ono okinawa

Miyama Shabu-shabu: 美山しゃぶしゃぶ

My husband wanted to try a shabu-shabu place for lunch. It is a chain from the mainland called Miyama Shabu-shabu. There is only 1 in Okinawa, located in the Haebaru Aeon Mall (southern part of the island).

They offer a cheap lunch course for 1000-something yen, though the menu has various combinations with varying degrees of price (things like beef, or all-you-can-eat meat). The cheap lunch course though, comes with 2 trays of (imported) pork, thinly sliced with 8 slices per tray; since I don’t eat pork this means my husband will get 4 trays. The lunch course comes with all-you-eat eat vegetables, noodles, rice, pickles, etc. For one half of the pot you also choose 1 of the 4 types of soup for cooking (the other half you get a default basic water with konbu in it); we went with the Korean-style “spicy” which was not really that spicy at all. For an additional 250yen you can also get the soft drink bar. As a fair warning, the menu is all in Japanese but there are some pictures which might help.

Anyway, we got seated and ordered without any difficulty. Luckily we were seated in a back corner so no one could stare at my husband while he ate all the meat and I just stuck the veggies. At the table were ponzu ポン酢 (shoyu+citrus) and goma-dare ごまだれ (sesame dipping sauce). We were also given extra peppers and spicy sauce since we ordered the Korean-style broth. The veggies, noodle, rice, salad, etc. were all self-serve. It was all quite good, and I enjoyed a variety of noodles and veggies with my shabu-shabu. There were Okinawa soba noodles, udon noodles, cellophane (bean thread) noodles, and somen.

Even just eating veggies, noodles, salad, rice, and pickles I felt I got a decent deal. My husband said that 3 boxes would have been perfect and 4 was a little too many, but he ate (and enjoyed) it all anyway. So we both left happy, even though one of us doesn’t eat meat.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/VahHmS42mbC2

Culture, Shops

Okinawa Pottery: やちむん

yachimun やちむん (焼き物): ceramics/pottery in Okinawa language. In Japanese, this would be read as “yakimono.”

There are many pottery areas in Okinawa; in Naha, is a district called Tsuboya 壺屋 which has a street lined with ceramics shops. There is also Nanjo (south), Yomitan (north-central), and many other smaller areas scattered about.

Tsuboya yachimun street is a lovely walk on a nice day, and you can see many examples of Okinawa pottery and visit various artists, as well as a museum. Especially featured are the Okinawa shisa dog statues. You can also find ishigantou in addition to plates, cups, bowls, and more. If you get tired of looking and shopping, there are some cafes to have lunch or bukubuku-cha.

Over the years, I have collected quite a few pieces: mostly mugs, plates, and shisa. Every year, areas like Yomitan, Nanjo, and Tsuboya hold yachimun a “festival” where you can find a lot of discount pieces from artists.

Restaurants

Maitoparta

The other day I tried out yet another cute cafe in Okinawa, this one located in Tomigusuku (south part of the island). It is called Maitoparta, and specializes in waffles, as well as having some gourmet coffees.

Technically, this is a “dessert cafe” not a breakfast cafe. Well, whatever, I ate brunch here anyway. You can get a savory waffle set, but I wanted one of the sweet ones. I went with a honey/nuts/vanilla ice cream waffle and a soy latte. You can also choose between 2 types of waffles, or get a “mix.” There are also a bunch of different flavored waffles to choose from, toppings, etc. It was actually pretty affordable compared to other pancake and waffle type places I have been– 830yen for the waffle and drink set I ordered.

There are a decent number of parking spaces outside, but it filled up fast. The cafe was very clean and cutely decorated inside… it was full of young to middled aged ladies. The wait for my food was fairly quick, too… overall it was a very nice experience, and I can see why it has gained popularity. Of course, this is calorie rich, so only a special occasion treat.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/AoBV6r5cey12

Local Foods

Okinawa limes: Shikwasa シークヮーサー

To explain this one is a little tricky. You will see various spellings in both Japanese and English!

シークヮーサー or シークァーサー or シークワーサー all mean “Citrus depressa,” a type of lime grown here in the Ryukyu islands. It is romanized as shikwasa (most common), shikuwasa, or shiquasa. In Japanese, it is also known as ヒラミレモン hirami lemon.

The name comes from 2 parts: 「シー」shii which means sour (酸い suppai in Japanese) and 「クワス」kuwasu meaning eating/to eat (食わし kuwashi).

It is small and similar to a lime: a sour, citrusy flavor. When I first saw them I thought maybe they were calamansi (which I adore), but the taste is a little different than that. Since the taste is so sour, most people add sugar to the juice to balance it. I prefer less sugar since I really like sour flavors.

You can buy shiqwasa in grocery stores and farmers markets (when they are in season*, or the 100% juice year-round. There is a shiqwasa “park” (tourist attraction) up north in Nago where you can try fresh juice.

*Shikwasa are generally in season from August through February, though they are most sour early in the season. Towards January and February they get less sour and can be eaten just as is.

You can buy just bottled PET bottle drinks of shikwasa drink which is diluted with water and tons of sugar added. It is a popular flavor for various sweet desserts/snacks and ice cream. There is even Okinawa limited potato chips with shikwasa flavor (kind of like salt and vinegar but a citrus-y acid!). Oh, and even Orion makes a shikwasa beer… it is not that great, but it is basically Orion beer with a tiny bit of shikwasa juice (and I think part of the citrus peel) added.

Experiences, Folklore, Travel: Outer Islands

Okinawa Star Sand: 星砂

星砂 Hoshizuna: star sand

There is also a second type called 太陽の砂 taiyou no suna: sun sand

These 2 types of sands are similar but are actually two different microorganism skeletons. Many people just call both of them star sand, not realizing there is a difference. Some people show photos that say, “I found star sand!” but in actuality it is sun sand.

Where can you find star and sun sand? While you may be able to find it various locations, it is not very common to find it on the Okinawa main island (not impossible… just not so common). Below are some places where star and sun sand is easily found! I will add a few more when I have time.

**Special Note: Some of the more famous beaches request that people do not take star sand from the beach! So please be respectful of this.

You can usually buy star sand at various tourist shops all over Okinawa (for instance, try Kokusai-dori if you are looking to purchase some). I have a necklace and earrings with star sand. It is a little cheesy, but I thought it was cute.

Places you can see star sand first hand:

Kudaka-jima 久高島, Upaama beachウパーマ浜: You can take a short ferry ride here.
https://goo.gl/maps/zMNkBfA8s8L2

Tokashiki-jima 渡嘉敷島, Ura beach 浦ビーチ and Aharen 阿波連ビーチ: You can reach this island via a 1-hour ferry ride.
Ura beach: https://goo.gl/maps/31UNNdx6UmB2
Aharen beach: https://goo.gl/maps/Yq28JsHBKp12

Hateruma-jima 波照間島, Peh beach ペー浜: You can reach this island by flying to Ishigaki-jima, then taking a ferry ride. It is not convenient for a day trip, so you will need to stay overnight.
https://goo.gl/maps/dLzF1Lydkg22

Taketomi-jima 竹富島, all over: You can reach this island by flying to Ishigaki-jima, then taking a ferry ride. This is an easy day trip from Ishigaki. This is the location of the famous “Star Sand Beach” 星砂の浜.
https://goo.gl/maps/G3X7N75Rvx32

Iriomote-jima 西表島, all over: You can reach this island by flying to Ishigaki-jima, then taking a ferry ride. This is an easy day trip from Ishigaki.

