Nineteen days later with thirteen ports and two overnights we have covered the entire country of Japan from the Siberian effected north to the subtropical south and all points in between. A very comprehensive deep dive into all aspects Japanese. We went in with our eyes open and made sure we had a good balance of all things Japanese from the many gardens to markets to castles, shrines etc.. We experienced the cultural old to the model high tech stores. At the end of the day we have have found the Japanese people to be very protective and very respectful. It was very refreshing to know that I didn’t need to be on my guard at any time worrying about getting my pocket picked or being watched for any reason. So yes, I would recommend anyone to put Japan on there list of places to see in this crazy world.
Our port today is Naha on the island of Okinawa, our ship’s information on this port reads:
Naha, the capital of Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture and its biggest city, also serves as the region’s key political, economic and transportation hub. With a fascinating past as the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom and a working port that dates back to the 15th century, this city of 300,000 residents manages to be both a compelling city and a laid-back one.
Because it was largely destroyed during World War II, there aren’t many old buildings here; however, a few restored remains from the Ryukyu Kingdom era provide historic interest, including Shuri Castle, the royal residence, and its extraordinary gardens—both of which are included in a local group designated together as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other legendary sites include the Royal Mausoleum (burial tombs set inside caves) and the Shurei Gate, so magnificent that its image appears on the 2,000-yen note.
There are also a few contemporary hotspots, namely Kokusai Street, which offers almost two kilometers (1.25 miles) of shops, cafés and restaurants, and the nearby Makishi Public Market, which has dozens of food vendors hawking delicious treats. If you want to explore farther afield, Naha is the ideal jumping-off point for excursions to the rest of Okinawa.
For us today, we peeled back a few layers with a HAL excursion which took us from the old to the modern, our tour description read as follows:
Head to Ryukyu Village for an introduction to Okinawan culture. This charming reproduction of an ancient Okinawan village features architecture from all over the region. Feel free to purchase the Okinawan cuisine featured at the food stands and restaurants (at your own expense). 'Living exhibits' showcase traditional festivals, cooking and crafts. Watch villagers create traditional bingata -- stencil-dyed fabrics. You can even try your hand at activities such as indigo dyeing, pottery, painting and playing the Sanshin guitar (at your own expense).
Cape Manzamo -- a sweeping grassy plain in the north of Okinawa -- is known for its superb views. The Manzamo Cliff offers a great view of the clear ocean and features a rock shaped like an elephant's trunk -- great photo opportunities.
Enjoy a brief introduction to Naha's commercial heart with a drive along Kokusai Street. You'll pass hotels, shops, restaurants and theaters. Enjoy free time to stroll through this area that combines cosmopolitan flavor with genuine folk appeal. You will find souvenirs and other goods for sale in the local stores.
This was a good six hour tour taking us to the north of the island and back. There is a vacation tourist vibe here along with a strategically based 30,000 strong US Military base. We would recommend this tour as it does cover a wide brush on Okinawa life with a good amount of time for shopping and / or having a lunch. Speaking of lunch, we went to a traditional restaurant where you had to take off your shoes and sit at a low table. Each table had a tablet that had all the pictures and descriptions of the menu items. Google translation is a must here and the best tool ever introduced to us. Using the camera with the Japanese to English translation, you just hover your camera over the Japanese characters and voila the English translation appears. This is very helpful even though there are pictures because after you tap the meal you want it takes you to screen where there are options for regular or larger portions etc.. This is where the translator shines. There are several languages in this app, so this is a game changer for travelling. Bonus feature, go from camera to conversation and speak into the phone to communicate with the local folks, just fantastic. This helped when we were trying to use up the balance of our money, we wanted to apply all our cash to our purchase and then pay the rest on card - worked perfectly.
Our pics of our final port here in Japan… Hope you enjoy…
With Guillermo, shore excursion manager.
Traditional hat.
Traditional drummer.
With a Water Buffalo.
Actual homes from the distant past. The red roof indicates where an Emperor would live.
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