Okinawa Getaway: Days 8 and 9 ７月２日と３日

After a week of enjoying the sun (when it wasn't cloudy or rainy), sand and reefs of Okinawa Prefecture 沖縄県, my last full day there was a more somber one. Okinawa, of course, was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the Second World War, and visitors to the main island 沖縄本島 owe it to themselves to take a little bit of time away from the beaches and shops, and pay a visit to one of the war-related memorials. Which is why, following breakfast on the morning of my final day in Naha 那覇, I walked over to the Naha Bus Terminal 那覇バスターミナル and caught the No. 89 bus going to Itoman 糸満.

It was an uninteresting ride through Naha's seemingly endless suburbs to the Itoman Bus Terminal 糸満バスターミナル, where I transferred to the No. 82 bus. It wasn't long before I was being dropped off at the Memorial Peace Park 平和祈念公園, located on Mabuni Hill 摩文仁の丘, where the final battle of the Okinawa campaign took place. Upon entering the park, the first building of note to be seen is the Peace Memorial Hall 平和記念堂:

Despite its striking white tower, there apparently isn't much to see inside according to my guidebooks, so I skipped going in, and instead saved my money for the Okinawa Prefecture Peace Memorial Museum 沖縄県立平和記念資料館:

The museum covers what happened during the Battle of Okinawa 沖縄戦, but its main focus is on the suffering the people of the island endured during the fighting. Up to a third of the civilian population perished in the invasion, and the museum's displays place much of the blame for that on the Japanese government and military. Okinawa was sacrificed in order to forestall an American attack on the home islands, and men, women and children were forced to shelter in caves with the Japanese troops in appalling conditions. Babies were smothered to keep them quiet, people were shot for speaking the local dialect 沖縄方言 and not Japanese and, of course, many were killed or severely injured by bullets, shells and grenades. Most tragic of all, however, were the stories of civilians committing mass suicide under the urging or coercion of Japanese soldiers, who told the Okinawans of the terrible things that would happen to them if they surrendered to the Americans:

Other displays in the museum cover the postwar period, when Okinawa was under American administration, and paints a less-than-rosy picture of how the U.S. did little to live up to its democratic ideals while governing the people of the Ryūkyū Islands 琉球諸島. It makes it very easy to understand the resentment Okinawans feel toward the Japanese and American governments over the continuing U.S. military presence on the islands:

The view overlooking the park from the roof of the peace museum:

After taking in all the displays in the museum, I went outside and walked over to the Cornerstone of Peace 平和の礎. Here there are granite monuments inscribed with the names of the over 240,000 people who were killed during the fighting on Okinawa Island. To the park's great credit, the names of all the dead - Japanese and American military and Okinawan civilians - are listed. Here and there, people could be seen laying bouquets of flowers in front of some of the monuments, a very touching scene on this still and humid morning:

This monument lists the names of Taiwanese who died in the battle:

Ernie Pyle was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American war correspondent. He was killed by Japanese machine-gun fire on April 18, 1945:

The Memorial Peace Park, with its peace museum and Cornerstone of Peace, is most definitely worth a visit. After nearly three hours there, I boarded a No. 82 bus heading back toward Itoman. Before reaching the bus terminal, however, I made one more stop, where, after a tendon 天丼 lunch, I visited the Himeyuri-no-tō ひめゆりの塔. Whereas the Peace Museum describes the suffering of the people in a broad sense, the Himeyuri-no-tō brings it down to a more personal level, telling the tragic tale of the Himeyuri students, high school girls who were mobilized as nurses at the start of the American invasion. The students dealt with the wounded in gruesome circumstances, as they moved from cave to cave, and many were killed by bullets and shells. The worst came after the nursing units were dissolved on June 18, 1945. Even more girls died after being left to fend for themselves in the caves, with some getting caught in the crossfire, and others committing suicide after believing the propaganda that was fed to them about how they would be raped and killed by American troops. In all, 227 students in the Himeyuri corps did not survive the war. Their story is told in a well-laid out museum, complete with photographs and excellent English language captions.