Hatoma-jima 鳩間島, all over: Ferries run here infrequently from Ishigaki-jima, so you will need to plan this one well if you want to visit. This place is rather remote and quiet.

Yoron 与論島, Yurigahama 百合ヶ浜: Actually, this is technically part of Kagoshima, however, you can reach Yoron fairly easily from Okinawa. It is about a 4 hour ferry, or you can fly there from the Naha airport (much shorter). Yurigahama is a sand bar, located off of Ooganeku Beach 大金久海岸.
https://goo.gl/maps/rqQzLDijQ9M2

Star Sand Folktale:

There is a folk tale from Taketomi-jima about the “sandy beach of stars.” It is a story of when the Yaeyama islands were still being created.

The sky star goddess (the Southern Cross) conceived children with Polaris (North Star). When birthing the star children, she asked the heavenly god where she should give birth. He responded that there was an island with beautiful coral and white sand and so she should give birth just off the shore of this island, the current location of Taketomi-jima. The star goddess bore her star babies into the sea. However, the god of the sea was angry that she birthed them into his ocean without asking permission. The furious sea god called upon a sea serpent to swallow up all the star children and not leave any remains. The sea snake swallowed all the star children of the star as commanded by the sea god. Later, only the small white star-shaped bones of the star children were left, washed ashore on the island and mixed in with the sand. The god of the heavens collected the bones, put them in a censer, and burned them with incense to send the souls of the stars children to heaven to be with their mother (in some stories, it is instead a sacred priestess not the god of heavens that performs this ritual). So, it is said that the souls of the star children became stars themselves, brilliantly surrounding the star goddess up in the heavens.

Difference between star sand and sun sand can be seen easily: https://www.shimadzu-techno.co.jp/technical/sand_pore_sem.html

(pictures coming soon).

Culture

Kochi Gusuku: 幸地グスク

Kochi gusuku is another small castle ruins site that I came across, like Tanabaru gusuku, also located in Nishihara. Again, not really interesting enough to make it onto the original post about the gusuku ruins in Okinawa, but a nice hidden location on top of a hill with a view. Mostly just another attempt at me escaping the ennui of lab work and trying to get some fresh air this summer.

Kochi gusuku also located off a back road, which you may suspect is not actually a road, but I promise you it is indeed the road to reach this castle ruins. It is narrow, and turns a little bumpy. When you reach the top, it is mostly just an open looking field.

There are some remains of stones, and if you walk up to the highest point, you will see w place of worship. Walking around the paths you can also see some gaa ガー (wells). Many places were overgrown, but it was clear enough to see the view at least. There was even a placard in both English and Japanese describing some of the history here (photo below where you can read the interesting “tidbits”).

I didn’t get the same eerie sense as I did at Tanabaru gusuku ruins, thankfully. But oddly enough, at this lookout on an off-beaten path seemingly in the middle of nowhere there were some ojiisans hanging out in their cars…

address: https://goo.gl/maps/4Tg5SKBRMbT2

Culture

Tanabaru Gusuku: 棚原グスク

グスク gusuku: in Japanese, it is actually 城 (shiro), meaning “castle.” Though I have recently learned that the entomology of the word “gusuku” is controversial, and could have come about several ways. Anyway, if you see the word “gusuku” in Okinawa, it typically refers to a stone castle or fortress type structure (in ruins these days), surrounded by stone walls. The famous ones remain somewhat intact whereas these smaller ones rarely have anything but traces of stones and foundations.

In Okinawa, most of these gusuku are just the ruins. I previously made a post about some of the more common gusuku ruins sites. Tanabaru gusuku, however, is not well known and quite hidden away in Nishihara. Thought to be honest, there is not much to see.

On a whim, I decided to follow the map to where these supposed ruins were near to the university. So I got in my car and followed the directions… I started to doubt that the GPS was taking me to the right location. The last road I turned onto was not really much of a road, even for Okinawa. I started to feel a bit concerned.

But then… ! I seemingly reached a fielded area and a sign post! Some success already. Apparently, GoogleMaps was correct after all. As to where to park… well… it is an empty field, so just pull over I suppose is fine.

The were only very few trace remains of the gusuku itself, and following the path I was able to find a place of worship. The location was high on top of a hill, but was fairly overgrown, so the view was a little bit difficult to see. To be honest though… this place had a strange feel, and I am not normally superstitious. There were a few tombs around, but that is common in Okinawa… it had sort of an abandoned feel to it I guess (despite the signpost proudly proclaiming the site name looking new). I think there may be rumor of a ghost story in this location, but I am not sure yet. I will update if I find it.

It seems that some excavations of the ruins (finding items like pottery, etc.) have been done in the past according to the Nishihara town website. It originally was built by the brother of one of the lords, as a fortification. During and after the war, many of the stones were removed for quarry to be reused elsewhere, so there is very little remaining of walls and foundations that can be observed. If I have time, I may come back and do some more exploring of the area. I read on a Japanese site that there is some sort of trail nearby.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/XYc5pQrPcay

Restaurants

Bagel’s Mee 3: ベーグル屋ミスり

ベーグル beh-gu-ru: bagel

While recently in the Nago area (North part of the island), I finally stopped by this small bagel shop called Bagel’s Mee 3. I had passed it before a few times, but I think it was always closed for some reason or another, or maybe previously I just couldn’t tell it was open.

It is a small shop, with maybe room for 2 cars to park out front. Both the inside and outside are a brightly colored, with sort of a hippie-ish vibe. There are soooo many flavors of bagels to choose from, made fresh every day with natural ingredients and no preservatives. You can order a bagel plain or with cream cheese, or as one of the sandwiches. I ended up choosing a goya-cheese bagel with cream cheese… I couldn’t resist the unusual combination! It was delicious. Since there are not a whole lot of bagel options on island (and one of them closed), it was a nice treat. My husband got a pastrami bagel sandwich and seemed to enjoy it. We got our bagels to go, but there was a small seating area if you chose to eat them in the shop.

The price was comparable to other bagel prices in Japan I think, a little less than 1100 total for the bagel sandwich and the bagel with cream cheese. Not cheap compared to a state-side bagel, and obviously not as delicious as a New York bagel, but here in Okinawa we gotta take what we can get. Overall, I look forward to stopping at this small shop again when I am in Nago.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/2GcvGfFjAGr

Japanese foods, Restaurants

Beer Gardens in Okinawa: ビアガーデン

ビアガーデン bia gaaden: beer garden

Summer in Japan would not be complete with beer gardens. In Okinawa, there are a few around this time of year. They typically have nomihoudai 飲み放題 and tabehoudai 食べ放題 (all-you-can-drink/eat) plans. Some of these beer gardens are very popular, so it is important to get a reservation.

