Okinawa - 沖縄 — Foleys In Japan

Last year, during our kids Fall Break, we ventured to Kyoto and Nagoya. While we were in those places, a lot of our friends were off beaching it up in Okinawa and reported back that it was a lot of fun. So, with another Fall Break on the horizon, we decided that we too would visit Okinawa and get some beaching in before the winter really hits Yokohama.

Okinawa is made up of many small islands, which we learned is referred to as Ryukyu (琉球). We landed on the largest island, which also happens to be named Okinawa (沖縄), and arrived at Naha airport. Okinawa is not like the main island of Japan, Honshu. You can't just grab a train and get everywhere you need to go. So, Elsa rented a car and we drove about an hour north to the small city of Nago (名護).

With the hour drive from the airport, it was getting pretty late by the time we checked in to our condo. Luckily for us, a short 2-minute walk from our place was the classic American restaurant; A&W.

For those who have never seen an A&W in the states, this is akin to the present day Sonic chain. You can park your car and order outside, or you can go in and sit down.

These A&W restaurants are all over Okinawa, but literally do not exist on the mainland in Japan. I guess that's what happens when the US stations our military somewhere. Burgers, fries and root beer become priorities.

Recently, the boys have discovered that soda is delicious (much to Elsa’s dismay), but as they had never had root beer before, this was a special treat for them.

From the people we knew who had been to Okinawa before, one of the things that came universally recommended was the Churaumi Aquarium (美ら海水族館). On our first full day of vacation, we headed about 20 minutes north to see it for ourselves.

The aquarium is absolutely massive, with a crazy variety of sea life. Perhaps the most incredible was the huge water tank containing a pair of whale sharks. There is a section where you are able to sit underneath the water and observe these behemoths as they swim overhead.

Outside of the main building, we also were able to get up close and personal with some turtles, manatees and watch an exciting dolphin show.

The scale of the aquarium is honestly breathtaking, and from the backside resembles a facility the Avengers would use for meetings and training more than it does a fish repository.

As Elsa drove us back to the condo, I began searching for a place to eat dinner. One of the Okinawan specialties we knew we had to try was Taco Rice (タコライス). (Again, US military influences playing a big part here.) There was a well reviewed place within walking distance from our condo, so we headed there.

I knew it was going to be good when we arrived, as it looked like a restaurant that should have been operated by the Skipper and Mary Ann. I'm pretty sure coconut ropes were holding the entire structure together. Unfazed, we went inside the coconut door and ordered some taco rice.

It is such a simple but delicious dish. Rice, seasoned beef, cheese, lettuce and then various sauces and salsas to top with as you desire. The boys and I liked it so much, it’s been added to our dinner rotation at home.

The next day we had beautiful weather, so we we headed up to the northern-most point on Okinawa Island, Daisekirinzan (大石林山). After driving up various cliffs, we arrived at a bus station near the peak, where a small museum and souvenir shop were located.

Calvin got a kick out of checking out the variety of rocks in the exhibition, as well as learning how rocks were used as tools in Japan long ago.

After rockin' out for a bit, we took a bus to a nearby area where we could hike through some stunning rock formations and get some spectacular views of the island.

Heading home from the hike, we stopped by one of the smaller islands around Okinawa, Kouri Island (古宇利島). This is a small island with a circumference of about 8km. It's known for a couple things, the Ocean Tower that gives you a nice view of the area, and beautiful beaches, one of which is named for the heart-shaped rock near the shore.

This was a cool place to hang for a few minutes, but it was kind of crowded, and with the tide coming in the waves were actually really strong. As swimming wasn't really an option, we headed home and chilled at our own beach for the night. The condo we rented was amazing. It was half the price versus if we had stayed in a hotel, away from the crowded touristy areas, brand new, had an amazing balcony with an ocean view, and small private beach across the street.

When we booked the condo, we knew it was conveniently located to shops and restaurants, but one nice surprise was that it was also walking distance to the Orion Beer Factory. With a few days of action-packed days behind us, Miles was aching for a chill day of relaxing on the beach. So, leaving Elsa and the kids to play in the sand, I went and took a tour.

This wasn't my first Japanese beer tour. I have done the Kirin Factory Tour in Yokohama, and this was very similar. The tour is completely free and walks you through the various parts of the factory. You get to smell and taste some ingredients, watch the canning process, and in the end you are dumped out into the tasting room where they provide two free beers (Kirin is 3) to every one of the appropriate age.

For dinner that night we wanted to try some more Okinawan specialties. When we had checked in to our condo, I asked the property manager if there were any restaurants that we had to try nearby. She recommended a place not too far, and so we headed there.

This was a fun but traditional place. We had to take our shoes off when we entered and were seated at a low table where we sat on mats on the floor. When the waiter came, we ordered a variety of Okinawan dishes and I also tried the Okinawan alcohol, Awamori. The kids loved that we were seated next to a kids area and they could be a bit rambunctious while we waited for the food.

I slacked on the food photos but we enjoyed everything we had. From what I remember, we tried some peanut tofu, sashimi, goya (like okra), noodles, and fried chicken.

For our final day, Elsa had booked a hotel closer to the airport so we could more easily catch our early flight the next morning. This put us in the southern city of Naha. Elsa always researches and finds plenty of playgrounds to surprise the kids with when we travel. So we went around town exploring and letting the kids have tons of fun. Playgrounds and Super slides in Okinawa did not disappoint!

There is small restaurant in Naha that sells a famous Okinawan specialty, Pork and Egg Onigiri (ポークたまごおにぎり). In this case, the pork used is SPAM. For lunch, the kids tried their classic while I tried the fried shrimp version. All were delicious and since they were bigger than a normal onigiri, very filling.