At the end of June we took a four day trip to Okinawa, Japan. Okinawa Prefecture consists of 160 islands, of which only 50 are inhabited. This chain of islands is known as the Ryukyu Islands. Okinawa is the only prefecture in Japan where the entire area falls under a subtropical oceanic climate. While the northern parts of Japan, like Hokkaido experience sub-zero temperature and snow in winter (a great place to go skiing), Okinawa enjoys warm to hot weather year-round. Upon our arrival we were greeted with hot and humid weather, just like in Singapore!
We flew from Singapore via Fukuoka to Naha City on the Okinawa main island. Naha City is the capital of the Okinawa Prefecture and the gateway to Okinawa. It has a population of around 1.3 million and it turned out to be very different from the other cities in Japan that we have visited.
The surprising thing is that Okinawa gets very few foreign tourists as opposed to mainland Japanese tourists. Based on statistics from 2010, Okinawa had 230,000 foreigners visit as opposed to 5.4 million Japanese. So on the one hand, we were not expecting to see that many other foreign tourists, but we were expecting to see a lot of Americans. The U.S. does after all have a large military presence on the Okinawa main island. The reason for this is that after World War II (with Japan's surrender), the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy were decommissioned and the U.S. Armed Forces assumed administrative authority in Japan and took over its military bases.
After the Korean War began in 1950, Japan was ordered by the Allied forces to form a paramilitary "National Police Reserve", which later became the Japan Self- Defense Forces. In 1951 under the Japan-America Security Alliance and then in 1960 under a new treaty called "The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan", the United States Forces Japan or USFJ (covering all the divisions of the United States Armed Forces that are stationed in Japan) was obligated to defend Japan in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defence Forces on a host of different defense fronts. In return for this, Japan offered military bases and funds, amongst other things. This treaty is still in effect today. Despite the fact that we were expecting to see a lot of Americans, this was not the case in Naha City, but more so when we visited the northern peninsula of Motobu.
The surprising thing is that Okinawa gets very few foreign tourists as opposed to mainland Japanese tourists. Based on statistics from 2010, Okinawa had 230,000 foreigners visit as opposed to 5.4 million Japanese. So on the one hand, we were not expecting to see that many other foreign tourists, but we were expecting to see a lot of Americans. The U.S. does after all have a large military presence on the Okinawa main island. The reason for this is that after World War II (with Japan's surrender), the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy were decommissioned and the U.S. Armed Forces assumed administrative authority in Japan and took over its military bases.
After the Korean War began in 1950, Japan was ordered by the Allied forces to form a paramilitary "National Police Reserve", which later became the Japan Self- Defense Forces. In 1951 under the Japan-America Security Alliance and then in 1960 under a new treaty called "The Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan", the United States Forces Japan or USFJ (covering all the divisions of the United States Armed Forces that are stationed in Japan) was obligated to defend Japan in close cooperation with the Japan Self-Defence Forces on a host of different defense fronts. In return for this, Japan offered military bases and funds, amongst other things. This treaty is still in effect today. Despite the fact that we were expecting to see a lot of Americans, this was not the case in Naha City, but more so when we visited the northern peninsula of Motobu.
Okinawa has a unique culture, history and philosophy of life, which makes it interesting to even the mainland Japanese. The people of Okinawa have faced numerous hardships in the past, however they have always kept the Okinawan spirit of "Life is a Treasure" (perhaps this is one of the reasons why they have some of the longest living people in the world). A good example of how Okinawans are different from their Japanese counterparts, is in what they display in their homes. Rather than a sword in their family alcove like the residents of mainland Japan, they display a sanshin (an Okinawan musical instrument). Many write songs and express their feeling through song and dance. Okinawa is thought of as the island of singing and dancing.
Even the language is said to be slightly different. It is said that the Okinawan dialects are very close to old Japanese used around the 7-8th century (ancient Manyo language). The sentence structure is the same as modern Japanese, but the words are quite different. It was interesting to note that some Japanese people from other parts of Japan have difficulty understanding the Okinawans.
For us, Okinawa had a really nice laid-back feel to it, especially when we went up north. The perfect place for a relaxing vacation! We really enjoyed our time in Okinawa and would love to go back to see and experience more.
Yui Rail
Okinawa has a great Monorail system that makes getting around Naha City a breeze. It is a relatively new Monorail that began service in 2003. We used the monorail to get from the airport to our hotel (which was conveniently situated near one of the stations) and also to and from the various attractions around the city.
Kokusai Street
This 1.6 km street is the main street in Naha City. It used to be called "The Miracle Mile", because of the rapid recovery after the post-war era. It is a street lined with souvenir shops, boutiques, department stores, restaurants and of course American fast food outlets like McDonalds. Even though it is the main road in Naha, it was surprisingly not as frenetic as we expected it to be (I guess nothing can come close to a main street in Tokyo or another major city in Japan in terms of busyness).
Makishi Public Market
This public market is just off Kokusai Street and offers an array of seafood, meat, pickles and other delectables. Part of the charm of this market is that you can buy seafood from the vendors and then go to the cafeteria on the 2nd floor where they will cook your seafood and serve it to you.
Not only did we see some really unusual looking tropical fish at this market, but also the famous Okinawa pork (pork is the basis for many local dishes), pigs' feet and pig-face skin. In Okinawa there is a pig-face soup, which is made using the skin from the pig's head (it is apparently good for human skin). Needless to say, we were not keen to try this even though there may have been health benefits attached.
