Okinawa, Japan's Eastern Hawaii, Food, Accommodation and Travel Guide
Okinawa is the southernmost of Japan and is known as the "Hawaii of the East". After talking about it for a long time, I finally went here on my fifth trip to Japan. My sister, who did not have a ready-made Japanese visa, also got a three-year visa. As a person who does not have the patience to make a guide, the preparations before departure were not done in detail. Fortunately, there are many mobile apps now that allow me to check anytime and anywhere. At the request of a friend, I will summarize our itinerary.The sea outside the aquarium
Preparations before departure
I didn't have much time, energy and patience to make a guide before I set off, but fortunately there are many tools available now. Just make sure you have the following apps on your phone: Ufos Travel, Tripadvisor, Booking.
In order to access the Internet anytime and anywhere, I applied for a data package from a local operator. It costs $20 for 7 days in Japan. The signal is very good and you can access the Internet at any time. The temperature in Okinawa is also very warm. You only need a long-sleeved T-shirt, single pants, a hat, sunglasses, and a jacket for daily travel. Of course, sun protection is very important. Don't forget the sunscreen.
Travel
Unlike many Japanese cities I have visited, the rail transit here is extremely underdeveloped. There is only one track in Okinawa, which is from Naha Airport to Shuri. There are hotels along the track.
When I was making a guide, I knew that many places could take a bus at the "Naha Bus Terminal", but I didn't know where this station was at the time. Fortunately, we spent a little time researching, because taxis in Japan are really unaffordable. The bus terminal is at the "Asahibashi" station of the only monorail, which can be seen when you exit the station. So living near Asahibashi Station is also a good choice.
We booked a one-day chartered car service online. Ordinary cars are RMB 130 US dollars/day. The staff will contact us through WeChat one day in advance to confirm the time and itinerary. The driver is a kind Japanese uncle who is not only punctual, but also politely takes us to the ticket office of each attraction and gives a brief introduction.
Our "stay"
We have been staying at the Red Planet Naha Hotel (Red Planet Naha), which is very close to the rail transit "Miebashi" station , a five-minute walk away, it’s a quiet place amidst the hustle and bustle. The room is not small, especially the bathroom. I like the separate dry and wet design. There are restaurants, convenience stores and a post office near the hotel.
The most representative view of the aquarium
Our "play"
Winter limited project: whale watching at sea. The so-called limitation is because it is only available during the period from 12/12 to 4/8. In winter, whales come here to spend the winter and mate and reproduce, so as long as you have the conditions to go to sea, you can basically see whales, which is very shocking. The price is $20 for half a day.
American Village. The US military base is one of the identities of Okinawa. This was originally a commercial area serving the US military base. Come and experience the most un-Japanese Japan. The sea water here is beautiful. If we were not in a hurry to find the station, it would be nice to watch the sunset here. Speaking of American Village, it can be said to be a pity not to see the US military base.
Aquarium. This is a stop you cannot miss when visiting Okinawa, especially the huge whale shark in the Kuroshio Sea. Take bus 117 from Naha Bus Terminal and the journey takes about 2x hours. From the bus terminal in Asahibashi to the "Ken Koen-mae" station where Ocean Park is located, the one-way cost is 2,400 yen. The adult ticket for the aquarium is 1,850 yen per person. In fact, the Ocean Expo Park where the aquarium is located is beautiful in itself. If you are interested in flowers, the Tropical Botanical Garden in the park is also worth a visit. With its ocean Ticket stubs for the museum are also available at half price.
Yuyi Park. This is a good place to enjoy cherry blossoms in Naha City. Okinawa is the earliest place in Japan where cherry blossoms bloom. You can enjoy cherry blossoms in February. Just take the monorail to Anri Station, and the park is open for free.
Shuri Castle. Although the symbolic building of the Ryukyu Kingdom is small, it is still worth seeing. At the entrance, you can get a special map for the stamp collection event. It is a very interesting experience to look for stamps everywhere. Adult tickets820 yen.
Ryukyu Village. Those who are more interested in humanities can come and take a look. Not only can you see traditional Ryukyu architecture, but you can also experience various handicrafts (the fee is about 1,000 yen).
Zanpa Cape. Okinawa’s iconic attraction, the scenery and sea water are beautiful, but unfortunately it was cloudy when we arrived. 200 yen You can climb to the top of the tower and have a distant view, and it is also quite pleasant to walk along the beachfront.