This year, my husband and I decided to go to the beer garden held by ANA Harborview Hotel in Naha for our wedding anniversary. The bonus to this beer garden: wear yukata or jinbei and receive a significant discount! We also booked a room for the night, so we could just crash after our 2.5 hours of drinking and eating.

So, of course, I dressed myself and my husband in summer yukata to save money and to make it a special experience. It was my husband’s first time wearing yukata in public; he received many high-5s and “kakkoii.” It is somewhat rare to see a foreign male wearing yukata unless he has a Japanese girlfriend or wife (so some people were surprised to learn that, yes, I dressed us both by myself). A few people even took our picture; we were the only ones dressed in yukata that evening as most the others were there for after-work gatherings.

Anyway, when we arrived at the outdoor beer garden at our allotted time, it was decorated with string lights. It was a little warm out, but as the sun was going down, the temperature was dropping a bit. The food was set up buffet style (it is themed for every month, this month was “Spanish”), and even the drinks were self-serve. They had 3 beers on tap: Asahi super dry, Asahi black, and Orion. Additionally wine and highballs were available. Probably awamori and whiskey, too, but I did not much notice.

The food and drinks were pretty good, and we had a really nice time. Part way through the evening, the staff came out with a special cake dessert and sparkling peach wine for us since I had mentioned it was our wedding anniversary in the reservation. The service was really above and beyond, so it was a great way to spend a special occasion. Since we got a discounted price, I thought it was a good value… if I paid full price, I may not have felt quite the same. Full price was 4500yen, discounted price for wearing yukata… 3000yen.

Experiences

Loisir Hotel Onsen (Miegusuku Onsen)

In a continuation of a series of posts about onsen in Okinawa, this describes my experience at the onsen on the premises of the Loisir Hotel in Naha, Miegusuku onsen 三重城温泉.

Since today was a public holiday, I decided to relax a bit by visiting one of the few onsen you can find in Okinawa. Now, I had been putting off visiting the Loisir hotel onsen due to its very high entrance fee, and being in Naha near the Tomari port, it is not exactly close to me either. So, since I had time to spare today, why not check it out?

Okay, well first, remember this is in Naha. So parking is not free. I parked at one of the fee parking lots just a few meters from the hotel (don’t park at the hotel, I think it is 1500yen). I walked through the front doors; on the first floor is the regular hotel reception, walk by this and go up the escalator to the second floor.

From here, you have a decision to make: the cheaper priced onsen (2500yen for visitors) or the more expensive onsen (3500yen for visitors). The cheaper onsen is straight ahead when you arrive on the second floor, easy to find. The more expensive one, you need to turn and head towards the Spa Tower hotel check-in (but do not go to these counters), looking for the corridor that leads to the Spa Tower where the onsen is located.

The cheaper onsen is called the Shimanchu-no-yu 島人の湯 (Islander’s bath); it appeared to have more baths, like jacuzzi and waterfall, in addition to the outdoor and indoor bath. I did not visit this one, so I can’t really speak for the details. It appeared to be “less fancy.” In retrospect, I probably should have just gone to this one.

However, I went to the more “luxury” of the two, the Uminchu-no-yu 海人の湯 (Fisherman’s bath). I followed the narrow corridor down to where there was a split; I was now on the 3rd floor of the Spa Tower. To get to the onsen, descend the stairs to the 2nd level of the Spa Tower and there is the spa treatment area and the onsen. I paid the fee, which is 3x what I would normally pay here in Okinawa (normal onsen entrance fees in Okinawa are between 1000-1600 yen).

Anyway, I was given a locker key and towels, then entered the ladies onsen. I left my shoes in the shoe locker at the entrance of the ladies onsen. Inside was the standard set-up with rows of clothing lockers, a water jug, and counter area for getting ready afterwards.

While the onsen was nicely decorated, I did not feel like it was much better than any of the others I have visited in Okinawa. Since the fee was higher than the other bath, it was much quieter, only 2 other people while I was there. There were 3 baths: indoor, cold water, and outdoor. The outdoor bath did not have a great view since it was covered with privacy shades (probably because we were in the city). There was also a steam/mist sauna.

After bathing, they had the usual amenities (lotion, etc), but nothing particularly special. Some places have really nice products (that they also sell at the front desks), but here was just standard Kose brand. I didn’t book any of the spa treatments since I went to a different one recently for my birthday. So I cannot really comment on these, but they looked more expensive than the other places I have gone to in Okinawa.

Overall, it was nice… but not worth the pricey entrance fee. So unless you are staying at this hotel (which gives you a discounted entrance fee), I probably would not recommend to come here over the other places I have been. And even then, I would recommend trying out the cheaper one since it looked like it had a few more baths anyway. As far as I could tell, the only bonus to the Uminchu-no-yu over the Shimanchu-no-yu was 1) more privacy/quieter and 2) fancier decor/atmosphere. Otherwise the Shimanchu-no-yu was 1) cheaper (but still expensive at 2500yen for visitors) and 2) more variety in baths.

If you want to try an onsen in Naha, Okinawa, I would say try the Ryukyu Onsen on Senaga-jima (just south of the airport); it is luxurious, has beautiful ocean views you can enjoy from the outdoor baths, and the entrance fee is a half the cost. Plus you are by the trendy Umikaji Terrace where you can enjoy a variety of good cafes.

Sorry, but no pictures inside the onsen.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/e6xvqHoS1S22

Japanese only, link for ChuraSpa treatment menu (same floor as the Uminchu-no-yu): https://www.spatower.com

Culture, Experiences, Local Foods, Shops

Kin Kannonji (temple) & Awamori Cave

In Kin town 金武町 (Northern part of Okinawa), there is a temple and limestone cave where a shrine is located as well as bottles of awamori 泡盛 are stored for aging.

The first thing you need to know is that there are 2 entrances to the cave: the one at the temple is FREE, but is blocked off from the awamori storage. You will still be able to see pretty stalactite and stalagmite formations and descend into a portion of the cave BUT you will not see the area where the awamori and tofuyo 豆腐よう are aged. The temple itself is not very grand, but it is one of the typical old temples in Okinawa (of which there are very few).

If you want to see where the awamori is stored, you will need to pay the fee for the tour (adults are 400yen, the tour is only offered 3x per day). To do this, head to Tatsu no kura 龍の蔵, awamori and tofuyo store (you can also try yummy samples here) which is located just across the street from the temple. Tatsu 龍 means “dragon,” another reference to the importance of the dragon god in the Ryukyu kingdom. The shop is named this since the cave is known as the auspicious birthplace of the dragon god faith. We bought tickets for the tour, which started at 1:30 that day. I would post a schedule for the tours, but honestly it seems to change randomly and the tour times available when we arrived were completely different from what it said on their website, so I would call ahead unless you randomly are lucky like we were.

