Independent Travel Okinawa

Farewell Okinawa

2009-08-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

We are now far far away from Okinawa. But it was a great two years we will always treasure.
Things we miss about Okinawa, in no particular order:
turquoise colored water
stepping in for a dive off the seawall
the amazing cafes
fabu curry house for dinner
the produce market behind camp shields
seaside walks at araha or sunabe, zanpa or maeda
the Japanese pride in workmanship and attention to detail
safety of one's person and property
Skymark flights to mainland Japan
weekend trips to Zamami, or Okuma, or wherever...if only we had more weekends
uniqlo
bento boxes, especially those sold in random places by elderly ladies

So for those of you still in Okinawa - don't let the annoyances get you down. Rise above irritations like Mediatti (the worst cable company in the world), and not being able to read the menu or the events listing, and the fact that it always seems to rain on your weekend off. Get out, explore, order the set lunch no matter what might be in it, and trust that the Japanese people will almost always do the right thing. Find a favorite cafe, and keep going back there. Spent a lot of time looking at the sea.

Seaside the Beach hotel and restaurant

2009-08-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Location: Sunabe; from the 58 turn at Hamagawa, then turn right after the port. Take this road until you see the big purple Sea Dream apartment complex, and turn left there (there is a sign for Seaside the Beach at that corner as well). The hotel is on the right. Park on the seawall.
Hours: Holukea restaurant is open from 1700 every evening
http://hotel-thebeach.com/
We had a delightful stay at Seaside the Beach during our last 3 days in Okinawa. The rooms are 7000Y pp per night for two twins beds and a capsule private bath, and includes breakfast. The rooms are smallish, but have a minifridge, aircon, ample closet space, and memory foam mattress toppers. And the location means you can wander around the seawall in the evenings, or head to Gordies or Transit for lunches. The staff are helpful and friendly, and made up a nice receipt for me to turn into the authorities for reimbursement. There are beverage and beer vending machines in the hotel hallways and coin laundry services as well.
The breakfast is fantastic - all you can eat hot and cold items which rotate daily. There is an egg dish (tamago, scrambled eggs), meat (spam, sausage, bacon), champuru (tofu, fu, goya), miso soup, burdock root salad, rotating salad (pasta, potato), broiled makerel, rice or congee, yogurt, fresh fruit, toast and jam, coffee/tea/orange juice. It is served in the Holukea space, which has 270 degrees of windows overlooking all of Chatan and the ocean. On nice days, they open the windows to let in the breeze.
We also went to Holukea for dinner. They do 250Y Orion or Asahi draft 1700-1900 M-F. Dinner is reasonably priced, with izakaya type food for 400-1200 per plate. We had a decent seafood pasta, curry potato pizza, and soba noodle. All these felt like comfort food to us on our way out of Japan. Better food can be found elsewhere, but not with these views and beer prices.
What a lovely goodbye - drinking Orion and eating minipizzas while watching the sun set over Chatan.

Kasthamandap

2009-07-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

Location: across the street from Foster; if heading south on the 58 turn right at CowCow, the restaurant is on the north side of the street (ie across from CowCow) right after the turn. The parking situation is quite unsatisfactory - there are about 5 tiny spots that involve parking other people in or having a difficult time backing in/out. A little further west on the same street there is a larger vacant lot which some use for parking.
Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily; http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=9436; 098-936-6355
We have done lunch and dinner in the new location of Kasthamandap. Overall, the new building is much better than the beach shack - there is AC and the dining room is fairly classy. The bathroom still leaves a lot to be desired - it is left open to the outside (ie via a window) and is not air conditioned, so it is sticky and breeds smells. There is a shower in the toilet area, which had been used while we were eating lunch, so one of us had to clean the toilet seat of water droplets sprayed from the shower (yuck!).
Service is still lackadaisical though, very much like we remember at the old location. This is not a place to go if you are hungry. It can be difficult to get the attention of the servers. But this makes it ideal if you want to sit around and chit chat with friends - here no one will hurry you along.
The food remains adequate, nothing great. During the dinner visit we had the butter chicken curry (approx 1050Y) which was really just a tomato-cream sauce with no appreciable heat and a couple meager bites of chicken. We also tried the chicken meatballs, which were essentially ground tandoor chicken pressed into balls, a bit dry, accompanied with a sweet side sauce and small salad. At lunch, we had a large sampler set and a smaller single curry set. These come with choice of drink (get the lassi), mini salad with too much dressing, and a tiny chunk of chicken. The lamb curry was tasty, but had only a couple slivers of meat. The vegetable curry was less appealing, and had remarkably little veg in it, which doesn't make much sense as vegetable is quite cheap in Okinawa. The bean curry (ie dal) was fine. The naan here is large and freshly baked, and is the highlight of the meal. In some ways, this is a south asian chips and dip - naan and curry sauce. Perhaps a friend has a better approach - she orders the chicken biriyani which comes encircled in a salad and topped in an egg.... a bit more action that just a puddle of curry sauce.

Dim sim lunch at Nikko Alivila

2009-07-19T04:08:00.000-07:00

Location: Yomitan, just north of Nirai beach (off the 6) See map: http://www.alivila.co.jp/en/access/index.html
Hours: Sunday / holiday brunch 1130-1500 (http://www.alivila.co.jp/en/rest/kinshasa/)
This is a lovely brunch for a special occasion. The dining room is attractive and boasts big windows with ocean views. There is a back room with two large tables, perfect for a work function. The cost is 2500Y + drinks (beer, tea, etc 500-900Y). There is a large buffet that includes salad, sides, rice paper rolls, steamed buns, stir-fry seafood and greens, stir-fry rice noodle and veg, various fried bits including pork & chicken, shrimp wontons, shrimp balls various, wonton soup, congee, chili-tofu over rice, and about 15 different types of dessert. Then, on top of that, servers come around with dim sum trays and you pick dumplings of all varieties, colors, and filling-types. Some of these were quite creative, ie purple or green wrappers around interesting meat-based fillings.
All the food was quite good. The dumplings brought to the table were quite appealing, especially the shrimp ones. Along the buffet table, the shrimp wontons were very tasty, as was the seafood stir-fly. The egg steam buns should be saved for dessert, but were delightful. Another standout dessert item was the coconut tapioca in benino-flavoured milk. Certainly, this is an all-you-can-eat option that does not compromise quality, and has something for almost everyone.

Delicious cafe

2009-07-11T17:26:00.001-07:00

Location - heading east on the 23, turn right at the Bowling center sign. The restaurant is on the left-hand side, before you get to the Sports/bowling center and Kitakaisen
Hours: approx 11:30-1:30 lunch, 6p- dinner, unsure which day closed
This new cafe has garnered lots of positive press recently. I was suspicious it may not live up to the hype on the basis of its sign, which proclaims "Let's try Japanese cuisine" (or something to that effect). A sushi (ie flamboyant rolled sushi) restaurant that tries so hard to cater to gaijin has already got one strike against it.
We decided to try it anyway. The interior has an unfortunate diner quality, with plastic booths and misapplied plastic frosting on the windows. There is large English menu on the wall, which is slightly different to the English menu brought to the table. At lunch, you order off the standard menu, and get a soup and salad with your sushi selection. Prices for rolls are 600-1300Y. We tried the deep fried California roll and the special of the day, which was a variety of Dragon roll. Sadly, both were almost inedible. The California roll had was filled with the cheapest and most dreadful fake crab stick, an overabundant helping of cream cheese, and underripe avocado, surrounded by excessively sweet rice, mushi nori, then seared on the outside to no apparent culinary advantage. Only slightly better was the dragon roll, which was pretty but simply not worth the calories. The inner part of the roll was a tempura shrimp, which seemed to have no flavour at all. This was surrounded by a large quantity of the over-sweet sushi rice and nori. On the top, outside of the roll, was a small and bland piece of maguro. All this was topped with way too much mayonnaise, another sweet sauce, orange roe, and flecks of tempura batter. There was almost no fresh fish flavour to the roll at all - instead it was just sugar, rice, and mayonnaise - three things I would not want to mix up in a bowl and eat. The accompanying ginger soup was mediocre, and the salad was your typical lettuce/cabbage but drowning in proprietary Japanese dressing.
It saddens me to write such a poor review of a local small business. Perhaps the owner will find success with his restaurant by giving the gaijin what they want - fat and sugar, with a small amount of fish thrown in for appearances. But if you are craving rolls, head elsewhere. We haven't been to Sushi Zen for a while, but last time we went the food quality was far superior.

Monkey pod

2009-06-19T04:47:00.000-07:00

Locations: Naha, north of Kokusai street; from the Mitsukosji department store, walk a couple blocks east and turn down a street than appears to have several restaurants on it (sorry, cannot be more specific). On the west side of the street, ie your left, within about a block will be a wooden construction cafe with vintage Americana decor. This is Monkeypod - they have a mini-chalkboard sign outside
Hours: unknown
Options for non-touristy food are scarce in the Kokusai district. We toileted in Mitsukoski (downstairs) and then headed east and north to look for a halfway decent restaurant. Monkeypod had the right vibe. The place is adorable, with vintage Hawaii-theme stuff everywhere. They have an English menus - 750Y for pasta and a drink, 1000Y approx for a locomoco set or Hawaiian plate. We got an array. The food was not spectacular, but was decent. All sets came with a light consomme and ice/hot coffee/tea plus a small piece of angel food cake with mango syrup sauce. The pasta was a creamy mushroom, well-prepared but a bit dull. The Hawaiian food plate had four segments - curried potato salad, rice, mini locomoco, and fried chicken bits. Again, nice, but better food is to be found at Hanahou. Really, the attraction is that this is an artsy, tranquil place within stone's throw of the hustle and artifice of Kokusai street. And that alone is worth a visit for those in the area.

Korea - week 2

2009-06-19T04:04:00.001-07:00

TONGYEONG - The bus was about 1.5 hours from Jinju, and the station is a bit out of town. We took a taxi to the Gangguan harbour (approx 4000W) and then walked about in search of a love hotel. The first two nights we stayed at the Tower, which was an obvious fake brick building with neon signs on the external west side of the harbour. We paid 40000W a night and got panoramic views and Internet, but the building was a bit rundown and security felt lax. We changed hotels to the Injon, which was right around the corner and charged the same money for a slightly nicer room with a worse view.

What to do:

Tongyeong is a real live fishing town with a famous live fish market. This, and all the live fish restaurants, are a sight to behold. We also enjoyed wandering through the sculpture garden (in the park on the external east part of Gangguan harbour. We also spent a pleasant couple of hours making our way to the Hallyeo Waterway Observation Cable Car entrance, riding up, and checking out the views over the city and surrounding islands. http://eng.tongyeo ng.go.k r/03/06.asp

But Tongyeong's real attraction is the ferry terminal. This Seoul Times article explores some of the possibilities: http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=6600. Options include a ferry to to Yeonhwasa (check times, for us 9am) for a great hike out to Dragon's head point via the Yeonhwa temple. Take your own lunch, and get a beer at the Yeonwha ferry terminal to celebrate your safe return (at approx 1530). This hike is discussed in the LP. Another option is to take the early ferry to Bijindo (approx 7am), and hike the western part of the island, following a well-marked trail to the summit. Bijino's village, situated on one side of the strip of beach which connects the two tiny islands, wins the Korea "Tidy Town" award and has a distinctly Greek island feel about it. Relax on the beach before hopping the (approx 11:30am) ferry to Somaemuldo, where you can do another well marked hike out to the lighthouse. Some nice photos of that hike: http://nathanhendrix.wordpress.com/2009/05/16/tongyeong/ress.com/2009/05/16/tongyeong/ix.wordpress.com/2009/05/16/tongyeong/ This three leg trip needs to be discussed with the helpful desk people at the Tongyeong terminal, and also must be explained to the boat captain on the way to Bijindo. That way, you can clarify what time the ferry from Bijino to Somaemuldo will depart. You need to keep your ticket stub (which says Somaemuldo) when you get off at Bijindo. Luckily, our boat captain had worked in Australia and had great English language ability. Remember to pack food as options on these islands are limited and tend to include raw shellfish. There is accomodation on the islands. Bijindo had a cute looking pension or two, and would be our recommendation as to where to stay. Somaemuldo was a bit overdeveloped, with multiple hotel options, but the town was somewhat muddy and unpleasant. It appeared there was an unused hotel in the town on Yeonwha, but the place had a unwelcoming air.

Food:

Tongyeong is a provincial city, and we often felt we were an annoyance to restaurateurs who might have preferred to avoid interacting with foreigners. Despite this, we had some memorable meals. A visit to the most popular squid kimbap store on Gangguan harbour is recommended - this is the restaurant with the picture of the middle aged Korean lady on the sign. For approx 3500W each you get all you can eat squid in red sauce of daikon with an array on nori-wrapped rice. We also had an amazing samgyeopsal meal between the harbour and the ferry terminal. We picked the restaurant because it was packed and smelled of frying meat, and for 15000 each we had a feast comprised of fatty pork cooked on an aluminum-foil covered hotplate, wrapped in lettuce leaves with lots of toppings, and several bottles of beer. At the end of the meal, the proprietor fries off rice and veg in the porkfat so the rice gets crunchy on the bottom - mmm, like dolshot bimibap but possibly more delicious. We also enjoyed a fish lunch at a busy joint by the Ferry terminal (just east of it, on the corner). For approx 7000W, we got 4 small grilled fish with red pepper sauce and a vast array of side dishes. We got all our breakfast pastries from Neuf, near the live fish market.

BUSAN

The bus ride from Tongyeong (one can catch the bus to the station from downtown if you can find someone to ask which line is correct) to Busan is about 1.5 hours. It arrives in the western terminal, which is on the metro line that zips you into center city. We took the metro to Yeonsandong, and then surveyed the love hotel options. We checked out the Good Morning haotel, recommended by the LP - very cute, but with an obvious foreigner population. Ian and Wendy offer directions: http://www.ianandwendy.com/travel/korea/haotel-motel-busan-wonderful-clean-cheap-motel.htm busan-wonderful -clean-cheap-motel.htm motel.htm motel.htm We looked at a room at the posh Vu motel - for 100,000W a night you get a huge suite with double sink/shower/Internet and general plushness. We stayed at a motel two doors down, for 40000W a night, which offered the standard Internet, double bed, fridge, decent bathroom, room service, water dispenser. Yeonsandong is a great base - it has amenities but in not overrun with tourists and has a fantastic selection of restaurants. We enjoyed another meat on grill meal on the main drag there.

What to do:

We had to check out the live fish market and shopping district around Nampodong, which was hopping on a Saturday. On Sunday, we took the subway to Nopodong and followed all the Koreans dressed in expensive hiking gear up the hill to the bus stop for the bus to Beomosa. Honestly, Beomosa was not that impressive after having seen a variety of other Korean temples, but it was alive with activity. More importantly, it in the same zone of the city as the Hurshimchung spa (across from the Nongshim hotel; approx 8000W) which is easily seen from the pedestrian overpass you take coming out of the Oncheonjang subway stop. http://chrisinsouthkorea.blogspot.com/2009/01/destination-hurshimchung-heosimcheong.html

Not far from the Oncheonjang subway station is the entrance to the Geumgang park and cable car, which provides a remarkable view over the sprawling city. You can then hike to the South gate of the fortress, and from there to a variety of spots. Interestingly, many Koreans end their hike with a picnic along the trails behind the cable car station. Ladies have small kitchens in the woods and set out a tarpaulin and table for you. If you wander up the hill from the cable car station, you will inevitably run into these joints. We did not partake, but almost everyone else did.

We also enjoyed a walk and a beer along Hae-undae beach and Dongbaek park. It is an easy walk from the beach to the Vesta spa (get a map from the friendly tourist info ladies) where for approx 8000W you partake in lovely outdoor/indoor pools and saunas with a view of the sea. We enjoyed this spa more than the larger but less aesthetic Hurshimchung. (For a bit more info on the etiquette of Korean spas: http://chrisinsouthkorea.blogspot.com/2008/10/destination-dragon-hill-jimjilbang-or.html dragon-hill-jimjilbang-or.html ) Food:

The food in Busan was a bit of a blur - we enjoyed cruising the main drag in Yeonsandong and choosing a meat-grilling restaurant, always ordering the obligatory house soju. We loved a tiny joint in Oncheondong (see photo with happy crab sign) on the main north-south street that runs between the spa and the gate to the cable car entrance. The place was crowded at 5pm, had no English menu, and catered to middle-aged Korean men who hiked the same route every Sunday for the past 20 years, then descended the mountain to get drunk and eat crab stew in this restaurant. And while wandering around the university zone we stumbled on a place doing a "couple set" for 11000W which included salad, drink, and a huge place of spicy glass noodle chicken stew (very much like the Andong chicken we had in Gyeongju).

Korea - week 1

2009-05-20T01:26:00.000-07:00

As a tourist in southern South Korea, you are a stranger in a strange land. This area does not receive many foreign visitors. You will make no end of faux pas. People may comment on the size of your nose, the redness of your sunburned skin. Children stare. When you go into a restaurant, you may have the distinct feeling the staff wish you would turn around and leave, because they know you won't be able to read the menu or eat the food correctly. But you will also enjoy that sense of adventure and accomplishment when you stumble on a busy restaurant, manage to order, and then eat one of the finest meals of your life. And if you like to drink late into the evening, you will inevitably encounter a drunk professor or engineer who speaks some English and has a daughter studying in Australia, who will buy you beers despite your protestations. You will feel privileged to hike lovely hills and take in seaside views that few other foreigners have seen. You will lament that your own country fails to organize a transportation system even half as inexpensive and efficient as that in South Korea. And you will fervently wish that every country had 35$ motel rooms replete with high-speed internet, plasma screen TV, minifridge, free drinks, and private bath.

Fukuoka to Busan - Fly to Fukuoka on Skymark, and jump on the subway (the airport is the metro line terminus) for the brief ride to Hakata Station. If you arrive in the evening, stay in one of the business hotels within 5 minutes walk of the station. We went to Toyoko Inn (8600Y a double) this time, which boasts a nicer colour scheme than most business hotels, and a tasty Japanese all-you-can-eat breakfast of onigiri, miso, and burdock salad. The Green Hotel is cheaper, but no breakfast. In the morning, take the bus from the bus stop right across the street from Hakata station to the International Ferry Terminal (correct line for the bus clearly signmarked in English). The bus stops right in front of the terminal. Carry small change for the bus.

The JR Beetle is a high-speed hydrofoil to Busan - a fantastic idea. http://www.jrbeetle.co.jp/english/ We made advance reservations online (you have to create a login and password to do this) but you can buy tickets at the counter too. The ticket is 130,000Y each way normal price, but if you go on weekdays less than 7 days apart it is 100,000Y each way. On a weekday, the ferry was half empty. You also have to buy a terminal useage ticket for 500Y. There is a bit of paperwork for the Japanese and Korean immigration/customs, and you definitely must have your leave paperwork and ID card. The ferry of course leaves on time, arrives on time, and is a beautifully smooth ride. You keep your luggage with you on a rack above your head. You cannot leave the cabin during the ride. You can buy beer, beverages, and snacks in the terminal and on board. Asahi Super Dry is just 150Y a can, so almost everyone had one.

On arrival in Korea, you clear immigration (where everyone gets their temperature checked) and customs, get some Won at the global ATM, and make your way our of the terminal compound onto the street. From there it is just two blocks west (ie away from the water) to Jung-angno street and the subway station. From there, you can get almost anywhere in Busan, but we were headed for the express bus terminal. The ATM gives you 10,000W notes (about 8$) but you need 1000W notes to buy a subway ticket. So, head to the center of the subway station to the change machine and get some small bills. The, right next to it is the ticket machine. You have to know your line number (Line 1 goes to the bus terminal) and then select your destination (for us, the North end of the line Nopodong). The fare was about 1500W. The train takes about 30min, and the subway station is contiguous with the bus terminal. There are various food shops, including international chains and family-owned Korean joints, in the station/terminal. The destinations are written in English over the appropriate ticket booth, and when the bus is about to leave a sales clerk appears at the window and the price appears. It was 4000W to Gyeong-ju, a 1 hour ride. The bus was tidy, left on time, and trundled along at a remarkable speed.

GYEONG-JU is a town that grows on you as you explore it. The ancient capital of the Shilla empire, it is billed as the museum without walls. The bus pulls in at the western end of downtown. There is a tourist info kiosk right there, with helpful ladies who speak English, provide a city map, and can write a note for you that says "May we stay another night?" and/or "May we see the room?" or some other useful phrase. Seriously, these are the most professional tourist desk ladies we have ever encountered. While there, pick up the handy Yangdong Folk Village handbook.

ACCOMMODATIONS Just north of the express bus station (on the way to the intercity bus terminal) there are a couple of newish-looking love motels, including one with the slogan "Love&Joy&Fun." We decided to go a bit further east, into town, and stumbled on the delightful NMotel(N for Noblesse), which sits on the upper-west corner of the Noseo-dong Tumuli Park area. For 40,000W weeknights/50,000W weekends, you get a large room, double bed, flat screen TV, computer with Internet access, air-con, water machine, minifridge, jacuzzi bath and shower, electric toilet, toiletries, and tea/coffee/drinks. Very comfortable, and very quiet, with a lovely view of the Tumuli. The Korean love motel has to be one of the best accommodation values ever. You pay in advance at the window - no names, no forms, no ID required at all. Each evening we showed our note paper (Can we stay another night?) and handed over the money. In the morning, we turned in our key so they would know we were out and clean the room. Otherwise, we kept the key with us. The man in the box downstairs is sometimes not there in the morning, so you can just leave your key in the basket out front if you are checking out. There is no laundry service in these hotels, and no laundromats in Korea, so we just did our dirty clothes each night in the tub/sink and hung them up on a line (which we brought with us) overnight. Between the aircon and the warm spring temperatures, they were dry by morning. There are hostels and tourist hotels in town as well, but why would you spend the same or more money for a room not nearly as nice?

FOOD Many Korean restaurants specialize in one particular item, which is fantastic for the adventurous eater. We had duk (porridge) at a shop on the west side of Boseongno street, between Wonhyoro and Dongseongno streets. The beef and mushroom was quite tasty, similar to risotto, and came with three different side dishes (7000W). We recommend against the walnut duk unless you are looking for a gruel-like bland breakfast. We had a two delightful noodle dishes (4000Y each) at a place on an alleyway off of the main shopping drag that extends off of Gyerimno street as it travels north of Tumuli park. Turning left at the Benneton, you head down the alley and the shop is on the south side of the street. One was a chilled noodle with lots of veggies and spicy bean paste, which you mix all together and enjoy. The other was noodle soup with fish cakes, with a good-to-the-last-drop broth. The alleyway just south of there has a mandoo (dumpling) shop where you can get amazing steamed, fried, or watery dumplings for 3000-3500W a plate, and various mandoo and/or rice cake soups for 4000-5000W. We enjoyed Jjim duk at a little place on the south side of Wonhyoro street, just east of Noseodong park. For 15000W, you get a huge serving of Andong-style spicy soy-based stew filled with chicken bits (boned costs more, so for 12000W you can get unboned chicken), glass noodles, and veggies. You can order rice to mop up the juices, but we didn't have any room left in our bellies. You get a small blue dish for the refuse ie bones and skin. We tried a bit of street food across the street from Gyeong-ju station, including yummy barley dumplings stuffed with bean paste (1000W for 3) from a lady on the north corner, and fishcake on a stick and mandoo (4000W total) from a lady on the south side. We cannot recommend the westernish cuisine at Cookand Bistro, which is on one of the alleyways in the downtown shopping district. We had two rather unfortunate oversweetened dishes (9000W each) and were a bit suprised at the popularity of the place. We also must advise against ssambap, or at least the ssambap place at the southwestern corner of Tumuli park with a picture of a friendly-looking older Korean couple on the sign. Ssambap is supposed to be numerous side dishes which can be wrapped in lettuce leaves. We eat almost anything, but there were multiple dishes we could not stomach, including raw fermented/pickled fish, rehydrated dried&salted fish, fermented fish and tofu soup, pickled eggs, jellied brown stuff, kimchi'd large leaves, and super-spicy chewy raw fish. We made a small meal out of the rest of it, but were sad to part with our 9000W and disappointed that the LP and Moon guides so highly recommended the experience. It should also be noted the marking on the LP and city maps of Ssambap restaurants does not seem to be in the right place.

WHAT TO DO Walking around town is quite rewarding - Noseodong's Tumuli park (free) and the larger walled Tumuli park compound (1000W) are both lovely. The Jungang market is alive, interesting, and has a plethora of inexpensive food options. One morning, we took the 10 bus for 1000W (caught on Seoseongno street heading south) to Bunhwangsa temple (boasting a pagoda from the 600s AD), and visited there, Hwangyongsa (foundation of a Silla palace), Anapji pond (Silla pleasure lake area), Wolsung forest, Gyerim forest, and the Cheomseongdae observatory in succession. Admissions are either free, 500W, or 1000W. Another morning we took the 11 bus for 1500W to the museum (admission 1000W), which holds all the Silla artifacts excavated from temples, palaces, and tombs locally. We took the 11 bus down to Bulguksa Temple (4000W), which was ridiculously crowded with middle school children on school trips, but still worthwhile. At 20 past the hour, a bus leaves across the street from the temple parking lot and heads to the Seokguram grotto, 20 minutes up the hill. There is a 20min walk from the parking lot to the grotto (admission 4000W), which houses a beautiful stone Buddha sculpture and is considered a high point in Sill artistry. The bus returns down the hill on the hour (ie, about an hour after you arrive at the grotto.) A 2.2km wooded trail connects the two sites as well. Koreans seem to enjoy the steep uphill hike, but we did it downhill and were plenty tired as a result.