The cenotaph in the front of the museum, where visitors can lay flowers:

The entrance to the museum is just after the cenotaph:

Of all the photographs of the girls who died, this one touched me the most. Most of the pictures were taken from formal school portraits, with the girls looking serious or shyly grinning. This one, however, showed an image of a much younger girl with a sweet smile, who shouldn't have suffered and died the way she did (and of course none of them should have - they were just students, and as the museum points out, mobilizing them for military service was against all codes of international law). May you rest in peace, Ranko Kokuba 国場蘭子:

What a senseless waste of life it all was - soldier and civilian, Japanese and non-Japanese.

It was a quiet bus ride from the Himeyuri-no-tō back to the Itoman Bus Terminal. It wasn't long, however, before I found myself back in the present world, i.e. Naha. Before returning to my hotel for a rest, I visited the F.C. Ryūkyū ＦＣ琉球 soccer team store, and picked up a T-shirt and a key holder. I'm a sucker for stuff like that:

On my last evening in Naha, I explored once more Kokusai-dōri 国際通り. Starting out on foot from the Tōyoko Inn 東横イン, I walked the other side of the road from the night before, heading east this time:

Bottles of Habushu ハブ酒, containing the bodies of deadly Habu snakes 波布 being soaked in the local awamori 泡盛 firewater:

The view I had of Kokusai-dōri from my restaurant table. My final dinner in Okinawa consisted of rib steak and Orion Beer オリオンビール. Not a bad life, eh?:

I pulled up a bar stool at a brewpub called Helios ヘリオス, and sampled four of their craft beers for ¥900 ($11.15/NT320). From left to right, I tried the Wiezen バイツェン; Lager 酵母入りラガー; Pale Ale ペールエール; and Porter ポーター. As none of them were anything at all like T'ái​wān Beer 台灣啤酒 (for one thing, they all had flavor), it was hard choosing which one was best:

At the end of Kokusai-dōri, I came across a neighborhood festival taking place on the grounds of a local Shintō shrine 神社. It's images like these that I always treasure from the times when I was living in Japan:

Instead of hopping on the monorail and returning to my hotel, I decided to walk around some of the adjoining streets. It was while doing so that I came across the Sōgen-ji Ishimon Stonegate 崇元時石門, the only survivor of the mausoleum for former kings of the Ryūkyū Kingdom 琉球王国. Another reminder of the senseless destruction the Second World War brought down on Okinawa:

Because it was my last night in Naha, I kept on walking, all the way back to my hotel via Kokusai-dōri again. One final look back at the beginning of the thoroughfare...:

...and then it was time to pack my bags, and turn in for the night. The next morning I had breakfast, checked out, rode the monorail to the airport, then flew from Naha 那覇空港 for all of one hour and ten minutes back to T'ái​wān 台灣. I was reunited with my wife and daughter by the early afternoon.

A few mementos from the trip: some brown cane sugar 黒糖 candy, a miniature bottle of awamori and some packets of Okinawa Soba 沖縄そば:

It had been 18 years since my last visit to Okinawa, so you could say this trip was long overdue. Of all my recent vacations in Japan, this has probably been the best one so far. From swimming in the reefs at Yonehara Beach 米原ビーチ to meeting some really friendly people on Ishigaki Island 石垣島, I came back from Okinawa with a lot of great memories that I will treasure until the day I'm gone. Hopefully, one day I can make it back - there are still more islands left to explore!

沖縄んかいめんそーれー! Until the time I can hear those words again...

Bye-bye Okinawa バイバイ沖縄 - Sadao China 知名定男

Okinawa Getaway: Day 7 ７月１日

This was the day I bade farewell to the island of Ishigaki 石垣島 after having stayed there five days. As my flight to Naha 那覇 wasn’t due to depart until 11 am, and with Ishigaki Airport 石垣空港 being just a twenty-minute bus ride from the downtown area, I had some time for a final walk around.