The cave is a chilly 18 degrees Celsius and the tour is offered in Japanese. But you can still join and enjoy the scenery if you do not understand Japanese. Bottle storage services are offered for 5, 12 and 20 years; many customers store bottles here to commemorate a wedding or birth of a child. A lot of the bottles are decorated with messages.

Normally aged for just 3 months, the tofuyo here is aged for a year or more! It is pricy here, but really delicious… I recommend sampling it all. We bought some to take home. I have previously visited their branch store in Naha and ate their tofuyo, but it was the first time for my husband. It was interesting being able to see the cave where everything is aged and stored.

check out some pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/qJET5

address:

Kin Kannonji 金武観音寺: the parking lot is across the street from the temple. https://goo.gl/maps/5f94bKcMJXQ2

Tatsu no kura 龍の蔵: https://goo.gl/maps/dPy3C2BeQoF2

Experiences, Local Foods

Grape Picking in Okinawa: ぶどう狩り

ぶどう, ブドウ, or 葡萄 budou means “grapes.”

狩り kari means “hunting” which in this context means more like “picking fruit.”

Believe it or not, there are 2 farms located in Nakijin (North part of Okinawa, not far from Nakijin castle 今帰仁城) that have grape picking for a short time in July. One is Komesu vineyard 米須ぶどう園 and the other is Ishikawa vineyard 石川ぶどう園. In the past I believe there were more, but these are the 2 that I know of. Both farms grow the kyoho grape variety 巨峰, which are a large and sweet.

Now, this is not really cheap here in Okinawa, so you won’t be getting a “deal” or anything… though there is no entrance fee, it is 1500yen per kilogram. That being said, they are fresh and very delicious.

Anyway, after missing the season last year, at last we made our way up there. If you visit, look for the flags with ぶどう狩り or 巨峰 and pictures of grapes. We got to Komesu at 10am, were explained the rules, given scissors and a basket, and let loose. We were told the grapes in the bags with a red mark were ripe and ready for being cut down. Since it is not terribly cheap, we only cut a few down.

Afterwards they weighed the fruits of our labor and we paid the fee. We also tried a grape smoothie made with local kyoho grapes being sold by a vendor at the vineyard… I don’t normally like grape flavored things, but made with fresh local grapes the ice-cold smoothie was sooo good.

We decided to drive to Ishikawa vineyard next since it was nearby. This vineyard was a little more difficult to find, located off a road not even in GoogleMaps… so you may end up circling a bit. We stopped by and took pictures. It was a bit more crowded (with all locals), so we decided we probably had enough grapes anyway and moved along. Overall we had quite a bit of fun and the fresh grapes really are much better than what you normally buy in the stores. To be honest, I don’t typically love grapes, but I really like these kyoho grapes.

Both places recommend calling ahead to make sure they have enough grapes for picking, or even reservations if it is particularly busy (otherwise you may drive up there and leave empty-handed). We took our chances and did not call ahead, but since we were there early in the morning, as well as one of the first weekends they were open for picking, we had no problems at all. So I recommend showing up close to opening time (9am) and NOT waiting until the end of the day, otherwise you may be out of luck. I also recommend trying to get there early in the picking season, otherwise they close up shop when they run out of grapes; this is what happened to us last year. Typically the season is during the whole month of July; usually the event sites or newspaper publish an article when the time is near.

address:

Komesu vineyard 米須ぶどう園: https://goo.gl/maps/pVSRbnBvBPy

Ishikawa vineyard 石川ぶどう園: https://goo.gl/maps/GZoDWiqP26o

Restaurants

Miyazatoya Coffee: 宮里屋

Another hot day here in Okinawa. As I went out to run some errands, I remembered a coffeeshop in Naha I had wanted to try… so I decided to go ahead and check them out.

It shares a parking lot with a home store, so there are plenty of parking spaces. The shop itself also doubles as a flower shop, so when you walk inside it is actually a little magical feeling… like you entered a secret garden or something. There are plants everywhere, and it has a really nice atmosphere.

As much as I wanted to stay (there is a cafe on the bottom floor, as well as seating on the second floor), I needed to get it to go. You can also order a light lunch or cake set here. I got an iced hazelnut coffee, and while I actually tend to avoid this type of flavored-sugary-whipped coffee drinks (to be honest, I never go to Starbucks in Japan with all the fancy limited time specialty frappes), this was quite good and what I needed on a hot day. This was a rare treat indeed~~

They have their own originally roasted beans in store, and there are plenty of options to choose from, both iced and hot. I thought the prices a tad on the high side (keep in mind I also drink Lawson machi cafe coffee normally), but it is a sort of specialty shop so it is not unreasonably priced. I couldn’t tell you how the price compares to Starbucks, but I suspect it is a bit higher overall. However, being an independent shop that roasts their own beans, I think the price compares to other shops of this nature, at least in Japan. This is definitely a cute place, worth coming back to when I am in the Naha area.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/eRfQtdLDNuv

Restaurants

Cafe Nicoli: カフェニコリ

Cafe Nicoli in Ginowan has smoothies (スムージー) and scones (スコーン). I passed by there many times but never stopped in, so finally I decided to take a peek.

Since it was a hot day, a smoothie sounded nice. There are 2 parking spots down the small road past the shop, across from the Ginowan library labelled for the shop. The shop is very cute looking from both the outside and the inside. There are rows and rows of scones, as well as a few cookies which all smelled rather delectable. I will try to remember these for next time I need a baked good. There were quite a few smoothie choices, from coffee bases, yogurt bases, cream bases, and fruits bases. Some were sold out though, so check the board inside the shop.

The price and size of the smoothie was really quite reasonable (perhaps even cheap) for Okinawa; I got a mango smoothie which was likely not made from local Okinawa mango but frozen ones. Which for the price was fine… if it was made from local mango I am sure the price would be quite a bit more.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/Q53qVn2iW7v

Restaurants

Slowlife Cafe: スローライフカフェ

Slowlife Cafe is a beach-themed cafe located in Ginowan. I pulled up, and parking seemed a bit… well, anyway I pulled up the curb where some other cars were parked, so I think it was okay. The cafe is on the 2nd floor, so it has a pretty nice view if you go out to the terrace.

Anyway, the interior was very nicely decorated and comfortable, sort of “beach chic” with natural wood and ocean colors. The menu was only in Japanese, but not too complicated as there are only 4 items on the menu for lunch: plate of the day, pasta of the day, don (rice bowl) of the day, and sandwich of the day. Each come with soup, salad, and drink, all for 1000yen; if you add the cake of the day, it is an additional 150yen.

