Day 5: Mihama American Village, Chatan Town

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Wednesday, 23rd January 2013

Okinawa Prefectural Museum >> Mihama American Village

As a history buff, I always made it a point to include a visit to the museum that truly represents the city I'm visiting. This was probably the best way for me to get acquainted with a city's past and present within a short period of time.

I found my way to the Okinawa Prefectural Museum this morning after reading some nice reviews online. The building itself wasn't architecturally pleasing on the exterior. But it certainly pride itself with a very well-planned interior that came with a very bright and airy lobby that greeted all visitors.

I probably spent more than an hour going through the exhibits which provided great insights on Okinawa's history as well as the natural environment. As usual, of particular interest to me were the galleries that dealt with the war as well as the post-war miracle years of recovery. After World War II, Okinawa was under the jurisdiction of the Americans. This continued on until 1972 before it was finally returned to Japan.

Even then, with a heavy US military presence (50,000 troops currently) notably on the central part of the island, Okinawa probably had the best answer whenever a strong American culture in Japan comes to mind.

My curiosity of all things American brought me to the central part of the island where the Mihama Amerian Village was located. Starting from Naha Bus Terminal in the afternoon, my bus number 28 dropped me at the US Naval Hospital bus-stop an hour later. From there, the American Village was about another 10 minutes walk.

I was greeted by the huge "Welcome" sign and the giant Ferris Wheel in front of me as soon as I entered the village. The Ferris Wheel never failed to invoke great memories of my childhood. Back those days, my family would head to the amusement park together on special occasions and riding the wheel would always be a must-do itinerary for us. The amusement park had since long gone together with those childhood days.

Within the American Village itself, there was also a local Aeon Shopping Mall and the Sunset Beach along the coast. A couple of hotels had sprung up recently giving the American Village an urban resort feel. I probably spent some time by the near-empty beach as the weather was far too cold for any activities. The Aeon Mall did have a couple of items worth a second look and as usual, I devoted the afternoon shopping away.

The verdict: The American Village made a good day trip from Naha for visitors who would like to "experience a non-Japanese experience within Japan". It is not culturally rich to make the whole experience truly unique. Still, it provided a refreshing change of scenary. And since I was there on a weekday, the crowds were thin giving parts of the area a ghost town feel.

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