I know that not many single women like to travel alone, but it gives me the freedom to do what I want. I had just completed a big project at work and got an unexpected bonus, so on the spur of the moment added a visit to Okinawa to my Japan vacation. It was easy enough to cancel a few days of my hotel reservation at the Tokyo Keio Plaza Hotel to accommodate the trip, and I found a very reasonable plane ticket on the new airline, Jetstar.
I had no problem catching the Narita Express for the hour trip from Shinjuku Station to Narita airport for the 6:15 am flight. I always like to get an early start. But on the two and a half hour flight, I had plenty of time to get a knot in my stomach, wondering what I would find. Though I have been to Japan several times and have never once had problems finding my way around, I always have a twinge of fear that I will eventually be stranded in a place where I don’t speak or read the language.
Naha Airport Shisa (photo: Hideyuki KAMON/flickr)
The plane ride was uneventful, and debarking in Naha airport, I felt like I had entered a tropical paradise. The airport was decorated with all sorts of gaudy flowers that I didn’t recognize, and tanks full of colorful fish. It was no difficulty finding the Okinawa Urban Monorail and getting a ticket to the Makishi Station.
Yui Rail in Okinawa
My hotel, the JAL City Hotel, is located on Kokusai-dori in Naha city, which I heard was a street filled with great shops and restaurants. Walking the few minutes from the station to the hotel, I saw a dozen places I wanted to after I got checked in. My room wasn’t ready, but they took care of all the paperwork and stowed my luggage for later. I changed into my swimsuit in the bathroom, put my clothes back on over it, tucked a towel into my tote bag, and headed out.
JAL City Hotel Lobby entrance
Okinawa is famous for its beaches, and I would not forgive myself if I did not go to at least one on my Okinawa tour. Because my time was short and I did not want to rent a car, I decided to go to the only one within Naha itself, Naminoue Beach. I walked down Kokusai-dori, noting all the interesting places that I wanted to visit in the afternoon. It was sunny and already getting quite warm.
Kokusai-dori in the day (photo: World Walk About/flickr)
Naminoue Beach itself was not hard to find. It was a wide swath of white sand with brilliant blue water lapping like a bathtub at the edge. There was a shrine on a bluff at one side, imposing and beautiful. Unfortunately there was a highway bridge running right through the water, turning the scene from a picture postcard of a beach to a natural relic being consumed by urban sprawl. Even so, it was a pleasure to take off my sandals and feel the hot sand under my feet. There were not many people, so I spread out my towel, shed my outer layers, and reveled the hot sunshine. What decadence to relax on a beach on a weekday morning! I wondered how everyone was doing back at work.
Naminoue Beach and Shrine
At last I began to feel uncomfortably hot, so dressed and walked down the beach for a closer look at the shrine. I found out it is called Naminoue Shrine, like the beach, which means “above the waves.” It was supposedly a sacred spot for the indigenous Ryukyu people who lived there before the Japanese came, and it became a Shinto temple after the Meiji Restoration.
Okinawa’s Spectacular Naminoue Shrine (photo: Marco Ma/flickr)
I was intrigued when I got up close, because I have seen a lot of Japanese shrines, and this was somehow different. I could not place the exact reason for my impression, but the whole effect seemed slightly foreign. I’m not an expert on architecture, but there was Okinawan influence. I was alone on the hill overlooking the rich blue ocean. I tried to imagine it without the highway, and could see why this was a place of power where people came to pray.
Spectacular Naminoue Shrine (photo: Dal Lu/flickr)
I was getting hungry, so walked back down the hill, cut through the beach one more time to enjoy the sand underfoot, and made my way back to Kokusai-dori in search of a restaurant for a late lunch. My problem this time was not finding a place, but choosing which one to stop at. There were so many interesting choices!
Liquor Shops at Kokusai Dori Street (International Street), Naha, Okinawa (photo: Chen Qu/flickr)
I never consider myself as a shopper, since I don’t follow the sales or have much interest in the local malls. However, I love to see new and unusual things, and Kokusai-dori certainly had plenty of those. There were large, famous-name stores and department stores that I walked right past. What really caught my eye were the shops of handmade Okinawan crafts.
Cute Shop at Kokusai Dori Street (International Street), Naha, Okinawa (photo: Chen Qu/flickr)
There were even street vendors with wares spread out on the sidewalks. Some was quite primative, but others were extremely high quality. There were dozens of stores with cheap import goods, and others with top-end artwork. When I planned my Okinawa tour trip, I assumed that I would only spend a short time browsing, but the street was so interesting that I filled the whole afternoon and did not see everything.
Restaurant on Kokusai Dori Street (International Street), Naha, Okinawa (photo: Chen Qu/flickr)
One of the most interesting parts was Heiwa-dori, a covered arcade branching off of Kokusai-dori. It was crammed with little stalls that had everything from T shirts to fresh fish. There were delicious-looking tropical fruits and ones that I didn’t even recognize. There were discount electronics and cheap toys from China. It seemed like anything you could possibly imagine was packed into that alley. Even though I didn’t buy much, the afternoon flew by as I browsed my way in the direction of the JAL City Hotel.
Heiwa-dori shopping mall in Naha, Okinawa (photo: Shuichi Aizawa/flickr)
I only returned to the hotel long enough to find my room and take a quick shower before heading out to dinner at Urashima Dinner Theater. The hotel concierge had made a reservation for me when I booked the hotel. In the USA I rarely use a concierge service but when travelling in a foreign country where English is not widely spoken using a concierge is a excellent idea. Some restaurants and shows may require a reservation and having a person arrange this for you can save hours of frustration and uncertainty!
Urashima Dinner Theater Dinner
I arrived at the Urashima Dinner Theater just after the doors opened at 6 pm, so had an excellent table for viewing the show. There were both course meals and a la carte, and I finally settled on one of the more traditional-looking sets. It didn’t make sense to me to eat Western food like a steak and potatoes with a salad that had thousand-island dressing when I had come all this way! However, I guess that some people are not as adventurous about food. Fortunately my meal was delicious, with a bitter melon tempura that contrasted nicely with the tender glazed pork. I may have to return to Okinawa just to have more of that!
Urashima Dinner Theater Duo
The dinner theater was also a treat. The highlight was a performance called eisa, which has booming drums, whistles, and an energetic tempo that made you want to stand and dance. Other dances were quieter, derived from religious ceremonies where priestesses would pray for good harvests or safe sea journeys. Others were folk dances that told stories. There were about 10 short numbers in all, and it was interesting to see the range of dances and music.
Urashima Dinner Theater Dance
I really loved the costumes, too, but could not imagine wearing them as everyday clothing! Some were very elaborate, a style of bright kimono in reds and yellows and cerulean blue, while others were much more somber. The headdresses were out of this world, topping the dancers like giant mushrooms. They were all made up like perfect china dolls.
The show ended at 8:30, and upon leaving the theater, it was clear that the night life was just warming up. I toyed with the idea of stopping somewhere, but opted to return to the JAL City hotel because of my early start that morning. Tomorrow I will see more of the city, but today was a pleasant introduction to an unusual new culture.
photo by:
Hyougushi
