Blogs from Okinawa, Japan, Asia

Tour Day 136, Cruise Day 34 – “Ishigaki Half Day” Shore Excursion – Ishigaki Island, Okinawa, Japan – Discover Banna Park, a sprawling nature reserve located just a couple of miles north of Ishigaki City. Positioned around a hill, Banna is divided into four zones and includes a skyline area. All are linked by paths and roads. Kabira Bay is one of the finest sightseeing spots in Japan, given a high rating in the Michelin Green Guide for its beautiful emerald-colored water and white-sand beach. You will visit, weather permitting. The black pearls of Kabira Bay are quite famous. A souvenir shop here offers a limited number of Japanese-made black pearl products, difficult to find in other places. Ishigaki Island's retail hotspot is the Euglena Mall, with more than 100 shops. Souvenir shops, snacks, Ishigawa specialties ... read more

Blog 11_Japan_2023 March 31 Port of Call: Ishigaki Island, Japan – Weather: Overcast skies – Temperature: 70°F/21°C – Wind 10 mph Second stop on our way to Taiwan was at the Island of Ishigaki. Our shore excursion experience, Highlights of Ishigaki, never came about as it was sold out early and our waitlisting never was fulfilled. We could have walked into town, about 40 to 50 minutes or taken a shuttle but that was a twenty-minute ride and from what other guests reported we made the right choice as it really was not worth the effort. So, we stayed on board and enjoyed another relaxing day. We have learned that due to the shortage of English-speaking tour guides not as many shore excursions were possible. The pandemic saw a large number of tour guides laid off ... read more

Blog 10_Japan_2023 March 30 Port of Call: Naha, Okinawa, Japan – Weather: Occasional light rain – Wind 23 mph – Temperature: 72°F/22°C After two and a half sea days we arrived at the island of Okinawa where we enjoyed our first shore excursion of this voyage: a visit to Shurijo Castle Park, Shikinaen Royal Garden and finally, a visit to Kokusai Street, part of the shopping district. Shurijo Castle was constructed in the 14th century and displays distinctly Chinese and Japanese architectural influences. Heavily bombed during the 2nd World War the structure was left in ruins until 1992 when reconstruction started. The castle complex was recognized in 2000 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, on October 31, 2019, eight of the main buildings were destroyed in a fire. Those struc... read more

http://www.heygo.com 25th February- Shuri Castle: Legacy of the Ryukyu Kings Today our virtual guides were James & Becka, both from the U.K. living in Okinawa for some years teaching Karate. Situated on top of a gentle hill in Shuri, Shurijo Castle was surrounded by curving castle walls, and within these walls were numerous structures. Built in 1879 the castle was the central administrative body of the Shuri Royal Government of the Ryukyu Kingdom. It flourished as the center of politics, diplomacy, and culture in the Kingdom, and it was also the royal residence of the king and his family. Shuri Castle was destroyed by fire three times during the Ryukyu Kingdom period, and the fourth time in World War II. Each time, the Castle was restored. In 1992, the Seiden of the Castle was reconstructed, modeled ... read more

Japan was awesome! img=https://lonelyplanetimages.imgix.net/a/g/hi/t/39c3b04e23c22ed73565540086e25818-okinawa-the-southwest-islands.jpg?sharp=10&vib=20&w=1200... read more