Okinawa 4-Day Itinerary: Day Four

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

View from Shuri Castle

This was my last day in Okinawa. There are two types of passes for the Yui Monorail: 24 hours for 700 yen and 48 hours for 1200 yen. Counting the hours allows you to make full use of it and even travel over two days! I bought the 24 hour pass and we took it to the last stop, Shuri-jo (??? Shuri Castle).

It started raining halfway through our visit there and then back to 30C glaring sun. We got a 100 yen discount for the admission fee because we had the monorail day pass. The castle had a lot of Chinese influences with dragons and gold paint. It�s not particularly large and can be finished in an hour or two.

Shuri Castle

Throne room

Model of Shuri Castle

Shisa faucet inside Shuri Castle

Leaving the castle, we took the monorail to Miebashi station ???? and walked to Kokusai-dori ???? for lunch. We chose a Hokkaido ramen place which was ironic since Hokkaido is at the opposite end of the country from Okinawa. For dessert it was Blue Seal ice cream once more and I tried the beni-imo soft serve.

Hokkaido ramen in Okinawa

I picked up my bag from the hostel and took the monorail to Naha Airport. In this regard, the monorail really was one of the most convenient transport systems I have used getting to and from an airport. The ride to downtown was short and the fare was inexpensive.

Overall it was a great taste of Okinawa and I hope to visit the smaller islands next time because everyone kept saying how those islands had even more beautiful scenery.

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

Okinawa 4-Day Itinerary: Day Three

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

Gyokusendo Cave at Okinawa World

Behind Kokusai-dori, I found one of my favourite food places of this trip. It was recommended to us by a friend who raved about the spam and egg onigiri she had there. Spam and egg rice sandwich is popular in Okinawa and is similar to the Hawaiian spam musubi. This shop is located across from C and C Breakfast (it�s on Google maps).

C and C Breakfast

Shop across from C and C Breakfast

I got a mentaiko (seasoned cod roe) one and a goya tempura (bitter gourd one). The salted seaweed, warm rice, sizzling spam, fluffy egg wrapped around the extra filling was a delicious experience in every bite. I was afraid the goya would be too bitter but it wasn�t and tempura style made it even better. I thoroughly enjoyed this meal which we brought back to the hostel to eat. There is no sitting area in this small shop so you can only takeaway. It�d be a great option to buy for a road trip before driving out of Naha to other parts of the island.

Mentaiko spam and egg rice sandwich

Goya tempura spam and egg rice sandwich

It started out as another hot and sunny 30 C day but began to rain in the afternoon. We went to look for the Naha bus terminal but it was under renovation and the bus stops were all scattered. When we found the right one, we realized we had just missed the bus and the next one was almost 2 hours later. So we waited around and that was when the rain began.

The bus ride to Okinawa World in Nanjo took an hour and was 580 yen. We alighted in the pouring rain and luckily the admission fare counter sold umbrellas so I bought one there. I bought admission for the Gyokusendo Cave ??? and Okinawa Village because I wasn�t interested in seeing the snake museum.

Inside the Gyokusendo Cave

Mini waterfall inside Gyokusendo Cave

Gyokusendo Cave at 5km long is the second longest cave in Japan. About 850 metres of it is opened to the public with walkways inside. At least inside the cave we were shielded from the rain. It was eerie inside especially since they played eerie music. The rush of water from the rain dribbled along under the metal bridge walkways. Stalagmites growing downwards from the ceiling dripped water and it felt like the cave would engulf us at any moment. In fact, some parts of the railing were overgrown by stalagmites extending downward.

Leaving the cave, we made our way to Eisa Plaza to see a Shisa dance. Shisa is the Okinawan protector and symbol and resembles the Chinese lion I see during Chinese New Year. There were no photos allowed during the performance but it was very entertaining. The dance was high energy with taiko (drums) and chants.

Photo with Shisa dance performers

After the show, we walked around Okinawa village which was mostly shops selling souvenirs. We waited around for the 6:45pm bus while the parking lot emptied out since most people drove. A taxi driver offered to take us back to Naha for 1600 yen so we agreed because it would have been another hour to wait for the bus to depart.

We asked to be dropped off by Kencho-mae monorail station and walked to Masara Izakaya for dinner. I had read good reviews online. The menu is only in Japanese but the chefs behind the bar spoke a little bit of English to explain the menu. My favourite dish was the garlic steak which had strips of fried garlic crunchy as chips. The beef was tender and retained its juiciness.

Garlic steak

Post-dinner we were walking down Kokusai-dori ????when we saw a place selling goya ice cream. We had to try this bitter gourd flavoured ice cream for ourselves and was surprised how well they were able to mix this strange combination. The bitterness was very subtle and its presence was there without being hard to swallow.

