Blogs from Okinawa, Japan, Asia

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

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