Local specialties of Okinawa

I was planning to go to Okinawa in April but I canceled due to coronavirus. I never thought that the day people cannot travel freely would come. Until now, I went to where I wanted to go and had a good time for granted. I was shocked to know that it was incredible happiness. 

That said, there is no use feeling down. So I ordered local specialties of Okinawa

online so that at least I could feel of being in Okinawa at home. And I received 

them the other day.  

  

*The items that I bought. (These are ones that I always buy in Okinawa)

Rum "Cor Cor" from Minami-Daito Island.

Peanut tofu

Pickled Okinawan shallots

Ishigaki beef miso paste

Instant Okinawan pot noodles

Potato snack of island hot pepper

Banana cake from Miyako Island

Cough drops of shikwasa (Okinawan citrus)

Okinawan deep-fried sweet

Salted rice crackers

Face packs of hibiscus and shikwasa 

I bought them through Washita Shop Online (Okinawa Prefecture Products Public 

Corporation). Washita means 'we' in Okinawan language. In casual conversation,

wattaa is sometimes used. (H.S) 

              Nirai Beach of Yomitan Village in the central of Okinawa's main island. 

              I took this photo when I visited there several years ago. Okinawan sea is                  amazing. I hope I will be able to go to Okinawa again as soon as  possible.   

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“Churaumi”（beautiful ocean）voyage with a drone around Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa

This is a TV program that broadcasted by NHK last summer (2018). I recorded and watch it repeatedly. The program showed 10-day sea kayak voyage of 230 kilometers by Satoru Yahata, a marine adventurer, from Ishigaki Island, via Kohama Island and Iriomote Island to Yonaguni Island, with a drone. The sparkling ocean is breathtaking.

Yahata was born in Tokyo, but moved to Ishigaki Island 15 years ago. Now he lives with his family in the island. His way of talking on the TV program was gentle, which was different

from the image that crossed the sea by a kayak from Australia to Japan, and it gave a clue to his mild personality.

The ocean around the Yaeyama Islands is very clear. Yahata said that sometimes he could

see all the way to the bottom of the sea at a depth of 30-40 meters. The scene where Yahata experienced a traditional fish-catching method in Kohama Island was impressive as well. The fisherman appeared in the program had a muscular build naturally created by years of fishing. Yahata was impressed with the fisherman’s skill that stabbing only fish head with a fishing spear at once. Because fish body must not be damaged to sell them.

In Iriomote Island, Yahata climbed to Mayagusuku Fall, which he said it’s the most beautiful

fall in the Iriomote Island. Mayagusuku means wildcats’ castle in Okinawan language. He passed through a jungle for about few hours and he sometimes had to burn a leech that stuck to his leg. To get to the fall, a hidden scenic spot, you need to apply for entering the route, and it is not easily accessible without a guide. The image from above taken by drones was really amazing.

The final destination, Yonaguni Island, which was once said to be difficult to get there because the open sea is rough. Yahata left the Iriomote Island at 4:30 in the early morning and finally managed to arrive at the Yonaguni Island at 19:50 by sunset. So he kept rowing for 15 hours.  When he was hungry, he ate a rice ball. It was a hard crossing that when he was about to get heatstroke, he soaked in the seawater to cool down his body and started to row again.

The program was repeated recently. If it will be repeated again, please watch it. You will surely feel comforted with the refreshing images. (H.S)

         
                       Yahata stands on the big coral in the sea of Shiraho, Ishigaki Island.

        The coral seems to be about 300 years old. Its upper part is dry and hard, so it’s okay to stand on. (Generally, you must not step or touch corals.)

                            

                                                  

                                                  The sea of Yaeyema from a drone.

                                                        Yahata’s kayak looks small.

                                         

                                                                
                                                                  Yahata is kayaking.

[Video] Kayaking in Iriomote Island (5’50”)

In the beginning, Yahata is giving a tutorial on paddling.       

Strolling in Shiraho Village in Ishigaki Island

As I wrote in our blog last week, the Shiraho District, where the little cake shop "PAPIRU" is located, is a quiet traditional village community close to the sea. On this occasion, I took a little stroll around the village. In fact, Shiraho has a long history. In the Shiraho village, over 1,500 people were killed in the 1771 massive tsunami and only a dozen of people survived. But then, they received many immigrants from Hateruma Island and Okinawa's main island. Today, there are over 500 houses and about 1,600 people in the village. Traditional events including a festival to pray for bumper crops are popular there, a big sacred place appeared while walking.

Also, speaking of Shiraho, coral reefs are famous. There is a bountiful lagoon several hundred meter off shore, which there are the largest blue coral community in the Northern hemisphere and more than 120 kinds of coral reefs and colorful fish. (H.S)

　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　Blooming bougainvillea in the village 

　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　Shiraho beach is made of corals. 

　　　　　　　　　　　　　Boatslip by placing rocks simply 

　　　　　

　　　　　　　The roads in the village is so quiet. The stone walls made of corals

　　　　　　          and the common garcinia tree are characteristic. 