Shurijo Castle
Shurijo Castle is thought to have been constructed around the 14th century and it served as the centre of the Ryukyu Kingdom and its politics, foreign diplomacy and culture for over 500 years. Through trade with China, the Japanese mainland and Southeast Asia, various items were brought to the castle where the distinct culture of Ryukyu was formed through the arts such as dyes, textiles, ceramics, music and lacquer ware. The architectural influences, especially from China and Japan are especially apparent in the stonework and architectural design. The one thing we did notice was that dragons are visible throughout the castle and we were told the reason for this is that dragons symbolized the King. Many of these dragons are found in pairs of Agyou and Ungyou, one a closed-mouth dragon and the other an open-mouthed dragon. Shurijo Castle was reduced to ashes in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, but was restored in 1992. In 2000, it was designated as a World Heritage Site and is considered one of the symbols of Okinawa.
On the day we visited, the front of the castle was unfortunately under restoration, so part of it was covered with plastic and was not completely visible. However, we had access to the rest of the castle halls (now exhibition halls) and grounds, including a good look-out point that gave us great views of the city. Unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos in many of the exhibition halls, but they did allow us to take a few photos inside the Seiden hall. This hall housed the Usasuka, the section where the King conducted his political affairs and ceremonies.
Tsuboya Pottery Village
The pottery district of Tsuboya has a 300-year-old history and houses many pottery studios and galleries. Japanese pottery is beautiful and Tsuboya pottery or "yachimun" is heavy and rustic. Tsuboya pottery is especially known for its icon of engraved fish and prawns, that have been integrated with traditions and techniques of Ryukyu pottery.
It was in Tsuboya that we came across the shisa, a mythical creature that is inspired by the lion. The shisa came to Okinawa from China in the 15th century and is said to invite good fortune and to chase evil spirits away. There is a large shisa in one of the main streets in Tsuboya, that has been made in the traditional pottery style of Tsuboya-yaki and which watches over the streets of Naha, as protector of the people.
The pottery district of Tsuboya has a 300-year-old history and houses many pottery studios and galleries. Japanese pottery is beautiful and Tsuboya pottery or "yachimun" is heavy and rustic. Tsuboya pottery is especially known for its icon of engraved fish and prawns, that have been integrated with traditions and techniques of Ryukyu pottery.
It was in Tsuboya that we came across the shisa, a mythical creature that is inspired by the lion. The shisa came to Okinawa from China in the 15th century and is said to invite good fortune and to chase evil spirits away. There is a large shisa in one of the main streets in Tsuboya, that has been made in the traditional pottery style of Tsuboya-yaki and which watches over the streets of Naha, as protector of the people.
Daikon-no-Hana
During one of our evenings in Naha City, we decided to try this restaurant after reading about it before out trip. Daikon-no-Hana is a buffet-style restaurant serving local and organically grown vegetables and produce. It is a very popular restaurant with the locals and even though we had made a reservation through out hotel, we ended up waiting over 45 minutes for our table. While most of the dishes were Japanese, most of the ingredients were recognizable and there was a good selection. We tried a wide variety of dishes, all of which were very tasty.
Heiwa Street Arcade
Heiwa street and the market's Main street are called "Muchigwa" (public market place) by the locals and they are very popular. This market is said to have developed from a black market area after the war. Today, this "Muchigwa" spreads out like a maze, with many different shops selling an array of food and products.
Pineapples
With its subtropical climate, pineapples are grown in the northern part of the Okinawa main island, where the acid-rich red clay soil is ideal for growing these sweet pineapples. This region of Japan is known for its various pineapple confectioneries and wines (Lagrima del Sol).
Kokutou - Brown Sugar
The southern part of the main island is where Okinawa's sugar cane is produced. The brown sugar that comes from this region is not very refined or processed and is said to be rich in vitamins and minerals.
Goya - Bittermelon
This is said to be Okinawa's representative vegetable and it is eaten often. Goya products like Goya juice and tea are also available.
Karebushi
Karebushi is dried, fermented and smoked Oceanic Bonito fish. This Karebushi is shaved to produce Bonito flakes, which is a staple in the Japanese diet. It is primarily used to make Dashi, a Japanese stock.
Beniimo Tarts
Beniimo is the Okinawan purple sweet potato. These potatoes are commonly made into a paste and this paste is then used to fill tarts shells. These tarts are one of Okinawa's most popular souvenirs. We wanted to try these tarts, but we were not keen to eat the ones out of a box (loaded with preservatives). Fortunately we stumbled across a bakery that had freshly baked ones, or a version thereof (this one had a purple sweet potato skin instead of a pastry shell and was filled with another type of sweet potato filling that was not purple). It was delicious!
Saataa Andagii
Saataa Andagii are Okinawan deep-fried doughnuts that are shaped like tulips. We tried a couple and they were good, a little doughy but not oily at all.
Yukisio-salt Ice Cream
We made a stop at a shop called Masuya, a speciality shop selling over 650 different salt products, including salt from around the world and soap (unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos of the inside of this beautiful shop). In addition to buying some sea salt harvested from the ocean around Okinawa, David decided to try Yukisio ice-cream. This soft-serve ice cream is very popular and what makes it different is that it contains salt and then flavoured salt is sprinkled on the ice-cream before eating. They offered a variety of flavoured salts to sprinkle on the ice-cream that included purple sweet potato, green tea and hot pepper. The ice-cream was served with Chinsuko, an Okinawan cookie that is very popular. The ice-cream itself was very creamy and the salt was not overpowering at all. In fact the ice-cream had a lovely light sweet taste.