We spent another rewarding day exploring Yangdong village. You take a 200 series bus (200-208, 212, 217) from across the street from the bus station or from Seoseongno street about 40min north and get off at the sign for the village turnoff - remember to mention to the bus driver where you are headed so he will stop appropriately. Then walk about 2km by the railroad tracks (there is a track beside and below them), go under the bridge, then veer left heading towards the elementary school. Walk a bit further and you have arrived. Use the handbook to guide your walk around the village - it is large and hilly, and there is a lot to see. We are usually suspicious of "folk villages" but this is an extraordinary place. Regular Korean people live here as they would in any other farming village, except that they live in beautiful traditional homes. There are trappings of modern life like air conditioners, satellite TV dishes, and mechanized farming equipment, which is exactly as it should be for a functional community. There are two spots in town for refreshment, as far as we could tell - both visible from the main road. We had a persimmon-cinnamon-ginger tea at the place with two outside umbrella tables (2000W each). There was also a ssambap-type restaurant which was crowded with the camera crew that had been on site filming a bunch of singing and dancing children.

JINJU - We hopped on a bus to 1.5 hr bus ride to Jinju, with a plan to stay overnight there and then take the bus to Tongyeong. Jinju is a pleasant work-a-day city that straddles a river. Unfortunately the bus station is distant from the downtown centre - best to hop a cab, but one can walk along the river (keep heading west on the south bank of the river until the main bridge, approx 1.5km, then cross the river and the love hotels will be immediately on the right). The LP suggests the Versace, but we ended up at You motel, which was totally acceptable. No computer, but a balcony and view over the river, and a large tub (4000W). The love hotel zone is just west of the bus station, and just east of the main drag shopping area. It is a pleasant walk past the riverside eel restaurants to the Jinju fortress, a worthwhile attraction (1000W). We spent hours checking out the fortress wall, temples, and views. But the cafe in the park is a rip off. One of out best meals of the trip was dinner in Jinju - we wandered the streets heading north from the hotel until we were at the foot of a huge Lotte residential tower complex (within stone's throw of a large church) and stumbled on a small restaurant with a picture of rice in a dolshot (stone bowl). Turned out, this was ssambap, but a delightful version. For 700W, we got a ridiculous amount of food that included 3 different kinds of fish, a crab tofu stew, and countless veggie dishes.

Onna at lower low tide

2009-05-09T15:04:00.000-07:00

Onna is accessible via the 58 or the expressway, exiting at Yaka and crossing the island.
From the 58, there are various places to turn to approach the water and find a spot to park. If you turn at the elementary school, you go down a small road and then go right into a dirt opening, follow that around, get as close to the water as possible, and park. There is a cute beach here. We prefer to turn at Manzamo, take a left before entering the tourist trap, then take a right to get to the straight road parallelling the coast. You can park here and find a trail that heads down to the water. This puts you on the beach near the cave pools. You can also drive further into Manzamo and turn down a tiny unmarked street and follow this downhill. This takes you to a grassy area with a picnic table and the toilet bowl dive site entry.
Onna is a sweet spot to spend a sunny spring day, especially at lowest low tide. Check beforehand at the Tide Toya website: http://www.mobilegeographics.com:81/locations/6543.html
At super low tide, you can walk almost the whole length of this coastline over the exposed shelf. Some live coral is exposed, so you have to be careful to avoid it. There are also plenty of sea urchins, making correct foot placement even more essential. This is not a walk for children. But the tidepools are great along here. There are lots of Japanese people out quite far collecting shellfish or whatever.
This little adventure should be combined with sustenance at a local cafe. Our favourite is Cafe Masaho, which is just south of the Manzamo turnoff on the 58 (west side), and by a restaurant with a pig sign. We have reviewed them elsewhere on this site (open at noon). They do plate lunch for 1000-1200Y - they speak minimal English so just point and shoot. All the food is delicious and healthful. One of the sets is a pasta dish.
Afterwards, head to the Onna Resort public beach, which is just north of the Onna fishing port. There are a couple places to enter from the 58 - one at the fishing port, then you turn right and get to the parking lot, and one a little further north that heads more directly into the parking lot. The beach is behind a sporting field and school. There are public toilets, free picnic areas, vending machines, a snack bar, and a lifeguard. During our visit they were not charging admission or parking. To the south is a great view of the cliffs at Manzamo, and to the north is the ANA Intercontinental resort. They have various boats doing touristy things. There is a swimming area perfect for kiddos. We got some drinks at the local Coco (there is also a Family Mart) and spent a leisurely couple hours at a covered picnic table reading our books. Bliss. The beach does have a loudspeaker system playing J-pop, sol you do have to tune this out, but otherwise it is a great spot.

North of Kadena steps

2009-05-08T17:50:00.001-07:00

Location: north of Kadena marina, take one of the small roads off the 58 out to the sea. Park along the seawall in Mizugama.
Golden week has passed, so the carp flags over the river may have been taken down. Regardless, this is a nice walk. The seawall here is nearly deserted, and lined with residences instead of shops. The graffiti on the wall consists of elementary school childrens' murals. You walk to the mouth of the river, and then turn and follow the south bank of the river. The multimedia center marked on the phone book map is an interesting modernist structure. There is a small jetty and on the day we went boat rides up and down the river were 500Y. The river is prettiest on an incoming tide.

Best of cafes

2009-05-03T02:07:00.000-07:00

Best buffet - Cafe 4th (Naha downtown)
Best value for money by far on the island - delicious fresh made pastas and pizzas

Best coffee - Azzuro (Hamby)

Coffee on Okinawa leaves a lot to be desired. This is passable, and a mile ahead of any other cafe.

Best fancy lunch - Gueleton (Kitanakagusuku)

Changing menu, inventive food, nice atmosphere

Best salad - Tida (Urasoe)

The salad bar here is lunch unto itself, each dish seasonal and delicious

Best desserts - Tida (Urasoe)

They generally taste as good as they look, especially the fruit cream puff and the berry mousse cake

Best weekend lunch - Nirai (Hamagawa)
A different meal each week, a lovely view, and convenient for a seaside stroll afterwards

Best cheap meal - Genki (Hamby)

You can't beat 680Y for their daily special - main, rice, macaroni salad, cabbage, sashimi, veggie side, drink, and prepackaged dessert

Best veggie option - Sora (Chatan)

Get there on a weekday right when it opens, or you won't get a seat. If you do, then feast on the amazing array of Okinawan veggies prepared in a traditional manner. And give your fish main to your lunch companion.

Best burger - Gordies (Chatan)

Tastiest bread and pattie by far, although the fries and soup could use an extra oomph

Best non-Japanese Asian or South Asian - Shimauma curry shokudo (Yomitan)

Yummy, asthetically pleasing curries and tandori chicken

Honorable mention for same category - Som Chai

Discovered and noisy, but they do a great job producing real Thai flavours at very reasonable prices

Best Hawaiian - Hanahou (Yomitan)

The curry, pizza, and tuna-avocado-rice dishes are all so fantastic it is hard to choose between them

Best inexpensive dinner - Orange diner (Hamagawa)
A tasty continental/fusion tapas style dinner for about 1000Y pp, plus drinks

Cheapest beer within a bicycle ride of Lester/Kadena/Foster - Izakaya Jijiman (drinking cat)

Between 6-8pm, draft beer is 50% off, which makes it about 225Y. Good times when combined with salt-flavoured grilled squid and edamame.

Best pasta lunch - Cafe Pao or Pana

Homemade noodles and savory sauces, served with bread, salad, mini appetizer, coffee, and sorbet

Best in Northern Okinawa (north of Motobu) - House of Taste

Unfortunately lacking in an English menu, but the food is so tasty you can point and shoot with confidence.

Best of the mid-island beaches - Cafe Masoho (Onna)

Charming ambience, lovely proprietors, and a reliably light, delicious, and healthy lunch

Best in Okinawa City - Fertile
You can taste the attention to detail in the lovely soups and mains here, dessert isn't bad either

Honorable mention:

Cafe Jiji (Kitanakagusuku) - we periodically crave the soymilk green curry and big salad plate; the fish dish is nice too

San Diego and Las Vegas

2009-04-25T23:30:00.001-07:00

Many gaijin take a trip to the United States during their stay here, and these two cities are popular destinations. A few comments about each:
San Diego:
A car is highly advisable. If you plan ahead and book online, you can find some great deals. Among the big chains, we've had the most luck with Avis and Budget. The San Diego Reader (http://www.sandiegoreader.com/home/) is invaluable in planning your itinerary and offers real reviews (not advertisements) of restaurants, movies, theatre, and music. Search their food & drink section by neighborhood and find the local gems. Downtown, we enjoyed several hours at Neighborhood (777 G street, at 8th Ave) - great atmosphere, fantastic music at an appropriate volume, a huge beer menu including Hitochino white ale and a slew of local brews (4-8$), quite good beef tacos (10$), and satisfying gourmet burgers (approx 10$). In Pacific Beach on Tuesday nights Turquoise hosts a flamenco troupe from 7 - 9:30pm. Cover is 5$ a head, wine and beer start at 5$, and tapas are 6-12$ approx. Much of the crowd seemed to know the dancers or take lessons together. It is always fun to stumble on a little community of people with an unusual shared interest. We also enjoyed a spicy Thai lunch at an unmarked hole-in-the-wall supposedly called Sab-E-Lee (2405 Ulric street). The tom yum soup is the real deal with loads of kaffir lime leaf, lemon grass, and fresh herbs. Convoy street continues to offer an amazing variety of Asian restaurants and shops. We went to ChinaMax Seafood restaurant for some shrimp dumplings, stir fried Chinese broccoli, and yummy string bean and meat sauté. There are also some great Vietnamese places on Convoy.
We tend to return to a few favored zones when we visit San Diego. We love a stroll through downtown La Jolla, although most restaurants there should be avoided. A walk through the Torrey Pines State preserve offers a glimpse into California’s beauty prior to the development/population boom. For more reasonably priced food and some secondhand store shopping we like Pacific Beach. Balboa Park merits a leisurely stroll and a visit to a museum or two. Across the street from the zoo and Natural History museum is a large rose garden, which abuts a cactus garden, all of which overlooks the Naval Hospital. MCAS Miramar hosts the Flying Leatherneck museum, a fascinating and large collection of helos and planes piloted by Marines over the past 70 years. Afterwards, officers may wish to stop by the Miramar O club, relive a few Top Gun memories, and have a couple beers by the sunny window.
Las Vegas:
We would never normally have traveled to Vegas. We don’t gamble, we don’t wait in line at buffets or pay cover charges at nightclubs, and we like to drink sitting down over dinner. However, we had to be there for a family event and thus tried to make the most of it. We drove out from San Diego, breaking up the trip with a stay on MC Logistics Base Barstow. They offer clean suites with kitchenette for about 50$. We were glad for the safety of on base accommodations – Barstow is rather sketchy and depressed. Food offerings are sparse in Barstow, so we ended up suffering through a meal at Chilis. The food wasn’t terrible, but we despise the chain restaurant sales strategy of continually offering you way more food than any human being should ever eat at a sitting (how ‘bout we start you with some appetizers?...want to add on some double fries?...can I interest you in a chocolate fudge explosion lava cake with 5 scoops of ice cream).
We bid on Hotwire for a 5-star strip hotel and got the Wynn for under 120$/night. Try betterbidding.com to figure out which hotel you are being offered prior to paying. Having read Trip Advisor, we knew that most hotels in Vegas delight in giving customers trouble during check-in/check-out. Wynn did not fail to deliver on this. Multiple phone calls and chats to different desk staff were required to get our requested non-smoking Queen room in the back side of the hotel away from the nightclub. And they were not pleased with our demand that they seek our specific authorization prior to placing any additional charges on our room bill. But in the end, persistence paid off and we got a lovely corner room with a magnificent view. The bathroom and bath amenities – lemongrass scented shampoo/conditioner/soap/conditioner were fantastic. The bed was cozy with plush linens and pillows. The Wynn parking lot is quite navigable, not too far from the rooms, and lets you know how many spots remain on each level.
We highly recommend having a car in Vegas. We went out each day to lunch on West Spring Mountain Road - the Las Vegas Asian shopping zone. We found an amazing Vietnamese place - Pho Saigon 8 (5650 W SMR suite B) - and delighted in their heaping trays of fresh herbs and sparerib lunch set (essentially all dishes <10$).
There is some appeal to watching such a broad cross-section of Americans, and global tourists, do whatever they come to do in Vegas. Truly, there is no dress code there - from grannies in nylon track suites to teenagers in hot shorts to high rollers in designer suits and brides in their white gowns, anything goes.
Our final day we drove out to the Valley of Fire State Park. On a clear day, the contrast between blue sky, red rock, brown desert, and green scrub is a sight to behold. In early April, wildflowers were everywhere and improved the asthetic impact further. There is a driving track around the park and some places to stop and walk the trails. We could have spent several more hours there if we had the time. We returned via the North Shore Road (ie of Lake Mead) and were slightly disappointed at the lack of water views. When leaving Las Vegas with a rental car, be forewarned that the rental car drop-off point is about 10 miles from the airport and requires an extra 20 minutes of your time. Never fear, if you get to the airport too early there are ubiquitous slot machines to help you pass the time.

Lily viewing

2009-04-18T02:13:00.000-07:00

Location - Zanpa point (take the 6 off the 58) Zanpa point is a lovely place to walk around, especially on a sunny April day. The colours are supersaturated, water views abound, and the cliffs are spectacular. There are lots of lilies and gladiolas planted in this area and they bloom with vigour in April. For those who can't make it to Ie-jima, this is your own personal lily festival, and is remarkable un-touristed. The paths at Zanpa may also be bicycled. The trip can be combined with a lunch at Hanahou for their delicious ahi poke don, spicy Hawaiian-style curry, or pizzas, or to Shimauma curry shokudo for their tandoori chicken and Indian-style curries. Also, the nearby beaches at Zanpa (in front of the Zanpa resort) or Nirai (in front of Nikko Alivia) are inviting and spared from the wind and wave at Zanpa point.

Annoyances on Okinawa

2009-04-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

Okinawa is a lovely place to live for a couple of years, or even longer. But like any place in the world, it has a few peculiarities and annoyances.
On base annoyances:
1. Other people's dogs
Everyone thinks their own dog is great, but oftentimes their neighbours would not agree. Military families have a predilection for buying dogs they don't have time for, and leaving them tied up in their yards (against base housing rules) or alone in a tiny fenced area. While most pet owners are pretty good about picking up dog feces, a minority simply let the feces lie where they fall - grassland where the kids play, sidewalk, your flowerbed, wherever. Disgusting. And, this same minority of dog owners seem deaf to the irritating barking of their treasured pet. Remember, many military members are shift workers, and incessant barking is simply not cool.
2. Other people's windchimes
Okinawa can be quite windy. No one wants to be kept awake by your windchimes after they have worked all night. In a quadriplex living situation, windchimes should be illegal.
3. Unneccessary stop signs - the more stop signs put up in stupid places, the more people disobey them. Yield signs are much more appropriate in intersections where you can easily see in all directions and everyone is going less than 30 mph.
4. Extremely poor parallel parking skills
This is an issue on and off base. Nowhere else in the world is there so much room left between cars when parallel parked. Strangely, the offending drivers never leave enough space to actually fit another car. The most flagrant example of this is by the Naval Hospital. Offenders include gaijin and Japanese alike. Please, if you can see the headlights/taillights of the cars in front/behind you, you are too far away. And motorcycles should take up much less than space than cars.

Off base annoyances:
1. Illegal trash dumping
The quantity of illegal dumping on Okinawa is quite sad, and points to a real problem with local disposal and pickup regulations. The worst part is, many of the favored dumping areas are right along the beach, where people park to walk down to less developed seaside locations. There are entire rotting cars, old TVs, sofas and other upholstered goods, and large plastic items littering every slightly-concealed vehicle-accessible nook and cranny in Okinawa.
2. Fisherman trash, feral animals and their feces, and public urination by the seaside
Walk along any area frequented by fishermen, and you'll find a pathetic array of discarded drink cans, plastic bento boxes, cigarette detritus, wrappers, and other trash lying about. These same areas are infested with feral cats, horrible mangy animals that hide in the tetrapods and scrub. One has to constantly look down to avoid stepping in their mess (just like in New York City, but there the waste is mostly from pets and not ferals). And do avoid stairwells and dead-ends if possible, as these are favored spots for a piss, which might occur in broad daylight (despite the huge number of public toilet facilities in Japan)
3. Curbside stopping
Drivers on Okinawa love to stop on the side of a busy road, and don't pay toomuch mind to pulling over as far as possible to the curb. Sometimes hazard lights are turned on, sometimes not. Sometimes the driver is just sitting in the car, sometimes the whole family gets out to take a photo or pick up something at the store. It hardly matters that this behaviour may cause a massive traffic pile-up or imminent danger to other cars - it is so commonplace it may as well be written into the traffic laws that a driver may stop anywhere he or she may please.
4. Summer Sundays and Golden Week
Beware the 58 traffic on these days...especially in the afternoon/early evening. And if you want to be seated at your favourite restaurants, arrive early or late. Riding your bicycle down to Mihama or Ginowan may be faster than driving to a summer festival/fireworks show.

Himeyuri monument and odokomesu beach

2009-04-16T23:28:00.000-07:00

Location: far south of the island; the Himeyuri monument is on the 331 at the Ihara intersection on the north side of the road, west of the Okinawa peace prayer park. Free parking is on the south side of the road. Snack and souvenir shops line both sides of the street. Odokomesu beach (ie Channel Crevice) can be reached by driving towards the water from Odo or Komesu intersections. Off season parking is free, in the summer it appears there is a 300Y charge.

Hours: Himeyuri peace museum 9a-5p admission 300Y, free on memorial day 6/23

http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=110

http://www.himeyuri.or.jp/top.html

This part of the island was the last holdout of Japanese forces during the Battle for Okinawa, so there are multiple sites of remembrance for the fallen. The Himeyuri moument is particularly moving and the museum is a worthwhile overview of the final stages of the battle. Himeyuri refers to girls from two prestigious nearby schools who were pressed by the Japanese military into service as nurse assistants in cave hospitals in the final weeks of the war. They nearly all perished, most after they were told to leave the hospital caves and fend for themselves. There is lots of English text to read, and the translations appropriately peg the blame for the tragedy on the Japanese military's strategy to sacrifice Okinawa and its people in order to slow an advance on the mainland. The surrounding grounds include a cave used as a hospital and are dotted with various memorial statues and attractive landscaping.

From there it is an easy drive to Odokomesu beach (video of the beach: http://www.okinawa-information.com/odocoast-johnman-itoman-beach). The sand is rough and coral-strewn, but the beach is long and nice for a walk. At the east end, there is a path to a memorial at the base of tall cliffs, presumably the site of suicides at the end of the Battle of Okinawa. There are vast dead coral tidepools to explore, and off the shelf apparently decent snorkeling and diving. For those who plan to dive here, be warned that timing your dive with the tides is key in this location. Ideally, the water is low enough the easily find and swim out the channel cut through the dead coral shelf, and when you return it is best to swim back with an incoming tide through the channel.

If making a day of it, the nearby Gushikawa castle ruins are worth a stroll (discussed in another post). We did not visit the Itomansatsuki castle ruins on this visit.

Unsolicited advice - travel in Japan

2009-03-27T01:20:00.000-07:00

We will leave Japan this summer. Here is a bit of our accumulated knowledge:
General
In Japan, you get what you pay for. We have experienced only one exception to this rule, at a restaurant in Miyazaki. The pricier hotel room is bigger, the pricier meal has more expensive ingredients, the pricier fruit is sweet and ripe. Often it is worth it to pay a bit more, when you know the product is worthwhile.

Buy a couple medium sized cheap towels at the 100Y shop and take them when you travel. They are useful for onsen (to avoid towel rental charges) and cheaper minshukus that don't provide towels. And they dry quickly.

Air travel
Always check to see if Skymark flies to your destination. They are the low-priced carrier in Japan and the service is identical (ie, excellent) to JAL and ANA. At present they go to Fukuoka and Tokyo.

Use hyperedia to help you book a domestic trip. Sometimes it is easier to travel to a nearby city and take the train into your destination than it is to fly directly there. http://www.japanrail.com/JR_hyperdia.html

Accommodations
The business hotel is a great option in cities - they cluster at train stations, you can walk one to the next until you find a decent room and price, the price is reasonable, and you get a Western-style bed and a place to put your stuff. And they almost always have vending machines with cheap beer and other beverages. Downsides are the soullessness and the small rooms.

Ryokan are dressed up minshuku. Although an interesting experience, better value is often found by paying for a nice dinner out on the town and staying at a business hotel or minshuku (whichever is available).

Surviving tatami rooms - if there are multiple futons in the linen cabinet, pile 2 on top of each other, or pile up the comforter on top of the futon. This is probably not community-spirited, but makes a huge difference for your hips and shoulders. Consider carrying a sheet sack if you like sheets. Bean-filled pillows are also less than ideal if you are used to a fluffy pillow. Instead, fold over the end of the futon or wrap the pillow with something soft, or roll up a comforter to use as a pillow.

Food -
Breakfast - major cities have lots of bakeries, some of which discount pastries/bread in the afternoon. Buy a couple on your way back to the hotel after a long day out, and have them for breakfast. Combined with some canned coffee, this is the cheapest and most satisfying breakfast you will find in Japan. If in a minshuku that includes breakfast, be prepared for rice with miso soup and fish - tasty, but hard to stomach for more than 3 days straight.

Eat lunch at cafes, and order the set lunch. Always fun and often quite good, and it removes the language barrier. You typically get tea or coffee included, which typically comes after the meal. In areas with high gaijin traffic, you will often be asked if you want your drink before or after.

Do not eat in "Chinese" diner/restaurants in Japan, no matter how alluringly inexpensive the food is. Just not worth it. Do not order "Chinese" food in izakayas, unless it is gyoza or fried rice which is hard to screw up.

Spanish and French food can be amazing in Japan. Italian is a bit oriented towards pizza and pasta, but the Japanese take on these can be quite tasty. Mexican should be avoided - the ingredients are just not available. We have found some decent south asian food - Indian, Thai - but also some poor interpretations of these complex cuisines.

Dinner in nice restaurants tends to be fairly expensive in Japan. You can often get the same food for half price at lunch. So we tended to avoid going out to dinner in Okinawa, where the izakayas all seem to serve the same food that is not terribly appealing to us. On mainland, we tried to find a small izakaya or bistro for a light meal and a couple drinks.

Desserts in Japan often suffer from the worldwide problem of looking better than they taste. However, in general portion sizes and sugar levels are more reasonable than in the west. And some places have amazing desserts, so is can be worth it to take the splurge.

Beer is the national beverage. An average-sized beer should cost less than 500Y. Shochu mixed with green or jasmine tea is a nice low-cal beverage. Many gaijin do not love awamori but it is decent mixed, ie with Calpis and pink grapefruit juice.

Transportation -
Mainland city to city should be done by train, city to village by train or bus. Some rural areas require a car to maximize the experience. Driving in these areas is generally civilised, although slow-going on local roads if you get behind a truck or old person. We rented a car in Kyushu to visit the mountains and found it quite helpful.

Renting a car in Japan is hassle-free. No one tries to scam you to upgrade, or to buy gas from them, or add on some crazy insurance policy. But it is more expensive than the USA, typically 40-60$ a day. Book ahead with an international rental company like Hertz and they will accept your SOFA licence. Otherwise, you must have a current international drivers license (buy before you leave your home nation).

Renting a moped is hugely advantageous on islands like Iriomote or Zamami. You can get a single person 50cc moped with a car license. A SOFA license is OK in some places, but having an international drivers license is required some places and preferred in many. A two-person moped requires a motorcycle international drivers license so, if you have a motorcycle license then buy the international drivers license from from AAA before you leave.

South Island Kitchen

2009-03-27T01:02:00.000-07:00

Location - on the 23, south side of the street, coming from the 58 it is before CocoK's nail salon. Parking in front
Hours: 1800-0100 open 365 days a year. There is an English menu.
http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=8061
http://66.249.89.132/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://izakayatoraji.com/&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522south%2Bisland%2Bkitchen%2522%2Bokinawa%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff&usg=ALkJrhj7FcRtWLB3c7rHhQ8g2iN7kBL1Og
This is a typical izakaya - woodenesque interior, choice of booth or tatami seating, low light. We were worried there was a cover charge because they brought out a mini-plate of chicken on salad, but it actually was complimentary. Beers are 250Y for a small Orion draft, 380Y for Asahi Super Dry. The food menu is Okinawan izakaya standards - sashimi, sushi, fried things, champaru, sauteed things, salads, pizzas. We ordered a variety of dishes:
Edamame - can't go wrong
Okinawan specialty noodle dish - very bland, and the noodles were sticking together
Tuna and avocado carpaccio - two delightful ingredients which unfortunately were drowned in salad dressing
Squid legs and asparagus in butter - the squid legs were tender and tasty, the asparagus a bit overcooked, not bad
Clams in butter - small but tasty morsels
Assorted fried bits - only tried the eggplant, which was quite good
French fries - thin McDonald's style
Didn't try the tekka-maki and yakitori, but they looked pretty standard
Prices were 380-700Y, which most dishes in the 500-700 range. So, like the Drinking Cat place, the food was not memorable but the beers are inexpensive (for Okinawa).

Cafe clover

2009-02-21T00:05:00.001-08:00

Location: Chatan, in the Junkyard area, behind the rows of orange track homes and just south of the baseball pitch. It is up on a little hill, manicured with herbs and flowers. Park in front.