This sign on the wall of the covered shopping arcade expresses the residents’ thanks to the Taiwanese people for the support they gave to the Japanese in their time of recent crises:

The public market:

Proof that T’áiwān 台灣 isn’t very far away. I was headed in the opposite direction, however:

A last look at the city of Ishigaki 石垣市 from the window of my Japan Transocean Air (JTA) 日本トランスオーシャン航空 flight to Naha Airport 那覇空港:

It was a short flight from Ishigaki to Naha (just 55 minutes), and as it was lunchtime when we landed, I sought out a restaurant in the domestic terminal building, and sat down to yet another soba 蕎麦 meal. This time I had Sōki Soba ソーキそば, thick white noodles with pork spare ribs:

After lunch, I rode the Yui Rail ゆいレール monorail line to Asahibashi Station 旭橋駅, the closest station to my hotel, the Tōyoko Inn 東横イン那覇旭橋駅前, where I had stayed my first night in Okinawa 沖縄. It was too early to go up to my room, but I was able to register and leave my bag with the front desk, and then set out to see Naha’s most well-known area (at least for domestic tourists), Kokusai-dōri 国際通り.

Kokusai-dōri (“International Street”) is a 2-kilometer (1.2 miles)-long road lined with souvenir shops and restaurants. It’s busy most of the day, but especially comes alive in the early evening, when the sidewalks are teeming with Japanese families, young friends traveling together, foreign visitors and American Marines on leave from one of their many bases on the island. The entrance to Kokusai-dōri was just a short walk from my hotel, but I elected to begin my exploration at the opposite end, so I rode the monorail three stops to Makishi Station 牧志駅, and started from there.

It wasn’t long before I came to the entrance to the Heiwa-dōri 平和通りcovered shopping arcade. This street, and the adjoining Ichibahon-dōri 市場本通り, both evoke images of a Japan that is in danger of dying out in the modern era, as the country grows more and more suburbanized. There was a time not long ago when most people would take the train or bus to their local downtown areas, and do their shopping from small mom-and-pop stores in the covered arcades. Now, however, large shopping centers built on the outskirts of urban areas are drawing the customers away, and all over Japan you can the sight of shuttered stores in these once-shriving districts. All seemed well in Naha, however, no doubt as a result of the thriving tourist trade:

Halfway down Ichibahon-dōri is the Dai-ichi Kōsetsu Makishi Ichiba 第一公設牧志市場, a two-story market with seafood, fruit and vegetable and household goods stalls on the first floor, and a number of small restaurants upstairs specializing in fresh seafood. The foods on sale here would not seem out of place in Taiwan, but here in Japan it all seems very exotic. I decided to come here later for dinner:

Leaving the arcade, I returned to Heiwa-dōri, and then followed the arcade to its end, going away from Kokusai-dōri. Where it ended, the Tsuboya 壺屋 pottery district began. My Rough Guide book states that this area has been the center of local ceramics production since 1682, though none of the current buildings there date from anywhere close to that time. Though I don’t have a particular interest in ceramics, I was still surprised (and disappointed) to discover the Tsuboya Pottery Museum 壺屋焼物博物館 to be closed in the middle of a Friday afternoon at the beginning of the summer vacation season. However, there is a traditional climbing kiln on an embankment next to the museum that can be seen at any time. My guidebook says this kiln dates from the 1880’s, but according to a sign in front, it was actually erected in the 1680’s:

These days, many of the shops in the Tsuboya area specialize in the production and sale of Shīsā シーサー guardian lions:

At the end of Tsuboya-yachimun- dōri 壺屋やちむん通り, I turned left and made my back to Makishi Station, and returned by monorail to my hotel, where my room was now ready.