They didn’t have all of the -of-the-days written out anywhere like most places, instead the server listed them off. Though it seemed he was not confident that I would understand much because I was a foreigner, he said them all fairly quickly and without much details. I didn’t bother to correct him on that or ask more details, as I pretty much knew I would get the pasta anyway and I added on the cake since it was cheesecake. Not that he was rude or anything, quite the opposite, very friendly… just a lot of times as an obvious 外国人 people tend to assume you have zero grasp of the Japanese language. Everything was pretty good; not superb, but for the price I thought it was pretty decent. I enjoyed eating in the relaxed atmosphere. It definitely seemed like a trendy but not expensive place where young 20somethings could eat, drink, and enjoy life slowly not too far from Tropical Beach in Ginowan.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/bNqna9tNxcD2

Japanese sweets

LOOK x Sanrio Cinnamoroll Chocolates

To be honest, I don’t actually like chocolate that much. But these chocolates were just too cute to pass up, plus they were coffee flavored (which I do love). So on an impulse, I purchased them from the conbini here in Okinawa. It was only about 120yen, so fairly cheap.

Sanrio’s Cinnamoroll character is featured on this special edition of LOOK chocolates, and the theme is “cafe.” There are 4 flavors in the box (and 3 of each, so a total of 12 small chocolates pieces). From left to right, the flavors are:

カプチーノ cappuccino
シナモンロール cinnamon roll
シフォンケーキ chiffon cake
エスプレッソ espresso

Of the 4 flavors, I really only liked the 2 coffee ones; they were actually quite good for cheap chocolates. Cinnamon roll was… overpowering cinnamon to say the least, I was not a fan and I think this was the worst of the 4 for me. Chiffon cake was… kinda weird and vanilla-y; it was okay and maybe if you like that weird “birthday cake” flavor you might like this. When I read the ingredients, it said something about “dry crepe” in it so I suppose this is where that flavor comes from. The chiffon cake chocolate was so-so overall. After trying 1 of each of the 4 flavors, I was overloaded with sugary sweetness and saved the rest for later (or more likely, my husband).

Anyway, this is what I get for being suckered into cute packaging when I don’t even like chocolate candy that much. However for those who do like little chocolate candies, you may enjoy these. And they are adorable~~

Update: as matter of fact, I did give the rest to my husband. And he LOVED the cinnamon roll chocolate. So our tastes are pretty different some of the time. Who knows, maybe you too would like it if you like that burst of cinnamon-y flavor.

Culture, Experiences, Travel: Outer Islands

Ryukyu Onsen Senaga-jima Hotel

South of the airport is the small island of Senaga-jima which is connected the main island by bridge. A very luxurious hotel with an onsen, Ryujin no Yu 龍神の湯 (translation: dragon-king bath; Ryujin is the dragon god believed to lived under the sea near Okinawa), is situated there. The rooms to stay overnight are very expensive (so I have never stayed there), but luckily the onsen and spa is open to the public. The entrance fee for the onsen is also reasonable (middle school and older, weekdays: 1,330円, weekends and holidays: 1,540円, elementary school: 720円, preschool and under free). There is even a foot hot spring for free next to the resort hotel, if you just want to relax your feet for a bit.

Like other onsen in Okinawa, you go to the spa desk to check-in and receive your towels and spa clothes. The onsen has indoor baths as well as some very lovely outdoor baths. I didn’t spend a lot of time in the indoor baths or sauna; mostly I cleaned myself at the shower stations and went almost directly to outside. Outside you have some different choices; there are a few individual rotenburo 露天風呂 and then some large baths (1 is a standing bath, so you stand up in it but it is quite comfortable) that overlook the ocean. I enjoyed all of these and the view was really quite nice, it made it all the more relaxing. The water is a bit salty– it is a unique seaside hot spring for sure! If you stay overnight, half of the hotel rooms even have private outdoor baths…!

The spa treatments offered here are quite nice for some pampering. When I went for my birthday, I got a body scrub, a seaweed-mud wrap, some sort of facial, and a massage… it was not cheap, but it was a birthday present from my husband. I felt amazing afterwards… maybe one day I can return.

As far as food, I have only eaten at the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant inside the resort, which was so-so. Some people really like it, and it was okay, but I probably recommend just going over to Umikaji Terrace うみかじテラス (the small shopping/cafe area on the island) and checking out the food there. There are several options from happy pancakes to food you can eat while sitting in hammocks, each of them with just as nice a view as the resort.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/9fsrcNESWES2

website: https://www.hotelwbf.com/senaga/

Folklore, Restaurants

Seaside Drive-In: シーサイドドライブイン

The Seaside Drive-In is an assuming place located near Moon Beach Hotel in Onna (North). It is open 24 hours, and is sort of charming in its own way. It reminds me of Hawaii, actually, so I felt very comfortable inside like I was eating back home.

The food is cheap, nothing exotic, just sort of a typical drive-in diner menu; it has “western,” Japanese and Chinese dishes (seriously, if the menu had some spam options, chili, and loco moco I would swear I was in Hawaii). My husband and I both got sandwiches, a side of fries and a soup for the husband– our bill was ~1100 yen. We were quite satisfied with our lunch. I cannot believe we passed by this place a few times to never check it out until now! If you are looking for a cheap lunch spot with plenty of options in Onna, this is a pretty decent place to check out. Plus, you can even get take-out if you don’t want to eat inside; the counter is to the left of the entrance doors outside.

There is even a jukebox, 100yen for 2 songs.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/ND3hUizSYgw

Bonus: Abandoned restaurant island?! Out the window of the diner (or from the parking lot) you will spot a strange little “island” with a pretty dilapidated structure, only about 20 m from the shore. It is called “Hiituu-jima” ヒートゥー島, translated as “Dolphin Island” in Okinawan language. The reason being they used to hunt/kill dolphins in the area of Nago Bay around the island and eat them so there is some rumor of it being a haunted or ghost spot (kinda like the opposite of a power spot). Though I hear the custom of eating dophin is still practiced in the Nago area even today; it used to be a protein source for Okinawans.

The owners decided to open a restaurant only accessible by boat (you can already imagine why this might be a failing idea) that would serve hiittuu (dolphin) on the menu and started building on the small island; however they did not end up getting permission or approval from the local authorities, dooming their restaurant to never actually open. So, now it is in ruins. Perhaps the revenge of the dolphins.

There is also a rumor that unhappiness always comes to those who enter this island. There was a young man who went to the island to explore the ruins. It seems that he broke the mystery stone shrine inside and took pictures; it is said that he died the same day due to an accident.

Since it is technically private property I cannot encourage you to visit it (you could easily swim/snorkel in the area), or if the tide is low you can practically just wade out. There are signs (in Japanese) that say no trespassing, so keep this in mind if you try to seek it out and get into trouble. That being said it does not keep out some of the fearless urbex-ers, as there seem to be a few blogs out there with photos of this place, as well as a fair amount of graffiti decorating the ruined building.

**心霊 shinrei spirit, ghost, soul; can also be used in “haunted” spot (心霊スポット shinrei supotto).

Culture, Folklore, Holidays, Japanese foods

Tanabata 七夕 & Somen そうめん

七夕 Tanabata: Japanese Star festival on July 7th (read more here).

そうめん (素麺) somen: a type of noodles made of wheat flour so they are white and very thin. It is a very popular dish during summer.

I wrote previously about Tanabata and how it is not really celebrated the same in Okinawa. But with ever-changing populations, you see a little more each year.