Our "eating"
We basically had three meals near the hotel and were extremely satisfied. Okinawa's pork seems to be very famous, and many restaurants will have the word "dolphin" on it. In addition, you must not miss the seafood in Okinawa. Recommended seafood salad, wagyu BBQ, and all sashimi. The local beer in Okinawa is delicious. In addition, everyone has the brand "Awamori", which is a strong drink similar to soju. I asked some Taiwanese people who had tasted this wine in Ryukyu Village, and they said it was similar to Kinmen sorghum wine, and the sorghum was very good.
Zanpa Cape
Specific itinerary and cost
Day 1: Beijing - Naha; Naha Airport - Hotel (Miebashi Station) Monorail 230 yen; I took a taxi to American Village (3000+ yen) without knowing the direction and the station. I felt bad and decided to go back to study public transportation. The legendary conveyor belt sushi in American Village is very good. I just found one. The ingredients are very fresh. As long as there are Americans in the store, all the sushi served is fried and with various salad dressings. It is very American. The cost is 20 US dollars. Just stroll around and sit by the sea. It is very comfortable. Take bus 120 back to the vicinity of the hotel. The fare is within 300 yen (I forgot the exact amount). Follow the navigation all the way back to the hotel. For dinner, I found a restaurant with a big front door near the hotel. The taste is great. There are Japanese people around. I recommend seafood salad and beer, which costs 35 US dollars.
Day 2: The travel agency arranges a car to pick up the hotel at 8:50 and go out to sea to watch whales (with Chinese commentary throughout the journey). At noon, I had a Japanese pork hot pot set meal at "Longtan", plus two glasses of plum wine, which cost 75 US dollars. In the afternoon, we walked to Yogi Park to enjoy the cherry blossoms, passing through Taowu Street and Kokusai-dori. Kokusai-dori is very close to the County Council Hall, which is equivalent to Wangfujing Pedestrian Street in Beijing. It is mainly for shopping, with various local products and huge drugstores. Have a cup of coffee, and then take the monorail back to the hotel at the "County Government Hall" station, 230 yen. For dinner, we found a restaurant near the hotel to eat skewers and drink beer. From the waiters to the chefs, they were all handsome men, but the taste was a bit heavy. The "salty to death" restaurant cost 40 US dollars, not particularly recommended.
Day 3: Take the monorail from the hotel to Asahibashi Station, and take the 117th express bus to "Memorial Park Front", 230 + 2400 yen. Ocean Expo Park is free to open, and the adult ticket price of Churaumi Aquarium is 1850 yen. Lunch is solved at the restaurant next to the Kuroshio Sea Tank. If you want to sit in front of the tank, you need to make an appointment and queue up, and each table is limited to 30 minutes. This experience is very worthwhile, because we arrived early, although it was not next to the tank, but there was only one table between us and the shark, so there was no queue. Arrive at the Dolphin Theater at 14:30 to enjoy the show (free), then walk along the coastal boardwalk to the Tropical Botanical Garden. With the aquarium ticket, the ticket price is 340 yen. Have dinner near Asahibashi Station, spending 298.31 yuan, the taste is OK, but not worth recommending. Take the monorail back to the hotel, 230 yen.
Day 4, charter car 130 US dollars/day. Shuri Castle Park, ticket 820 yen; Ryukyu Village, first have lunch, Ryukyu set meal is 1600 yen, with a free drink, eat until you are full but not finished, Ryukyu Village ticket 1200 yen (including performance), experience shamisen, learn to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, half an hour 1000 yen, Ryukyu costume experience 1000 yen. Cape Zanpa, although it is cloudy, the scenery is still better than many places, 200 yen to climb the tower to look at. Dinner is treated by my sister, the restaurant is great, just near the monorail Miebashi Station.
Day 5, Naha-Kansai Airport-home. I booked a taxi from the hotel to the airport, 1320 yen.
Four nights accommodation cost: 700 US dollars
Air tickets: Since I couldn't confirm the time, I booked the air tickets in January. In one word: expensive. It's all tears.
Finally: Okinawa is a place with a beautiful coastline, especially suitable for relaxation. For those who like shopping, there is also a large duty-free shop and outlet. I don't like shopping, so I won't go to outlets no matter which country I go to. If you want to buy a lot, you can only make your own strategy.
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