The view from my hotel room. That’s Asahibashi Station in the upper-left part of the photo:

After resting for a bit, I was getting hungry, so once again I rode the monorail to Makishi Station, and returned to Kokusai-dōri, and, eventually, the Dai-ichi Kōsetsu Makishi Ichiba market. At one of the restaurants on the second floor, I sat down to a plate of fresh sashimi 刺身, which along with the accompanying bowls of soup and rice, was pretty good value at ¥1200 ($14.75/NT425):

After dinner, I spent the remainder of the evening walking west along Kokusai-dōri, in the direction of the Tōyoko Inn. I spent some time browsing in some of the stores, and picked up some souvenirs for myself (namely a very cool Okinawan-style shirt-sleeved shirt) and my daughter. Most of all, I enjoyed watching all the people going back and forth. Despite all the activity, the vibe was, well, fairly mellow, at least in comparison to similar scenes in Taiwan:

Relaxing with my buddy, Joe Yabuki 矢吹丈, star of the boxing manga 漫画 and anime series アニメ “Ashita no Joe” あしたのジョー, while drinking a cup of shīkwāsā juice シーくぁーサージュース:

Haisai ojisan ハイサイおじさん - Shoukichi Kina 喜納昌吉 

Okinawa Getaway: Day 6 ６月３０日

Only one day left on Ishigaki 石垣島, and the western half of the island had still to be explored (by me, anyway). Today was going to be my last chance, so first thing in the morning I headed over again to Nankokuya 南国屋 and rented another 50cc scooter for the day. Once everything was good to go, I was off, headed west and following the coast road as it wound its way around the island.

First stop was the Chinese-style Tōjin Grave 唐人墓. I’m not exactly sure of the circumstances, but this monument was erected in 1971 in honor of several hundred Chinese laborers who died offshore of Ishigaki in 1852. Apparently, the workers were on their way to California on an American or British ship when they rebelled against the slave-like conditions on board, and were massacred by the crew.

Nearby is this interesting memorial to three US Navy aviators, who had the misfortune of being shot down off the shore of Ishigaki on the last day of the Second World War (August 15, 1945). The three were captured by Japanese soldiers on the island, tortured and then executed, two by decapitation and the third bayoneted to death. Even on this picturesque island, the tragedy of war was never too far away.

After paying my respects at the monuments, I backtracked a little bit in order to visit Fusaki Kannon-dō 冨崎観音堂, a temple first constructed in 1701, though I’m not sure how old the current building is. The caretaker pointed out the trinity of gods in a small rear hall that are the object of worship here.

 

Across the road from the entrance to the temple, there was a nice view of both Taketomi 竹富島 and Iriomote Islands 西表島.

 

My trusty set of wheels. The rental fee included both helmet and rain gear (which was to come in rather handy later on in the day).

Another day, another lighthouse with a beautiful vista. A short detour brought me to the Ugan-zaki Lighthouse 御神崎灯台, with its great views across Ishigaki. There were several small boats in the waters below – a look through my binoculars revealed that they were disgorging divers. According to a sign at the foot of the lighthouse, this stretch of ocean is a popular spot for seeing manta rays. 

Back on the main road, it wasn’t long before I reached Ishigaki’s most renowned tourist spot, Kabira Bay 川平湾. And most overrated, in my humble opinion. Sure, it was pretty, especially when viewed from above. However, the beach was more suitable for wading than swimming, and there were a lot of glass-bottomed tour boats coming and going (which probably explains why there were a lot of Taiwanese tourists there, as well). Still, it’s worth a visit to see what all the fuss is about.

The one advantage to being in a commercialized hotspot is that there are places to grab a bite to eat, which is what I did after having my fill of the view. For lunch, I finally sat down to a bowl of Yaeyama Soba 八重山そば, the signature dish of these parts of Okinawa 沖縄. It went down well, helped in no small part by the side dish of sashimi 刺身 that came with the set, along with the mug of Orion Beer オリオンビール that I’d ordered as well.

In the photo above of me standing on the sand at Kabira-wan, you may have noticed the dark clouds in the background. As I was leaving the bay for my next destination, Yonehara Beach 米原ビーチ, the rain started coming down, and I was grateful for the fact that not only did I get a rain suit included with the scooter, but that it (or they, for it was in three parts) fit even my gaijin 外人-sized body. Thankfully, by the time I reached Yonehara, the rain had stopped…for good.