Hours: 11:30 to 1600, closed on a Sunday once when we tried to stop by

http://r.tabelog.com/okinawa/A4703/A470304/47002409/

Cafe clover is a pleasant, IKEA inspired space. Lots of natural light and light wood. Out the back there is a small veggie garden, in the front is fresh mint and basil. We went for the lunch set, which is 1260Y. You start with a cheese and rice ball as an appetizer, which is brought out sitting on top of the sawed-off mouth of a wine bottle. Then, you get the main plate, pictured to the side. There is a hearty miso soup with chunks of tofu and potato. There is a small green salad with a beautiful light dressing. There is brown rice topped in thinly sliced seaweed, dressed with a delicate sesame flavour. The two smaller dishes we cannot adequately describe as we are not sure exactly what they were, but both were interesting and beautifully presented, if slightly bland. The middle dish was stewed daikon topped in vinegared sliced veggies, with a few breaded bits of pork. The meat and daikon were yummy, though we are not partial to vinegared veggies. A healthful and lovely meal in the organic Japanese style, with impeccable presentation. Also included in the meal is a palate-cleaning sorbet, ours was lemon-ginger and really fantastic.

The dessert was the best part of the meal. We don't even know what to call it. Served in a wine glass, it was a mousse-like concoction with little chunks of banana and something crunchy like small rice crispies, with toasted granola on top. Absolutely divine and original. This is served with choice of coffee or tea. The coffee is drip, but not as bitter as the drip coffee served at many other cafes on island, and comes with a small pitcher of cream and brown sugarcubes. This is a classy meal and a worthwhile experience, but mostly suited for those who enjoy the fairly subtle flavours of organic Japanese cooking.

Kebab's

2009-02-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

Location: Chatan on the 58, 2nd floor of Obbligato building
Hours: open for lunch on Fri-Sun, otherwise dinner only, unsure what day closed
Kebab's has decent ocean view, at least until yet another apartment building or hotel goes up between it and the water. We went for lunch, hoping for a set meal. The lunch set offers only one type of curry (masala, choose the meat/veg for approx 1000Y) with naan. Salad and drink cost extra. However, all the other dishes are available a la carte, with most curries in the 800-1200Y range. Rice and naan are extra, around 200Y for a small serve of rice or a decent sized naan. We ordered two different curries, one was chana masala and the other we can't quite remember but also tomato based. We ordered them hot, and to our surprise they actually were spicy. The curries were less creamy than at Krishna, although there was plenty of oil. They were also using the right types of spices, like real cardamom. So the curries were decent, but not that memorable. And they both tasted quite similar. Given the lack of a real discount at lunch, it probably makes more sense to go at dinner. And to get two dramatically different curries (like a masala and spinach paneer).

Obbligato

2009-02-05T00:26:00.000-08:00

Location: Chatan, on the 58 north of Mihama village
Hours: not sure 9261888, http://www.obbligato.co.jp/index.html
There are three branches of Obbligato in Okinawa, each selling TexMex food. We ended up here after a couple other nearby places were closed. I had very very low expectations of this place. There was a mixed crowd on gaijin on their lunch break and Japanese people. Almost all the tables were full. We ordered the beef soft tacos (approx 600), the carnitas wrap (approx 700), and guacamole (300Y). This came with one of the blandest tomato salsas we have ever had, and bottomless ice tea. The soft tacos were made with flour tortilla, oily ground beef, lettuce, and cheese. The carnitas wrap was a larger flour tortilla with a few chewy chunks of carnitas, lettuce, and cheese. It was all edible, and not terribly different from other TexMex available on island. In this way, Obbligato exceeded my expectation. But it was not great by any stretch of the imagination. And we don't get the name - obligado means thank you in Portuguese, but in Spanish it means obligatory or compulsory. Hmmm.

Flower festival and Okinawan village, Ocean Expo Park

2009-01-31T03:40:00.000-08:00

Location: park in P3 at Ocean Expo Park; most of the action is around the staircase which leads down to a viewing area of Ie, with the Aquarium on the right and the traditional Okinawa village Time: Jan 24-Feb 22, 8am - 6pm. On weekends there are street performers and larger crowds The Japanese are great at colour, gardens, and ridiculous cuteness, and this festival has all three. There are also tons of cheesy photo opportunities. For flower lovers, there is also a flower festival at Shuri castle during this same timespan. And the Okinawa International Orchid Show is going on at the lovely Tropical Dream Center (admission 670Y).

When we had enough of the colour, we wandered around the Okinawan village. Not sure how we missed this area on prior visits to Ocean Expo park, but it is quite worthwhile. There are life-size models of lots of different traditional buildings - farmer's homes, a priestess home, granaries, stables, pigpens, and a botanical garden of typical Ryukuan plants.

Drinking Cat Izakaya

2009-01-30T18:42:00.000-08:00

Location - next to the Sushi-go-round just outside of Lester gate 1, behind the Urtore building, park in the large lot in front. This is a chain, the mascot is a cat with a headband drinking an alcoholic beverage.
Hours: 1800-
We ended up here on a Monday night, after stopping by several other places in the area, all of which were closed. We were delighted to find that beers were 1/2 off between 1800-2000, bringing them down to very reasonable prices (350-->175 for a lady's size Orion, 450-->225 for a large Orion). You can sit at a table or on tatami. Standard izakaya food was also reasonable priced, with most dishes 350-700Y each. Things we tried:
Tuna-avocado spring rolls - quite a tasty fusion snack
Tekka-maki - fine, nothing flash
Yakisoba - a decent amount of cabbage, but nothing to remember particularly
Fried cheese with strawberry jam - like something you would by frozen in a bag at the supermarket and heat up in a toaster oven
"Chinese" fish and mushroom in sauce - it is probably best to avoid "chinese" food in Japan
Grilled squid - nice portion size, tender, but just not as delicious as the grilled squid we've had in other countries
Gyoza - a little bland, but large
8 drinks and lots of food came to 5400Y, so even if all the food wasn't fantastic you had to leave happy.

Tejas MC

2009-01-30T16:45:00.000-08:00

Location: north of Nago, in Iramina. Take the 58 north from Kyoda, get through Nago, and keep travelling north past the entire Motobu peninsula. The road that goes to Yagagi island is the Makiya intersection. Keep going, the next light is the Iramina intersection. Turn right, and take the small road on the left instead of a sharper turn right. There is a sign there for Tejas. At the next decent-sized street, turn right (a sign indicates this turn as well). There is a white 2 storey house on your left decorated with christmas lights and the Tejas sign. This is it. Park in front or on the street, let yourself in the gate, and enter.
Hours: 12-3, 6-10, closed Tues and Wed http://tejasmc.blogspot.com/
Cesar and his wife run this side business from their home. He is a Texan of Mexican descent and cooks up Tex-Mex food using whatever he can source locally. He grows his own chiles and cilantro in season, and goes to some trouble to import Negra Modela and Dos Equis beers (600-800Y each). We had the enchilada and soft taco sets, both 1200Y. The enchiladas were pretty good, with a flavourful sauce and not too much cheese. The beans were reminiscent of a mild vegetarian american-style chili, heavy on the tomato paste. The salsa was decent, although lacked any kick likely due to the jalapenos being out of season. The soft tacos were made with flour tortilla, seasoned ground beef, lettuce, and shredded Monterrey jack cheese, so very typically american tex-mex. Our preference is for mexican tacos, which are made of grilled corn tortilla, more heavily flavoured meats (or rajas), onion and cilantro, and several different varieties of salsa. Still though, you have to commend him for trying to produce food containing ingredients that are simply not available on Okinawa. House wine was 550Y a glass, Orion 600Y. His blog also discusses specialty cocktails and seasonal desserts. Best part was he lit us a candle and played Vincente Fernandez as we dined. Que romantico!

Sakura viewing on Yaedake

2009-01-30T16:18:00.000-08:00

Location: Motobu peninsula off of the 84. The main sakura-viewing road starts just outside of Motobu town and has a dirt parking area and tent stall selling veggies and cotton candy/fairy floss. There are Orion lanterns strung up along the road. There are multiple streets that connect the 84 with this road.
Hours: less traffic on weekdays, but more excitement with the carnival games and food stalls on weekends. Feb 1-2 is a big festival weekend. On our visit yesterday, the sakura was at 70%.

We love the Japanese custom of viewing sakura in the spring. The color is beautiful, the symbolism is heady, and one has to appreciate the foresight in planting all these cherry trees decades ago. Yaedake is a great place to see the sakura. It is an interesting and leisurely drive, with sakura lining almost the entire route along 84, and then the mountain road provides glimpses of the pink-bordered road winding away from you. There are fantastic views of Ie-jima from the top. Be in the lookout for people stopping randomly to capture the perfect photo of themselves with a sprig of sakura, or a wildlife shot of one of the tiny green birds that flit from blossom to blossom. And be aware many of these people are in rental cars, and will take the middle of the road to avoid scratching their car with low-lying sakura branches.

Yaedake was also the site of a major WW2 battle, and if you take some of the sidestreets you might see hide-out caves, steel jungly trails, memorials to the dead, and signs indicating movement of forces. Like so many other areas on Okinawa, you can envision here what a horrible experience it would have been to be a soldier on either side of the conflict, trudging up these unforgiving hills with a 50lb bag under heavy grenade and machine gun attack.

All along the road there are stalls selling the local citrus varieties. Charmingly, many of these are honour-system stands where you put your coins in a box and take your bag of produce. Small bags are approx 250Y, larger ones 500Y. The ground is littered with citrus peels at many of the veiwing spots along the road.

There are a variety of eating options around Yaedake. Okinawahai has posts on Ufuya, a local bakery, and a cafe. http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2007/03/ufuya-big-house.html, http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/japanese_culture/ (scroll down to middle of loaded page), http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2009/01/adventure-to-the-british-wine-and-tea-shop.html. We have not visited any of these establishments yet.

During prior visits to Motobu, we have eaten at Kishimoto (the famous soba shop in Motobu town) and a cafe around the corner from there specializing in taco rice. Most recently, we dined at Tejas MC (see next post).

Tonneau

2009-01-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

Location: Okinawa City, off the 75; if heading north on the 330/75, turn right at A+W and Daikon-no-hana just after passing the 224. The restaurant is on the right after a short distance (see Okinawahai for more explicit directions)
Hours: 1700- daily English menu, waitstaff with rudimentary English
http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=140&article=41806
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/12/tonneau---the-barrel-restaurant.html http://www.okinawakuukan.com/index/shop/food/okinawac/tonneau/index.html (phone number on this site)
This is a popular gaijin hang out, on a Saturday night to place was 80% non-Japanese. Reservations are advisable on weekend nights, especially for big groups. The draw for most seems to be the craziness of the building. They have maintained the barrel shape and feeling inside the restaurant as well. Shoes come off at the entrance and seating is on two levels including bar areas and large sunken tables. Many tables are designed for groups of 8, with tons of room in the center of the table for the food and drink (which means you are far away from your friends sitting across from you). Kids can hang out around these large tables without any difficulty. You summon your waitstaff with a phone, and otherwise they leave you alone.
We went in a big group for a birthday. There is a cover charge (reportedly 700Y), for which they bring you an appetizer. We dislike cover charges in restaurants. The beers are cheap, but not as much as one might expect given the cover charge - 420Y for a large Kirin, 500Y+ for Yebisu and Sapporo brands. They have Yebisu black, for those who like dark beer. The group ordered a huge amount of food - too much really. The portion sizes here are larger than the average izakaya, so be conservative in ordering. Prices are 400-900Y per item generally. Things we tried:
Spicy garlic potatoes - these were neither spicy nor garlicky. They were home-style french fries, and not particularly nice ones
Tuna rolls - Quite unpleasant - the outside was covered in bonito flakes, which overwhelmed the flavor of the salmon and tuna inside the roll. Would have benefited instead from a bit of avocado or roe to tie the flavors together
Fried whole white fish (guruken) - a bit overcooked, not a fantastic batter, but presented attractively
Yakitori - the beef was tasty, as was the mushroom and bacon (cured ham, really), but the eggplant yakitori was disgusting and inedible. We have no idea how one might destroy a perfectly good eggplant, but they managed it
Salad of the season - this looked nice, but was a disappointment. Too much cabbage, mealy tomatoes, only a couple chunks of cucumber, a minimal amount of shredded daikon, and a mayonnaisey dressing which was not very good
Charcoal roasted squid - this was pretty good, not overcooked, and came with mayonnaise. The tentacle to body ratio was a little low, ie not enough tasty tentacles.
Korean beef - this was OK, but not spicy and the thinly sliced beef felt coated with something
Yakisoba - lots of noodle, not very much vegetable, and too oily
So, the food was hit or miss, mostly miss. Other people seem to love this restaurant, so maybe there are some stand-out items on the menu that we didn't order. But we left with the feeling we should have had dinner beforehand and just had the mandatory appetizer, edamame, and beer.
On an up note, the place is so cavernous no one noticed or cared that we brought a little birthday cake from a local patisserie, lit a candle, and sang happy birthday.

Petit-Voyage cafe

2009-01-09T22:33:00.000-08:00

Location: Ginowan, on the 81, west of the House of 66 cents, on the south side of the street. Parking is right in front of the shop, or just up the hill a bit there is a side street in front of a few shops where you can park

Hours: 12-2200 closed Mondays and randomly other times
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/12/petit-voyage.html

This is a tiny, attractive cafe, with whitewashed walls, photos of Paris, and shelves full of photography books and old cameras. Lunch options are soup set, sandwich set, pasta set, and vegetable curry set (around 900Y). These can be combined with beverage (approx 200Y) or beverage + dessert (400Y). We got the sandwich set, the veg curry, and also accidentally ordered the pasta as well. The sandwich set was delicious fresh bread with two small portions of spreads, a salad, and a cup of yummy soup for bread-dipping. The veg curry is roasted vegetables and a slightly spicy brown sauce with rice. This needed more salt, but was tasty. The pasta was tomato sauce with Camembert chunks - a creative idea, and better than some oversweetened tomato sauces one finds in Okinawa, but not as appealing as the other two dishes. The coffee was OK, not great, but did come with a mini-pitcher of milk. We skipped dessert. Overall, a very pleasant cafe lunch experience, and a place one could easily linger looking at their books.

Hearth cafe

2009-01-09T22:23:00.001-08:00

Location: Sunabe seawall, at the northern end of the road right by Junkyard, park on the seawall.
Hours: everyday 0630-2200, lunch is 1130-1630
This cafe has an outdoor patio that fronts the seawall - although you can't see the water, you can hear it. We stopped by for a lunch set (1000Y). This includes mini-cup of soup, main, drink, and dessert. The soup was proprietary chicken broth with tiny pieces of onion. We had a bacon-lettuce-tomato-cucumber-cream cheese sandwich and an open faced salad sandwich. The former had a couple issues - the bread was not toasted, there was too much cream cheese, and the tomato was grainy. The latter also left something to be desired - the dressing was distractingly mayonnaisey and despite chopped nuts and a few pieces of cured duck and proscuttio, it just didn't feel like a full meal. The dessert was a dry and unappealing piece of chocolate cake. The best part of the meal was the drink selection - options included a small glass of Orion, wine or sangria, or coffee/tea/juices.
We really wanted to like the food here, because it was quite pleasant to sit outside by the seawall and have a beer. But it just wasn't that good.

New Years on Iriomote

2009-01-06T23:37:00.001-08:00

Getting there and away:

ANA and JAL both fly frequently to Ishigaki for approx 500US$, sometimes less. From Ishigaki airport, the city bus (200Y) or taxi (1000Y) take you to the port. From there, you hop on the ferry to Iriomote. Ferries leave every 1-2 hours, and go to Ohara and Uehara. There are a couple companies, so only buy round trip tickets if your company offers a return ferry that is convenient. In poor weather, the ferry goes only to Ohara, then you get on a bus to Uehara (approx 2000Y one way). When purchasing the ferry ticket, you will get a bus transfer ticket as well. Getting around: the bus runs from end to end about 7 times a day, and costs 130Y for 1-2 stops and approx 1000Y for the whole distance. A 3 day pass can be bought for 1500Y, which also includes 10% off Iriomote's primary attractions. A 1 day pass is 1000Y. As the bus is not terribly convenient, many people rent cars. In Uehara, rental agencies include Yamenote, the gas station, and some of the pensions. We paid 5500Y for 12 hours which included insurance. An international drivers license (not a SOFA license) is required on Iriomote.

Resources:

The minshuku Kanpira-so maintains an excellent website full of helpful information about Iriomote. http://www.kanpira.com/english/ We also used the Lonely Planet Japan, the LP Hiking in Japan, and Paul Hunt's book about hiking in Japan. On island, try to get a copy of the colourful Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park map and the public bus schedule. In Ishigaki, our taxi driver handed us a copy of the helpful Yaeyama English language version booklet published by Yokoso Japan.

What to do:

Iriomote's interior is unsettled by humans and blanketed in dense subtropical forest. There are multiple river systems with intact mangrove estuaries. Most visitors experience these through a boat/canoe/kayak trip up either the Urauchi or Nakama rivers. The Urauchi river trip is 1800Y and runs about every hour starting at 9:30am. The schedule is pictured on this post. The boat docks and visitors then walk 2km up an easy trail to the impressive Kanpire waterfall. This trip was well patronized on January 1, but there was still room on the boat. In high season it could be quite hectic. Kanpire waterfall is the start point for the cross-island hike. Behind the boat launch (starting from the employee parking area), there is a somewhat overgrown trail that leading about 2km to the Utara coal mine ruins, and interesting site to observe the way nature obliterates man-made structures over time.

The cross island hike: this is a demanding 22km hike across the island, starting at Kanpire and ending at Otomi (north of Ohara). It requires much advance preparation. A permit must be downloaded from the Kanpire-so website and filled out with the assistance of a Japanese-speaker. This must be dropped off at the koban in Funuara (behind the community center) and an agreement made to call the police upon return to inform them of your safety. The lady at the Uehara boat ticket office will request to see a copy of the form before selling you the tickets. There are no half price tickets - you pay the full 1800Y to go one way to Kanpire. As you board the boat, she and her colleagues will laugh and wish you good luck with a tone of voice that indicates they expect you to return later that day. The hike is fantastic, scenic, and rewarding, but quite tiring. The trail is marked with red and pink tape on trees and occasional signs, but there are still several areas where the course is unclear due to landslides or other changes in the landscape. A GPS with trail markers programmed in comes in very handy. The first day includes non-stop uphill and downhill on the slope north of the Urauchi river, dodging fallen trees, navigating rivers and landslides, and generally making about 0.5km/hr worth of progress. We camped at kilometer 12 when it started to get dark. The second day was slightly less demanding, but still involved lots of crawling, pebble-hopping, and hill-climbing. The last 8km are on a gravel/asphalt forestry road and then the paved streets into Otomi. This is much easier walking, but feels long after doing the previous 14km. At Otomi, one can catch the bus to town for accomodations. The last bus of the day is at 1654. It is not advisable to plan on doing the hike in one day, especially in winter. There is just not enough daylight. And if you go self-guided, inevitably you will get lost once or have to trek further than you were expecting due to river rapids or landslides. Two days is much more comfortable, and of course during a hike like this one should be prepared with rain gear, a warm dry place to hang out in foul weather, water filtration capability, back-up food. There are plenty of streams and rivers to filter water so you don't have to carry too many kilos of water. Long sleeve shirt, pants, and sturdy gloves are also recommended, as the trails are narrow, steep, overgrown in places, full of obstacles, and often require holding on to vines/trees/plants to steady yourself. A walking stick is handing of the same reason. Along the way, we encountered two ticks on our pants and a leech on our bag. Thus, one should consider permethrin on clothing, DEET on exposed body parts, and a thorough self-exam for parasites at the conclusion of the hike. During winter, mosquitos were not a significant issue, but would be bad in warmer weather. Doing this hike in rain or the summer heat would be quite unpleasant.

Other diversions: We rented a car on our final day and explored the island. The Sumiyoshi peninsula is worth exploring, both for the Star-Sand beach and for the abandoned golf-course/cottages that overlook some lovely cliffs. Kayaking trips can be arranged out of Shirahama in the pretty Funauki bay, or in the lagoon next to Funuara followed by a hike to Pinaisara falls (which most guidebooks say requires a guide). A quick stop in at the Omiya Road park is also nice - there are walkways through the mangroves and steps to a river. Lots of tourists, especially the tour-bus set, do the water-buffalo cart ride to Yubu island, but we don't see the appeal. They herd you into an oversized cart crrying 8-10 people, which then goes the short distance across the sand bar at low tide. The cost is approx 1200Y. If you don't like the idea of the water-buffalo cart, they even charge you to walk across the sand bar.

The Iriomote Onsen is worth a trip after a long day of hiking or kayaking. It is set inland from the main road, between Funuara and Yubu island. The entrance to the complex is marked by dark signs with white kanji (so write them down in advance to help find it); the hours are 1200-2200. It is not far from a pastel multicottaged "Eco" lodge. The bus drives right to the main entrance. Admission is 1500Y, which is steep for an onsen. Towels are 100Y extra, so bring your own towel (a larger one is preferrable to a little face cloth). There are 2 baths, a sauna, and the showers in the single sex area, which is clothes off. Outdoors, there are 5 different rotemburo which are mixed gender and require swimsuits. One is ambient temperature, so was unused in winter. Another is rock lined and covered with a wooden shelter so a nice place to hide from the rain. The other three are simpler baths of slightly different temperatures. There is a creek running along the property which has been planted with attractive tree ferns and is visible from the women's bathing area and two of the three outdoor baths. There is no ocean view. Vending machines offer Orion and non-alcoholic beverages.

Where to stay:

We stayed at Kanpire-so as their website was so outstanding. We made advance reservations but didn't need them - it wasn't excessively crowded on the island over New Years. On the 31st, there were 10 guests, but they trickled out and by our last night on the 4th there were only 4 guests. We got a tatami room with bathroom, shower, bathtub, with breakfast and dinner inclusive for 6000Y pp per night. The room was clean and good-sized, although the futons were on the slender size. We augmented them with our camping sleep mats. Hot water is available only from 1600-2200, so plan accordingly. The proprietors were extremely helpful, despite our poor understanding of Japanese. The dinners were superlative - delicious oden and yaeyama soba, sushi, sauteed fish and chicken, miso with seafood, and dessert. The breakfasts were filling and included toast with multiple tropical fruit jams, miso and rice, fish, eggs, salad, and other tasty bits. Each of these varied day to day. There is a communal fridge downstairs to store your Orion beer.

What to eat:

Most people eat at their minshukus/hotels/resorts for breakfast and dinner. We had lunch at Kitchen Inaba, just north of the Urauchi river mouth. They offer lots of lunch sets for approx 1000Y each. The waitstaff can translate the menu for you. The soup and coffee were mediocre. The mains were tasty and beautifully presented - we had a tempura set and a nice river crab soup. We dined at Kake-ta on the main drag in Uehara, just east of the port, which boasts a decorative motif of cats and paw prints and offers Italian garlicky food. They have an English menu and English-sepaking waitstaff. We had a delicious seafood-mayo-cheese pizza (2000Y) which was topped in whole oysters, shrimp, scallops, and other yumminess. We also got the house sauteed vegetables (1200Y), a lovely mix of bok choy and another unidentified by delicious green veg. Beers were 600Y each but at least they were large. The restaurant has a couple tables inside and a larger outdoor covered patio-bar. For self-catering, there is a good convenience store in Uehara, across the street from Kanpire-so. They have reasonable alcohol (large beers 280Y+), snacks (frozen pineapple on a stick 100Y), and gifts.

Side-trip: a cruise around Ishigaki

On our return journey we rented a car for 3hrs (5000Y) and drove around the bottom part of Ishigaki. We got the car from the Nissan rental agency (they do take SOFA status licenses) across the street from the port; their actual offices are in the middle of town and they do free shuttles to there and the airport. Service was impeccable, but should be for that price. In three hours one can go up the west coast, check out some scenic overlooks, swing by Kabira park and nearby beaches, head east on the 79 until turning right into the Omoto tunnel and the 87, then stop by the overlook at Banna park. Those with more time could go to the botanical gardens at Takada. Another way to spend a few hours on Ishigaki would be to take the ferry to Taketomi (departures every 30min, cost approx 550 one way) and walk around there for awhile. There is not much to see in Ishigaki City, it takes about an hour to stroll around town and see a couple shrines. On Ishigaki, we ate at Freshness burger, which was quite bad. MOS is great by comparison.

Chuunaga Spring on Foster

2008-12-28T16:32:00.000-08:00

Across the street from the bento box lady and Petit-Voyage on the 81 is a historical placard and some stone work. This is apparently the entrance to an old natural spring complex. From the 81, you can go down the steps and then run into the fence-line for Foster. This site shows the entrance: http://withoutasound.web.fc2.com/ginowan/kiyuna_gusuku_site/index.html. We went looking for the Chuunuga spring, to see if it could be visited from inside the base perimeter. Turns out it is located behind the recycling dump area and a parking area for Marine Corps buses, at the most southern part of Foster (where is abuts the 81). The spring unfortunately is fenced in. There look to be two or three different water spouts and a collection of ponds and waterways. We saw a turtle swimming in one of them. A stone path connects the spring with the entrance point on the 81. As you walk along this hillside, you discover old foundations of buildings and tombs, including a very pretty old turtleback-style tomb. You can almost feel the vibracy of the pre-war Okinawan community that lived, worked, bathed, and died in this area.

Morikawa park

2008-12-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

Location: Ginowan, at the southwestern corner of Futenma. Turn left at the first light after Mashiki north intersection, and then make another left at the next decent sized street. The parking lot for the park will be visible from the road. This site has a photo of the entry gate and attractions: http://withoutasound.web.fc2.com/ginowan/morikawa_park/index.html There is no entry fee.

