In response to a previously mentioned reader request, here are the Top Eight ‘things to do in Okinawa’ for potential visitors in the Christmas timeframe.
Orion Brewery tour. Orion is Okinawa’s local beer. I’ve read that it accounts for something like 1% of Japan’s overall beer consumption, but that on Okinawa it is more like 50%. Fans of the Coors Brewery tour (Golden, CO) will probably like this. At the end, as long as your group has a designated driver, you get a free beer.
Visit Cape Hedo, Okinawa’s northernmost point. See the junction between the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. Get misted by sea spray.
Between Nago, where the Orion Brewery is located, and Cape Hedo lies Okuma. There is an armed forces recreational spot there – beach bungalows and such are available for rent.
Churaumi Aquarium at Ocean Expo Park. Also located in the northern reaches of Okinawa, the aquarium is Okinawa’s most popular attraction. Not sure how it compares with what I would consider the standard-bearer for aquariums worldwide, the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium, but if nothing else it does boast the world’s largest single pane of acrylic glass as the front of an enclosure featuring several whale sharks.
Tsuboya Pottery Museum. Shifting focus back to the southern part of the island, this museum and its nearby pottery street is an interesting cultural excursion. It’s a good place to find unique souvenirs.
Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters. Visitors can get a sense for the type of fortifications U.S. forces faced in the entrenched Japanese defenders during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945.
Peace Memorial Park. Dedicated to the over 200,000 Japanese and more than 12,500 Americans who fell during the Battle of Okinawa.
Okinawa Glass Factory Village. See glassblowers at work, have the opportunity to obtain cool Okinawan glass products.
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