Akichabyo!
That’s Okinawa-ben (‘ben’ means dialect) for “Oh my God”. Akichabyo, by all saints, yogis, and mystics, past, present, and those who have yet to live, it has been a long time since I last wrote a blog post.
But why dwell on the past when the present is so interesting? Actually it is kind of exhausting. I am exhausted. A week ago I flew to Okinawa and enjoyed a nice break from reality and responsibility. I flew back to Fukuoka Thursday evening and took the midnight ferry to Goto. I didn’t get much sleep so when I arrived in Goto at 8:00am Friday morning so I went straight to my apartment, tossed my luggage to the floor and fell asleep immediately. After a week of extroverting I dedicate my weekend to introverting restoring my energy cells to full power. Ah damn, I still haven't unpacked my luggage.
This will be my last period of travel for some time I reckon. I was able to travel due to a convenient string of holidays called “Golden Week”. Last Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are all national Japanese holidays. Thus by taking paid leave Monday and Tuesday I strung nine consecutive days of vacation together (including the weekends). The Japanese don’t always have vacation but when they do its one hell of a party. Thus by necessity I took advantage of my first Golden Week by journeying to the paradise that is Okinawa.
It would be a monolithic task to type every detail from my trip; I will save it for the next time you and I talk whether it is through Skype or when we meet in person. I will stick to the main events and hopefully convince you to visit Okinawa some day.
Shuri-jo from the distance
Shuri-jo and Shikinaen Royal Garden
Does it surprise you to hear that Okinawa has its own culture separate from Japan, that in fact it was an autonomous power before it was incorporated into Japan? That’s probably not the best conversation starter here but the history cannot be denied. In a chance encounter with an Okinawan karate master, I learned that the native Okinawans are a proud people with a language and culture distinct from Japan. By necessity they have adapted to a changing world but their culture is still evident beneath the trendy, tourist traps.
Shuri-jo or Shuri Castle is a testament to Okinawa’s proud ancestry. The Ryukyu Kingdom (same name given for the people, culture, and islands if I understand it correctly) ruled what is now called Okinawa; the islands were an international trading hub for China, Japan, and Korea for centuries. Naha was the capital and Shuri-jo the ruling dynasty’s palace. Unfortunately the palace was completely leveled during WWII but in 1992 it was restored. I was impressed the most by the throne room as well as the view from the palace’s walls. Those two sights alone made the trip to the castle worth it!
Shikinaen was a palatial retreat used by the Ryukyu royalty to entertain nobility and foreign delegations. The structure and garden is an interesting blend of Ryukyu, Chinese, and Japanese techniques: the walls and bridges in the garden make extensive use of limestone (Ryukyu style), the garden is circular which was popular among Japanese feudal lords at the time, and in the middle of the pond is a hexagonal Chinese-style gazebo. Like Shuri-Jo, Shikinaen was destroyed during WWII but it was rebuilt by the Japnaese government and later became a World Heritage Site in 2000. One neat fact about Shikinaen was an observatory point built at the end of the garden through which you could see Okinawa but not the ocean; it is one of the few places on the island where you can’t see the ocean. Apparently the royalty liked showing it to visiting Chinese delegations to prove that Ryukyu wasn’t a small country. History is freaking cool.
No ocean from here!
Kouri Island
The main island is cool and all but if you have a car, checking out the smaller islands is really neat. It gets you away from the main tourist hubs. Kouri Island is a convenient island to visit as a bridge connects it to the main island. The beach I visited was beautiful, not crowded, and free from buoys designating where you can/cannot swim (truly I loathe borders and barriers of any kind). My friends and I checked out another beach where we met some fourth graders playing. I talked with them for awhile in Japanese which was fun; they called me “Mr. Cool”. Later we visited a shop which sold the best, most tender pineapple I have ever tasted; until that day I thought I was a pineapple hater. I also visited this neat observatory tower on Kouri Island which offered beautiful views of the island, a neat seashell museum, and a souvenir shop featuring pineapple sweets, wine, and other goods. I enjoyed a fine shrimp dinner from the Shrimp Wagon, a food truck that reminded me of home. Kouri Island is so freaking cool.
The three people pictured are the kids I talked to while I waded in the ocean.
Food and Booze
I love Japanese food but even I needed a break. What I missed the most: a burrito and a hamburger. Due to the presence of American bases, there are a lot of restaurants offering American and international food. I had a fantastic double cheese burger at a diner one night and a burrito another night. I also enjoyed taco rice, seaweed tempura, and other tasty meals. Honestly you would have to try hard not to find something delicious here.
