Final Day in Okinawa: Exploring Naha’s Hidden Alleys and Retro Delights

Final Day in Okinawa: Exploring Naha’s Hidden Alleys and Retro Delights

bread. Why is my refrigerator making this noise? Oh. Oh my goodness. It is so sunny today. Hello everybody. Good morning. It’s a beautiful day here in Naha. Looks like people are wearing shorts, t-shirt. Yeah. So, temperature should be nice and warm as well. Good morning. Well, actually, it’s not morning anymore. It’s almost 10:30 a.m. Um, but I’m going to head out. It’s my last day here in Naha and I don’t want to waste a day. Today it was raining yesterday. So yeah, today I want to walk around Naha. That’s my plan. And uh just explore some new streets. Uh the first uh evening when I arrived here, well first afternoon I should say, I discovered some new streets and I kind of want to do that and look for some new places. Maybe look for a nice cafe for lunch as well and just uh have a good time. So like I said, we’re going to be walking around the back streets of Kokai area. Yeah. And as you can see, we are definitely in a back street. Not really sure what I’ll find on this walk, but should be a lot of fun. I’ve always wondered about these uh back streets here. But wow, these this really is a back street, isn’t it? And it’s quite hilly as well. Anyway, this is nice. It’s also a beautiful day. How are you guys doing? I hope you’re having a great day wherever you are. What’s the weather like? It’s beautiful here. It’s a little bit chilly, honestly. It’s about 22° C. This is a very nice house. Wow. It’s kind of amazing how quiet it is just one block away from the main street of Kukai. Yeah, pretty amazing. So, my first destination is this old theater because they have a cafe attached to it. So, that’s where we are headed to. But I’m purposely taking a different route, a route that I never took before, just to see if I can find something new. Now, we’re going downhill. Okay, I think uh this is a familiar street. I think that’s a familiar street. I’m not sure. Maybe it’s a different one. First new thing I found is a smoothie place. Oh, nice. Okay, let’s remember this smoothie place for next time. And they also have Oh, it’s called Pop Place. Interesting. And they have these kebabs here. And they are called pop kebabs. Okay, I’ll remember this for the next time. Aloha store in your town. Looks like a Hawaiian shop. Apartment building. H. It’s a little ramen place here right here. Not open right now. They open at 11:30. H. I’ve actually never had ramen in Okinawa, but yeah, looks pretty good. There’s some construction in the background. Definitely a new street for me. H I wonder where I am going. I wonder where this street is leading to. What beautiful weather today. That’s a nice Okinawan style house there. Here’s a nice plumeriia tree. I think the main reason why I’ve never done this before is because it’s just too hot whenever I visit. So I think for me at least the best time to visit is like winter or spring like now it is uh early March. I don’t know no it’s April now end of April. Perfect weather. Oh, okay. It’s a Zenzai specialist. I’ll keep this in mind. Okay, I think I’ll turn into this little street here. Why not? These uh back streets are very narrow, I have to say. Look, here’s another little street here. I have to be careful. Motorcycles coming. Hey, look. Co [Music] nobody. It’s almost boys day. It’s nice to have all these uh uh plants all around the city. It’s hard to find them if you just stay on Kokai Wen Villia, one of Satoshi’s favorite flowers/plants. Okay, I think yeah, this is the street that I uh sometimes walk along. I know because of this uh hibiscus mural here. Yeah, this street here is kind of funky. They have some funky shops here. Used clothing store, I believe. On this side, there’s another store not open yet. I think all I think I’m a bit too early for the stores here. I love this particular corner here like this uh nice little traditional house here. They serve kaki. I think it’s a cafe. And then there is a cluster of shops here that renovated these uh old homes. And this is uh Okinawa Soba shop. And then this is another shop. And then the Kishima Garden. I wonder what kind of shop this is. I think this is a cafe as well. And then that is a tattoo parlor right there. Not sure what that is. And this is another store. Yeah, a bit too early. And there’s a nice apartment building here. Like if I lived in Okinawa, I wouldn’t mind living here. Next to that, next to this apartment building is this very old building. I wonder if people still live here, but I like it though. I don’t know why I like it. I like old things. Here’s another apartment building here. This is a nice neighborhood. I like it. Okay, you know what? I think I’d like to turn in here. I think this is the correct way. That’s a nice shop right here. I think I’m going in the right direction. I think so. What a nice tunnel. Oh, Lawrence would like this very much. Leopard printing lot. I love these old colorful buildings. This wooden home here kind of reminds me of the old plantation homes in Hawaii kind of. And I’m definitely like on the back back streets cuz there’s a pile of things here. I’m pretty sure this is trash or it could be a uh an art piece. Okay, here’s a little shop. This looks like a nice restaurant. What kind of food? It’s a isakaya. Naru. Very busy street. Things are happening. There’s another eery here. Ah, I see. I know where we are now. So, anyway, we are going in the right direction. We’re almost there at the cafe. And this is also kind of a nice place