Naha has been a pleasant surprise for us. When researching Okinawa, we often heard that to appreciate Okinawa, you need to get out of Naha. We understand that….small towns, the beaches, mountains and rural areas give you the best glimpse into how Okinawans live. However, Naha has something different to offer. Compared to other major cities in Japan, Naha is relatively small, with a population of over 300,000. Yet, it is the capital of Okinawa and the biggest city in the prefecture. Like the rest of Okinawa, Naha’s appeal is distinct from other places we have toured in Japan. Notably, Naha was the former capital of the Ryuku Kingdom, dating from 1429 to 1879. However since Naha was almost completely destroyed in the Battle of a Okinawa, only a few of the city’s buildings predate WW2. The feeling is that many Okinawans and their communities have still not fully recovered from the devastation of 1945. We see Okinawa proudly using their historical Ryukuan identity to describe their present culture, their art and crafts, food and traditional clothing.
We decided to have a big day of walking and set out to explore the tourist and shopping area area of Kokusaidori (translates International Road) and the narrow, back street alleys of Makishi Market. With my walking sticks ready to go, we set out.
Kokusaidori stretches for 2 km through downtown Naha. The street takes its name from the former “Ernie Pyle International Theatre”, a movie theatre that was built on this road after the War. Ernie Pyle was a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and war correspondent who was killed by enemy fire during the Battle of Okinawa. Since Okinawa was occupied and ruled by America from 1945 until 1972, the Theatre dedicated to an American figure makes sense. Despite becoming a part of Japan, once again, in 1972, American forces have never left Okinawa. 20% of the land in Okinawa is occupied by American Military Bases. It is off limits and occupies valuable and tactical waterfront property. Despite massive protests by Okinawans to have American Military bases removed, it seems that they are here to stay.
Naha City Hall is a modern structure with exterior plants incorporated into the design. As expected, a pair of guardian Shisas stand at the entrance.
Standing with another Shisa, Mary Ellen’s knees are giving her grief. She has had issues with her knees for sometime and walking a distance has become an issue on this trip. Riding is ok though! These walking sticks from the Japanese Outdoor Store Montbell have really helped.
This shop is called Okashi Goden Kokusai store. It specializes in the original Beni-imo Tarts filled with a sweet potato (purple) mixture. There is a factory inside the store providing fresh treats.
The interior of the Okashi Kokusai store is quite lovely with art throughout. The workers are outfitted in the trademark purple colour of the sweet potato. Japanese sweets and baking are a big business and they are always packaged beautifully.
Something we enjoy about Japan is our shared love of cats. Cats are beloved here, both as pampered pets in the home and wild cats….well cared for by the community. This watchful guy is a common sight.
Mega Don Quixote stores are typically a crazy, frenetic place with music blaring and announcements over the PA. We went to one once and that was enough for us, but they are very popular. Anything you may need or want, they will have it…somewhere in this multi floor store.
Shops like this typically have a very colourful and busy display of their products, spilling onto the street. It often confuses us what kind of store it is. Sometimes a pharmacy would look like this until you got inside.
We have taken a turn and have left the main street of Kodusaidori to find the Market. We enjoy finding these covered shopping areas as usually the shops are small and privately operated. Always interesting.
We find this unique instrument of Okinawa fascinating…the Sanshin. It features 3 strings, traditionally covered in snakeskin and is said to be challenging to master. It was great to find a shop where these instruments are made.
We have found this character filled area of the market with food stalls and places to eat. Narrow nooks and crannies filled with interesting small businesses.
We liked the feeling and aromas of this small bar. We sat at a small table in front…very busy. You have to pinch yourself as it feels like time has been suspended, yet just a number of blocks away are the busy wider streets of Naha. The cafe is tucked away in a narrow alley surrounded by other tiny bars and cafes.
We also had sweet potato fries, steamed chicken in a ponzu sauce with grated daikon and grilled chicken. Exquisite flavours. It helped to be eating in such a character filled, out of the way place surrounded by curious locals.
We have been planning to buy a small pair of Shisa to take home, but when we saw these locally made, pottery cat versions of Shisas, we knew that these sweet guys needed to come home with us. We bought them at the craft store shown in the photo above.
When we remember Okinawa, we will always associate the Shisa with those memories. The presence of the two Shisa is on every building, every home, high towers, etc.
We have had a fabulous day. We walked miles and discovered so many hidden gems in the back alleys of the market. At times the alleys went in all directions or a narrow opening would lead to another area of the market. It was fun to explore. The main drag, Kodusaidori is mostly tourist shops, some are quite good, but our day really came alive when we left the Main Street and the farther away we got, the more interesting it became. Relatively few tourists find their way into this area. For us, this was an exciting glimpse into the life of a local Naha resident. We had a day of meeting locals, eating great food, seeing interesting tiny shops and finding a few treasures to take home.