This is a pleasant multi-level park with some nice historical attractions. The natural spring is beautifully maintained/restored, which allows you to visualize it as an important community asset and sacred place. The whole spring is overgrown with ferns and mosses, and there are little fish swimming in the water. Next to the spring is a grassy field with pine trees and a lovely old stone gate. Then you cross back over the spring and head up the stairs to the viewing platform and another grassy field which abuts Futenma. There is a nice view over Chatan and Ginowan and the sea. Returning down the hill, you pass a large stone slide for adventurous children and then an overgrown and locked clay tennis court.

Bento box lady on the 81

2008-12-27T16:34:00.000-08:00

Location: route 81, a short walk west from Petit-Voyage cafe
Hours: unknown
We tried to go to Petit Voyage (http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/12/petit-voyage.html) but they were closed in preparation for an evening music event. Hungry, but tired of driving, we walked to this this tiny shopfront and bought a couple bento boxes. The blue doors are only obvious when she is closed, but the shop can be identified by the red kanji and Coca-cola sign. When she is open, there are two old metal and plastic tables out front.

We right away understood why this place is so popular among Okinawan workmen. She sells a large bento with generous portions of either fish or fried meat for only 400Y. This comes with a bowl of soba noodles in a delightful broth. We shared a bento that featured mackerel in miso sauce over rice, a fried fish patty, some greens, and a vermicelli salad, and it was plenty of food for two. The bento, while not spectacular, was better than the ones for sale at Family Mart/Lawsons/Jusco. She conveniently sells jasmine tea and has both drinks and cigarettes vending machines. The tables out front have an ocean view. This makes the cheapest meal with an ocean view we've ever had.

Nakagusuku area

2008-12-26T02:13:00.000-08:00

Location: the 146 is a scenic drive past old houses and tombs, lots of bougainvilleas, Nakamura's house, and the ruins of Nakagusuku castle

Castle: hours 8:30a to 5p, admission 300Y

Nakamura house: 9-5:30p, admission 500Y

This is a great area to explore on a sunny winter's day. Nakamura house is attractively landscaped and offers an interesting view into Okinawa's past. About an hour is plenty of time to contemplate the tile, wood, tatami, and ceramics. http://www4.ocn.ne.jp/~knaka/english/.

Down the road, the Nakagusuku castle ruins are quite impressive. You can walk over the curved walls and enjoy views over both coasts. There is a nice open grassy area which is reminiscent of a college lawn, and equally suitable for lying in the sun or having a picnic. There is ongoing renovation at the site. http://www.jcastle.info/castle/profile/109 For more info about other castle sites on Okinawa, including opening hours and admission charges: http://jasonkimball.org/tag/castle/

From the Nakagusuku castle site (past he Kanja gama/Main gate area), you can walk to an abandoned hotel complex that is popular among photographers. It is also a stop on the Haunted Okinawa tours. The complex is really large, with communal baths, tatami and western-style rooms, open halls, a bar, dining rooms, a kitchen, and lots of other rooms with an unclear purpose. Many walls are covered in graffiti, some of it not bad. http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/10/haunted-hotel.html http://www.stumpyjoe.com/okinawaArchive/oct.html From the abandoned hotel you can keep walking along the path passing lots of old tombs; this is the Hanta trail which continues across the hill and down the ridge. This historic trail reportedly courses from Shuri to Nakagusuku. About 800m from the castle there was a sign indicating it was another kilometer to Perry's banner rock. We haven't yet found good information about starting the trail from the Shuri side. Currently there is construction going on at the trail that leads directly from the Hanta trail to Nakagusuku castle. This is bypassed by walking through the abandoned hotel area. For more info about this segment of the Hanta trail: http://joomla.planetfleming.com/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=3

Bicycling on the 58

2008-12-16T22:21:00.001-08:00

Location: between Diamond Beach (Seragaki) and Busena is a stretch of the 58 that hugs the coast and is relatively flat. Park across from the Oriental Hills complex in the turnoff, right by Diamond beach and head north from there.

On a sunny winters day, this is a beautiful and leisurely bike ride. There are virtually no pedestrians on the footpath (sidewalk), so it makes a great place to ride and enjoy the scenery. For most of the distance, the path is wide enough for two bicyclists to ride side by side. In a few spots, it cuts through towns and the path narrows and care must be taken in crossing the small streets as cars tend to peek out of them. There is convenience store at Kariyushi beach to toilet and buy refreshments. All along the way there are tracks down to the beach. The beach south of Miyuki is especially nice for a long walk.

Cafe Laputo

2008-12-08T22:22:00.000-08:00

Location: Chatan, on the north side of the 23, across from American Family Housing and the Rabbit car dealership.
Hours: lunch 11:30-2:30, dinner unknown No English menu, limited English spoken by staff
Sora was overrun with customers, so we ended up here instead. The exterior seemed promising, with a garden surrounding the parking lot, a decent wooden patio deck, and an Open sign on a French flag. Once inside, though, we realized we had made a mistake but there was no turning back. The interior decor had all the cheesy plastic Japanese diner flourishes - blue swirls in the ceiling with constellations on them, plastic pseudo-stained glass coating on glass surfaces, cheap fake-wood tables and chairs, harsh lighting, and annoying Japanese pop playing over the sound system. You choose a main among diner standards (approx 800Y) - hamburg (ie ground meat patty covered in creamy sauce), "beef stroganoff," pasta with either meat sauce or Japanese sauce (fish egg and seaweed), or locomoko. For another 250Y you get access to the salad, soup, and drink bar. The salad bar was lettuce, cucumber, tomato, tinned beans, tinned corn, seaweed, macaroni salad, and a couple proprietary dressings. The soup bar had a bad miso soup and a bland tomato-vegetable. We had the beef stroganoff, which was fatty beef in brown sauce with a couple slices of tinned mushrooms, and the Japanese pasta, which was the worst version of this dish we've had in Japan. Even worse than at Zen. The highlight of the meal was the dessert - the waitstaff allow you to choose among approx 6 options. We had a mango layered pudding-cake and a creme caramel. Each was only acceptable, but much better than the rest of the meal. We are pained to write such a negative review of a Japanese cafe, especially one as well patronized as this, but the food was of poor quality and had the unmistakable stench of cafeteria-line mass-production. And it cost more than lunch at Sora, with its divine Japanese veggie buffet. Alas, you win some, you lose some.

Kamakura

2008-12-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

Getting there and away: from Tokyo this is an easy day trip. Again, look to http://www.japanrail.com/JR_hyperdia.html for your best route. The Yokosuka line runs via Kamakura (approx 1 hour). The LP widely suggests getting off the train at Kita-Kamakura, and walking south into town. This allows a visit to Engaku-ji (200Y), which had fantastic fall foliage. Next along we also stopped into low-key Tokei-ji (100Y), which was a women's refuge, and enjoyed wandering through their hillside cemetery. Further along, Kencho-ji (300Y) is worth a visit for the Zen garden and impressive wooden structures. Soon the concentration of shops, restaurants, and tourists increases dramatically. The sheer volume of tourism here is amazing. We strayed onto a back street and found a diner doing rice bowl with seafood sets for about 1000Y. One can take a short train ride from Kamakura Station to Hase via the Enoden Enoshima line (not the JR line). Your PASMO card is still good here. Hase boasts the famous and impressive Daibutsu, every tourist taking the cliche shot of Buddha's huge bronze head. The Hase-dera temple is not far from there, but had closed for the evening by the time we walked past. In winter, the temples close at 4:30. So, at dusk one can either linger in the souvenir shops and local cafes, or get back on the train to Tokyo. Certainly, there is a lot more to see in this area for those with the time. The LP lists a couple hotels for 10000Y. A bicycle may come in handy on the outskirts of town, but Kamakura proper has too much pedestrian traffic to navigate by bike.

Tokyo again

2008-12-05T17:27:00.000-08:00

Getting there and away: This time we flew Skymark, which offered by far the most inexpensive fare to Tokyo. Even though they are the discount airline in Japan, the service, seats, and snacks were all as good as JAL or ANA. Taking the train and metro into the city is not difficult, involves 1-2 changes or line, and costs around 700Y. Hyperedia is a fantastic website that will plot out your journey in Japan - just enter the start point and destination and it will list different ways to get there, in order of quickest to slower. http://www.japanrail.com/JR_hyperdia.html Get a PASMO card and use it throughout your stay. Then get a refund on it at Haneda. Be aware, you cannot get a refund on Suica at any non-JR station. But there are convenience shops in the airport where you can drain down a Suica balance.

Where to stay: We again had reservations at the New Sanno. We discovered they have Japanese tatami suites for approx 80$ a night which include a view of the Zen garden, a superlush and cozy futon, a sitting room, and a deep bathtub. The New Sanno also has a "single room" which is a double bed in a room without a sofa/coffee table. This is several dollars cheaper than the standard double room.

Where to eat: In Hiroo, we enjoyed the Yakitori-ya on the main restaurant road (west from the metro station). It is on the ground floor, with a bar in front of the open kitchen and several long picnic-style tables. Shochu cocktails (try oolong and green tea) and wine are 430Y, beer is 550Y. There is no cover, but a one drink minimum. They have a rotating specials board from which we enjoyed grilled squid, a lovely tuna carpaccio with mustard sauce, a cheese and avocado salad, and gingko nuts. From the main menu we had a sampling of yakitori, especially enjoying the beef, the unagi, and the shitake. Also, the boiled dumplings were quite tasty. There is an English menu and the staff also speak English; the crowd is a nice mix of locals, tourists, Japanese, and gaijin various. We also loved the very small tapas joint called Tres Ramas, which can be reached by walking west on the main restaurant road, making the mandatory left turn, and continuing along that street for a block or two. This is for serious tapas aficiados - there are only 10 chairs at a bar, and the proprietress speaks only Japanese and some Spanish. There is no English menu. She offers wine by the bottle (starting at 2300Y and up) or beer for 600Y. On the bar there are plates of her tapas creations (700-1500Y each) - calamares en su tinta, atun y verduras, albondigas, paella, lentejas, and others. You may also order manchego cheese, jamon iberico, and several other classics like gambas al ajillo and championes rellenos. Each dish was really great, very authentic, and she serves them with bread an a few olives. There were a few other places we enjoyed that are a subway ride away from Hiroo. At Ebisu JR station, on the 5th floor of the ATRE complex, are a bunch of restaurants, including a respectable little Thai joint doing inexpensive lunch sets. There is a fantastic, and very popular, French place called Casse Croute in Meguro (http://www.bento.com/rev/0297.html) which does a 1500Y 3 course lunch set. There is a rotating set menu that allows for choice of 1 of 4 starters, 1 of4 mains, and 1 of 2 desserts. We had the house chartucerie and a white bean soup for starters, mains of roast lamb and white fish with veg in wine sauce, and for dessert a delicious apple cake covered in burnt sugar sorbet. In Roppongi, we went to Moti (http://www.bento.com/rev/0512.html), which has tacky decor and slightly inflated prices, but the curry was better than expected. We also ate some quite unremarkable food. Avoidance of cheap Chinese-Japanese lunch diners is recommended. We also had a couple bentos from the Tokyo Main Station that looked a lot better than they tasted.

What to do: We got a GRUTT pass and tried to take full advantage of it. For 2000Y, you get free or reduced admission to most of Tokyo's museums and galleries. These can be purchased at any participating venue. A list of these can be found on http://www.museum.or.jp/grutto/about-e.html. The pass is good for 2 months after purchase. Admission to museums is 300-1000Y each, so if you will be in Tokyo for more than a few days, you can easily save money. This is especially true if you visit during a rainy period and visit museums to seek shelter from bad weather.

A selection of museums included on the GRUTT pass:

Ebisu and Meguro

The Photography museum in Ebisu had a nice show of photos from USA 1950-70s.

The Meguro Museum of Art had a daring but somewhat uninteresting sampling of aged textiles and photos of scars, hands, and feet.

Especially noteworthy is the Teien Art Museum in Meguro, which is a remarkable Art Deco building with various pieces from the era. Admission also allows a stroll in the gardens. The GRUTT pass also works for the adjacent Center for Nature Study, which is a large and unsculpted green space.

Central Tokyo and Ueno

The Bridgestone museum (Imperial Palace area) has quite an extensive array of impressionist paintings and Rodin sculpture.

The National Museum of Modern Art (Imperial Palace area) boasts an interesting building, an OK collection, and a fantastic rotating display during our visit. It is right across the road from the Imperial Garden area, which is worth a stroll.

The Shitamachi museum is a small space in Ueno park that has a couple of reproduced pre-war urban Tokyo houses, and friendly English speaking guides who explain the exhibits.

Shinjuku

The Sompo museum has a couple of famous pieces, like Sunflowers, and does rotating shows.

Odaiba

The Miraikan museum of emerging science is good for kids with lots of hands-on stations. On a rainy Sunday, this place was overrun with Japanese families and the three eating options in the museum were each packed to capacity. The Maritime Museum has lots and lots of model ships. Be aware that it is some distance from these museums to all the other attractions on Odaiba. It is almost a kilometer to the malls/eating areas and the seaside beach park. The LP discusses an Odaiba metro pass for those who want to spend the whole day there and hop on and off the train system to get from place to place.

We also paid a few admission charges. The Koishikawa Korakuen Garden north of the Imperial Palace is a really beautiful traditional strolling garden (300Y). In Ueno, the National Museum of Western Art (approx 400Y) has a sculpture garden and a couple nice modern pieces mixed in with plenty of dull religious art from earlier periods.

Other city spots worth a visit are Ginza and Shibuya in the evening, especially on weekends. We also enjoyed the Yebisu Beer museum (free, in Ebisu) and the spectacle of its tasting room, where virtually everyone gets the 500Y sampler of 4 beers, but there is the occasional older gentleman who treats the place as an inexpensive bar and downs Guinness after Guinness.

Chibuga Spring on Foster

2008-11-17T23:34:00.000-08:00

Location: for DOD who have access to Foster, this area is behind the barracks near Gate 3 (currently under construction). It is the forested area south of the gate, between the 130 and the road that goes to the Movie Theater/Tsunami Scuba.
There is a grass clearing visible from the road that heads up the hill to the Movie Theater/Exchange/Tsunami complex. We had to wonder why this area was important enough for the contractors to mow every couple of weeks. Turns out it is a natural spring which was important for the town and farms that existed on this site prior to the war. The following article was written in 1999, prior to the renovation of the area. http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=4287. On page 66 of the PDF file (page 59 of the report) the military discusses the renovation of the area: http://www.fws.gov/Endangered/pdfs/DoD/Tech_Notes.pdf.
The spring now babbles out into a 3-sided stone bath-like structure. The spring site has spiritual significance to Okinawans and was a site of village rituals. The spring then empties into the paddock and meets another creek which comes from higher up the mountain. The water is quite clear and clean. Up the hill towards the barracks, there is a row of trees on what feels like an old village road. On the other hill, there are cave tombs and more foliage. The whole place is quite pretty and tranquil, and would make a nice spot for a picnic. As you walk through the area, you get a sense of how difficult it must be for Okinawans with ancestral claims to these lands to allow them to sit inside fences, inaccessible.

Sabani

2008-11-17T22:59:00.000-08:00

Location: Okinawa City, on the street that backs onto the north side of the Gate 2 shopping arcade. The restaurant is on the street that runs tangential to Gate 2 Street and BC street. It is right around the corner from Salon Cuttho. Parking is not straightforward. Either you pay at the lot across the street, or you park at the public lot at the top of BC street and walk.
Hours: 12-2300, unsure which day closed (perhaps Friday) No English menu. The waitstaff will translate the menu options for you.
http://shop.koza.in/shops/sabani/ (for the map, click on the last tab, the one with two kanji, the last of which is has a box around it) http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/11/sabani-has-a-fa.html
Okinawahai provided yet another good restaurant tip. The cafe is crowded with pottery for sale, plants in ceramic pots, light wood tables and chairs, and a few French flourishes, which creates a pleasant if cluttered effect. The lunch set includes soup, main, and ice/hot coffee/tea. The price varies depending on the main selected. Options include BLT, tomato pasta, gorgonzola pasta, roast chicken, Moroccan stew, and a beef dish (900-1500Y). There is a choice of two soups, a potage and a cold pumpkin and coconut. Both the soups were outstanding, pureed smooth, perfectly salted, with a sprig of fresh herb. We both got the Moroccan stew which was a variety of beans in a savory sauce with rice. This was not spicy, but subtle and flavourful. The beans were cooked perfectly, not falling apart but cooked through and creamy (which is difficult when cooking with different sized beans). The coffee was the typical drip variety, but served with a mini-pitcher of real milk. According to the Koza website, there is a 2500Y set dinner, which if true could be quite nice.

Herb Curry Dosha

2008-11-17T22:26:00.000-08:00

Location: Okinawa City, off the 330. Heading north on the 330, pass Gate 2 street and BC street, make the 3rd right after BC street. This turn is into a residential neighborhood. Spot the brightly colored apartment complexes (they will be on your right) and head towards those. The restaurant is on the street that leads to the towers and their parking area.

Hours: 12-2100, closed Wed and Thurs, and some other days (check their blog http://blog.dosha.in/) No English menu, no English speaking staff

http://umaimonda.ti-da.net/e2325040.html; http://www.okikura.jp/shop/292/map

This is an unusual cafe in a strange place, shadowed by the nearby high-rise apartment buildings. There is distressed wood flooring, a wooden bar, mismatched chairs, and two memorable decorative accents - a ladder and a piece of rusting corrugated metal roofing. We did our best at ordering, which was made easier by the fact that really only one thing is served here. She makes a red-brown mild Indian-esque curry sauce and serves it with a plate of rice covered in a variety of toppings. You can choose the toppings individually (choice of 3 for approx 900Y) or get the day's set of toppings. The set comes with a drink of iced/hot coffee/tea and two chutneys. The day's set (approx 1100Y) included toasted garlic slivers, fried onions, raisins, mashed potato, steamed greens, shredded green papaya, and slivered toasted almonds. When all this is brought out on a wooden plank it is unclear exactly what to do with it. We quickly discovered that each ingredient in isolation was not very good, but mixed up together sauce and veggies and chutneys, it was pretty tasty. It would have been improved with a bit of salt, which we did not bring with us. It is a distinctly different kind of curry than at other Indian restaurants on Okinawa, not something we would go back to again and again but certainly a nice change of pace. The portion is a bit small, but enough to hold you over until dinner.

Neko Fresh Fruit Smoothy and Lunch

2008-11-14T17:07:00.000-08:00

Update July 2009 - There is construction next door to this place, and we have not seen it open for quite some time.

Location: Hamby town, from 58 turn west at the Lawsons that is opposite Foster's commissary gate. The restaurant is half a block down the street on the south side.
Hours: 12-2400 closed Wednesday and Thursday. English is spoken.
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/10/amazingly-i-mad.html
This place has a slightly ramshackle, built-from-scratch feel. In the front, there is a walk-up counter to purchase smoothies (500Y) and other drinks. Inside, there are three seating options - at the 4 person bar, a 4 person table on the floor, or a side room with a sofa and coffee table. All of which lack something in the back support arena. The owner has pen drawings of Elvis and Bob Marley up on the walls, in addition to a painting of a half naked mermaid and some time-lapse photos of coloured lights at nighttime. The menu is in Japanese, but the owners will translate the dishes for you. Lunch sets are 850-1500Y depending on which main you choose. Jasmine tea is served with the meal, and you have a choice of ice/hot coffee/tea at the end. They come with a mini-cup of homemade soup - ours was okra and broccoli in a simple broth - and a great antipasti plate. Our plate had a cherry tomato wrapped in prosciutto and drizzled in olive oil, some pickles, a little Japanese-style pickled veggie salad, a piece of fresh tofu in soy, and chunk of salmon coated in herbed breadcrumbs and fried. We selected mid-range mains (1280Y) - tofu in Chinese sauce and Thai-style chicken. These were served in stone bowls over rice. The tofu hotpot was unremarkable, quite similar to the typical Japanese-Chinese diner tofu dish. The chicken dish was served with the chicken partially uncooked, ie pink tinged with white. Aghast, we faced down the prospect of actually returning a dish to the kitchen in Japan, something we have never before done. We asked the proprietor if it was his intention to serve the chicken raw. He replied that it was partially cooked, not raw, and something else I couldn't quite understand. He offered to cook it more if we liked. We felt strange about it, having eating lots of other meats raw or partially cooked, but in our training and experience there are two meats not intended to be raw: chicken (due to salmonella and campylobacter) and pork (due to trichinosis). So we had him cook the meat a bit more. The chicken was thin sliced and tender, but the sauce lacked the citrus-herb-chili punch of a real Thai dish. Dessert was a mini-slice of cheesecake with berry jam, two mini crispy cookies, and a very tasty little pudding. Coffee was drip, serves with prepackaged fake cream. So, an interesting place for its hippie rustic vibe and antipasti plate; perhaps we just ordered wrong on the mains.

Awase fish market restaurant

2008-11-07T15:39:00.000-08:00

Location: Awase, at the port north and slightly west of the Awase Communication Station. See map 20 in the phone book and find the 85 that travels along the water (if you follow that same road south, it becomes the 227 and head to the Prefectural comprehensive park). On this portion of the 85, there is an intersection marked with signs for SanA, MosBurger, "Japanese restaurant" and Kanehide. The stoplight marked on the map north of that is right by the port - turn in there and park. There are alternative directions on the Okinawahai site.
Hours: restaurant 11a-unsure, closed Sunday
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/09/awase-fish-mark.html
This place is really popular with the locals, so we had to try it. Basically, half the fish market is set aside for this restaurant, which has an open kitchen with line chefs, a counter where you pick up your food, and picnic table seating. There is also covered outside seating. As you wander through the tables you see the most popular sets are the lobster with sea urchin sauce, the fried whole fish, the fish tempura, and the fish soup. You approach the register and they will give you an English menu, so you can easily order and pay. You then get a number and hang out in front of the counter until the food arrives. The sets come with rice, miso soup, and tuna sashimi, with all-you-can-drink tea in a teapot. The first time we went, we ordered the lobster set (1800Y). This is a half lobster, covered in sea urchin sauce, and grilled. The Japanese appreciate sea urchin sauce as a delicacy, and put it on a lot of seafood dishes. For the unaccustomed (which includes us), the strong and creamy seafood flavour is a bit overpowering. We ended up scraping off the sea urchin sauce and eating it with the rice, and then eating the lobster plain. The lobster was, unfortunately, a bit overcooked. The tuna sashimi had fantastic texture and taste, and the portion was quite substantial for a side dish. After our first visit, we had to wonder if any of the fish sets were better than the lobster. So, we returned to try the other popular sets - the fish soup (1000Y) and the sauteed whole fish (1200Y). Both of these were disappointing. The fish was overcooked and was covered in a heaping mound of minced raw garlic. The herb in the fish soup was bitter and unpleasant, and the taste of it permeated the broth. The fish tasted vaguely of dirt. Really, the only nice part of the meal was the sashimi.
So, it is unclear to us why this place is so popular with the Japanese. Surely there are other restaurants that do a better job with seafood? Anyway, we will not be returning for a third visit.

Nirai cafe

2008-10-22T01:16:00.000-07:00

Location: Chatan; turn at the Hamagawa intersection heading west, then make the first left turn after the fishing port. At the end of the road turn right, you are driving along the seaside now, and Nirai will be on your right after a couple blocks.
Hours: per website, 12-5 lunch, after that the cafe functions as a bar, closed Wed http://cafe07.ti-da.net/e1587705.html
This is one of the few seaside cafes in Okinawa. The space is quite pleasant, with an outdoor patio, upstairs loft, art on the walls, and a smattering of plants. We had the lunch set (1000Y) which included consomme with pork bits, main, dessert, and ice/cold/ coffee/tea. The main during our visit was baked whitefish with lemon and veg, which was a satisfying lunch. Accompanying the fish were salad greens, a small piece of quiche, and some broccoli florets drizzled in olive oil. None of the components was phenomenal, but taken together this was a delightful and healthy meal. Dessert was a cake roll stuffed with either sweet potato or tea-flavoured custard. A bit cakey for us, but still appreciated alongside the coffee. The cafe also has some interesting books to browse, including one published in 2002 which reviews 100 cafes in Okinawa.
We also reviewed the bar menu, which lists lots of traditional cocktails no one ever orders anymore, like the Gimlet and Sidecar. Glass wine/beer starts at 500Y, most cocktails 500-700Y, fancy drinks more than that. They have a great Awamori menu, translated into English, with the brand and alcohol content, should anyone care to partake in an Awamori tasting.

Addendum 2/21/09: we have been back a couple times since this initial post. Each time we have been more impressed with the food; most recently we had a tasty tonkatsu, and dessert was a lovely light fruity cheesecake instead of the less delightful cake rolls. This is such a mellow place to do a weekend lunch, in the sunshine on the waterfront, with chilled music.

Fukuoka

2008-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Getting there and away: see Nagasaki post

Getting around: Fukuoka has an efficient metro service which charges based on distance traveled, starting at 200Y. There is a central loop bus that costs 100Y and is extremely popular and crowded on weekends. Multiple train lines spoke out to all the rest of Kyushu and beyond.

Resources: the Lonely Planet was a decent starting point, but much more information is available from the English language brochures available at Hakata station, particularly the green "Fukuoka City Visitor's Guide."

Where to stay: there are lots of inexpensive business hotels around Hakata station. Listings are available at the tourist info desk. We stayed at the Green Hotel for approx 7600Y a night for a tiny but tidy room.

What to eat: Fukuoka is a ramen mecca, and is renown for its food stalls on wheels called yatai. We had a memorable food stall dinner just south of the Oyafukodori and Showadori intersection. There was no English menu or English spoken, but we managed with the point and shoot technique, which works particularly well when other patrons are eating something tasty. We had a sampling of yaki-ramen, yakitori, and cabbage roll oden, along with two frosty Asahi Dry beers (total bill under 2400Y). At lunchtime we found ourselves sucked into the vortex of the immense Canal City shopping mall, which seems to have out-competed all the restaurants in a 500m radius. There must be a hundred different restaurants in the mall, and we went to a Korean one the top floor and had a halfway decent bimibob and glass noodle with beef.