                                    

Bus stop in front of Shiraho Elementary School.

There is a small and cute shiisa on the red tile. 

Had a dinner at an izakaya "Yaeyama-mura" in front of Ishigaki City Hall. 

                                

                                    Menus that the izakaya recommends

         I ate the most popular one, "Gurukun rice ball", which was really good.

         Gurukun is fish called double-lined fusilier. Whole fried gurukun is one of popular dishes in Okinawa.           

 [Video] Go out to the sea of Shiraho, Ishigaki Island, with Sakana-kun (1'49")

A little cake shop in Ishigaki Island "PAPIRU"

Last weekend, I visited Ishigaki Island. It was a short stay for attending an open-air concert and I hardly did sightseeing. But I absolutely wanted to go to a cake shop called "PAPIRU" in Shiraho District, so I went there. Although I arrived before the shop opened, the owner's wife welcomed me with a smile. I could enjoy a delicious cake and herb tea. When going to Ishigaki Island, I would love to visit the shop again. (H.S)                 

                                               

                                     The appearance of the shop

                                       

                                             I had a Mont Blanc.  

                                 

                    There is an eat-in Japanese room with a surfboard on the ceiling. 

                             

         

                                       Their recent various cakes 

                         (Photo is from their Facebook page @okasinoie.papiru)

                    

The owner couple moved to Ishigaki Island from Osaka.

(Photo is from PAPIRU's website) 

One of the best sightseeing places in Okinawa | Okinawa World

The Okinawa World (the size of three Tokyo Domes) in Nanjo City is representative tourist spot in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa. Gyokusendo Cave opened in 1972, and the area on the ground was reconstructed and opened in 1996. 　

The Gyokusendo Cave is one of the largest caves in Japan, which has more than one million stalactites and a total length of 5000 meters. Only 890 meters of them are currently open to the public. However, when I walked in the cave, it was quite a long and worth seeing. The Gyokusendo Cave has created by nature over three hundred thousand years since ages ago before Homo sapiens was born in Africa. 

In the Okinawa World, there are studios of Okinawan glass, pottery and traditional dyeing etc. and you can make them. Also, craft beer and highball with habu's extract by Nanto Brewery there was intriguing. And, Eisa dance performed four times a day is must see. It is exciting and fun, so I highly recommend it. I think that the admission 1,240 yen is a good deal because you can enjoy seeing both the Gyokusendo Cave and the Eisa dance. (H.S)　

There were hibiscuses near the entrance of the Okinawa World. Tropical flowers lift up my spirits. 

　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　　　　Going deep into the Gyokusendo Cave

　　　　　　　　　　　　

　　　　　　　　Illuminated ”Blue Grotto" in the Gyokusendo Cave

　

　　　　　　

　　　BiBi Beach Itoman is near the center of Itoman City. There were no people in the sea, but actually behind me, a beach party was in full swing under a roofed space. 

                      

There was a milky tea-colored cat in a shop on Ukishima Street near Kokusai-dori Street. In fact, it is a homeless cat.

                               A shot of when it started with a fish toy 

When I visit Okinawa, I always eat sea grapes (seaweed) and jimami (peanuts) tofu. The Okinawan glass dishes look cool. 

A train of "Yui Rail" (Okinawa City Monorail) is entering Omoromachi Station. There are the nation's southernmost and westernmost stations on the Yui Rail Line. 

　 　　　

Here is a video of a song called "Shimauta", which was performed at an izakaya "Hatomajima" on the Kokusai-dori Street. 

Shurijo Castle | A World Heritage site in Okinawa Prefecture

Last weekend, I went to the main island of Okinawa and stayed in Naha City. Speaking of tourist spots in Naha, the Shurijo Castle is a must.

This was my third visiting the castle but still it is my favorite place. When I come to the castle, I always feel, "I came to Okinawa!" It is said that the Shurijo Castle is the strongest spiritual spot and a sanctuary in Okinawan feng shui. No wonder I feel full of energy when I visit there. 

Although the castle was destroyed by fire in 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa, it was restored as a government-managed park in 1992 in commemoration of the 20^th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan. And, the existing castle ruin was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. 

By the way, the key differences between the Shurijo Castle and ones in mainland Japan are that it has no castle tower and its stone wall is curved. In other words, the Shurijo Castle was one to entertain diplomatic missions from China rather than a fortress. (H.S) 

     

         Photo taken from the window of the plane before landing at Naha Airport

                    

                                                      Shureimon gate　

                               
                             Seiden, a symbol of the Shurijo Castle

          It is said that the building was modeled on the Forbidden City in China.

           

                   The King's Throne, the most popular photo spot inside the castle 

                                  

              

               The whole castle from the back viewed from the observation area  

               

                             

                                

         The town of Shuri viewed from another direction of the observation area

            

                                 

           The T-shirt shop on the Kokusai-dori Street is just like Okinawa.

    

Okinawan folk song live show in a bar "Utahime" on the Kokusai-dori Street.

This is an Okinawan folk song called "Tanchame" at my request.