The Japanese word for honey is hachimitsu 蜂蜜 or はちみつ. A lot of the honey in the grocery stores is imported. So where to buy really local honey?

I will share with you a hidden secret, nestled in the hills of Yanbaru in Okinawa. Few gaijin know of this small honey farm, shop, and cafe. It is called 蜜蜂ファーム・ときわ Bee Farm Tokiwa and カフェしゃしくまーる Cafe Shashi Kuma-ru.

It is a bit of a drive, and at one point I though for sure I was on the wrong path, but follow your GPS and you are sure to find it.

Once I arrived, I nervously entered, unsure if it was open… but it was! So I ordered a drink and cake, then sampled some honey. It was so tasty! It was quite serene, tucked away in the mountain. Time seemed to move slower. Sort of the type of cafe and nature you see in Ghibli movies that makes you want to visit Japan. If you want, you can wander and look at the honeybee boxes.

The address:〒905-1141沖縄県名護市源河2523-5 (オーシッタイ)

One of the pictures posted shows a crude map… you might need it…!