What to do: with only 24 hours, we didn't do the city justice. This is a consumerist town, and many of the major attractions listed in the City Guide are essentially shopping malls. Tenjin area is the central business district and city shopping hub, and is lively in the evenings. We took a ferry from Bayside Place (a failed waterfront development and ferry terminal) to Uminonakamichi, a peninsula across the bay. The ferry ride is a nice opportunity to marvel at the ambitious commercial waterfront developments - Fukuoka tower, Hawks Town and the Yahoo dome, Marizon. From the ferry terminal it is an approx 400m walk to the entrance to the seaside park (400Y pp) which has biking and walking trails, picnic areas, flower gardens, rides for kids, and a nice viewing platform out over the Sea of Genkai. The JR train line back to Hakata is just outside the eastern gate to the park, with a train about every 30min.

Nagasaki

2008-10-17T01:26:00.000-07:00

Getting there and away: ANA flies from Naha to Fukuoka in Kyushu almost hourly (approx 450$) and the flight takes about 1.5hrs. From Fukuoka airport, it is two stops on the metro (100Y) to Hakata train station. From there, you can get tickets to virtually anywhere in Kyushu. Nagasaki is two hours on the Limited Express (3000Y pp one way). Nagasaki station is right in the middle of the city, on the north-south tram line.
Resources: we used the Lonely Planet, which was helpful for activities but not for food. The tourist office had a decent map with the tram stops and sites in English. Though out of date, a website for exchange students in Isahaya might be useful for some: http://spot.pcc.edu/~jsparks/ESOLClassLinks/Isahaya/IsahayaGuide.htm
Getting around: Nagasaki has an easy and charming electric tram system. You get on, no need for a ticket, and go anywhere on that line for 100Y. Transfers are only available at one stop in the shopping district (Hamanomachi). The ferry terminal is at Dejima station. From there one can buy tickets to several coastal islands including Ioujima. The tourist info office is across the street from the train station via the pedestrian overhead walkways - take the path towards the drab office building and you're there.
Where to stay: there are several chain business hotels in central Nagasaki. We ended up at Comfort Hotel for approx 8000Y a night. This included a good breakfast buffet comprised of an array of breads and toaster capability, boiled eggs, 5 types of onigiri, mini-salads, mini-fruit slices, yogurt, 2 kinds of cereal, milk, an espresso machine, and a drink machine with tea and orange juice.
What to eat: There are lots of restaurants in Hamanomachi (the shopping arcade area), Chinatown, Shianbashi at night. We had lunch at a place with "Farm to Table" written out front. It stands behind the Kanko-dori tram stop. For 980Y and 1200Y we had the pasta of the day set and the daily set. Both came with a salad with mustard seed dressing . The pasta was a veggie white wine cream sauce, and quite nice. The daily set was a slice of Japanese style meatloaf topped with roasted tomatoes, with veggies on the side drizzled in orange sauce and pesto. Dessert and coffee were included but not memorable. We dined at Nanak, an Indian restaurant which also has a branch in Fukuoka, and maybe other places. We got a 2-person set for 3800Y which was more food than one should eat in a day. It included two salads with spicy dressing, a large plate of naan, a beautiful spinach curry, a decent eggplant tomato curry, and an excessively buttery biriyani. The next day, we had champon (the local ramen with seafood) and a mushroom+rice dish at a Chinese restaurant located on a small street that heads diagonally off the extension of Kanko-dori by the Prefectural office. This place had no English menu or English-speaking waitstaff, but the food was lovely enough to just point-and-shoot. That night, we dined on the same street in a dining bar just up the hill from the Chinese place. The proprietress had a sign out front with lovely pictures of spring rolls. Again, no English menu, although the server helped translate the menu. We had yummy stir-fried chili squid, veggies with korean bean paste dipping sauce, fried fish cakes, and daikon salad, among other things. Dishes were 300-700Y for small portions to share, and beers were 450Y.
What to do: Nagasaki is a compact, mellow, strollable city. It doesn't have any "unmissable" attractions, which is part of the fun. It is just a workaday midsized Japanese city which happens to boast some very interesting distant and recent history. Interesting areas include Urakami - the suburb at the hypocenter of the atomic explosion, with its memorial parks, rebuilt cathedral, and Atomic Bomb Museum, Teramachi (Temple Row) - a path in the foothills lined with temples, shrines, and cemeteries, notably Sofukuji and Kofukuji (200-300Y admission each), and the shopping & nightlife zone of Hamanomachi and Shianbashi. The temple row area is slightly posh, with a smattering of attractive cafes and restaurants, of which we did not partake. We also did not visit the restored residences of Meiji-era foreigners, but surely this is also worthwhile. The waterfront is unfortunately industrial in Nagasaki, with the exception of a seaside park that hosts football games on the weekends, and the unappealing Dejima development. The highlight of Nagasaki was a day trip to Ioujima. For 980Y, you get a round trip ticket for the 20 minute ferry ride to the island, and admission to the seaside onsen. Tickets may be purchased at the fancy counter in the ferry terminal. The walk from the ferry terminal to the resort is about 5 minutes. No need to wait in line in the lobby, you just follow the signs to the onsen, see the nice lady at the counter to trade in the onsen ticket for a towel and a return ferry ticket, and then sex segregate. There are 4 indoor pools, all slightly different temperatures. The outdoor space is lovely with a view over the sea at back on Nagasaki harbour. The women and men's areas both have two large soaking pools, and three metal cauldron baths large enough to seat one medium sized person. Unlike many other Japanese onsen, the water temperature was very comfortable, not too hot. The women's area has a hot stone surface with a log pillow that sits at approx a 20 degree angle and hot water trickles down the rock surface - beautiful for sunning yourself. Ioujima also boasts a cathedral and a beach, both of which might be explored by bike or scooter, but we spent all our time at the onsen.

Japanese diner

2008-10-17T01:11:00.000-07:00

Location: Yomitan, on the 6 between Zanpa and Maeda, along the seawall

Hours: no idea, but have only seen this place open for lunch once. They are open most nights as an izakaya.

This is a hole-in-the-wall Japanese place that has intrigued up as we drive by it heading home from the beach or diving. One Monday they were open for lunch when no one else was, and we partook. There is no English menu and no English signage. The offering are listed on the wall. The waitstaff was able to translate words on the menu to their English counterpart (champaru, tamago). We went with the point-and-shoot method of food selection and ended up with a tofu champaru and an omelet with fried spam. This is true Japanese comfort food - large servings, freshly cooked, piping hot, serves with rice, miso soup, and minidish of pickles. The tofu was wonderfully fresh and in large chunks, and was mixed in with cabbage, mini pieces of hot dog, pork shreds, bean spouts, etc. The omelet was cooked perfectly, buttery but light. And what can one say about tinned meat product, really. There is all-you-can-drink iced tea in a pitcher on the table. Other patrons were eating suki soba and a delicious-looking tofu soup.

Orange Diner

2008-10-03T18:57:00.000-07:00

Location: Chatan, from 58 turn at Hamagawa and go past the fishing port. Turn left just after the port and then take the first right. The restaurant is in the second block on the left side. On the gnavi link, click the 3rd tab from the left to see the map.
Hours: 12-2400, lunch last order 1530, closed Monday. English menu and English-speaking staff.
http://r.gnavi.co.jp/f276100/
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/09/orange-diner-co.html
This restaurant is a pleasant surprise. The space has great natural light and comfortable orange chairs. The lunch clientele appears to be primarily Japanese women. For lunch, there is a 2000Y multicourse set, and a variety of less expensive sets with a choice of entree determining the price (beef sets 1200-1800, pasta or rice sets <1000Y). We had the pasta with seafood and tomato sauce, and the rice with seafood and white wine sauce. Each came with a cabbage salad and choice of iced/cold tea/coffee. The pasta sauce had a nice depth and the tomato flavour was not overpowering. There were large and small mussels, a couple shrimp, and a couple piece of fish, each appropriately cooked. The seafood white wine sauce was lightly creamy and very tasty with the similar, quite generous, array of fish and shellfish. It appeared from these dishes that a real chef was responsible for the creation of the menu and for monitoring ongoing food quality. The coffee was also better than average, and did not require cream and sugar for balance of bitterness.
A couple weeks later we went to dinner at Orange Diner, and were likewise impressed. They dim the lights and play piano mood music. They have an enormous cocktail menu, all 500Y. Our gimlet was shaken in front of us and served in a frosty maritini glass. We ordered a variety of small dishes. The Caesar salad rolls were fresh and yummy, although difficult to eat. The 5 different bruchettas dish was also lovely, although I like a larger slice of slightly less toasted bread. We got a Gorgonzola pizza to soak up the juices of the mussels in tomato wine sauce, which we highly recommend. The splurge for the evening was beef cheek in red wine, which was two beautiful morsels of tender fall-apart meat. For dessert we had the vanilla pudding in strawberry sauce, light and not oversweet. The total bill for 2 drinks, a ton of food, and a shared dessert was 5000Y. Appetizers, risottos, mini-pizzas, and pastas 500Y and mains around 1200Y.

Roguii cafe

2008-09-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

Location: Kitanakagusuku; from the 330 take the 85 through Awase heading east. At the fork in the road head right (after the G marked on the phone book map, the left fork is the 22). On the south side of the road will be the sign for Roguii. There are two spots in front and a larger lot in the back. Follow the sign.

Hours: Wed-Sat 12-9, Sun 12-5, closed intermittently on holidays or other random days http://www.ocvb.or.jp/card/ja/0600003647.html, map at: http://r.tabelog.com/okinawa/rstdtlmap/47002320/ No English menu, the waitstaff can help a bit.

Located in a converted "foreigner home" Roguii still manages to have an organic feel with whitewashed walls, handicrafts, and a table of fresh bread rolls for sale. There are views to the Pacific over Awase. For lunch we had the B and C sets (1100 and 1000Y respectively). The B set came with a pumpkin creamy soup but otherwise the sets were similar. The plates have a leafy salad with a yummy onion dressing, some cole slaw, potato salad, 2 pieces of fried veg, and brown/white rice. B set had a pan fried steak with roasted tomato, which was a bit oily and gristly but well flavoured. The C set was a tomato chicken curry, which was quite tasty. The coffee was much better than average, and did not require the addition of cream or sugar. The meal was the right size, satisfying but not over-plentiful. At some point in the middle of the meal, they brought cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven, which looked delightful, but we did not partake. The cafe owners appear to be connected to the local arts scene - they have the best collection of postcards and advertisements for galleries and live music.

Tokyo

2008-09-06T01:02:00.000-07:00

Getting there/away: We went on an airfare/transportation/hotel package booked through a local DOD travel agency. ANA and JAL both fly there daily.

Getting around: the Tokyo metro is world class, not quite as beautiful as Taipei's, but much much bigger. Buy a Suica or PASMO card from the machines at the stations - some smaller stations apparently do not have these machines. There is a 500Y deposit for the card, and then you add to it with bills or credit cards. The machines do not accept coin. Carry a purse or wallet and place the card in that, then just sweep over the turnstyle keypad. Couldn't be easier. Fares vary by distance, short hops are as little as 90Y.

Where to stay: if you have DOD status, the New Sanno is great. At this point, we cannot comment on other options. The New Sanno is approx 54$ a night for a standard room, which has a minifridge and coffee-maker. The low point of the room is the shower, which is ridiculously water-restricted. Check out the pool and jacuzzi in a sun-filled atrium. We did not sample any of the hotel food - seemed silly when there are literally tens of thousands of restaurants in Tokyo.

Resources: Lonely Planet Tokyo City guide is a good overall guide, although their format can be annoying (for any given zone of the city, the restaurant listings are separate to the attractions listings). The Eyewitness guide has some nice larger maps and good suggestions for walks.

General advice: Bring mosquito repellent in the summer if you plan to walk in parks or gardens. Wear comfortable shoes during the day, but bring something nice for the evenings. Keep moving in the train and subway stations or stand to the side to look at the maps.

For food info, the internet is full of expatriate blogs on the Tokyo dining scene. Most helpful was http://www.bento.com/tf-rest.html, which has extensive listings with mini-reviews, links to a Google map, and hours and telephone numbers. An Australian expat has a blog http://tokyoeater.blogspot.com/ about the restaurants he visits, many of which are in Ebisu (one metro stop away from Hiroo), and some of which cost a whole lot more money than most people have.

Activities: Tokyo is alive, cosmopolitan, and surprisingly affordable. You can spend weeks here walking around interesting neighborhoods, eating in cafes, enjoying the architecture, and visiting world-class museums. If you like museums, consider buying the GRUPP pass for 2000Y, which allows free or reduced-fee entry to many spots. At this site, you can print a list of participating museums: http://www.japantravelinfo.com/press/press_item.php?prid=40&past=0

We only had a couple days, so we pounded the pavement, trying to get a sample of some of the most notable neighborhoods.

Shimokitazawa - this zone surrounds a metro stop of the same name which is off the main metro map, west of Shibuya. It is a gentrified and commercialized ex-hippy zone, which still retains a more laid-back feel than other parts of the city. The narrow streets are lined with youth-oriented shops, bars, and reasonably priced restaurants. We had a glass of wine (500Y) and some Italian tapas (300Y for grilled veg, 600Y for potatoes, olives, and octopus) at atmospheric Enoteca Diana. After a bit more strolling, we had dinner at Little Saigon, which offered Thai beer for 333Y. Their spring rolls were tasty, but a little strange for the inclusion of the shiso leaf. We also had a cook-at-the-table curried fish with spring onions over rice noodles. Total was under 3000Y for 3 beers and the dinner. There is probably better Vietnamese than this is Tokyo, and there is a competing Vietnamese restaurant around the corner called Com Pho. For more on this area, see another great expat blog: http://shimokitareviews.blogspot.com/ (in her blog, the above restaurants are reviews # 12, 18, and 40 respectively)

Yanaka - this area in the north of the city was reportedly spared from most of the destruction wrecked by the 1923 earthquake and fires, and then by WWII. We got off the subway at Nishi-Nippori, walked through the park and past lots of temples, all situated in a low-key residential area with a smattering of traditional wooden buildings and lots of mini-gardens. We then crossed into Yanaka cemetery, and really enjoyed strolling through the grounds. At that point, it is only a short jump into Ueno park, full of lovely buildings and museums. Not so many restaurant options in this area, so we headed elsewhere.

Shinjuku - this is the biggest, craziest metro stop/train station in the world. West Shinjuku is full of skyscrapers, including Tokyo's twin towers (Tokyo City office). Fun stops include the TOTO superspace on the 26th floor of the L building (free), the Seiji Togo Memorial art museum which has Van Gogh's Sunflowers and rotating exhibitions (1000Y), and the Sumitomo tower free observation area on the 41st floor. We ate at Court Lodge, a Sri Lankan spot, and had the largest lunch set for approx 1200Y. This included tasty fresh flatbread, salad, dal, mutton curry, and cabbage curry, all of which were beautiful. http://www.bento.com/rev/0316.html. East Shinjuku boasts a concentration of Tokyo's sex industry, and is the only place we saw transvestites in the city. Worth a stroll in the early evening, as described in the Lonely Planet guide.

Hiroo - this neighborhood surrounds the New Sanno, and is populated by a lot of foreign diplomats and expatriate professionals. As a result, there are multiple cafes and bakery/patisseries. We loved the Kobaya bakery at the metro station entrance and picked up a couple items there every morning for breakfast. On the street behind the New Sanno there is a convenience store, for your milk/coffee/liquor needs. The major cross street prior to the metro station, just past Hiroo's shopping mall, is lined with bars and restaurants. We tried to go to Pitcholi de LooLoo, but were sadly lacking in a reservation. It was pouring rain, so the next closest option was a place with a big plastic gyoza out front, which offered inexpensive Osaka-style gyoza and Chinese dishes. The dumplings were quite tasty, as was the stir-fried bok choy.

Harajuku and Omote-sando - this is another walk described by the LP. From Harajuku station, you wander the streets spotting youth in crazy outfits. The LaForet building is the best place for people watching, and has the advantage of air conditioning. http://www.virtualjapan.com/wiki/LaForet. A stop by Design Festa is also recommended to get a sense of the art/design/fashion scene here. http://www.designfesta.com/02_en/00_g_e/whats_e/ There is a marked transition out of Harajuku and onto Omote-sando, where one finds all the super-fancy designer stores in their architecturally interesting homes. The Tod's building is particularly cool.

Shiodome - we walked through this area of new development on the way to the Hama-rikyu detached palace garden. The park admission is 300Y, well spent. The garden is lovely, especially as it is set against shiny skyscrapers, and it includes large ponds, a traditional tea house, and a flower field. At the northeastern end is the ferry terminal, which shuttles tourists up the river to Asakusa for approx 700Y. This boat ride is a fantastic way to spent 40 minutes in Tokyo. The view of the city from the water is unparalleled, and at the end you go right past the Asahi yellow flame building.

Asakusa - the drawcard here is the Sensoji temple, a large complex swamped with locals and tourists. The walk through this area as described by the Lonely Planet starts after walking up a crowded shopping street, with stalls selling green tea, snacks, cheesy kimonos, and an array of souvenirs. From the temple complex, you exit onto another shopping street, and then past an area lined with street stall izakayas packed with tourists drinking beer and eating bar food. You end up on Kappabashi street, a shopping street famous for plastic models of food. The whole walk does give a sense of the vibrant and slightly gritty shitamachi (low city, ie by the river). We ate at Manos, a Russian restaurant mentioned in the Lonely Planet. We are a bit mystified as to why it appeared in their publication - it is a stuffy place, reminiscent of your grandmother's living room, full of people over 65, and the food is relatively expensive. At lunch, the sets started above 3000Y. We ordered a la carte a beef stroganoff (approx 1800Y) and a cabbage roll (1000Y). The beef was tender and delightful, in a creamy sauce with huge chunks of mushrooms, but the cabbage roll left a lot to be desired - the stuffing had no real flavour, and the tomato sauce was thin and sweet.

Tsukiji - going to the fish market seemed a bit cheesy, and sure enough it was filled with gaijin, but it was totally worthwhile. The amount of activity in and around the auction floor and warehouse is unbelievable. The surrounding market is a feast for the eyes, and most stop long enough to actually eat something. We randomly selected a sushi place in the market nearest the warehouse which was just the right amount of crowded. We got a chef's selection set (2800Y) and a regular set (1000Y) and had more food than we could eat. The sets came with the nicest savory egg custard we have ever had , as well as miso soup.

Rakuza

2008-09-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

Location: Yomitan village, Nagahama area; take the 58 to the 6 and drive the 6 almost up to the Zanpa turnoff. Turn right at the gas station where there is a sign pointing to Rakuza. Follow the signs, making a left at the top of the hill, and then head down the hill. Rakuza is on the left in a white and green concrete building. Alternatively, take the 58 up to Onna and get on the 6 to Zanpa. Turn left along the seawall where there is a concrete bus shelter, a pedestrian walkway, and a sign for Rakuza. Head up the hill until you see the sign indicating a right turn to Rakuza.
Hours: 11:30 to 2:30, 6-12 closed Mon
Rakuza is a great space with natural light, a view of the ocean, and a minimalist decor. There is jazz playing, some interesting artwork, and a selection of cool art and design books. Lunch was 1050Y and includes hot/cold coffee/tea, salad, soup, main, and dessert. The salad is cabbage with pepper ranch dressing and a slice a ripe tomato and baked pumpkin. The soup is actually homemade, a peppery broth with beans, quite delicious. We had Thai green curry and Thai-style chow mien for our mains. Both had lots of veggies and chili, and were good, but not mind-blowing. The dessert was a nice mango-flavoured pudding with a piece of watermelon and grapefruit. A very pleasant lunch in a space that would be an excellent place for an evening drink.

Cafe Pao update

2008-09-05T04:08:00.000-07:00

See prior post on Cafe Pao
Location: Ginowan, on the 81 (the street House of 66 Cents is on) between 58 and 330
Hours: Lunch 11:30-4, Tea 3-4p, Dinner 6-10p; closed Monday. English menu and English-speaking staff
Cafe Pao is a great spot for lunch, now better. They have changed to a buffet system for the drinks and appetizers. There is coffee, tea, and water out in pitchers. The staff now put out platters of the two appetizers of the day, so you can try both. There is also a big bowl of salad and a choice of two dressings. And, all the sliced bread you might like to mop up your pasta sauce. A word of advice - stick to the pastas (salt or tomato based sauce); the lasagna isn't nearly as good. If you are lucky, dessert will include one of the loveliest profiteroles in the world. Ours was accompanied by a tasty grapefruit sorbet.

Addendum 2/21: Cafe Pao is in flux, presumably depending on the price of consumables. On our last visit, the drinks were buffet-style, the appetizers were included on the plate (ie, no buffet-style), and the dessert had been reduced to just a sorbet. The profiteroles, which are still great, can be purchased for 100Y each. The next time we go, it may be different again. But the pasta sauces are still different each time and worthwhile.

Gueuleton

2008-08-27T01:47:00.000-07:00

Location: Kitanakagusuku village, on the road lined with love hotels. From the 330, turn east onto the 85 (also called the 22), go through Awase golf course, keep straight until the road forks (Cafe JiJi is along this stretch). Turn left at the fork (in order to follow the purple road on the phone book maps), and go around the first curve. Midway through the second curve there is a Family Mart; take the left hand fork up the hill (the other road goes down the hill to Awase). Make the first major right hand turn, where there are a bunch of signs for cafes. You then pass Minto house, and the BOQ gallery, and take that immediate left into the parking lot for Gueuleton. Walk up the hill on the concrete path to the door.
Hours: 12-2:30 lunch, dinner 6p- closed Sunday
This is a lovely restaurant with a bistro feel and an overgrown French-style garden. They do a set menu at lunch for 1580Y. Dinner is approx 3100Y. This place was written up in Okinawahai as a nice date spot, which it is, although the midday crowd was mostly ladies who lunch. The starter is a beautiful salad, comprised of some greens, a piece of raw mackerel, a small whole fish, and some other vegetables which we could not identify, each morsel quite lovely. Next was a vermicelli pasta with tomato sauce, simple but well prepared, with large pieces of roasted garlic and whole basil leaves. The main was the star of the show - a beautiful piece of whitefish, topped in sauteed native squash, sitting in a pond of delightful tomato-herb-?saffron fish broth. The mini-baguette provided served well in sopping up the scraps. Finally, dessert was a trio: a piece of watermelon (watermelon cost 1200Y at the supermarket!), a scoop of ice cream on a pound cake flavoured with candied orange peel, and a light green pudding, perhaps with a hint of pistachio. Coffee was an espresso shot served with a pitcher of fake milk and granulated sugar. This was a sophisticated meal in friendly surroundings, for a very reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Kastamandap Nepalese restaurant

2008-08-27T01:03:00.000-07:00

Update July 2009: The seaside location looked closed the last time we walked by, and the restaurant has a new location in Araha across the street from CowCow. Please see the July 2009 post on the new location.

Location - Araha beach park in Hamby town, on the northern park of the park set back from the beach is a line of restaurant/bars. Kastamandap is the most southern restaurant.
Hours - dinner only, gets going after 6p. Unsure which day closed
http://www.experienceokinawa.com/2008/05/beach-strip-serves-up-tasty-culinary.html
Okinawa has a real lack of beachside eating and drinking options. This is one of the few, although since it is set down from the beach a bit, you cannot see the ocean. The space is small but attractively decorated. Unfortunately, in the summer, the heat in the restaurant is stifling. The proprietor had three fans going, to no avail. We walked in around 5:45p, and the lone staff person seemed less than pleased. It seems that is a bit too early. His demeanor was less than friendly for the first half of the meal; towards the end he seemed less upset by our presence. We ordered momo (dumplings, approx 600Y), which were adequately tasty, but nothing compared to the divine shogo fried momo found at Tibet Shambala in NYC. We also got a vegetable curry (approx 700Y) and lamb curry (approx 900Y), each with naan (he said the rice would take too long). The naan was freshly baked and delicious. The curries were very similar to one another - both quite good but not particularly memorable. Certainly, they are closer to authentic than the cream-laden curries at other local restaurants like Krishna. Beer is available for the standard prices. Perhaps this place needs to be reassessed in the winter, after 6:30pm when the cook is ready for us, with a plan to order the spinach curry with naan.

Addendum 2/21/09 - it appears this restaurant may be moving/expanding to a location across the 58 from Foster. More details as they become available

Cafe JiJi

2008-08-18T05:20:00.000-07:00

Location: Kitanakagusuku village; off the 330 turn R onto the 85, go through Awase golf course, and keep traveling east. To the south there is a nice view of the ocean. Not long afterwards, JiJi is on the north side of the road, about halfway to Awase.

Hours: 11:30-2400, closed Thursday

www.jijicafe.com

This is another great discovery. The cafe is attractive, with natural light, whitewashed walls, and interesting colours and spaces. The lunch set costs 1000Y, and at our visit involved a choice of fish saute, meat dish, or soymilk green curry with pork. The main comes with a plate of brown rice, salad greens, marinated onions, eggplant, rice noodles with dressing, and a carrot slaw. The presentation was immaculate and each dish was tasty and lovingly prepared.

The soup was a cup of cabbage and bacon with lots of pepper, much nicer than your typical proprietary creamed veggie soup. The green curry was a successful Japanese-Thai fusion, with a nice sampling of stewed veggies and super-tender falling-off-the-bone pork. The fish saute was served over potatoes spiced with tumeric and cumin, and drizzled with herb and olive oil. Iced coffee was served with a mini-pitcher of creamer. The cafe also has reasonably priced dinners, including a nice sesame-laden yakisoba, a button-mushroom vegetable curry, and noodle dishes, most around 1000Y. Alcoholic drinks are the standard 500Y+. They also periodically host music events, patronized by the artsy crowd. The owner also has some jewelry, T-shirts, and Indian curry mixes (650Y) for sale.