Goya ice cream

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

Okinawa 4-Day Itinerary: Day Two

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

Ocean Expo Park

Churaumi Aquarium

In the morning, we drove back to the Ocean Expo Park to see the free exhibitions that we missed yesterday. There were three sections all outdoors in front of the aquarium including giant sea turtles, manatees and a dolphin show. The dolphin show was energetic and entertaining and we got to see Oki-chan, the dolphin who is the face of the aquarium. While watching the show, you can see the vast ocean behind the tank which made you feel more connected to the sea.

Sea turtle outdoor tank

Sea turtle underground tank view

Manatee feeding time

Oki-chan at the dolphin show

From the aquarium, it was a 15-20 minute drive to the Nago Pineapple Park. The pineapple viewing part is small but the food tasting part is big. We rode in automated pineapple golf carts through a grid of pineapples from all over the world. Then we walked through a large shop (or several connected smaller shops) where we were given tons of samples from pineapple wine to vinegar to juice to cookies to cakes. It was like an assembly line of visitors who walked past the consecutive samples while deciding which items to put in their shopping baskets.

Nago Pineapple Park

Starting the tour

Pineapple golf carts

Automated carts didn't need drivers!

Pineapple course

At the end, we claimed our complimentary scoop of pineapple ice cream that came with the ticket and that was the end of the pineapple park visit. Leaving the park, we drove to Malibu Beach in Onna for our snorkeling lesson with Aru Guide. We had booked the last snorkeling time slot for the day at 3pm.

When we arrived, we signed a waiver and paid then we were directed to the change room to change into swimsuits. They asked for our height, weight and shoe size prior in a phone call. The instructor came back with wetsuits, life jackets, goggles, snorkels and fins for us. After some explanation on how to use the equipment and safety procedures, we hopped into a van and were driven down to the Blue Cave area.

We're ready to snorkel!

The area was very busy with divers, snorkelers and swimmers. The waves were more abundant that day which affected the clarity of the water. There was a sign that said it was unsafe and prohibited visitors to enter the water without an instructor but a lot of people ignored the warning. We went down slippery stone stairs to the water and wore our fins in the water which was a bit of a challenge but it would be difficult and dangerous to walk down the stairs in fins.

The water was warm so the wetsuit acted as a protective layer for your skin against the sharp coral rather than a warming layer. We were told the waves affected the clarity but I was still able to see a lot of colourful fish and coral not far from the shore. There were so many tourists stepping on the coral but the number of fish was still impressive. I can only imagine how beautiful a more protected area would be.

Rainbow fish

Swimming into the Blue Cave it got darker and darker, then we stopped and our instructor told us to turn around. The sky peeking out from the entrance of the cave shone brightly but the neon blue water shone even brighter. We couldn�t linger long here since many other snorkelers and divers were coming into the small cave so we had to circle out. I�d highly recommend doing an underwater activity in Okinawa. This spot close to shore was even more beautiful than when I went snorkeling in Australia and that spot required a dizzying 2 hour boat ride to get to!

Inside the Blue Cave

We returned to the office via the van around 5pm to shower and change. The shower area says no shampoo or soap allowed because I think the water gets flushed back to the ocean. They provided hair dryers as well which was nice.

After expending all that energy, we were hungry so we went to the nearby Onna no Eki (????? rest stop) to eat. I tried an Okinawan dish called taco rice. It was basically salsa, cheese and lettuce on top of white rice. It wasn�t amazing because I had eaten all these components before but the cold tomatoes were quite refreshing in the heat.

Taco Rice

Full and satisfied we drove an hour south to Sunset Beach by American Village. I looked up the time for the sunset which was 7:19pm that day but we just missed it when we got to the beach because there was no glowing sphere in sight although it wasn�t dark yet. Or perhaps it was too cloudy that evening. At night without the glaring sun it felt so comfortable and breezy to walk around.

Sunset Beach

American Village

American Village had a lot of US military walking around because it was near a base. The buildings looked westernized and there was a Starbucks at every corner. It felt very different from Honshu or any other island of Japan. We went back to Naha in the evening and stayed at a hostel by Kokusai-dori.

Pistachio flavoured Blue Seal

I had my first Blue Seal, an Okinawan ice cream chain that was everywhere. It seemed to be a favourite among locals and tourists alike. I had ice cream every day on this trip using the heat as my excuse :)

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

Okinawa 4-Day Itinerary: Day One

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

It was a goal of mine to visit all five of Japan's main islands in this year since visiting all 47 prefectures was too much. After this Okinawa ?? trip, I have reached my goal and have travelled from Hokkaido ???, Honshu ??, Shikoku ??, Kyushu ?? to Okinawa. My 4 day 3 night trip to Okinawa began at Kansai International Airport.

View from Cape Manzamo

The two hour flight arrived at Naha Airport by 1pm and the humidity hit me as soon as we left the plane. From the main terminal, I took the Yui Monorail to Kencho-mae ??? station then walked down Kokusai-dori (????International Street) to find my hostel. This is one of the busiest streets in Naha with lots of shops, restaurants and tourists.