Yonehara – if there is one memory that I’m going to treasure above all others from this trip to Okinawa, it will be this beach. Not for the sand, but for what is in the water.

Let me start out by saying that “Ishigaki’s most rewarding beach experience” (according to The Rough Guide to Japan) begins with a very LONG wade across a broad stretch of dead coral (which means it was a very good thing I was wearing a pair of flip-flops on my feet). At first it was hard to understand what the writers at Rough Guide were talking about, until I reached a point so far from shore that my backpack could barely be seen anymore. Then, suddenly, the reef ended and the depths opened up. I felt a little intimidated at first, especially as every time the sun disappeared behind some clouds, the water became eerily dark, but I hadn’t come this far just to turn around and wade back, so I plunged in. What followed was 2½ hours of the single best swimming/ocean/beach experience(s) of my life to date.

Not having a camera that could take underwater photos, and having to rely on the cliché that it was “like swimming in a giant fish tank/aquarium” (even though it was), means that I can’t truly convey how wonderful a time I had out there. When the sun was shining, the water became a clear blue scene of the edge of the reef teeming with brightly colored tropical fish, of various shapes and sizes. I’m not very good at estimating depths, but I guessed that I was swimming in about 30-40 feet (9-12 meters) of water in some places. Despite lacking proper equipment such as a snorkel or a pair of flippers (I had only a prescription diving mask and the aforementioned beach thongs), I had no problem at all maneuvering through and around the reef. When I needed to take a break, all I merely had to do was stand up on a section of reef, and check to make sure my bag was still there (the little speck far in the distance never seemed to move), before submerging myself again. Unlike Kabira Bay, Yonehara Beach was everything it was cracked up to be (and more!).

At one point, I looked down and saw a huge fish that appeared to be almost my size. From a Google Images search, I believe what I saw was a grouper:

(spineltl.blog.shinobi.jp/Entry/354/)

There are signs at Yonehara warning you to watch out for jellyfish, which can deal a deadly sting if you’re not careful. I didn’t see any while I out there, but I definitely came across a couple of sea snakes.

Eventually, I became aware that it was getting late in the afternoon, and so reluctantly I slowly made my way back to shore, where I discovered it was now past 4:00 in the afternoon. I was soon traveling on Route 79, the same road that I had taken the day before to the Ibaruma Bay 伊原間湾 junction. It wasn’t long before I came to the intersection where Route 87 meets 79. Yesterday, I had turned right from 87 onto 79. This time, I turned right onto 87 from 79, and made my way through the interior of the island and back again to the city 石垣市. Seeing as it was still only 5:15 by the time I reached the downtown area (I had until 6:30 to return to the scooter), I decided to head west again as I’d done this morning in order to check out Funakura-no-Sato 舟蔵の里, which I’d passed earlier on my way to the Tōjin Grave. It’s basically a grouping of traditional Okinawa dwellings that house a restaurant and gift shop. I didn’t eat or buy anything there, but it is a nice spot for a quick stroll.

I made it back to the rental place with time to spare, and after dropping off the scooter, set off in search of food. All the soba 蕎麦 I’d been eating for the past few days had tasted great, but I needed meat, and so I dined at Vanilla Deli バニラ・デリ, located just up the road from Eifuku Shokudō 栄福食堂 (see the entry for Day 4), and treated myself to their “best burger”. I had been a semi-regular visitor to Vanilla Deli during the time I stayed in Ishigaki in order to use their computer to check my email (usage free with one drink order – their Chai Lattes チャイラッテ were great), but this was my first meal there. The burger wasn’t bad, but the beer selection was disappointing. For the only time during my trip, I didn’t have Orion or one of the local craft beers – Vanilla Deli only has Kirin Lager キリンラガービール.

However, on Ishigaki Island, good beer is never far away, and so I ended my last night there by treating myself to another bottle of the local brew 石垣島地ビール at an outdoor café close to the port.

Ishigaki’s main (covered) shopping arcade. Lots of souvenir shops, plus a small public market every morning.