A traditional food for Tanabata is… somen! Not only is it perfect as a summer dish, but the noodles represent the Milky way and Orihime’s threads (she was a weaver).

This type of somen dish is served chilled with a a tsuyu つゆ dipping sauce (mix of shoyu and dashi). If you want to be fancy, you can slice up okra and serve on top (they look like cute little stars). Or you could cut other veggies into star shapes, but that sounds like too much work for me, although there are many Japanese kitchen gadgets used for bento to aid with this. Perhaps you could even find those cucumbers grown into star shapes here in Japan.

Some places in Okinawa will have a nagashi-somen 流しそうめん event (translation: flowing noodles) around this time of year. A bamboo “slide” is set up and you grab them as they go buy with your hashi 箸 (chopsticks). It’s a lot of fun, so I recommend trying it.

(photos coming soon).

Travel: Outer Islands

Adji-jima, “Hideout Island”

アーヂ島 adji-jima (or aadji-jima) in a very tiny island located off the Nanjo coast of Okinawa main island. The name means “hideout.”

As you drive down towards it, you come to a tori gate 鳥居 utility pole… interesting. You can park in an area off to the side of the driving path (I call it a path, because it is really not much of a road). There is a concrete bridge connecting Adji-jima to land. You can walk across but…

It is gated off at the entrance to the island. It is actually a private property, possibly owned by a resort from the 80s and is said to have been a training facility for the resort, but now… no one seems to be sure of ownership from what I have read. It seems well-kept enough, so I don’t think it is abandoned. It is a bit mysterious.

Since you cannot enter, you can walk (at low tide) or wade (during high tide) circling small “island”. It is surrounded by barbed wire fence on the land. There is even a marker for 1983 when it the facilities were made. You can see some various structures and such too. There even seem to be some sort of dock for a boat, but the water must be too shallow for this to be used. It is a bit strange overall. Perhaps the strangest is that there is a sign on the main road for this hideout island even though you cannot enter and it is privately owned. It is close to Hyakuna Beach 百名ビーチ though, so you could just walk over from here and enjoy some beach time.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/7jETrXP6Gaw

Culture, Folklore

Hyakuna Beach and Nanjo Cultural Properties

Nanjo 南城 meaning “southern castle” is unsurprisingly located in the southern area of the island. In Nanjo, there are many cultural and historical properties, most famously, perhaps, the Seifa Utaki 斎場御嶽 (also spelled Sefa Utaki).

**utaki 御嶽 is a Ryukyuan term for “sacred place,” oftentimes a water spring, mountain, woods, cave, etc.

The area I went to today qualifies as another “power spot” and it is quite close to Seifa Utaki. It is another spot related to the goddess Amamikiyo.

ヤハラヅカサ Yaharazukasa is the name of the monument submerged at full tide, and is totally revealed at low tide. It is located within the Hyakuna beach 百名ビーチarea.

The meaning is broken down into ヤハラ yahara, which can be soft, healed, gentle (柔らかい yawarakai, 癒されるiyasareru, 優しい yasashii in Japanese). The second part ヅカサ zukasa means mound, 塚 zuka in Japanese. So the meaning is something like a mound to receive gentle healing.

Amamikiyo touched down at yaharazukasa through Hamagaa utaki 浜川御嶽 (utaki means sacred spot) after Kudaka-jima; 浜川 Hamagaa would be normally be pronounced Hamagawa in Japanese (beach + river). Hamagaa utaki is a small “shrine” area with a spring (gaa 川, river/spring in Okinawan language) running through the Ryukyuan limestone cliffs. It was happily burbling as I explored the area. This utaki area was also supposedly a location where the goddess would rest and heal. She came from the sea kingdom Nirai-kanai, the home of the gods and created the Ryukyu Islands.

The Hyakuna beach is free; same with parking if you go all the way down to the end of the drive. If not, you can also pay for parking in a lot about halfway to monument area, more by the beach sports access area.

I did not check the tides since I was just wandering about so, alas, I ended up here at nearly high tide. Sometime I shall go down just for low tide to see the monument in its fullest.

Later we went to the parking and cafe area for Seifa Utaki to enjoy some cool treats at the 2nd floor cafe. I had a mango float and my husband had shikwasa (Okinawan lime citrus) kakigouri (shave ice). The view was quite beautiful and we chose to sit outside and enjoy.

address for Hyakuna Beach: https://goo.gl/maps/TJeUAGAzutK2
*When you park at the end of the road, you can see a sign pointing into the wooded area. That is where Hamagaa utaki is. From the utaki, there is a rock step path down to the beach directly in front of the yaharazakasa monument. There are some well-worn signage with both English and Japanese information.

Seifa Kitchen cafe せーふぁキッチン: https://goo.gl/maps/MhHZRJhzjMv

Culture

Apo-gama: アポガマ, a.k.a. “Mermaid’s Grotto”

First off, the name of this place is Apogama, not Mermaid’s Grotto… some cute nickname given to it by presumably an American who does not know any Japanese or Okinawan language. To be honest, I feel like probably very few foreigners know it by its’ Okinawan name “Apogama”; I only ever hear them call it “Mermaid’s Grotto” as if this is the official name… which it isn’t. Funny enough, the name Apogama actually comes from the the English word “appointment,” shortened to “apo” アポ, and the Okinawan word “gama” ガマ meaning “cave.”

アポイント appointo: appointment => apo アポ

ガマ (洞穴) gama: cave

This was known to be a secret spot for lovers to meet, hence the name “appointment.” I guess I find it kind of funny that a location already using an English name (well, Japanglish, really if I am being honest) was given some different name in English. While the name “Mermaid’s Grotto” sounds cute and whatnot, it is some made up name by Americans in recent years and not an official name. I am not sure many Japanese/Okinawan people would even know that this place was nicknamed Mermaid’s Grotto by foreigners… and just as I said before, probably most foreigners would not recognize it by its Okinawan name. I am sure there is some crossover of folks who know it by both names (and probably feel a tad confused by it, wondering if it is 2 separate places or in fact the same place like I did initially), but there seem to be a lot who don’t know the other side of it.

Anyway, located in Onna (North), this is another beautiful spot to check out in Okinawa, as well as a very popular for diving. It is even designated as a special cultural property or sightseeing or something like this of the town of Onna! However there is some serious undertow here, and there is even a sign in English cautioning against this, so swimming is NOT recommended. It is a nice place to explore the tide pools (with water shoes, felt boots for diving/snorkeling). Just use caution.

(pictures coming soon).

address: https://goo.gl/maps/7n3bjMXECi22

Experiences

EM Wellness Resort: Costa Vista and Spa Corazon

Since onsen in Okinawa is a popular topic, I have decided to make some individual posts for each onsen. Check this post for some general information on Okinawa onsen: Okinawa Onsen (Hot Springs): 温泉

In Okinawa city, there is a wellness resort with an onsen: the Costa Vista resort and Spa Corazon. I have visited her a few times before, but this time I went for special spa treatments for my birthday. My husband made reservations in advance for me; this is important since they fill up fast, especially on weekends and holidays. If you are only going for the onsen, then you do not need reservations.