Yakiniku Viking Try

2008-08-17T15:07:00.000-07:00

Location: on the west side of the 58 in Hamby, in the complex with the Ramayana and Yagi.
Hours: Lunch 11:30-4, Dinner 5p-midnight
Lunch at Yakiniku Viking TRY is a great deal – 980Y for adults, 580Y for kids 4 and over, for all you can eat yakiniku 90 minutes. They have a selection to please everyone. The salad bar offers lettuce, seaweed, salad green, corn, onion, enobi mushrooms, potatoes with butter, and three types of dressing. The middle table has noodles and soup, rice, takoyaki, french fries, other fried things, and bad tomato pasta. The yakiniku portion has multiple variations on thin-sliced pork, beef, and chicken, as well as liver and fat for the adventurous. Veggies for the grill include cabbage, onions, corn on the cob, garlic shoots, and garlic cloves. There are several accoutrements: mashed garlic, soy, “fry sauce”, spice and pepper mix, and another unidentified lightly coloured sauce. You should get 2 plates, one just for raw things to go on the grill. Some put everything straight on the grill, others douse in sauce first. There are two minor complaints with this place: 1) the grills are small, really only suitable for 2 people, but the tables seat four, 2) it takes a lot of attention to cook the food properly, and between that and the size of the table and the restaurant noise and music, it is hard to converse with your dining companions. However, dessert gives you an opportunity to catch up on the chit chat– there are lychees (from a tin), grapefruits, bananas in chocolate sauce, tinned mandarin slices and tropical fruit cocktail, melon-flavoured jelly, pieces of cake, soft serve ice cream, plastic cups of ice cream, and fairy floss (cotton candy) for the kiddos. The drinks are also all you can drink tea (3 types), sodas, and coffee. Dinner is exactly the same as lunch, but costs 1580 for 60min, 1780 for 90min, and 1980 for 120min. Between 5-7pm, a small draft beer (not Orion) is 50Y. There are various specials through the week, but we don’t know when they are. If you are lucky, you will show up on ladies’ night.

Keramas boat dive

2008-08-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

All the local dive operators offer dive trips to the Keramas. Military operators tend to charge 65-90$ pp depending on number of dives and size of boat. Japanese operators charge more (13-15000Y pp) and often include lunch and may involve a larger, more luxurious boat. For DOD/SOFA, Kadena Marina does trips every Sat and Sun throughout the summer; divers sign up and pay in advance at the office. Trips may also be arranged through Tsunami and private boat captains (usually ex-military men who have married local women and stayed in Okinawa). Both of these organizations do a good job with safety, and have attentive divemasters helping everyone out. The boats are pretty utilitarian, and the bathrooms leave something to be desired, but the captains are experienced and tuned into the needs of the diver. Trips tend to start early in the morning (7:30 or 8a) and return in the afternoon (2:30-4p). No alcohol is allowed. In summer, people dive in rash guards or shorties; on the boat a rain jacket comes in handy if you don't want to wear your wet suit on the way over. In winter, take pants and a fleece for the boat ride and wear the thickest wet suit you have.
Diving the Keramas is a really worthwhile experience, and one worth repeating. The coral is in much better shape than many offshore sites, the visibility is often amazing, and there is a much better chance of seeing turtles, sharks, and other large species. The views are lovely no matter where the boat ends up anchoring. The actual dive sites vary depending on the weather,

currents, and winds. On angry days, there are only a few safe spots, a bay at Zamami behind the main beach is one such site. On calmer days, the boat captain has some flexibility.
Our most recent trips were on the "C Falcon" with Captain Bruce and Kadena divemasters. The divemasters were helpful without being intrusive. The C Falcon is a fast and seaworthy vessel with lots of overhead shade. On one trip, we went to 3 rock bay (others called it goat and shark island), and then did a drift dive in the channel between larger islands. At the former, nurse and white tip sharks hide in the crevices and big groups of reef fish frolic. At the latter, there are beautiful red sea fans, a vast array of coral species, and clusters of large turquoise and purple fish. On another trip, we went to the southern coast of Tokashiki. The coastline here is dramatic and half the fun is getting there. The coral was a bit knocked around, but there were lots of fish, seasnakes, and large sea anemones with clownfish. Then we went again to 3 rock, but dove closer to land and again spotted the sharks, as well as an eel and a group of bat fish.

Cafe Restaurant in Yomitan

2008-08-10T00:06:00.000-07:00

Location: off of the 6, near Zanpa; take a right just after Mintama restaurant (the target sign with a parking lot across from it, there is also a gas station on the right side of the street), follow the signs for Rakuza. You go up the hill, turn left at the top of the hill (the third street, the only large one). Drive on this road for a while, passing the maple leaf English school (R), Rakuza (L), heading down the hill, you see a steep concrete road going back up the hill and a 3 storey yellow building (pictured). Park in the lot across the street from the cafe. Hours: 11a-119 closed Wednesday

http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/07/when-i-was-in-t.html.

This cafe is in an interesting area, an upscale gaijin ghetto complete with ocean views and landscaping. The restaurant is on the second floor with a spectacular view of Ie-jima and the bay. For 1100Y you get a combo lunch set; the proprietress explained its contents in English for those who do not read Japanese. The salad and soup are the standard Japanese cafe versions; cabbage and dressing for the former and veg-potato-cream for the latter. The mixed plate involves a tomato pasta with a nice garlicky kick, an overcooked shrimp in a nice onion-wine sauce, ordinary spring rolls in a cloying sweet-and-sour sauce, a nice sliver of tender salmon, and a mini-scoop of rice. Then, the finish is a cup of drip coffee in attractive ceramicware. The menu offers dinner sets 13-2500Y; given the view this would make for a romantic and affordable evening out. However, the rule stands that the best food is not accompanied by the best view.

Island off Hamahiga

2008-08-07T03:55:00.000-07:00

Location: check out Google earth to get a better look at the islands off of Uruma peninsula. Going north to south is Ikei, Miyagi, Hamahiga (all connected by bridges and to the mainland) a small island with sandy beaches, a smaller island with just one beach, Tsuken, then the sand bar then connects to Kudaka. Ferries run to Kudaka and Tsuken. The Hamahiga resort runs boats for their guests out to the smallest island, and does banana boat rides along the reef. You need a boat to get out to the island ringed in sandy beaches. We hear this island is the site of Japanese Defense Forces survival training. While we were there, a helicopter landed and then took off on the island, so the rumor rings true. Apparently, the signs on the beaches request that visitors do not enter the island's interior. We also hear they put rabbits on the island so the hungry soldiers have something to eat if they get desperate. We didn't see any rabbits. The leeward site has a lovely sandy beach with nice swimming in front. Boats drop anchor here and people snorkel, swim, or wade ashore to lunch or camp. The snorkeling is not very good. Pine trees provide some shade. We tried to walk around the whole island, and made it 80% of the way until the rocks dropped off steeply into the sea and we could not find an overland route. All around the island there are beaches; all but two have rocky tidepools where sand and water meet. This is not ideal for swimming, but nice for exploring. On the northern part of the island, there are some larger tidepools with purple coral and fishes, but nothing spectacularly different from other places on Okinawa mainland. The fun of the place is the sense of being a castaway, and the views to Tsuken, Hamahiga, and Ikei. The island just south of here is the one used by the Hamahiga resort - they park the boats and jet skies off the beach where the ex-coral tidepools drop off, and people then walk over the rocks to the sand. In between the two islands are some groupings of coral that offer snorkeling opportunities. The outer reef is a nice place to snorkel if the water is calm. Where the shelf drops off, there are quite large fish. The reef itself is half covered in small multicolored hard corals with all sorts of critters in the crevices, including conch and cowrie shells. A Japanese fisherman had collected 2 parrotfish, an octopus, and a bag full of some crustacean from the area. On the way back to the port (at the end of the sea road), one can pull a boat up easily at Hamahiga beach. The sand there is not as white as on the little island, but it still a decent beach for lounging and swimming.

Chatan Seaport Festival

2008-08-03T03:17:00.000-07:00

In late July - early August, Mihama beach hosts a 2 day festival.

http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=8815

Traffic is disastrous should you choose to park prior to the fireworks and then leave. If you are staying or living within 5 miles, biking or walking is highly recommended. Unless you get there early for the fireworks, plan on standing for the show.

There is the typical Japanese carnival food: hot-dog-on-a-stick, fried octopus, yakisoba, yakitori, potatoes and corn on the cob, various fried foods. There are carnival games. There are lots of Japanese teens in amazing outfits.

Entertainment depends on the time of day. In the morning on Sunday, there were dragon boat races. Later on, there were other contests. In the afternoon, there is music, then eisa dancers. Finally, the highlight of the festival is the evening fireworks, this year starting at 8:45pm. The show is impressive, especially because spectators are so close to the origination point for the fireworks. There are fireworks that make hearts and smiley faces, and lots of "ooohhh, ahhh" from the crowd.

Urasoe art museum special exhibit

2008-07-26T03:23:00.000-07:00

Location: the Urasoe art museum may be seen from the 330, and is next to Tedako hall. The easiest way to access this area is to turn right on the 38, and turn left at the next main street, where there is a sign pointing to the Library, Museum, and Hall. Park in the lot in front of the Tedako hall entrance. Hours: 9:30-4:30, except on Friday when open until 7p, closed on Mondays, days following National Holidays, and Dec 28-Jan 4 Usual admission is 150Y, but for the special exhibit the price is 1000Ypp. From July 5 until August 17, 2008, the Urasoe art museum has a display of woodblock prints from four masters of the 17-1800s: Hokusai, Sharaku, Hiroshige, and Utamaro. Hokusai is the artist responsible for perhaps the most iconic image of Japan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa.jpg
To read more about his life and work: http://www.andreas.com/hokusai.html. While Hokusai focused most on natural settings, Sharaku's work is portraiture of kabuki actors. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sharaku. Hiroshige's stuff quite beautiful - lots of natural scenes, people in motion, dramatic colours: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiroshige. Utamaro is fascinated with the female face and form, and there are lots of lovely prints of courtesan faces. Not surprisingly, the Urasoe museum does not have any of his erotica (http://eviebyrne.blogspot.com/2007/12/utamaros-floating-world.html). The permanent collection is a small but interesting collection of Ryukyu lacquerware. There is a pamphlet with an explanation of the different techniques and how they evolved over time. Similar info is at this site: http://www.pref.okinawa.jp/summit/some/index2.htm. They have a bow-and-arrow set, some really elaborate mother-of-pearl inlaid work, and some modern pieces which we might like to have in our living room. While at the museum, wander the grounds briefly to appreciate the museum building, and climb up the observation tower to look over Urasoe out to sea.

Restaurants in Hentona

2008-07-26T00:45:00.000-07:00

Hentona is a <5min drive from the Okuma peninsula; it is the town immediately north of the Okuma turnoff. We have sampled 5 of the restaurants there, all of which are preferred alternatives to eating on base. The best approach in Hentona is to drive a lap around town, get oriented, and figure out what is open, then decide where to dine.
Soba shop - On the west side of the 58 just north of Okuma peninsula on the way to Hentona is a soba shop. Everything was closed or empty on a Sunday at midday except this spot which serves suki soba for 600Y. There are tables and tatami, and a tropical garden out back. No English menu.
La Cabana - open approx 11a-11p, unsure what day closed. This is a small Peruvian-Japanese joint on the main road in town (follow the fork off the 58). This is a ramshackle joint run by an Okinawan gentleman who lived for years in Peru, under the name Roberto, and then returned to Okinawa. There is an English menu, and if you speak Spanish Roberto will be delighted to converse with you. On our first visit, we had the ceviche and fried rice, both of which were tasty but not particularly Peruvian. On our second, we had the mussels with tomato and onion, fried noodle, creamy chicken and potato, and french fries stir-fried with veggies. The appeal to this place is that it is where the locals get drunk on awamori. On our last visit one of them started playing the sanshin and couldn't stop trying to tell us really important things in Japanese. Prices approx 1000Ypp for dinner, plus drinks.
Cooking Papa - just before the Hentona town turnoff, on the west side of the 58, is tiny Cooking Papa, a homestyle izakaya. There is an English menu, and Papa can communicate with you. Papa really does do the cooking, mom and daughter wait tables and manage the register. We had local sashimi (600Y), very garlicky homemade gyoza (approx 400Y), salty edamame (approx 3o0Y), and fried rice (approx 500Y). Draft Orion was approx 450Y. The food was similar to many other izakayas, but sometimes a light izakaya meal is just what you are after following a day on the beach. Unsure what day closed, but they are open on Monday, when one of the other options is closed.
House of Taste - this is the gourmet option in Hentona, and a real find. The restaurant is on the street closest to the water, south of the fishing port. There is a red lantern in front. There is no English menu, and no English is spoken here either, so you have to point and shoot. They do okonomiyaki (the first column on the upper left of the menu), yakisoba (top middle of the menu), and various other dishes (right top of menu). We tried three things - the yakisoba (approx 500Y), which was satisfyingly sweet, a pan-fried chicken breast topped in egg-mayonnaise sauce which sounds bizarre but was really tasty (approx 500Y), and an out-of-this world dish from the specials board (1200Y) - half a fresh lobster over pasta doused in a butter-lobster-juice sauce. Orion draft is approx 400Y. Other people in the restaurant were ordering dishes which looked great, but we have no idea what they were. For the adventurous eater, this is a perfect place to come in and just randomly order. Service is a bit slow, because there is just one guy in the kitchen, but why not just get another beer and enjoy it.
Fishing port soba joint - for a quick snack in the middle of the day, try some soba (approx 500Y)at this tidy wooden shack. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okinawa_soba You can dine at a picnic table across the street from the dock entrance, and see the workers come and go.

Okuma peninsula

2008-07-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Location: The drive from Chatan area is 90 minutes if you take the expressway to Kyoda, the 71 through Nago, and then the 58 north to Okuma.
Where to stay:
For DOD, the Air Force Okuma facility is the obvious choice. http://kadenaservices.com/okuma/reservations.html For the budget-minded, the facility offers singles and family camping sites, and log cabins complete with air conditioning, a microwave, and a minifridge (25$ weekday). Toilet and shower (hot water) facilities are shared - there are 3 shower stalls and 3-4 toilets. The block near the family camping (also used by the log cabins) gets a bit dirty and smelly. There are also a variety of studios and suites with bathrooms, but these cost more and must be booked well in advance. The facility has two lovely beaches, very reasonably priced water sports, some fairly unimpressive hiking trails, and a golf course popular with the local Japanese community.
Right next door is the JAL Okuma resort, patronised by wealthy Japanese brought up in buses from Naha: http://www.jalokuma.co.jp/detail.jsp?id=4696&menuid=2163&funcid=1. There is also a hotel in Hentona, just north of the Okuma peninsula, which appears to be reasonable in price.
Where to eat: see separate section; food is fairly limited north of Hentona save the snack stalls at Hedo.
What to do: If staying on Okuma recreational facility, sign up for the snorkel or dive boat excursion - 12$pp (4 person minimum) for 90minutes out on the reef snorkeling, or 20$pp (including tanks, 2 person minimum) for 2 dives. The folks at Tsunami scuba said the Okuma dives are not that great, but from what we could tell during our snorkeling tour they are misguided. We went out to a reef north of Okuma, offshore from Hentona, and saw a healthier coral reef here than anywhere else we've been. There was finger after finger of interesting and intact hard coral, with plenty of tropical fish species and a flock of cuttlefish in formation. With calm seas, one could reach this spot swimming out from the Hentona seawall. Later, we went out from the south beach and the boat parked next to one from JAL resort. The coral was a bit more beaten up, but the fish were larger and more numerous. They are fed by the JAL patrons, so swarm around snorkelers. One can also rent a jet ski or motorboat with skis (1$/min) and go crazy. JAL and the Air Force do not own all the beach on the peninsula - on the proximal portion (both the north and south sides) Japanese families camp out on the beach and swim in the lovely blue waters.
Of course, the other reason to stay in this area is for easy access to the rest of Yanbaru. Driving around this area is a pleasure, with traditional villages, sugarcane fields, lush forest, and striking rock formations all completing for attention. Hedo point is a worthwhile stopover with lovely views of the reefs and Yoron-jima in the distance. At the intersection for Hedo point (a left turn), turn right instead and head to Kongou Sekirinzan park. Admission is 800Ypp, this includes a bus ride up to the top of the hill. There are several trails including "Strange and Big Rocks Course", "Great View and Sacred Course", and the "Forest Course" the last of which conveniently returns to the parking lot. http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/public%20affairs%20info/Archive%20News%20Pages/2006/060804-trail.html 20info/Archive%20News%20Pages/2006/060804-trail.html, http ://www.japanupdate.com/?id=550 The scenery here is spectacular and the view over Hedo Misaki alone makes the trip worthwhile. All along the northern coast of Okinawa are beautiful finger reefs. During an extreme low tide, these make amazing tidepool walking and snorkeling. Some of the pools are like aquariums; we spotted angelfish, a live triton shell, an array of parrotfish, an eel, and colorful corals. During a calm day, these reefs attract divers and kayakers. However, there is often surge and current that would make water activities dangerous here.
The town of Oku has some cabins and camping sites, and a underutilised fishing port. Apparently people walk up the river here, but not much water was running when we went through. Beyond Oku, there is a bridge over a place where a river meets the sea. Japanese families camp here and swim in two freshwater pools with waterfalls. The drive back across the island on the 2 is also quite pretty, and on several occasions we have been tempted to stop at a cafe signposted about halfway between the two coasts.

Airport parking and transportation

2008-07-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

There is limited useful online information about this topic. Here are two forums on Okinawa Hai.
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2007/04/options-for-you.html
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/04/faa-approved-se.html
Our experience with the options:
1. Parking at Naha airport
The fees have been restructured and it now costs 1000Y per day. Brochures regarding parking at the airport are available at the information desk in the terminal. There is covered parking. This is a highly convenient option, and for a shorter trip it makes financial sense.
2. Kinser
The military does not do a good job facilitating the use of Kinser for airport parking. If you arrive and leave on a weekday during daytime or early evening hours, then Gate 1 should be open and you can park just inside the gate and catch a taxi. The gate guard can call one, or you can hail a taxi from across the street. The taxi costs approx 18-2500Y unless you hit bad traffic. Obviously, this means the Kinser option is only economical if your trip will last >6 days, meets the above conditions, and you don't mind the hassle. If you leave on a weekend, holiday, or have late or early flight times, then it is a terrible option because there is no convenient parking near the north gate (by the Pizza Inn) and if your car is at Gate 1 there is no easy way to get back to it.
3. If you have TAD/TDY orders, then park at the Naha Port Army base (on the right heading south on the 58 as the road funnels to the airport). Leave a few minutes spare to fill out the paperwork (you need your car registration info, military ID, and orders) and then take the permit to your car. When you leave, return the permit to the office. The gate is open 24/7. The taxi ride to/from the airport is less than 1000Y.
4. There is a place called Sky Parking, but unfortunately we have not figured out where it is. One of the blogs reports they charge 4500Y/week. There is a mud map on an advertisement hanging on the wall at the Naha Port office.
5. Shuttles from Westpac Inn and Shogun Inn. The Westpac charges 10$ pp.
http://kadenaservices.com/shogun/shuttlesched.html
http://www.mccsokinawa.com/lodging/index.asp?lodge=5

Daikon no hana

2008-07-17T03:04:00.000-07:00

Location: Uruma/Okinawa City, on the 75 (extention of the 329) across the street from the Daihatsu dealership, not long after crossing the 85
Hours: 11:30-4 Lunch (1500Y), 5:30-11p (1950Y), open every day
http://okinawa-restaurant-daikon.blogspot.com/
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2007/12/daikon-no-hana.html
This place is well known in the gaijin community, but also has a strong local following. The restaurant is large, with its own parking lot on the ground floor. There is a parking attendant who welcomes you, makes sure you go straight upstairs to the restaurants, and tells the reception staff to expect you. This is an all-you-can-eat buffet, reportedly made from organic and local produce. It is a great way to sample typical Okinawa foods: pork knuckle, champuru, seaweed and edamame salad, stewed daikon, aosa (seaweed) in vinegar, veggie tempura, Japanese curry, soba noodle with broth, 4 different types of rice, and lots of other stuff. Our favourite was their green curry with goya, peppers, and bamboo shoots. There is also an omelet station and a pasta guy. For drinks, there are 3 kinds of tea, iced and hot coffee, lemonade, and a tart fruit drink. They have soy milk to accompany the coffee, but the flavour is a bit strong so it is not ideal. The dessert area is the most fun - yogurt with fruit preserves, mochi and sweet beans, tapioca in some sweet grain concoction, mini-cakes, chocolate jellies, fruit gel-puddings, cream puffs, mini-cheesecakes and hazelnut mousses, and sweet breads with a chocolate sauce for dipping. So, in a healthful fashion, you can eat 2 days worth of calories in one sitting.

Moving to Okinawa

2008-07-15T04:09:00.000-07:00

If you aren't here yet, then Okinawa is the destination. A few thoughts about moving to Okinawa:

1. Don't worry. Okinawa is a fascinating and fun place to spend a couple years. Most people here for a couple of years barely scratch the surface. Some people end up staying much much longer.

2. What to bring - it all depends on who is paying for your move. If someone else is paying, be expansive. Unless you plan on filling your home will asian-esque pieces, bring practical and attractive furniture with you. Avoid leather and think about stain resistance and washability. Bring outdoor gear - diving, snorkeling, and swimming stuff, kayaks, bikes, rock-climbing stuff, camping and backpacking stuff, tennis rackets, whatever. Outdoor gear is pricey here and the used market is inflated. The one piece of gear we haven't found that handy is rollerblades; however, ice skates can be used at the rink in Naha. Clothes - think casual. If you are from Europe or the east coast of the US, you will generally be overdressed at any event here. Flip flops/thongs, though contrary to SOFA dress code, are practically standard issue. Shorts, sandals, and cotton knit shirts are de rigour for both sexes. In winter, temperatures can go to 10C, so pants and sweaters for women are necessary. A coat and hat will help you to blend in with the Japanese. But many men can count on one hand the number of times per year they wear pants. Bring your bed linens, curtains, and towels if you can. Prices for these are high in Japanese stores, and you don't want the same ones everyone else has from the Exchange. Many tools and machinery parts are difficult to find here, or pricey, so if you like to build things bring your own complete set. If you enjoy cooking ethnic cuisine, bring your spices with you (ie cardamom, garam masala, Indian and Thai curry mixes and pastes, tamarind, dried kaffir lime and galangal, unusual teas) - none of this stuff is readily available in markets here.

3. Get a cheap car that runs as soon as you get here. This is commonly expressed advice, but true. Okinawa is hot and salty, and the parking spaces are small, so your vehicle will suffer damage one way or another. And if you enjoy yourself on the beach, or biking, or whatever, your car will be messy most of the time anyway.

4. Housing - if you are not military, expect that western-style apartments near military bases have inflated prices, as the rents match the amount of the housing allowance given to military members (ie 1BR approx 100,000Y/month, 2BR 150,000Y, 3BR 200,000Y). However, if you live away from bases or choose more Japanese-style accommodation, rents should be more reasonable. If you are military, do not stress the on or off base decision. Each has its set of advantages/disadvantages. The pendulum is tilted to off base if your major alternative is military dorm/BOQ type accommodation. If you have a family, the decision depends a a lot on the impact on your commute, and how much you weight you give to having more outdoor space (on base) vs a more atmospheric apartment with a better view (off-base). There is info on line about the layout of on base housing: http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/Living%20on%20Okinawa/Housing%20Page.html#Anchor7 (these layouts are standard so you can plan accordingly re: furnishings & home accessories). Also check out: http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/to_live_onbase_housing/index.html. Either way, get off base during your free time.

5. Expect to feel disoriented the first couple of months. Driving and directions are confusing here, because there aren't any street names or addresses. Also, when you look at distance traveled, it always takes longer to get somewhere than it should. The 58 in summer can periodically stop moving, especially on a Sunday afternoon. Just accept that it takes a long time to get places. Also, where possible, spend the money and take the expressway - it is worth it.

6. Food - realize that lunch is much better value than dinner. It is the best way to test a restaurant for food quality. In places without an English restaurant, if you point, most waitstaff will tell you what the dish is: chanpuru, goya, tofu, tempura, zushi, yakitori. Restaurants tend to close one day a week. For izakayas, this is often Sunday. For cafes, it is usually a weekday. On Sundays, restaurants are busy, and the most popular places must be avoided unless you love waiting in line for your food.

7. Keep in mind many Japanese people work a 6 day week and only get Sunday off. So, to avoid crowds and annoyance, plan to do your bigger outing on Saturday, and take it easy on Sunday. Put all the Japanese holidays on your calendar. Avoid travel or restaurants or long car trips on these days.

8. Use the local resources. Pick up copies (if you are military) of Japan Update, the Stars and Stripes advertising supplement, Okinawa Living (the MCCS magazine), and the monthly Kadena Services magazine. Check out the JET website. Read local blogs - http://www.okinawahai.com/ has made a big impact on the community, and has great recommendations for shopping, restaurants, and life in general. They have a drop down menu of local blogs, some of which are great for ideas on where to go and what to do while on Okinawa. If you are military, use the library system for movies, music, books, magazines, etc.

9. Explore 100Y stores. These are amazing places to outfit your new home with the trinkets that you had no need to bring from home. Places to start: the 100Y store inside the MakeMan in Mihama, the Awase shopping centre 100Y store, the Ginowan plaza 100Y store (on the 58), the one on Hamby street between Chatan and Hamby, and the one on the south side of the 23.

