Beautiful OKINAWA ISLANDS

 

 OKINAWA ISLANDS

 

 

 

Ishigaki is a city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It includes Ishigaki island and the disputed Senkaku Islands territory. The city is the political, cultural, and economic center of the Yaeyama Islands. New Ishigaki Airport serves the city. 

 

 

MIYAKOJIMA:

 

Miyakojima is a City jurisdiction located on several islands in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The modern City of Miyakojima was established on October 1, 2005, from the merger of the old City of Hirara.

Beautiful Flowers of Okinawa

In the warm subtropical climate, you can enjoy colorful tropical flowers in Okinawa almost all year round. In mid-January while still in the middle of winter, spring arrives in Okinawa, and flowers begin to bloom earlier than anywhere else in Japan.
As the rare, exotic flowers begin to blossom, cherry blossom season arrives in Okinawa. Unlike the ones in the Mainland, the cherry blossoms in Okinawa have a vibrant pink color similar to plum and peach blossoms.
Along with the arrival of this early spring, many flower viewing festivals are held in Okinawa. Also among them, folk song competitions, live concerts, and free Awamori events are held.
From January to May when plant growth is at its vigorous stage, flower festivals are held in Okinawa, and tourists flock from around the world to see the colorful flowers.

 

Hydrangea can be seen from late May to early June, which is during the rainy season even in Okinawa. The famous director, Yohena Uto, who has been interviewed by overseas media. It has been more than 30 years since Uto has started planting hydrangeas as a hobby when she was 60 years old, which became the hydrangea garden we know today. Now there are 10,000 hydrangea of about 30 species on the 10,000 m2 slope of a mountain. The number of flowers apparently reaches 300,000. When it is in season, tourists and media from all over the world visit to see the director and hydrangea. In addition to the hydrangeas, you can also see various types of flowers such as begonias and Chinese hypericum, which are seen in southern Japan. 

 

Lily Festival on Ie Island

Date:late April to early May

One million lilies that grow from 200,000 bulbs blanket a big park that measures 86,000 square meters on Ie Island, known as the flower island. Ie Island is located only 30 minutes by ferry from Motobu Port in northern Okinawa. With an increase in frequency of ferry runs during the festival, the island welcomes a large number of visitors every year.

Cherry Blossom Festival :

Date:mid-January to mid-February
The Motobu Mt. Yae Cherry Blossom Festival features about 7,000 cherry trees along a three-kilometer mountain road, giving Mt. Yae a delicate color from base to peak. The Nago Cherry Blossom Festival is famous for its two-kilometer-long walk lined with over 20,000 cherry trees in bloom. These are Okinawa’s biggest cherry blossom festivals, along with the Nakijin Gusuku Cherry Blossom Festival held at UNESCO World Heritage site the Nakijin Castle ruins. This festival is known for the fantastic sight of cherry blossoms amidst the castle ruins lit up at night.

Okinawa International Orchid Show

Date:early February

This is one of the biggest orchid displays held in Japan, where orchid lovers from inside and outside Japan proudly show their orchids in one place. The venue is the Tropical Dream Center, located in Ocean Expo Park, home of the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. There are approximately 10,000 exhibits, including potted plants, cut flower design and more.

Higashi Village Azalea Festival:

Date:early to late March

Higashi Village is located on the east coast of northern Okinawa. Nestled in the tranquility of nature, about 50,000 azaleas are in bloom before any other parts of Japan. All azaleas are grown with care by village people. Higashi Village is also famous for a well-known ecotourism destination, the Gasashi mangrove forest.

Experiencing the Vast Waters Surrounding Okinawa at Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Located in Motobu of Northern Okinawa, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is a popular tourist destination, visited by more than 3 million people each year. Under the concept of “encountering the waters of Okinawa,” the aquarium is home to around 740 species and 21,000 marine life. The facility starts on the third floor, taking you through the shallow waters down into the deep sea as if you were diving. The tanks entitled, “Sea of Coral” and “Sea of Tropical Fish,” allow natural sunlight and seawater into them to depict scenes of the tropical sea without compromise. The main tank, “Kuroshio Sea,” which is impressive in size with a depth of 10 m, length of 35 m, and width of 27 m, draws the highest acclaim from visitors. In the “Kuroshio Sea,” which is one of the largest tanks in the world, 8.6-meter long whale shark as well as reef manta rays swim about leisurely. Be sure to get a clear view, not only from the front, but also the top, sides, and other angles. You will surely feel the force of the sea and life in Okinawa overflowing with diversity. From the shallow waters to the offshore waters into the Kuroshio Sea and further down into the deep sea, the various forms of life in the sea continue to captivate our hearts.

 

 FOOD

Flavors Developed from a Unique History:

 

 “The traditional cuisine of Okinawa was developed during the Great Trade era of the 14th century through 16th century in the Ryukyu Kingdom to cater to Chinese envoys dispatched by the Chinese emperor, and it has since continued to evolve with influences from Japan and China among other Asian countries. The dishes are devised to be nutritionally balanced, combining the essence of ingredients rich in vitamins, such as bitter gourd and loofah, with pork that has been carefully prepared to break up the fat over a long period of time. The wisdom of ancestors who ate well and lived healthy lives remain in spirit in the traditional cuisine of Okinawa.
After the war, American food culture, represented in the “”canned pork,”" made its way into the diet and continues to be cherished to this day. Okinawan food culture openly accepted the influences brought upon by the changing times and is today a unique food culture that has created a variety of dishes.”

 

 Okinawans are known to use every part the pig for cooking; in fact, there is even a saying that goes, “everything but its cry is eaten.” The most common cooking method is to stew it over an extended period of time, and it is traditionally prepared by boiling it for long hours to break down the fat for a healthy meal. In recent years, the black pig known as “Agu,” a native species of Ryukyu, is increasingly becoming popular.

 

Awamori: Okinawan Liquor Known for Its Rich Aroma and Deep Flavor:

 

Awamori is the popular choice when it comes to liquor in Okinawa.
It is the traditional spirit that dates back to the dynastic era, made by adding water and yeast to rice malt made with kurokoji mold and steamed rice (mostly Thai rice) and letting it ferment. Awamori aged for more than three years is called koshu (kusu), and the longer the storage years, the more it matures and the more enjoyable the rich aroma and mellow, deep flavor become. We want you to enjoy it with an assortment of Okinawan dishes.

 

 

The Everyday Meal of Okinawa: Champuru:

Champuru means to mix and combine in the local dialect, and it refers to stir-fried dishes that mainly consist of vegetables but also a number of other ingredients such as shima tofu and pork. There are different kinds of champuru, from the Okinawa classic of goya champuru to tofu champuru and somen champuru among many others. There are numerous restaurants that serve champuru, so it is easy to find.

 

 

 

The waters around Okinawa are perfect for diving with colorful gem-like fish swimming around the beautiful coral reefs. There are diving spots throughout Okinawa, drawing drivers from around the world who become captivated by the clear waters and stunning beaches.
The waters around Okinawa are a paradise for animals including sea turtles and humpback whales. In addition to the colorful tropical fish, such as clownfish, famous from the movie, Finding Nemo, and colorful butterfly fish, if you are lucky, you may see manta rays in Ishigaki and hammerhead sharks in Yonaguni, which are admired by many divers.

Coral Reef:

 

Okinawa is surrounded by some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The warm Japan Current makes for the perfect environment for coral habitat. It is said that about 200 species out of the world’s 800 species of coral inhabit the waters around Okinawa, and the sight of colorful gem-like fish swimming around the coral reefs are as good as it gets for a tropical sea paradise.