 2025 will be held twice: once in Ishikawa Prefecture and once in Okinawa Prefecture.
Returning for the first time in two years, the 2025 Tigany Festival will be held twice:
- Tigany Festival Ishikawa 2025: Sunday, October 12, 2025, at the Kanazawa Port Cruise Terminal in Ishikawa Prefecture.
- Tigany Festival 2025: Sunday, November 16, 2025, at Koza Music Town’s Oto Hiroba 1F Plaza in Okinawa Prefecture.
▼ Tigany Festival Official Website
https://tigany-festival.com/
MG offered this final thought on his current activities, including Tigany Festival:
“I think there are a lot of people out there who want to do something, but they don’t know how or they lack a starting point. By using YouTube to get the word out, I want to tell those people, ‘There are all kinds of people supporting these causes, so you can easily do something similar too.’ People might jump in because there’s a benefit to following a YouTuber like me. But what I really want to convey is that there are so many people doing grassroots support work even if they aren’t posting on social media.”
Through his YouTube activities, his live performances at “Live Izakaya Shimauta Dining Michijyune,” and Tigany Festival, MG will continue to bring smiles to people by fully harnessing the power of entertainment.