I took time to sample the local alcohol too. The popular beer here is Orion, which I consider to be Okinawa’s Asahi, your unoriginal basic lager. Far more intriguing is habushu, snake sake.
Habushu has a long history but is resurging in popularity across Asia. The habu snake is incredibly dangerous and venomous which undoubtedly adds to the thrill of making it. The alcohol is also believed to have medicinal properties: habu can mate for up to 26 hours straight. Thus drinking it is believed to increase one’s libido and fix sexual dysfunction. I wouldn’t know; I didn’t have a chance to test it. I did notice that I got buzzed quickly. It clocks in at about 35-40% ABV!
Habushu is made from another popular Okinawan alcohol called awamori. The alcohol is distilled from rice and mixed with honey and herbs. Sometimes the snake is simply drowned in the sake. In other cases the snake is frozen on ice, gutted, and later submerged in the alcohol. When it awakens, it lashes out pissed that its guts have been removed but then quickly dies. Thus it dies in a menacing striking position that you see in bottles at bars and liquor stores. The poisonous venom is dissolved in the alcohol making it safe to drink. That’s what I’m told at least; I drank it three times and am still alive! As for the taste, going down it is similar to Fireball but with a musky finish (must be the reptile sitting at the bottom of the jar).
On my last day I sampled some craft beer from Helios Brewery. I was most impressed by their porter; it was smooth but roasty. Drinking it I envisioned having a beer on a rainy day at an English pub; a fire nearby kept out the damp chill. That must mean the beer was good if I begin daydreaming about it. Okinawan cuisine and alcohol is so freaking cool.
Okinawa World
Okinawa World is an amusement featuring Ryukyuan-themed exhibits and activities. One exhibit was a natural limestone cave beneath the park; I enjoyed that a lot. I also had the chance to make my own Ryukyu glass. Glassblowing is a very popular art here and makes a thoughtful souvenir. The process only took five minutes and was carefully monitored by professionals. Yet it awakened in me a desire to try glassblowing when I return to the States. One of my favorite artists is Dale Chihuly, a glassblower from Tacoma, Washington. As I will be living in Seattle this summer, I can’t think of a better place to learn more about this art form.
Heating up!
Final product should arrive in the mail soon!
Pictured below is the shisa. You will see all over Okinawa. Indeed you can throw a rock and hit a shisa statue, painting, picture, or figurine at a shisa store. It is a mythical dog/lion hybrid believed to ward off against certain evils. It wasn't uncommon to see them perched on rooftops or guarding the entrance to houses. Okinawan art is freaking cool.
Ie Island
Unfortunately two of the days I spent in Okinawa it was overcast with some rain. It cut down on beach time but my friends and I decided to sightsee nevertheless. We checked out Ie Island, which while undoubtedly more scenic on a sunny day, was still cool. It’s a small island and so we rented bikes and cycled around the island in under three hours before catching the last ferry back to the main island. We checked out a cave, saw some neat cliffs that reminded me of pictures of Ireland, and saw a beautiful lily field. The geography was different from the main island, a testament to the diversity of the Okinawa Islands. These islands are so freaking cool.
In some ways Okinawa was nostalgic for me. Due to the copious number of Americans living there as well as the islands' designation as an international vacation spot, many signs are in English and a number of Okinawans speak English too; it was a nice break from my efforts to understand Japanese. I ate brunch almost every day (unheard of in Japan as breakfast is cooked and eaten at home) and could easily find American-style cuisine if I had a craving.
Wherever I go I like to learn about the history there. Okinawa was no different and I enjoyed touring palaces, gardens, and other historical sites. I wish I had seen more so I could better understand how Okinawa became what it is today. What is uniquely Ryukyu and what was added to the culture as a result of international contact? I could see myself going back to visit. There is so much I wanted to see but couldn’t due to time constraints. I would enjoy spending more time on the outlying islands that are less accessible to tourists. But I remain content with what I saw and experienced. Okinawa is another place I can check off my list!
I also enjoyed the people I met briefly including the grizzled old karate master, a waitress I talked to to on my second night in Okinawa, the three fourth graders playing in the ocean, an American marine, a Tokyo transplant, tourists, and a kind middle-aged shop attendant who sold me omiyage (souvenir). Each of them made my trip fulfilling as much as any place I visited during my travels. I enjoy traveling alone but even I, a prickly introvert, need human contact. I love adventures!