10. Pick up a hobby or two while here. The weather sometimes does not cooperate with outdoor activities, so a few indoor interests will bridge the gap. The Kadena skills center is a good place to start, but there are tons of classes in all sorts of places on and off base. Recently, we spotted classes in flamenco dance.

11. Carry a digital camera with you. This is helpful to capture things like ferry timetables and opening hours for stores and restaurants. And of course, there are tons of beautiful shots just waiting to be taken.

12. Your phone will probably not work here. Multiple Japanese phone companies offer various plans which aren't ridiculously expensive, so almost everyone gets a Japanese cell phone here.

Cafe Masoho

2008-07-14T01:31:00.000-07:00

Location: Onna village, on the 58 just north of the Onna town office, on the west side of the street. They share a parking lot with a restaurant that has a pink pig face on it.

Hours: open at noon, unsure what time or what day closed. No English menu and limited English-speaking staff

This adorable cafe has wood flooring and ceiling supports, comfortable sofas, lots of plants, and paintings of the sea. They play nice jazzy techno sort of background music. They do lunch sets most days, but on Sunday you order a la carte. As there is no English menu, we did the point and shoot technique. We ended up with two delightful lunches. Each came with a spinach cream soup, light and tasty, though could have had more salt. The lunches (800-900Y) came on Okinawan ceramic platters, a circle-within-circle style. The inner circle held the sandwich, the outer had green curly leaf salad with balsamic vinaigrette, a spoonful of mashed potato, and a bit of burdock sesame salad. One sandwich was fresh pita bread stuffed with a chunks of fried tofu, tomato, and sweet vinegary carrot in an amazing miso dressing. This sounds bizarre, but was really really good. The other sandwich was sliced crusty bread with a fish-bean-parsley pate. Another wonderful array of flavours many would not themselves think of putting together. We got an iced coffee, which was fine, and came with that thick Japanese creamer and simple syrup. We were tempted to get one of their sweets, based on the merit of the main meals, but were able to behave. Next time.

Big Island Hawaii - Part 3 - The east coast

2008-07-13T02:38:00.000-07:00

A brief commentary on attractions and food from North to South.

*Waipi'o Valley lookout - another drive out to a spectacular overlook of valley, cliff, and sea. There is a 4-wheel drive and hiking track down to the black sand beach below. For those with time and gear, a popular 2-3 day backpacking trip runs up and down the valleys and gulches from here to Pololu.

*Kalopa state park - this was less impressive than expected. The forest trail runs through a small piece of some relatively recent rainforest, with no great views. There are some nice cabins in the park, and a BBQ area with picnic tables.

*Honoka'a - this is a cute ex-sugar town; with the weatherboard buildings intact if slightly faded. There is a great hippie cafe, a couple of food options, and a fun consignment / new clothes boutique (the eastern part of town). *Laupahoehoe - we couldn't find the way down to the beach park, but the scenic point is worthwhile. *Kolekole state park - a valley stream emptying into the ocean, with its own waterfall and tarzan rope. A bridge overhead and the remnant of the Hilo railroad track round out the ambiance.

*Honomu and Akaka falls - the town of Honomu has made less of a recovery after the collapse of the sugar industry than Honoka'a, but boasts a run-down charm. The walk to Akaka falls is popular and easy, and offers a chance to watch tourists posing for the camera in front of a tall thin waterfall.

*Hilo - faded but still lovely, Hilo boasts a downtown grid with nothing over about 4 storeys, done up in pastels. Restaurants, cafes, and galleries mingle with boarded-up storefronts and hangouts for the homeless. Farmers markets here offer great deals on lychees (3$ a bag), tiny local mangoes, papaya (5 for 1$), pineapples, and an array of veggies and shell necklaces. On the way out of town, there are strip malls, supermarkets, gas stations, chinese restaurants, and the rest of the detritus of city life.

*Kea'au and Lava Tree state park - the town is just an accumulation of strip malls. The park has a little trail around the tropical foliage and the lava mold of trees long since perished.

*Kapoho and surrounds - this town used to be a pricey subdivision, then it got overrun by lava. Some areas were spared, including seaside homes near the worthwhile Kapoho lava pools. http://www.letsgo-hawaii.com/kapoho/hawaii.com/kapoho/. They are not that warm (reportedly are volcanically heated) but that prevents algal overgrowth. Ahalanui has a warmer and more artificial volcanically heated pool, but the brown algal bloom prevented us from testing the waters. Issac Hale beach park is a favourite surfer and beach canopy/beer-drinking spot.

*Pahoa is the town that supports this zone. We drove through during a Sunday day, and saw loitering men and shuttered shops. It was much more appealing around 6pm, when the restaurants are abuzz. We ate at Ning's Thai, which is the best Thai we have found in North America - lots of fresh herb and chili, real lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf. The mains were 9-18$ range, we enjoyed the dry tom yum vermicelli more than the creamy pineapple red curry. The drive down the 130 or 132 out of Pahoa and along the coast on the 137 is very pretty, much of the road is canopied with forest.

*Kehena beach and Kalapana - the beach is small and black, and on Sundays attracts alternative types for a mix of beer, drum circles, swimming, and some nudity. Kalapana is another ex-town, overrun with lava in the 90s, now with a few stubborn or intrepid types rebuilding their homes on the black and steaming hot ground. At the end of the road you can view the current lava flow. This obviously depends on the whim of nature, but the highway department tends to keep viewers far away from the action, given that the fresh lava flow has a tendency to cause injury and death to curious tourists.

*Volcanoes National park - truly spectacular. The Kilauea Iki trail is a fantastic way to spend a morning- get the booklet from the visitor's center to do the full self-guided hike. We also did the initial part of the Napau trail towards Mauna Ulu; you have to register if you plan to go beyond the Pu'u Huluhulu lookout. Again, if time is no object and you have the gear, there is great longer-distance hiking here. Food options are limited in this area. On KMC, the galley offers all you can eat bulk with minimal gastronomic pleasure. In Volcano Village, the Lava Rock cafe has decent salads and sandwiches for lunch. Across the parking lot is an overpriced Thai place we didn't try. Self-catering is advised.

*Pahala - a real, low-key, old-style Hawaiian town. Grab some malasadas from the town cafe.

*Punalu'u - an easily accessible black sand beach known as a sighting spot for green sea turtles, snorkelable in calm seas. *Around the bend to South Point, food is available at Na'alehu, which claims to be the southernmost town in the United States.

Big Island Hawaii - Part 2 - The west coast

2008-07-12T23:29:00.000-07:00

South to North - a short commentary on attractions and food
*From South Point to Captain Cook we had only a highway view. There is a 2 mile hiking trail that gains 150m of altitude through dry forest at Manuka State park.
*Pu'uhonua O Hanaunau (Place of Refuge) - a national park which preserves aspects of traditional Hawaiian life, separated into former royal grounds and the sanctuary area for refugees. There is a 1km trail through the park. Just north of the park is a swimming and snorkeling area called 2 step. There is no sand, but you can set up towels and chairs on the rocks.
*Kealakekua Bay - rent your kayak from your B+B owner or any number of places along the main road or near the put-in spot at Napo'opo'o Pier, and kayak across the bay to the Captain Cook monument. In the morning it is not uncommon for dolphins to appear. There is lovely snorkeling on the reef near the monument. The earlier you can get here the better - large tour groups arrive on boats and take over the area. On the stretch of highway 11 between Place of Refuge and Kealakekua Bay there are several eateries. Super J's (west side) is a run down shopfront that does homestyle Hawaiian plate lunch. Recommended is the laulau (pork wrapped in green taro leaf). Island BBQ (east side) is next to a convenience store and has a couple picnic tables out front. They do surprisingly tasty sandwiches (8-10$ each) - we had the pulled pork (a bit too much BBQ sauce, but flavourful regardless) and the catch of the day (grilled, with tomato, lettuce, sprouts, and homemade tartar sauce) each accompanied by a nice coleslaw accented with caraway seed and sultanas. Across the street from the BBQ joint is a cafe/patisserie/gift shop that does reasonable espresso coffee and sells bread, scones (the blueberry is nicer than the pineapple-coconut), mini fruit tarts, and other goodies.
*Captain Cook village's strip mall has a supermarket, a chinese joint, and a burrito shop. The Manago hotel apparently has a restaurant, but it never seemed to be happening. *Keauhou has a huge and rather disgusting mall with a KTA supermarket and a variety of restaurants. We tried Royal Thai (near the movie theatre). The place was packed, but the food just wasn't that good. The green curry (approx 11$) had no kick, it was just green-tinged coconut cream over veggies. The papaya salad was crunchy but unmemorable. Next door there was a crepe place and a Tex-Mex joint. We went down to the waterfront, which seems to be the origination point for a lot of the tour boats to Kealakekua Bay. The yacht club there was happening on a weekend night, but it seemed like a private party.
*Kailua-Kona - not our scene, but an inevitable stopover on the way to and from the airport. We stayed at the Seaside hotel, which was fine. There is some reasonably priced food if you stay off the waterfront. We ate Mexican (you can get real dishes, like pozole, carnitas (9$), chile verde, birria (9$)) at El Unico, which is in the back blocks of a strip mall north of Hualalai road. If you ask, you can get tortilla de maiz off the griddle. They have a little salsa bar as well. We had Thai at a place called Bangkok house in the King Kamehameha shopping center. The spicy beef with green beans was quite tasty (approx 10$), and they are BYO with a wine shop conveniently located in the same center. In the afternoons, the outrigger canoe teams practice in the bay and you can watch them from the Kailua pier.
*We did not check out the beaches between Kailua and Waikoloa, but our books mentioned a couple spots that sounded great, especially Kiholo bay. *Waikoloa is occupied by large and scary resort/condo/golf complexes. There are several interesting sites on the resort property including some petroglyphs accessible via the Kings shopping center (yikes) and a trail to the water which runs through the royal fishponds. Upon reaching the shore from that trail, you can head south along an oceanfront trail to Anawho'omalu bay. There is food in both the King and Queen's shopping malls; the latter has a popular food court with the standard fare (Subway, Arby's) and a couple plate lunch places. There is also a sushi place called Sansai in the Queens mall which does early bird specials (pre-6p) which brings their prices down to a more appropriate level.
*Puako has a really lovely rustic beach, with pine trees and shade. You get the sense it will be ruined soon, as the land behind the beach is being subdivided and rich people are building oversized homes there. There is a minimart there run by a pleasant Indian lady who also has a free book exchange.
*Hapuna beach state park (which connects to the Prince resort) is a lovely long stretch of white sand, popular with families. There is a food stall and equipment rental area on the way to the beach from the parking lot. At the northern end of the beach, there is fun snorkeling with the occasional green turtle and lots of colourful fish. There is a trail from the northern part of Hapuna to the Mauna Kea beach. This is an easy 1.5km oceanfront walk to another white sand crescent. There is no food (other than resort food) there.
*Spencer beach park and the Pu'ukohola heiau. The beach is a tranquil shallow sandy bit nice for kids. The heiau was closed when we went by, but is an impressive rock structure probably worth investigating.
*Kawaihae - this port area has a less than beautiful concrete company on the west side of the highway. The east side has a strip mall with a few food options: a bento box place, a Tex-Mex joint, and Cafe Pesto which does pizza/salad/sandwich/pastas. We tried the latter and found the food to be acceptable, though the pasta was a bit overcooked (lunches 10-15$). There is a restaurant and bar complex (Kawaihae Harbor Grill and Seafood Bar) in two lovely historical buildings. For the Harbor Grill, arrive before 6p to get an early bird discount. It is a popular place focusing on seafood - we had red curry seafood and pan-fried local fish. Both dishes were good but nothing special, essentially both were versions of fish with cream sauce. Two early bird dinners with 2 drinks ran to 60$.
*Lapakahi State Historical park - this is a beautiful and free state park, with dry scrub against black and white rock against turquoise blue sea. There is a self guided trail around the park past reconstructed huts and other sites used by ancient Hawaiians. There is good snorkeling here per report (enter at the rocks west of the visitor's center) but the seas were too rough at our visit.
*Mahukona Beach park - this area was originally a harbor used by the now defunct Kohala Sugar Company. There are remnants of the industry, including a platform from which local kids love to dive. They swim in the well-protected port area while their parents sit under canopies in the carpark and drink beer.
*Kapa'a beach park - This is a less-visited park. No sand, but a cute shelter with picnic tables and some campgrounds shaded by trees. Apparently there is good snorkeling when the water is calm: http://www.tropicalsnorkeling.com/big-island-snorkeling-kapaa.html
*Hawi - the locals have managed to preserve the adorable weatherboard buildings circa early 1900s here, and filled the space with tourist-oriented shops, cafes, galleries, and restaurants. We enjoyed a meal at El Ranchito - complimentary chips and salsa, and beautifully tasty carnitas (approx 10$) with tortilla de maiz. There is a liquor store next door and you can BYO. Just up the road is Kapa'au town, which has lots of traditional houses and the statue of King Kamehameha, with which tourists seem to love to have their photo taken.
*Keokea beach park is nothing remarkable. There is a gazebo shelter on a rocky hill, to which local teens have laid claim.
*Pololu valley lookout - everyone drives here to peek out over this dramatic valley and the sheer cliffs on the other side. A popular trail leads down to the beach.
*Waimea - this is a real town, with 2 supermarkets, banks, and lots of food options. People come here for the Parker ranch attractions. The drive from the Kohala coast is quite pretty, and a great example of how quickly the climate and flora can change in Hawaii. You crest the hill, and suddenly everything is green. Our favourite restaurant on the island is on the 19 heading out of town - Huli Sue's. They do BBQ (11-20$), a farmer's market fresh salad bar (9$), yummy potato biscuits (free with meals), and an amazing passionfruit cheesecake (? but worth it). The ambiance is fantastic - lovely colours and decor in a traditional weatherboard house. Longboard lager comes in Bell jars (4$ a pint). The waitstaff here seem to be locals who spend most of their time working their hobby farms and surfing, and just need a bit of cash on the side. We also ate lunch at the Chinese buffet place in the KTA strip mall. It was a better than average all-you-can-eat deal for 9$ including a great green bean with black bean sauce dish, flavourful stewed pork, decent gyoza, fried rice and noodle, etc. One door down is a Thai place, one door up is Korean. Also in this strip mall is the Kamuela deli, which does down-home fat-laden Hawaiian meals. We tried the Hawaiian lunch (10$) which was pork fried in pork fat, with a side of fatty pork in taro, sweet potato drenched in same pork fat, macaroni salad, and rice. The deli also has a sushi joint, where we picked up a decent rainbow roll (9$). This place is a clue to why many residents of Hawaii are so large, and have lots of abdominal bruises suspicious for insulin injection sites.

Big Island Hawaii - Part 1 - Overview

2008-07-11T00:04:00.000-07:00

Getting there: Finding flights to Big Island from Okinawa was not easy. Many involved 3 stops, or a long Honalulu layover. We went via Tokyo, changed airports from Haneda to Narita, and then flew direct to Kona. We changed airports via the "Friendly" airport bus service, which charges 3000Y pp for the 1.5hr journey across the Tokyo suburbs. The bus runs on the expressway. We encountered no traffic on either leg. Tickets are available in the arrivals area at both airports; the information desk ladies can direct you to the ticketing area if necessary. Buses run frequently and highly efficient, like so many things in Japan. The Tokyo metro is a less expensive alternative, but involves several line changes.
Getting around: We rented a car. Currently, AVIS is our favourite car rental company. This is primarily due to competitive prices and a relative lack sales pressure to buy scam add-ons like extra insurance, upgrades, and bringing the car back empty on fuel. There are lots of gas stations around the island, but Hawaiians pay more for energy than they do on mainland (about 50 cents more a gallon). Seeing the Big Island is virtually impossible using public transport. The towns are set up along the highway, and Kailua-Kona is one big strip mall. The only bus service is out of Hilo and runs infrequently - we never saw the bus during 13 days there, not once. Hitchhiking is fairly popular among the hippie set, but many of them seemed to wait w while before a ride came along.
Resources: We picked up local maps from the tourist brochure area at the airport. The best maps were in "This week Big Island." We used recent editions of Fodors and Let's Go. The former had a great list of beaches around the island, and a fairly comprehensive list of cafes and moderate to expensive food options. The latter included more information on hiking in Volcanoes National park, and cheaper eats. Also helpful is a New York Times article on the subject: http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/01/27/travel/27Hawaii.html. Our B+B owner also had helpful information about local restaurants.
Where to stay: It is easy to spend lots of money in Hawaii, but not a necessity. There are several campgrounds, especially on state beach parks. These require registration / bookings: https://www.ehawaii.gov/Hawaii_County/camping/exe/campre.cgi. Hilo has a youth hostel which looks fairly respectable: http://www.hawaiihostel.net/. There are several reasonably priced bed and breakfasts in Captain Cook area; most are situated in the Kona hills overlooking the sea. We stayed at the "Edge of the World" Crow's Nest room for approx 119$/night. The owner has 300 each coffee and macadamia nut trees, and sells the produce locally and to guests. The room has a stunning 180 degree view, outdoor patio, decent double bed, mini-fridge, and private bath with good-pressure shower. Breakfast is fruit from the property along with a hot dish like scrambled eggs or french toast, and lots of brewed local coffee. The decor is a little dated, but if you want fancy linens and modern colour schemes you have to pay for it (see Luana Inn). http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g60580-c2-Captain_Cook_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii-Hotels.html Captain_Cook_Island_of_Hawaii_Hawaii-Hotels.html. There is military accommodation on Big Island at the Kilauea Military Camp located in Volcanoes National Park: http://www.kmc-volcano.com/volcano.com/volcano.com/. For 91$/night you can get a one-bedroom cabin with private bath - nothing fancy but it has a minifridge and coffee-maker, and you park right out front your door. There are several military-style eating establishments on the camp, along with a gym, bowling alley, game room, Laundromat, and shopette. The expensive resorts on Big Island are concentrated on the Kohala coast; apparently some offer specials. Our experience (Prince Hapuna Beach) was that the rooms are not special, they try to charge you huge money for every extra thing (11$ for portage! 1.75$ for 5 minutes of internet! 2.75% surcharge on ATM withdrawls! 30$ fine for pool towels not turned in by sunset!), but the pool, beach, and view are great.
Eating: Hawaii is home to the plate lunch - usually rice or poi with some kind of pork and cole slaw or macaroni salad (6-10$). The best places for this are small roadside shops, but you can also get plate lunch from mall food courts. There is also a lot of asian-esque food: thai, korean, chinese, japanese, filipino, most of it adjusted for american tastes (less chili, less herb, more meat). After spending some time in Japan, it is truly appalling how large these meals are, and how little vegetable content they contain. The best strategy for two people is to get one main meal and a salad or side dish, and split everything. Farmers markets are quite popular in Hawaii, and a great source for tropical fruit and inexpensive breakfast/lunch. Self-catering at a grocery store is also a good option - the large stores have extensive arrays of sushi (rolls), preprepared hot food, and sandwich contents.
Activities: There is no shortage of fun to be had on Big Island. Just exploring different beaches and snorkeling can consume an entire holiday. There are lots of interesting state parks and hiking opportunities. Renting a kayak (20-40$/day for a two person) is also a great option - there are lots of places to explore, but the popular one is Kealakekua bay. We didn't make it up to the Mauna Kea observatory, but that would be interesting for those that come prepared with winter clothing and an appropriate vehicle.
Shopping: This being the United States, there are an array of big box retailers on Big Island (Wal Mart, Home Depot, Lowes, Kmart, Macy's, Ross, Borders, etc) centered around Kailua Kona and Hilo. There are a couple of thrift stores in the larger towns, which have some interesting vintage Hawaiiana. The large resorts on the Kohala coast have their own attached malls, with clothing, jewelry, and trinket shops ranging from standard mall chains to posh designer stores. Kailua itself has been completely subsumed by the tourist trade, and is essentially an oversized souvenir shopping mall. The smaller towns (Hawi, Honoka'a, Honomu, Pahoa) are the place to go to support local small business and find a sarong or summer dress, or get some lychee ice cream, or whatever.
Hawaiian quirks:
*The big resorts are required by law to allow public access to the shoreline. They seem to do this reluctantly. They put up signs saying "Private road" at the entrance to their resort complex. Keep on going. Look for shoreline access signs. Different resorts provide a variable (usually insufficient) number of parking spaces for the general public. Credit must be given to the state for maintaining public shoreline access, it still seems a sad compromise that some remarkable coastal spots with historical and archaeological significance are now in the hands of the Marriott or Hilton companies.
*Anyone who has moved to Big Island from elsewhere has got a story that they love to tell about how they ended up there. We overheard these stories everywhere, and they often involved international travel and romance, surfing, farming, the arts, or some combination.
*Lots of people either don't have jobs or have nontraditional employment, so don't expect attractions to be empty on weekdays *All the tourists in Hawaii are sunburned. You cannot reapply sunscreen often enough in this part of the world.

Kouri jima

2008-06-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

Location: this is a small island off the norther coast of Motobu. It is connected with Okinawa-honto by two bridges, one from Oyama (just above Motobu peninsula, on the 58) to Yagaji jima, the next from Yagaji to Kouri. Kouri jima is an attractive island, with dramatic hills and cliffs, tropical vegetation, agriculture, and some white-sand beaches. Depending on your location, there are views out to Ie, Motobu, and the big island. The water in this area is an amazing turquoise, and clearer than in the south of Okinawa-honto. There is a road that circumnavigates the island, and leads to the beaches on the north of the island. These are long and smooth, have minimal trash, and people snorkel in the reef off the beach. There are also a couple beaches on the south of the island, where the bridge meets the land. These are the most popular, and beachcombers seemed enthralled on these patches of sand. The west side of the island is rough, with rocky cliffs. For those lucky enough to have access to a boat or kayak, the east side of the island has calm waters, sheltered by the bay created by Motobu and Okinawa-honto. There are beautiful sandy coves along this coast, mostly inaccessible from the road. Although the reef is not healthy, the snorkeling is better than average, perhaps because this area is not as overfished/overused by humans. Any live bit of coral has its own community of fish and crustacean life, and we saw a couple eels as well. We did not explore food options on Kouri-jima. We picked up bento boxes on the way. There is a waterside izakaya at the junction of the 71 and the 505.

Restaurants - Satto

2008-06-24T01:07:00.000-07:00

Location: on the 58 bypass in Ginowan, on the east side of the road, north of the Ginowan 100Y/Uniqlo plaza; parking beside the restaurant or in a lot behind the restaurant

Hours: 11:30-3p, 5:30-11p unsure which day closed, if any. English menu available

This is a large izakaya, and the interior is done up sort of like a traditional okinawan house - fake red tile roof, lots of wood and sliding panels. There is a bar, large tables, and open sit-on-floor area, and multiple private booths. We were immediately impressed by the price of beer and cocktails: Orion draft 270Y (only double the price of a can at Lawsons), sake starting at 810Y, awamori cocktails at 420Y.

The menu is expansive, and covers traditional Okinawan specialties and standard izakaya fare. We had the baked spareribs (1670Y) - a rack of about 12 ribs, tender and sweet, so tasty we ordered another round. We also tried the goya Caesar salad - a pleasant way to eat thin-sliced raw goya, but the dressing did not have the parmesean-lemon-anchovy-mustard zing that a Caesar dressing should. The kimchi tofu soup (approx 500Y) was subtle comfort food, quite nice with rice. The natto and tofu (approx 600Y) was surprisingly good - for the uninitiated, natto (fermented soybean) with its bits of bean connected by stringy mucous, is difficult to stomach. This was an easy way to eat it: piled up in a parfait-like presentation with tofu, minced onion, and other items, which together all tasted fresh and light. The 5-piece sashimi set (approx 1300Y) included 4 pieces each of octopus, parrotfish, salmon, tuna, and another white fish, accompanied by slivered daikon and two types of seaweed. The octopus was too tough but the rest was nice. There are lots of opportunities here to strike out and try something new. They have various pig bits, other tofu dishes, various maki, unusual cocktails (calpis with shikwasa and awamori), etc. The large space allows you to linger. And given the alcohol prices, you can actually drink without blowing through your wallet, so long as you have arranged a ride home.

Restaurants - Sunabe Gyros

2008-06-14T02:18:00.000-07:00

Location: Sunabe, about 1/2 block east of the seawall; see photo for additional landmarks; park on the seawall or across the street from the restaurant
Hours: 11a-9p, closed Monday

http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2008/06/sunabe-gyros.html

This is another restaurant well-loved by the gaijin community. It has a casual beachy ambiance, with a line of plastic chairs and a bar up the side, a couple small tables, and upstairs a couple more tables out on the corner of the roof (the "rooftop terrace" - unfortunately no ocean view). Weekdays at lunch the place is packed with uniformed members of the armed services. Luckily, the owners have not let the success go to their head; they produce good food for reasonable money. A huge draw for us is the delicious warm pita bread, whether paired with tsatsiki or wrapped around shaved meat it is a lovely change of pace from rice. The tsatsiki (approx 350Y) is make from an excessively creamy yogurt, and is a bit shy on cucumber, but is still reall tasty and has just the right amount of garlic. The beef gyros (approx 550Y) was also satisfying, with a nice oregano flavour in the meat. It comes with some yogurt sauce, but benefited from the leftover tsatsiki in addition to the accompanying red sauce. They should also be commended for avoiding a common gyros problem - the oil dripping out the back of the sandwich.

