To start the contest, the "shitaku," or arranger (men costumed as some historical figure) divides the crowd into an east and west team from atop the rope, 186 meters long and weighing 40 tons. When the shitaku's job is finished, the "male" half of the rope is "mated" to the "female" half by inserting a large 2wooden peg through adjoining loops. The mayor of Naha gives the signal to start by waving a flag. Then, to the noise of conch shell horns and drums and the popping of firecrackers and shouts of ha-iya, ha-iya, tens of thousands of pullers begin to heave and strain for victory. The huge rope used in the Naha great tug-of-war has been recognized in the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's largest.