"More than 300,000 people gathered on Sunday for this years' annual Naha Tug-of-War Festival in Okinawa, a 500-year-old tradition which is recognised as the world's largest tug-of-war event. Footage from the festival shows two sides, Team East and Team West, preparing as crowds cheer them on. Participants can also be seen working together to manoeuvre the massive rope into place with a heavy wooden log, known as the kanachibo. The giant rope measuring 200 metres in length and weighing about 40 tonnes was recognised by Guinness World Records in 1995 as the longest ever used in a tug-of-war competition. This year's contest brought together around 15,000 participants on each side of the rope and lasted for about 30 minutes, as spectators filled Naha's main highway to watch the struggle unfold. Rooted in Okinawa's warrior culture, the festival is now celebrated as a symbol of peace and unity. Interrupted during the Second World War, the 'Naha Tug of War' was held again in 1971 to remember the occasion of the destruction of the city of Naha in US air raids and as a symbol of hope for peace."