As for the onsen, no tattoo are allowed. However, recently, they have a sign stating that if you cover your tattoo with a skin “patch” (or called seal, sticker, tape), then you may now enter the onsen. They sell these patches at the reception desk for 200yen, but if you go over to DonQ you can find them for a better value. This is perfect if you only have some small tattoo and would like to try an onsen in Okinawa.

I was signed up for the anti-aging package (yeah, I am not that old, really, but gotta take care of yourself). I showed up early to use the onsen prior to my spa pampering. When I arrived, I stowed my shoes in the little locker, handed the clerk at the counter the key, and let them know I had a spa reservation for later. They handed me towels (1 big, 1 small), spa clothes (pajamas, really, called samue 作務衣), and a locker key for inside the onsen. They also had some free amenities at the counter if you needed any.

There are different areas to this wellness resort– reflexology area, spa treatment area, relaxation area, bedrock bath, a.k.a. ganbanyoku 岩盤浴 (separate entrance ticket required!), and the onsen itself. I went inside the ladies’ onsen area and followed the standard procedure described in my previous post. I enjoyed the onsen for a bit, dipping in both hot and cold pools, as well as the jetted tubs. This onsen does not have an outdoor bath, but it does have a mist sauna and a dry sauna, as well as some sort of “silky” bath. There are views out to the ocean and towards the Aeon Rycom Mall. Once it was time, I got out and changed into my spa clothes.

There are 2 treatment areas; one is inside the onsen (a little less fancy) and one is in a separate area (much more fancy). I was booked for the fancy package. When I went to the desk, I was immediately given tea and told to choose from a basket of oils (I went with lemongrass). From here I was shuffled into a private room and given 紙パンツ kami-pantsu (paper “shorts”) to change into. I had an EM salt scrub, then a fancy smelling private bath, a full body massage, and a facial. It was all very relaxing, and my skin felt fantastic. Plus all the stress melted away and I felt completely refreshed.

The big draw to the onsen resort is the EM products. I guess it is kinda like organic. Anyway, when my spa treatments were over, I was given more tea and some snacks, as well as a little bag with some of the products used (lemongrass oil, bath salts, face pack, and some face cream).

Another bonus to this onsen resort is the EM healthy lunch viking (buffet). It is fantastic and reasonably priced. I highly recommend trying it out, the food is quite delicious. There are also some EM products shops scattered within the wellness resort, in case you want to pick up some beauty products or produce, eggs, or other EM goods. Overall, this is a great place for trying an onsen, spa treatments, and a healthy lunch.

entrance fees to onsen: 13 years and older: 1,500円, 4-12 years: 1,000円, 3 and under free.

the bedrock bath is an additional fee of 500円.

(as photos are prohibited inside the onsen and treatment areas, this is all have to show)

address: https://goo.gl/maps/W49DuFRNzck

webpage with more info on packages and reservations: http://www.costavista.jp/

Restaurants

Nikka Pokka, Avocado House (Cafe)

Nikka Pokka is a cafe in Urasoe also known as “Avocado House.” This is because it features many dishes with avocado– yum!

It is kinda of a weird place to be honest. At night, it is actually some sort of club. I don’t really know, but it is really clean and doesn’t have a weird club vibe or anything. It is really set up just like a typical Japanese ladies’ cafe. I use the word “ladies’ cafe” for small, cute, clean places where the majority of the clientele are adult ladies (20’s to 50’s usually).

Anyway, there are a few parking spaces outside so it is not to difficult to get in and out of. The menu is only in Japanese, so come prepared.

The lunch sets come with soup, salad, puchi dessert (small size dessert), and drink bar (which only has tea and coffee, fine for me but other people may find this weird). Many lunch entrees include avocado in some way, but there are some pastas and such without avocado. I usually get what is called the “avocado plate,” which comes with an avocado cream pasta and 2 half sandwiches (one is avocado cream cheese and the other is potato salad). It is pretty good. It may not be super fancy, but it is only 1000yen and fills you up. I always enjoy it here, so if you are living in Okinawa and like avocados, you should really try it out sometime.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/UUyGoe8jaJL2

Travel: Outer Islands

Things to know when planning a vacation to Okinawa

Some of the FAQs about visiting Okinawa. This is not a complete guide, but hopefully can give you an idea of how to plan your visit. I try to hit the main points to consider when visiting.

Best and worst times to visit:

**Beaches are closed from around November to April/May. Usually it is too cold to swim during this time anyway.

February is cold, windy, and generally miserable– likely one of the worst times to visit. January and March are also chilly and not suitable for the beach, if you are looking for a beach vacation (which, I think most people coming to Okinawa are expecting).

April through early May is generally pleasant, not too hot but not too cold (usually). The water temperature however is cold as it has not warmed up yet. Some people may not mind the chilly water, but I would advise having some sort of rash guards for swimming/snorkeling during this time.

Late May-mid-June is typically the rainy season (some variation year to year). There can be a lot of rain during this time and you may not get lucky enough to have much outdoor time. So be advised, while the weather is occasionally clear, there are bouts of heavy rainfall which will keep you indoors during this time.

Late June (right after rainy season ends) and July can be hot, but usually bearable. However typhoon season begins in June and ends in October time frame. Again, it changes year to year; some years there are nearly no typhoons, other years there are several. It is a bit of a gamble, but often late June and July do not see typhoons, so you are usually safe to choose this time.

August is very hot and humid. But lots of great festivals during this time, so keep all this in mind. The kids are off of school, too, for summer vacation, so prices will skyrocket and some places may sell out during this time. If you want to go to an outer island via ferry you MUST get reservations during August, even during week days.

September is still hot and humid, plus it is still typhoon season. Kids are usually back in school though, so the tourist scene calms down a bit. October can be pleasant but sometimes moving into cooler weather (especially in the evening). This being said, the water temperature is usually still decent at this time of year since it has not cooled off all the way yet; you probably don’t need rash guards, though you may want to wear them anyway if going to a beach without nets, or snorkeling somewhere near coral or possibly jellyfish, etc. But once you get out of the water, the air temperature in October can be pretty chilly, so you will want to get out of those wet clothes quickly. It’s not really the best beach weather, but can be tolerable, depending on your tolerance to cold.

November and December can be hit or miss; sometimes pleasant and other times cold. Typically a little too chilly to swim comfortable, plus most if not all (manned) beaches are closed during this time. You can find some quiet unmanned beaches and swim if the weather just happens to cooperate. The water temps are usually still warm enough from the summer (takes awhile to cool down), but the air temp can be chilly.

