Want to Spend a Quiet Day in Okinawa?

If you want to plan a quiet day in Okinawa, you have many options. You can enjoy the sun by the ocean, explore Okinawa’s parks and gardens or go to see the historical sites. As I mentioned in my previous articles, we decided to explore other parts of Okinawa since we had already spent most of the trip diving.

We started the day as tourists at BlueSeal ice cream shop, the oldest ice cream shop in Okinawa. The shop says that they have been operating an ice cream shop in Okinawa since 1963. Normally I don’t fall into such tourist traps, but when it came to ice cream, we ran to the shop like mice to cheese in a trap.

Our first stop is Shurijo Castle to learn a little about Okinawa’s history. Shurijo Castle, the capital of diplomacy and cultural activities for 450 years when Okinawa was home to the pre-Japanese Ryuku Kingdom, is one of the must-see places. Designed to overlook the entire city of Naha, Shurji castle bears traces of Ryuku and Chinese culture of the period. By the way, let’s not pass without mentioning the Ryuku Kingdom. The kingdom ruled in the Okinawa Island chain from 1429 until 1879, when it was occupied by Japan.

Due to its location, it had an important role in trade between the Far East and South Asian countries. When it had such an important position, it attracted attention from China and although it was not invaded, it was subjected to tribute. From time to time, they struggled with Japanese attacks, but they did not come under Japanese rule for a long time. But in 1879, Japan annexed Okinawa to its territory and ended the monarchy on the island. Today, there is still a Ryukyuan language, which is still spoken by a very small segment of the population, which is heavily influenced by Japanese. Although it is influenced by Japanese, it is not possible for a Japanese speaker to communicate with a Ryukyuan speaker if they speak their own languages.

Shurijo Castle was also affected by the great destruction in the second world war due to its important location in Okinawa. In 1945 it was almost completely destroyed and had to be rebuilt after the war using the original ruins. Entrance to the castle is free and you can visit it with English and Japanese speaking guides if you wish.If Shuriko is on your travel list, make sure you wear comfortable clothes because you will have to walk a lot.

Our second stop today is Shikina Japanese Garden, which includes both nature and a bit of history. The special feature of Shikina Garden is that it is where the Ryuku Monarchy lived and hosted their guests. Unlike the Japanese Gardens in mainland Japan, it reflects the Ryuku and Chinese inspirations in Okinawa. As I mentioned in my previous article about Japanese gardens, the plants and stones here are not randomly placed objects, but consciously placed plants that all have a different meaning.

If you follow the same order as us, you can walk to Shikina Japanese Garden, which is only 1 km away from Shurijo castle. Don’t pass by without eating noodles in the tiny shop right in the middle of the road.Unfortunately, this is among the areas affected by the Second World War.

There is a pond and a stone bridge, and the wooden structures that house the royal family are open to visitors. The harmony of the simplicity inside with nature is incredibly beautiful. My advice would be to sit in a corner and spend some time and enjoy the tranquility instead of touring quickly.

It’s time to add a little blue to all this green.We’re heading out of the city for a bit and heading towards Cape Manzamo.Cape Manzamo, located near the town of Onna, was named by the Ryuku King Sho Kei in the 1700s.According to the story, the King looked towards the hill from a distance and said that 10,000 people could easily sit here because of the size of the hill.And the place was named to mean ‘the area where 10,000 people can sit’.

The beauty of the East China Sea and the structure of the rocks create a very beautiful landscape here. If you want to see the small pools that form on the shore when the waters recede, it is possible to take a small path.

The most comfortable way to get here is to rent a car, but it is also possible to get here from Naha city center by public transportation.

We will slowly go to the house where we stayed in the city center of Naha, rest a little bit and go to the last stop of the day, the American Town in Okinawa.

This village, also known as Mihama American Town, is home to around 1000 American soldiers with their families.It is not a normal town, but rather a town full of restaurants and shopping malls arranged in the American style, which both locals and tourists visit. Apart from American soldiers, former military members, civilian teachers, doctors and people from different professions who have retired and continue to live here also live here. Although it is a very small settlement compared to the total population of Okinawa, the presence of American bases here is a matter of debate, but I will not go into this issue now. After spending a quiet evening in the American Town, which personally did not interest me much, even though the food was good, we had a beer in a small Okinawa-style place that only people who pass by know on the way home and ended the day here.