Japan Travel Guide & Map Tuttle Travel Pack by Wendy Hutton

Author:Wendy Hutton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

Ice floes near Abashiri

EXPLORING

OKINAWA

Stunning nature and a distinctive culture

For most Japanese, Okinawa conjures up wonderful images of pristine beaches and dive spots, of tropical weather and a slower pace of life, and of a distinctive cuisine that at times borders on odd–all part of the rich Ryukyuan culture that makes the 70 or so islands collectively referred to as Okinawa so wonderfully and proudly different from the rest of Japan.

A Day around Naha

Discover the rich Ryukyuan culture

The main city on the main island of Okinawa, Naha, is where most visitors get their first taste of the Ryukyus, on and around the main drag, Kokusaidori, and in neighborhoods like the Tsuboya pottery district, where the 20 or so kilns in operation produce everything from the somewhat touristy shisa statues that are popular as souvenirs to fine ceramics. More than anything, Naha also affords the first opportunity to dive head first into Okinawan cuisine, from the pleasant bitter twang of goya champuru (a stir-fried mix of pork, egg, tofu and bitter gourd) and local takes on soba and somen noodles to the more challenging flavors of stewed tonsoku (pigs’ trotters) and mimiga (vinegared pigs’ ears). The latter pair might need to be washed down with a strong drink, in which case shun the usual saké and beer options for the local awamori, a distilled rice spirit weighing in at around 40% that can be taken on the rocks, with a little water or straight. There is no better way to take in the full spectrum of Okinawa’s culinary sights and smells than with a walk around Kosetsu Market, a collection of covered shopping arcades extending off of Kokusai-dori.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.