Check out this page for links to special events and holidays in Okinawa: Calendar

Where to stay:

This is a difficult question to answer… there are many places depending on what you want to do. The southern near Naha is prime location for several tourist activities, but there are only a few beaches compared with other areas. Naha is also a concrete jungle, and not the romantic island image you see on the tourist postcards of Okinawa; to be honest I don’t particularly recommend staying here. If you stay in the south, perhaps try closer to the Itoman area. The central area near American Village has shopping and a few beaches, but again it is not the perfect postcard picture. It is however convenient to many areas around the island, so it makes it an okay place to stay. In the North near the Onna resorts it is a little prettier, a bit more scenery, more beaches, and a little less city. There are still plenty of tourist opportunities up here (the aquarium, some parks, etc), so this area is one of the nicer places to stay during your vacation. Just keep in mind it is a decent drive down to the southern part of the island where there are a lot of tourist activities. There are some other small locations not close to anything, nor particularly fancy… it depends on what sort of vacation you are looking for, really.

If you really want the Okinawa that the pictures promise you I recommend going to an outer island: any of the Keramas, Miyako-jima, or Ishigaki-jima. These places are very beautiful and have the best beaches + snorkeling/diving.

The types of accommodations vary like anywhere else: hostels, guesthouses, hotels, resorts, and even a few “ryokan” type establishments. AirBnb is also an option to check out, though I don’t feel like it is very popular here so your choices may be limited. It just depends on the type of experience you are looking for (and your budget!).

How to get around:

I highly recommend renting a car or scooter. The monorail only takes you from the Naha airport to Shuri. The public bus runs all over island, but is not always on time, or convenient, and is actually pretty expensive. Taxis, while convenient, are very expensive. If you really don’t want to rent a car, then look into joining some bus tours to hit up the main attractions you would like to see.

I have a guide on getting to the outer islands here: Okinawa: Outer Islands & How to reach them. Most of them are walkable, but some you may want to rent a bicycle, scooter, or car. If you stay overnight, many accommodations will pick you up at the ferry port.

For now I will end here, and perhaps add more later. Questions about food/drink you can look through the blog for some recommendations and types of foods you may see here. Same with on “what to see”; I list a few things here on my blog, but there are many that I haven’t written posts for. Have questions? Leave a comment or send me a message from the contact page.

Culture, Experiences

Songs Day: うたの日

うたの日 uta-no-hi: Songs Day

Every year in Okinawa in late June is Uta no hi “Songs Day” concert, featuring the famous local band BEGIN, as well as other popular local bands. And every year, my halau (hula group) performs with them!

Tickets are purchased online or at convenience stores. It is easy enough I think. But I am lucky, I do not need to buy tickets since I perform with the halau.

I cannot comment as to the full experience, since for a major portion of the day I am getting ready, prepping, etc. But it is a really nice event, and I got to enjoy it once the sun was setting and our part of the performance was over. Everyone around me was having such a good time, it was easy to get into the party spirit of things. People were dancing, drinking, and just really enjoying the evening. There were some new songs, some old songs, a little of everything; though most were Japanese or Okinawan songs, so I only recognized some of them. I really like the band BEGIN and I feel that most of their songs embody the Okinawan spirit (kinda like aloha spirit). Overall, it was a really great experience, and as always I felt a little more bonded to the Okinawan people afterwards.

I also bought a souvenir tenugui (towel)– it is so cute, though I am sure I didn’t need another one. There is no photography in the event (you can have your phones but you are not supposed to take pictures of the performances since they air them on TV at a later date). It didn’t seem very strictly enforced, probably only if you were close up to the main stage.

Japanese sweets, Shops

Mother Leaf Shave Ice

かき氷 kakigouri: shave ice. Or snow cone, for those of you from other places.

Anyway, rainy season has ended and summer time is upon us in Okinawa. Today was pretty darn hot, so I decided to make a short trip to the central portion of the island north of where I live. My main goal was to try a different shave ice shop: Mother Leaf.

Mother Leaf is pretty popular, so this is not necessarily a “hidden gem” (it even has English on the menu). But it is tasty and so refreshing on days like today. Apparently several other people had the same idea as me. Even though I say it was busy, there was a decent amount of parking and the line goes pretty quick; also the inside had plenty of seating. I had no issues on a hot Sunday afternoon, so I can recommend stopping by even at the busiest of time since this shop can clearly handle it.

I ordered the shirokuma-mango 白くまマンゴー at a whopping 650 yen; everything else was actually much cheaper and reasonably priced, but I really wanted the mango. It is a mango and condensed milk kakigouri. Anyway, it was really huge and quite good, but next time I would stick with a cheaper item.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/oEP4fsPS4gD2

Experiences

Kurashiki Dam: 倉敷ダム

It was very hot and humid today in Okinawa; summer has begun. The sounds of cicadas are everywhere. I feel like eating shave ice and watermelon.

Kurashiki dam in Uruma has a park next to it– it is perfect for cooling off in summer time. I went to the dam today, and it was busy with families and kids. Luckily there is a lot of parking. Some kids were cooling off in the water, while others were gathering bugs, tadpoles, or other small creatures. Many adults set up camping tents to hideout in while the kids played. Just looking at the dam made you feel like summer was here. It seemed so nostalgic, seeing all these kids play in the water and catching wildlife, not on phones or other electronic devices.

I also cooled off my feet wading in the water, it was so refreshing. I definitely recommend visiting here on a hot summer day.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/yKYtoGk1ieH2

Local Foods

Kame no ko senbei: 亀の甲せんべい

亀の甲せんべい kame no ko senbei: tortoise shell senbei (rice cracker)

Sometimes it is abbreviated to かめせん kamesen.

Kamenoko senbei is shaped like tortoise shell. It is an old-fashioned Okinawa snack, but still popular. It is salty and fried crackers. It is cheap to buy in stores.

There are a few different brands of kamenoko senbei, one is Tamaki snack company. Recently I tried the ume (plum) flavor– it was so good and addictive. It is called 梅小亀 ume kogame (plum small tortoise).

I heard that some people used to eat it with chocolate sauce as a treat for children.

It is easy to find this type of senbei in all the grocery stores.

Japanese foods

Otsumami: おつまみ

Otsumami おつまみ: snacks, usually to go with drinking alcohol or soft drinks.

You will see these types of snacks many places, usually by the alcohol section of the grocery or convenience store.

It comes from the word tsumamu つまむ, which means “to pinch” but can also mean “to pick up with fingers or chopsticks.”

It really is not anything specific, just sort anything easy to eat while drinking (beer, alcohol, or even just soft drinks) can be considered otsumami. You could include any kinds of appetizers, finger foods, light snacks, and tapas as “otsumami.” I usually think of things like arare or senbei, but many other things like cheeses, dried squid, edamame, tsukemono, and all manner of appetizers are described by the word “otsumami.”

Often on the airplane, I am given a small bag labelled otsumami, usually some sort of arare, dried peas, or kaki-no-tane. So I don’t always associate otsumami with drinking alcohol necessarily, rather I think of it as a salty snack food.

In Okinawa, a popular otsumami is mimigaa ミミガー (dried and shredded pig ears); to be honest it does not look creepily like pig ears, so if you don’t read Japanese or are unfamiliar with Okinawan words, you probably would not realize exactly what you are eating. I like an otsumami made by Orion labelled “beer nuts”: ビアナッツ. They even sell it as a small omiyage. When you are in Okinawa, you should try some of these Okinawan otsumami.