Blogs from Okinawa, Japan, Asia - page 2

Excursion to Southern part of Okinawa At the end of 16 April, Ms Akamine asked us to come to Akamine station at 9 o’clock the next day. We got up and had breakfast early in the morning and headed for Akamine station by monorail. Unlike the previous day, it was brightly sunshining; Ms Akamine regretted planning to go to the beach the previous day. She brought someone who is currently a taxi driver and knows roads very well. After leaving Naha city, the driver headed for southwards direction. We were told that our first destination would be Peace Memorial Park. I’d heard that Okinawa had an extremely fierce battle at the end of the Second World War and an awful lot of civilians lost their lives in the most desperate and unimaginable circumstances. As soon as ... read more

Okinawa is the largest of the Japanese islands to the South of mainland Japan and on the same latitude as Hawaii and Florida. It very much has that laid back island vibe but with the Japanese love of order. In the arrivals hall there was a long list of the way to behave. Including not leaving bones and food stuff on the table but to put it on a plate.. To wait in line if others were already waiting( this was not intended towards the Taiwanese as they do a good queue) It was not acceptable to take food from one store and eat it it another (we saw that so often in Taiwan) Toilets were for sitting on and paper can be flushed ! Not to talk loudly in public places Don't eat to much ... read more

Friday, 26th January 2018 Early morning, I headed to the top floor of the Okinawa Prefecture Government Building for a nice view of Naha city. Overlooking the Kenchomae Station area, the view stretches as far as my eyes could see. It was a rainy Friday when I visited and the interior provided a warm respite from the chilly temperatures as a result of the rain. Best of all, there was free admission and I could come and go at my convenience. After my visit at the observatory, I took a slow 20 minutes walk towards the direction of Naminoue Beach where I literally had the whole place to myself. By then, the rains had already stopped and it was nice to be outdoors when the weather was fine. I headed to the Max Valu supermarket nearby ... read more

Wednesday, 24th January 2018 I took a full day sightseeing tour of Ishigaki and Taketomi Islands today. Public transportation options do exist and it is possible to do it DIY if time permits. The full day tour is rather easy to arrange having booked the program prior to my arrival in Okinawa. It includes a delicious set lunch at a restaurant overlooking the ocean. My day started at the small bus station next to my accomodation. Commentaries were conducted in Japanese so I did some read-up on the web prior to the tour. Since Ishigaki is a small island, we didn't have to travel far before reaching the various tourist spots that the bus would bring. Our first stop this morning is the Toujin Grave (Chinese Tomb) about 15 minutes from where we started in the ... read more

Monday, 22nd January 2018 I woke up to a happy breakfast spread at the Centurion Vintage Resort. Service was great and food variety consisted mainly Japanese staples along with some Okinawan specialties plus some western selections. I found a nice breakfast spot that commanded an ocean view which started my day on a correct footing. By 8.30am, I was happily making my way towards the aquarium entrance. The strategy was to enter the aquarium when it was the least crowded. It paid off really well as the crowds were very thin at opening times. There was even an opportunity for me to pose for a free souvenir photo shoot at the main entrance. I made my way slowly across the various tanks and viewing galleries. Of course, the most awesome experience was the massive Kushiro (named ... read more