Diversions - the streets behind Kokusai

2008-06-07T02:11:00.000-07:00

Location: the street parallel to Kokusai, in the direction towards the water (ie, not the covered market) north of the Kumoji intersection / Kenchoumae train station
Hours: variable, best at meal time with lots of nightlife options
Kokusai street is too touristy and carnivalesque for our liking. All the snakes in jars of liquor, the goya benches, the multiple variation on the theme of steakhouse... However, it is worth exploring the cross-streets heading to the parallel street on top on Kokusai. There are interesting shops, smaller restaurants and izakayas, cafes, and a jazz club. Just a block away, you get away from the groups of tourists, the touts, the trinket shops. A few places spotted:
Favourite cafe: http://cafe07.ti-da.net/e2062031.html
Right next door to Favourite Cafe there is a gelati shop.
Down the street is Cafest M & H (Japanese page can be found on GNavi website) which does croque madame/monsieur:
http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&u=http://r.gnavi.co.jp/f324900/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dyomitan%2Bmonogatari%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DHPIA,HPIA:2006-18,HPIA:en

Restaurant - Fertile

2008-06-07T01:13:00.000-07:00

Location: Chuo, Okinawa city, in the backstreets between BC street and Gate 2 Street. It is quite difficult to describe precisely, because of the lack of landmarks in this area. It on the street that runs from Gate 2 street to BC street, two blocks north of the exit of the covered arcade. If looking at the phone book map, put a dot right in from of the words "Shoos Shop M2" and that is the approximate location of the shop. It is advisable to drive around the area to spot it. There is a parking lot across the street and customers of the restaurant map park in spots 5-8. Or, one can park at the top of BC street at the public lot (beyond the shopping center) and walk.
Hours: 11:30-3p lunch, closed Wednesday
This is a remarkable cafe. It has a homey bistro feel, with wooden furniture, mini-chandelier lighting, a framed Rothko print, and hydrangeas in vases. There are no English menus, but the proprietor can explain the lunch sets. There is a special monthly lunch set (1500Y) which has an antipasto dish in addition to the standard soup, salad, main, dessert, and coffee. The other sets offer choice of main: fish (1200Y), chicken (1200Y), pasta (800Y). The antipasto dish had 3 tasty bites: a slice of prosciutto over ripe cherry tomatoes with olive oil, poultry pate with fresh country mustard, and thin sliced cuttlefish with caper sauce. The soup was a delicious cream of carrot, with homemade croutons and fresh herbs. The salad was red curly lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and a nice Caesar-esque dressing with fresh cracked pepper. The special lunch main was pork (pounded thin and tender) stuffed with eggplant, in a fantastically complex tomato sauce drizzled with pesto. The fish main was shallow panfried white fish in a light cream-herb sauce, with roasted potatoes and wilted spinach. All the dishes were distinguished by attention to details of both flavour and presentation. We couldn't find fault with any of it. The proprietor then brought out the coffee - freshly made, from an espresso machine that grinds its own beans, served in bone china and accompanied by a mini-pitcher of milk and brown sugarcubes. Then, as a final signature, he arrived with the dessert on two double tiered serving trays. The top dessert plate had two offerings: a nice baked cheesecake and an amazing watermelon sorbet. The bottom plate boasted a brownie slice with fresh whipped cream, mint, and a minced strawberry sauce. This is a delicious, indulgent lunch, and given the quality of the ingredients at a very reasonable price.

Restaurants - Cactus Eatrip

2008-05-28T22:34:00.001-07:00

Location: Ginowan, on the west side of the 58, just north of Leon Eri Dance Studio; parking for 4 small cars
Hours: 11a-10p closed Wednesday
http://www.okinawahai.com/my_weblog/2007/11/bagels.html
http://www.teamwa.co.jp/pres/2008/03/cactus_eatrip.html
This bagel shop has a fun artsy interior that makes you want to linger - the base of the bar is made of the concrete blocks that comprise the gutters in Japan, there are Turkish carpet pillows and vases full of ginger and frangipani. They serve bagel sandwiches and coffees, as well as a homemade sweet or two. We had the avocado&tomato (with lettuce and oregano) and the smoked salmon with cream cheese and capers, both on black pepper bagels (both approx 450Y). For 880Y each you get a salad and drink to turn it into a set. The "teamwa" blog has a nice photo of this, and we love that they halve the bagel and wrap each piece in wax paper, making for easy sharing. They turn out nice chewy bagels, better than those we have had in NYC. Making bagels in Japan must have its challenges - while we were there, a workman brought in two sacks of flour and charged them 12000Y. The sandwiches were fresh and light, and the proprietor shows excellent restraint with the cream cheese. We wished for a bit of salt on the veggie sandwich, but then focused on the smooth avocado goodness. We also had a small cinnamon scone filled with cream, which was not as nice as the bagels but still good. There are also sweet bagels and a ton of different cream cheese flavours, to make your own combo. Some evenings they do music.

Restaurants - Cafe Caracalla

2008-05-26T01:45:00.000-07:00

Location: Hamby, on Hamby street on the west side, a couple blocks south of San A. In the same building as Tan Tan

Hours 11a - 9p closed Tuesday http://www.caracalla.jp/

http://cafe07.ti-da.net/e2043844.html.

Either the owners had a lot of expensive stuff just hanging around, or someone spent a lot of money to get this place up and going. There is matching leather furniture, designer throw pillows (seen for sale at Cafe Unizon), framed artwork, glass sculpture, fresh flowers, venetian glass cups, fancy ceramic plates, and, most impressively, a TOTO toilet which has an automatic lid that is raised as you enter the bathroom. There is also classy jazz music (although we like Jack Johnson, his CDs are played at virtually every cafe on Okinawa). They have a selection of artsy Japanese magazines. Natural light streams through picture windows looking onto Araha beach park, the quiet end where almost no one goes.

There are two lunch sets, one "Asian" (900Y) and one "salad." The Asian set included a small cup of beef broth with a couple beans, a small salad, a Japan-ised Tom Yum soup, stir fried asian greens, and rice. The meal was good, but not spectacular. The soup needed more chili, lemongrass, kaffir lime, fish sauce...all the Thai ingredients that are hard to source here. And really, Tom Yum should have straw mushrooms, not cabbage, as the main vegetable. The greens were simply prepared, but would have been better with more kick - garlic, ginger, chili, something. For an extra 200Y, cake may be added to the set. We had the mango cake, which was angel food layered with whipped cream icing, with small chunks of mango. This, again, was good, but not smashing. The set comes with choice of hot/cold tea/coffee; the iced tea served in an interesting orange venetian glass.

The favorite item, which we ordered al la carte, was salad pizza (1000Y, expensive given the size of the dish) - a thin crispy crust, flavourful tomato sauce, topped with fresh green curly lettuce, walnuts, ham, and cherry tomatoes. Light and yummy.

Given that the food is not cheap and not mind blowing, and there is a lot of cafe competition in Hamby, I hope the owners did not spend a fortune on the cafe decor, or they may find it difficult to meet their rental payments. However, the view and classiness are different enough from other local establishments that they may attract a unique clientele.

Yoron

2008-05-21T02:02:00.000-07:00

Getting there and getting away: Yoron is the southernmost island of Kagoshima prefecture, and approx 23km north of Okinawa.

The ferry stops there en route from Naha to Kagoshima City, arriving at Motobu port at 0900 and leaving at 0920. It arrives around noon at Yoron. The ferry is large, but a bit shabby, and appears to have had no cosmetic upgrade since the late 1970s. There are only a few seats on the deck; everyone tends to hang out in the communal tatami rooms. Tickets are not cheap - 2 people and two bikes cost about 16,000Y round trip. It is too bad there is no smaller, fast ferry from Okuma to service Yoron. The return ferry arrives to port at 1400, leaving around 1420. Watching the dockworkers manage the ferry and on/offloading cargo is an adventure in itself.

What to do: Yoron is quite flat compared to other islands nearby, and surrounded by a reef. A road circumnavigates the island in 22km. On the western part of the island is the ferry port, the airport, and the main town. The remainder is rural, with lots of taro and sugarcane. There are lovely white sand beaches all around the island. The local map points out snorkel/dive sites. There is a beach suitable for surfing just west of the windmill, on the south side of the island. On the east coast the reef is the more distant from the shore, and in extreme low tide a sand island emerges that is covered in star sand (and thus is a major tourist attraction). The southern part of the island is the hilliest. You can walk up to the Southern Cross Center, which offers great views of the western side of the island. We had just two days and spent most of it bicycling around the island. Sadly, some parts of the island fell victim to real estate / commercial schemes destined for failure (stores, discos, hotels, beachside cottages, etc), now in a state of disrepair.

What to eat: We sourced our breakfast from the Y store, which has fresh-baked pastries (150-300Y each) and canned coffee. These were some of the nicest pastries we've had in Japan, and ranged from a custard filled bread to a citrus-infused snail roll to a savory pastry stuffed with potato and mayonnaise with fish roe. We had lunch twice at Umi cafe, which is in "Greek village" - a couple of whitewashed buildings and gardens along a path from the main town to the beach. The cafe has terrace looking out over the fishing port. The interior decor is quite pretty, white and blue with beachy knickknacks and wire artwork. The proprietress serves greek salad (1000Y), pasta of the day (900Y), bread with butter (200Y), which together make a delicious meal. It had been so long since we've had kalamata olives and feta cheese...and the dressing was worth sopping up with the bread. Cafe hours are 1100-1700. There are maps available there of the town; maps of the island are available from the Kadena travel office (along with the ferry schedule and a rudimentary list of hotels). We ate dinner at the izakaya with a menu board out front, around the corner from our minshuku, which served inexpensive if unspectacular food and drink. The proprietress kindly translated the menu for us. On our way out of town, we refilled our water at the vending machine outside the A-coop grocery store, since the local tap water was potable but not palatable.

Where to stay: Yoron does not abound with accommodation options, especially during shoulder season. All the minshukus we surveyed we pretty rustic; we chose ours because it was run by a young family and had a convenient location just north of the hospital and convenience store (from the fishing port, walk towards the Y convenience store and turn left, walk uphill until you see the entrance with the give-away slippers in front of the reception desk (3000Y pp per night no meals). We stopped into the Pricia resort (8000Y pp per night) for a look. The grounds show a bit of wear and tear, but it is by far the nicest place to stay on the island. The primary Pricia beach is attractive, although some of the cottages have views over an industrial area/port. Another local option is the Coral hotel in town, which used to be quite nice but now is a bit run down (10,700 for a double with breakfast), although offers a lovely beach and beachside rotemburo that may open in summertime. There are a couple other hotels/minshukus in town, one on the main street that parallels the beach, another on the main crossstreet up the hill heading out of town.

Restaurants - Sea Side Jet City burgers

2008-05-16T01:41:00.000-07:00

Location - Hamby, at the strip of shacks that fronts the northern end of Araha beach
Hours: 12-9p
http://www.ssjcb.com/
http://www.japanupdate.com/?id=7921
There is not much opportunity for beach shack dining in Japan - plenty of beaches, no shacks. So we have been mystified as to why this row of establishments doesn't seem as popular as one might expect. Perhaps in part because only Sea Side Jet City Burgers is open for lunch, the rest are dinner/drinking establishments. Maybe also because food and drink at beach shacks here costs a lot more than beach shacks in Latin America or the Caribbean.
The menu at SSJCB is a beautiful compilation of photos of the food on offer. The restaurant website lists prices; most burgers are 800-1500. Our waiter told us the Hawaiian burger (900Y) is the most popular. It contains burger, egg, pineapple, avocado, and curry sauce. We found this burger to be a bit wet and overloaded. We also tried the chili avocado burger (880Y) which was quite spicy due to a generous dousing with proprietary chili sauce. These burgers are a bit heavy for our taste, the bottom bun moist with grease. But others will enjoy the decadence of a moist burger laden with avocado and mayonnaise-based sauce. On the side comes a triangular hash brown and a piece of fried sweet bread. So far, Gordies wins the Okinawa burger competition (against competitors MOS and SSJCB) but there are still more burgers to sample.

Diversions - gardening on Okinawa

2008-05-11T23:19:00.000-07:00

The Japanese are master gardeners. They are a people sensitive to the seasons, with an exquisite appreciation of colour. Almost every house has a garden, most often planted in a ramshackle collection of pots, but sometimes elegantly landscaped. On Okinawa, many people also have their own vegetable patches, or, if space permits, larger fields with crops ranging from sugarcane to taro to papaya to cauliflower. It is hard not to be inspired by all this, and strike out into your own yard.
Seeds are relatively expensive at Japanese stores, and the variety is not great. So, should you care to plant from seed, best to bring your own supply. Seedlings are available at low cost from home improvement stores like MakeMan and the Ginowan plaza home store, as well as at local family-owned nurseries. All these stores tend to carry seasonal plants, but each has a slightly different selection and pricing, so best to shop around. Soil is a bit expensive at these stores, but if your goal is planting a few pots, it works out fine. The 100Y shops (especially the one in Ginowan plaza) are a great source for gardening accessories including pots and saucers, stakes and wire cages, ties / twins, hand shovels (available in a rainbow of colors), and more. Gaijin trash heaps and PCS sales are also a rich source of plants and pots.

Soil quality is not great in many of the places where gaijin live. The bases were often built up artificially with fill, so the soil is hard-packed clay with very little topsoil. Drainage can be a problem. Thus, in order to plant in the ground the soil must be improved and built up a bit to improve drainage. This requires some sand, decent organic material, and bagged soil / acquired topsoil.

Also, the soil is alkaline (pH 7-9) and seems to be devoid of some key nutrients. There are a couple of ways to address the alkalinity (when one does an internet search on the topic.) We have used coffee ground dug into the soil or scattered around on top. These can be from personal consumption, or from Starbucks. Per a company recycling policy, if you drop off a pail with lid at Starbucks and leave them your contact info, they will fill it with used grounds and call you to pick it up when it's full. Apparently, elemental sulfur works better for this purpose than coffee, but is more difficult to obtain. In addition, one can fertilize with an acidifying product (ammonium based fertilizers will do this - urea, ammonium sulfate/nitrate/phosphate). Regular application of fertilizer is essential should you plan to grown any veggies, and really helps ornamentals.

Weeds are another issue. When planting in the ground, the edges must be protected from grass encroachment with barriers that extend several centimeters into the ground, and on top plastic sheeting or mulch is advisable to prevent wind and soil-borne weeds. The 3 leaf clover is ubiquitous and must be pulled out from its bulb.

Pests are a challenge anywhere, and Okinawa is no different. Local plants seem to do well, but veggies, herbs, and ornamentals like roses suffer from all sorts of things: powdery fungus, viral rust, spider mites, leafminer, caterpillars, aphids, etc. We gave up on organic methods a while back, and are using various fungicidal and insecticidal mists (of course different products on edibles and ornamentals). Beware the plants in the sale counter at the nurseries, these sometimes suffer from early-stage infestations.

Water requirements depend on a variety of factors. Pots in the full summer sun go through huge amounts of water. The ground retains a lot of moisture here, and it rains with regularity even in the summer, so ground plantings need less frequent attention.

The subtropical climate and lack of winter freeze means one can plant at any time in the year, but growth and flowering really picks up as the spring starts (late March). Plants that do really well, with almost no work, are bougainvillea, hibiscus, small crawling succulents (see photo of purple flowers), coleus varieties (http://www.bakersacresgreenhouse.com/Wholesaleliners.htm), ferns, and taro plants. The coleus, geraniums, and the succulent plants are really easy to root - just break off a piece from your friend's plant and stick it in the ground, water regularly, and off it goes. Bougainvilleas can also be propagated from cuttings, although it is reportedly a bit more difficult (http://www.southeasttexasgardening.info/bouginfo.htm). Jasmine, passiflora, ixoras, abutilons, pachystachys lutes (lollipop flower), geraniums, begonias, and lots of other tropicals grow like crazy once established. Roses and gardenias struggle a bit unless soil/pest control is maintained. All the herbs need babying and some attention to soil/pests, but do well once established: thyme, rosemary, mint, sage, basil, cilantro, lemongrass, chives, etc. Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and squash all do OK here, if they get enough attention. If you plan to be in Okinawa more than 3 years, plant a few fruiting trees / vines on arrival. Banana, papaya, citrus, and passionfruit are all cultivated on Okinawa. MakeMan also sells kiwi, fig, lychee, and other tropical species.

Diversions - Bicycling in Awase

2008-05-11T01:57:00.000-07:00

Location: Drive to the Awase seawall, which starts at the southern end of the Awase Communication Station. There are a few parking spots right there, and a bit further south a parking lot in front of a row of restaurants.

You can bicycle north about halfway around the base perimeter, until the path stops abruptly in front of a dead tidal flat. Heading south, the seawall intersects Awase bay road (the 227) which goes into Comprehensive Park. There is an obvious bicycle track hugging the coast , from which you can enter the park to explore. Back on the coast, the seawall starts again and continues back out to the 227. The seawall area is less tidy than Chatan's, but also much less crowded, making it possible for two people to cycle side by side most of the distance.

Food options here are not ideal. Chain restaurants and large izakayas dominate. Many smaller shops close on Sundays. There are a couple smaller soba places, one on the corner main road heading into Awase (the extension of the 20). The restaurants in front of the seawall seemed not quite right. We ended up having an ebi burger at MOS, which was adequate.

Restaurants - Casa Pana

2008-05-10T02:27:00.000-07:00

Location: Ginowan, on the 330 south of where it meets the 81; if traveling south pass the fire station and Ginowan city hall, and the restaurant is on your left. If it is full or closed, Cafe Blue is just across the street, tucked behind the Aoyama suit shop chain.

Hours: 11:30-4p lunch; dinner 6p-?

http://www.pao-okinawa.com/casapao/index.html

This is the sister restaurant to Cafe and Cucina Pao (located not far away on the 81.) At Casa Pana, the interior decor is quite classy - white walls, green stained wooden trim, and three colorful mosaics on the walls. Although Pana is a small space, they seat about 8 at the bar, there are about 8 tables seating 2-4 people, and then 3 semiprivate areas for larger groups.

The lunch menu is essentially the same as Pao. The sets involve salad, bread, an appetizer nibble, and a pasta dish, as well as coffee and dessert. The choice of pasta is tomato-based (approx 1000Y), salt-based (approx 1000Y), cream based (approx 1400Y), and lasagna (approx 1200Y). The pastas change from visit to visit; between Pao and Pana we have visited three times and never had the same dish. The sauces are prepared in house with care, and feature interesting combinations of vegetable and meat. The desserts here are very special - there is always a sorbet (flavours vary) on an angel food biscuit, with a small slice of cake. On our most recent visit, the dessert plate featured a negative impression of a dessert fork done in bittersweet cocoa powder. Again, classy. The coffee always comes with cream in a pitcher, and brown sugar cubes. This is a cafe that deserves to do well - they produce reliably tasty food for very reasonable prices in an attractive setting.

Diversions - Hiking at Zanpa

2008-05-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

Location: Zanpa point is well signposted. From the 58, get on the 6, and the turnoff is obvious. There is ample parking near the lighthouse.

The area between the parking lot and the lighthouse has heavy tourist traffic and an unfortunate snack shop run out of an old bus. But you don't have to go far to escape the crowds and appreciate some lovely scenery.

Hiking is a bit of an exaggeration - really this is a civilised walk. Sturdy shoes are helpful though for jumping along the rocks near the lighthouse. There is a concrete path that runs the length of the Zanpa preserve area, and then dirt/grass trails off towards the coast. Several lookout points dot the coastline, offering spectacular views of the cliffs. We did not do a loop, although it appears that paths run to the road behind the golf course and back to the parking lot. Instead, we hugged the cliffs outbound, and returned along the path. In early May, there are lillies blooming all around the preserve - not quite the concentration that exists at Ie, but nontheless beautiful.

Diversions - Kayaking at Gesashi

2008-05-08T01:59:00.000-07:00

Location: take the IC north to Ginoza, then get on the 331 north to Higashi. A bridge goes over the river that is home to the largest (but still so small) mangrove in Okinawa. Turn right off the bridge and park along the street that parallels the river.

Try to obtain a copy of the helpful brochure: Higashi village tourist guidemap, which has fuchsia bougainvilleas on the cover. The map inside is helpful, given that the phone book maps are really substandard for this area.

For those who do not own their own kayak, one and two-person kayaks may be rented from Tsunami on Foster (2-person 25$ , kayak is due back the next day by close of business; 45$ for the entire weekend). The best put-in place is near the accumulation of rental kayaks by the stairs , down by the mouth of the river (ie not the stairs below the observation gazebo). The goal is to put in as the tide is rising - you really need a high tide to see all the mangroves.

The navigable portion of the river doesn't go far, and there is only one detour off to the side, but it is still a lovely afternoon's pursuit to kayak the mangroves and then turn around and head out to sea. The bay that surrounds the mouth of Gesashi river has some beautiful rock formations. Kayaking north out of the river, the shorescape boasts beaches and pretty swirly orange rocks. If all the paddling makes you hungry, there is a reasonable cafe right by the bridge. The menu is all Japanese, but the proprietress will tell you if each main is chicken, beef, or fish. The steak set was 1200Y, and a fish dish was 650Y. The steak was a bit fatty, but tender, and came with vegetable and potato, as well as soup and salad. The fish was poached in soy-mirin-sake,. accompanied by two pieces of tofu and a bowl of miso soup. Last summer, we ordered a hamburger set and a salad with fried fish set, both of which were excellent. The local beach is the perfect spot to unwind after lunch. Gesashi Fureai Uppama Park is located on the shore east and north of town, and you have to drive through fields to get there. Parking is along the road behind the beach and by the toilet block. There is no parking or admission fee.

Restaurants - Gordies

2008-05-08T00:23:00.000-07:00

Location: Sunabe, on the road that leads to the Junkyard (which is now razed and awaiting redevelopment), which is the same road that heads out to the northern end of the Sunabe seawall. There are great signs and the restaurant is right across from a playground.

Hours: 11a-10p, closed Thursday

This is a great beach burger shack, decorated in vintage Americana, wooden floors, and partially demolished concrete blocks. The hamburger sets involve a small tomato vegetable soup, the burger, and wedge fries. The soup is much better than the typical creamy proprietary soup preferred by local cafes. There are real veggies in it, and the broth is light yet adequately salted. The wedges are not the star of the meal, but with a bit more salt and spice would be great. The burger (600Y) and burger BLT (700Y) were both great. The bun is a lovely unsweetened fluffy and fresh baked roll, the meat was perfectly done, and the veg (lettuce & tomato) was plentiful and crispy. It is the sauce combination that makes the burger though - don't know their secret, but love the results. Beer is the standard 500Y. Very pleasant, and so far the winner for best burger on island.

Golden week in Okinawa

2008-05-03T03:27:00.000-07:00

Okinawa is on the receiving end of lots of Golden Week (April 29-May 5) tourism. An internet search on the topic yield a brief description of the holidays comprising Golden Week, and a description of the Dragon Boat races, but little else. http://japanupdate.com/?id=8620
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Week_(Japan)

What do Japanese people do during Golden Week? Where do they go? How might a traveler avoid traffic jams and other frustrations?

Mihama village was strangely tranquil during the day, and traffic in the Ginowan to Kadena strip seemed no worse than usual. However, in the afternoon/evening, Mihama turned into a parking lot, especially towards the end of the holiday. Youth seemed to swarm to the area, and the parking lots at Jusco and Makeman were at capacity.

During pleasant days, every local scuba operator was running tours at Sunabe, and parking was tight but still manageable along the seawall. Several intrepid families were camped out on the beach north of Junkyard, and large numbers of people were trolling the reefs.

On Saturday, the entire area around Nago was gridlocked, starting about 10km from the Kyoda IC exit, and continuing into Nago as far as the eye could see. Other than that, the IC north from Kitanakagusuku ran well.

The east coast of the island did not suffer significant traffic jams. All along the northeastern coast the motorcyclists were out in full force. The public beach areas from Kin to Higashi were tight for parking. It seems many Japanese families camp out on the beach for Golden Week. It is a scene to behold - amazing collections of camping gear, along with generators, griddles, BBQs, fire pits, solar-heated showers, pool toys and sporting equipment for the kids - load and loads of stuff under oversize tents and canopies. In addition, the kayak activity at Higashi was impressive.

Restaurants - Coffee Casa

2008-04-30T22:43:00.000-07:00

Location: Chatan, Sunabe area. Turn off the 58 at the American Pie joint and pass Hamagawa fishing port then turn right. Follow this road, after a couple blocks on the left hand side is the Istanbul Kebab House and Coffee Casa.
Hours: lunch 11a-3p, open 7a-6p, not sure which day closed. English menu, English-speaking waitstaff
Coffee Casa is the neighborhood cafe to the gaijin ghetto. The place was packed at lunch with DODDS teachers, military members in uniform, dependent wives and their children, etc. The scene is surreal - US citizens driving up in their enormous cars, filling up both this place and the kebab house. Sitting outside on the deck, you watch people doing their errands, parking their Y plates in their "US family housing" condo driveways. The sheer concentration of americans in this small part of Chatan is remarkable, and a bit disturbing. Meanwhile, fighter jets fly overhead making a tremendous noise.
The food here is basically pasta or chili with crunchy tortilla. For 400Y extra (on top of 800-1000Y pasta dishes) you add a soup, coffee, and dessert, making a lunch set. The coffee is quite good, and the full cream latte did not require any sugar to smooth out the flavour. The daily soup was a minuscule cup of broth with cabbage. The chili is a tomato-heavy meat and red bean dish, tasty but could have used a bit more spice and complexity. The anchovy-tomato-chili penne dish came with garlic bread and was satisfying, not sweet. Dessert of the day was a petite portion of mango cheesecake, which didn't really taste of mango, but was light in texture. Coffee Casa delivers with above-average coffee and good food, but is a bit substandard when it comes to value for money (compared to other coffee shops doing similar food.) How one feels about the atmosphere and clientele depends on one's perspective on the military presence on Okinawa.