Yui Monorail

I met up with my friends and we embarked on our road trip. Fortunately I had a friend in Naha ?? who owned a car and I concur with the advice online that renting a car is the best way to travel around on the main island. Buses are infrequent and currently the main bus terminal is under renovation so the bus stops are scattered around which could be confusing for tourists. There is a lot more English in Okinawa than some parts of Japan but not all signs are translated.

Our first stop of the day was to Cape Manzamo ??? which was an hour drive north of Naha. The scenery was gorgeous and the ocean glistened under the glowing sun. The famous sight here was the elephant-shaped rock. There is also a diving spot called Toilet Bowl but I�m not sure how it got its name.

Elephant rock formation at Cape Manzamo

Cape Manzamo

View from Cape Manzamo

Leaving Cape Manzamo, we drove another hour to Churaumi Aquarium ??????. Since it was after 4pm, we could pay the discounted admission fee of 1280 yen instead. The place was fairly small but the large tank was quite impressive. Although I do have to say that the lighting and design of the large tank at Sea World on Gold Coast in Australia was better. At Churaumi, you are able to go to the 4th floor to see the top of the tank which I liked because it gave a small behind the scenes view, especially during feeding time.

View from Churaumi Aquarium

Paying admission to the aquarium

Photo at the entrance

Main attraction at the aquarium

Top of the large tank

The free exhibitions at Ocean Expo Park where Churaumi Aquarium is located was closed by the time we came out at 7pm so we decided to come back the next morning. There are resort hotels and beaches at the park for you to explore but we didn�t stay long enough at the park to see those.

Beni-imo ice cream

For dessert after dinner, I had my first ice cream of the trip. The flavour was beni-imo (??? purple sweet potato) which is a famous food in Okinawa. Their speciality souvenir food item is the beni-imo tart and many products from cheesecake to KitKats are also made with the beni-imo flavour. In the subsequent posts on this trip, I even try goya (?? bitter gourd) ice cream!

Read Day 1 here - Cape Manzamo (???), Churaumi Aquarium

Read Day 2 here - Ocean Expo Park, snorkeling in Blue Cave, Sunset Beach

Read Day 3 here - Okinawa World, Gyokusendo Cave (???)

Read Day 4 here - Shuri Castle (???)

Budget-Friendly Osaka: Ramen Museum, Beer Factory Tour, Cheesecake

As one of the major cities in Japan, Osaka offers tourists many options. In a previous post on a one day itinerary in Osaka, I shared some budget-friendly attractions in the city. In this post, I will share three more free or affordable food adventures in Osaka.

Nissin Instant Ramen Museum

This small museum is only a short train ride, about 15 minutes, from central Osaka to Ikeda Station. Entrance is free and you can see the history behind the invention of cup noodle. There is an impressive wall of the various packaging of their products over the years.

The fun part of the museum is you get to customize your own cup noodle! For 300 yen, you can purchase an empty cup from the vending machine. Then you can go to the drawing station and decorate your cup however you like. Next, you bring your cup to the ingredients station where you can choose the flavour powder and toppings to add to your cup before the staff seal it up for you. This makes a great customized souvenir for yourself or someone else!

There is another Instant Ramen Museum in Yokohama if you don�t get a chance to visit the one in Osaka.

Asahi Beer Factory Tour

The Asahi Beer Factory Tour is another free attraction in Osaka. Unlike the Instant Ramen Museum, you need to make a reservation beforehand. You can reserve online on their website (Japanese tours only) or by calling their English hotline +81-6-6388-1943. To get to the factory, take the Hankyu Railway train to Suita Station and walk about 5-10 minutes.

The factory tour was 1.5 hours long and showed the beer making process but we didn�t get to see any assembly lines in action except for the labelling of the bottles part. The last 20 minutes of the tour was taste testing their products. Each person is allowed three glasses of beer. Asahi makes other beverages as well such as Calpis, orange juice, green tea and coffee. If you don�t drink beer, you can opt for those non-alcoholic options.

*No photos because photography was not allowed 

Uncle Rikuro

Japanese cheesecakes are different from western kinds made with heavy cream cheese. They aim to be light and fluffy with only a hint of cheese. One of the famous Japanese cheesecake shops is Uncle Rikuro. They seem to only have shops in Osaka as of now. In other countries like Taiwan and Canada there is a popular Japanese cheesecake franchise called Uncle Tetsu that serves a similar cake but Uncle Rikuro is much better.

Uncle Rikuro

A whole cake is 675 yen and is perfect for sharing (or eating by yourself!) They�re best when eaten fresh and you will see the cake give a slight jiggle when the logo is being stamped. There are some raisins at the bottom of the cake which I don�t care much for but it adds some sweetness. The cake itself has an almost souffl� texture and is very light. You can keep eating and not feel stuffed. Give it a try! You can find their store locations here.