Okinawa
Over our week long break in early February, I escaped Nagoya for five days with my friends Roger, Arielle and Disney to go to Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture in Japan. Okinawa is a unique region that was only returned in full to Japan in 1972 following the Allied Occupation. Even today, it is home to most of the United States’ military presence in Japan. It’s the only place I’ve ever been that fighter jets fly in formation right over the city and nobody even looks up. As a result of the heavy US presence, there’s a different feeling on the island and some people treated us in a much more negative way than in Nagoya. However, the attitude is mixed and it’s not uncommon to see Japanese shops selling American military apparel. The first time I saw an elderly Japanese man wearing a United States Air Force hat, I really took a second look to make sure I saw correctly. But I’m getting off topic.
Okinawa was so warm compared to Nagoya. Our hotel was right on the ocean and within walking distance of downtown Naha. Being able to walk around all day with just jeans and short sleeves was an amazing feeling, especially as we were seeing pictures of snow in Nagoya and Kyoto from our friends. We used our limited time to see as many parts of the area as we could.
Our first field trip was to Shurijo, a famous castle in the area. It is located on a large hill overlooking the city and ocean and is surrounded by towering walls. By the time we walked around nearly the entire wall looking for the entrance, we decided that we wouldn’t dare intrude because we would die of exhaustion trying. The area was beautiful with small ponds and flowers all around. If I’m someday a famous photographer, this is where I became interested. Don’t hold your breath though; I also said I was dropping out of college to be a truck driver after testing out some Eaton transmissions last year.
Somewhere in our stack of hundreds of brochures, we found a shopping district that is known for Okinawa specific shops and souvenirs. We spent a day in this area and found it quite enjoyable. One shop owner in particular was very interested in us and was amazed at our Japanese skill. We also decided to have some McDonald’s that day, but don’t worry, we had a special Hawaiian burger that you can’t get in America.
Another day was spent at Okinawa World where we went into very famous caves. It was a self-guided tour and the cave structures were spectacular. It was also a balmy and humid 80 degrees throughout. Upon exiting, we found ourselves in a fruit garden that led to shops of all sorts of unique Okinawa products, many of which were glass and blown right there in a shop. We had a late lunch at a buffet with all sorts of combinations of Japanese and foreign food before catching the bus back, a perfect place for lots of napping.
The other day and a half was spent exploring various areas of Naha and eating at delicious restaurants. The area is beautiful and was a unique twist on our adventure in Japan. I definitely want to return in my life and hope to explore a lot more next time; there are hundreds of things to be done on the main island of Okinawa alone.
The trip ended on a rough note when our flight was delayed, causing us to miss our final train home. After much indecision, we decided to try to spend the night in an airport hotel to escape the cold of the train station. However, they were all full and we sat down in the lobby of one hotel to rest. That rest turned into the whole night as we sat there, waiting for the moment we would get asked to leave to come. The moment never came and we stayed all night, driving each other crazy. 5:30am came and we made it back to catch the first train. Lots of sleep followed once we returned home, wrapping up an amazing adventure that will certainly stand as a highlight of this experience.