to have lunch, I think. Let’s see. This is like the market area. This is uh Makishi market, but we’re not going to go there today. On this side, you have some really old-fashioned markets like ladies selling uh produce and stuff. People already drinking beer in the morning. Oh, there’s a nice little used bookstore here. Ah, I love that there are these new shops with the old shops. I’m going to walk through uh here. Where am I? Okay, I think this way. This is fun. This is interesting. This is like a maze. But yeah, this is where I want to go. Oh, nice, nice, nice pottery. Nice ceramics here. Um, which way do I want to go? Ah, maybe this way. Okay, so now there’s a fork on in this road. I think I need to keep going left. Oh, this is new. I think this used to be a different shop. Now it’s a spice ramen shop. Okay, here we are. I found it. Okay. Yes. So, there is an old movie theater down this street and they sell amazing uh Okinawa ceramics there as well and some art pieces, but they also have a cafe and that old movie theater. They actually do play old movies, but it’s really neat. It’s on the hill. This is the the Hyatt Hotel. I think this is like the most high-end hotel in this particular area. And this place sells taco rice. Kind of want to try that place out one of these days. Yeah, this is the Hyatt Regency Naha Okinawa. Then we’re almost there. tip. Make sure to wear walking shoes, comfortable shoes, because you will be walking a lot if you try to follow my footsteps. And here on the right side is the old movie theater. I love this place so much. I come here sometimes, not all the time, to check out the ceramic pieces. But one day I think I’d like to check out a movie. Today we’re here to have a tea break. I haven’t had my tea this morning yet. Okay, this is the drinks here. Okay, let’s order let’s order something. [Music] So, I ordered the bread plate. Yeah, it’s called three types of bread plate, and it comes with tea or coffee. I obviously got some tea. And wow, it’s actually really beautiful. They’re all served in uh traditional Okinawan pottery uh ceramic. So, I love that. And uh there is a baguette. There are some like dried fruit bread. And then I think that’s like a bagel, like a part of a bagel. This is a nice breakfast. I’m going to I’m going to try this bread here. Uh look at all the the dried fruits in there. I see dried figs, some nuts. M haven’t had bread like this in ages. I used to eat this kind of bread all the time. M nice whole grain goodness. Going to put cream cheese on my bagel. Cream cheese. M. They toasted it. That’s nice. That’s a pleasant surprise. M also have not had a bagel in a while. Got some butter. That’s my baguette. Butter my baguette. M. Nice and toasted. That makes me [Music] happy. That’s a pretty good workout, too. The bread is good. I wonder if they buy the bread. There’s a bakery nearby here that I’ve been wanting to go for the la longest time. So maybe I’ll stop by there later. Today it’s a carb kind of day, I think, for me. H I’ve been behaving really well for the last 3 weeks. So I think yeah, today maybe I’ll do carbs. So with my fruit bread, maybe I’ll put some honey. I believe this is honey. You know, it’s ridiculous how ridiculously happy I can be with good bread. Love it. Construction. You know, there’s always some kind of construction noise in Naha. Unfortunately, this is a city. But the big difference between here and say Tokyo for example is that there are less people especially on the week days. So like if you come here a place where not many tourists come is perfect. I mean it is so relaxing for me. Mhm. Oh my gosh. The bread is so good. I’m going to finish up here, guys. I’ll see you guys in a bit. I almost forgot. This is my view. Isn’t it nice? That’s a little park. That’s a hidden park in Nahhata. My gosh, I really enjoyed that. Um, you know, I like I said, I’ve been to this place a few times, but never uh I never had anything to eat at the cafe. I didn’t expect much. But the bread was really good quality and my tea was delicious. Super good value. Uh, it was only um 800 yen for all of that food. They came with cream cheese, honey, and butter as well. Three types of bread. Yeah, that’s that’s a good price. So, since um I talked about the park, I might as well walk to the park since this is right here. And it’s actually one of my favorite places in Naha. I cannot stress enough how pleasant it is to walk around the city of Naha. Uh when it’s not hot and humid, it’s just so nice. I could walk all day long and that’s what I intend to do. Okay, here we are. This is the peak of the park. There’s a hill here. Once again, wear comfortable shoes. And there’s some nice trees here. And you get a nice view of um the city, not the entire city. And right down there is uh the Shenai, the the covered arcade shopping area. Kokai is over here. This is very nice. And there are many cats living here at the park, I think. Although I didn’t see any cats today. I usually see at least two cats. Ah, this is nice. I love that there’s a park here in the city. It’s like a little oasis. I hopped on the UI Montreal just three stops away and we’re here at Omoachi station and this is a great place to come for shopping and also this beautiful park here. So obviously you can shop a lot on Kokai, but it’s mostly tourist things, right? I mean, you’ll find some unique things, but say if you’re looking for a really large supermarket, you want to buy uh some food stuff to take back home, you know, specifically Japanese food stuff or even like local food stuff. Um there is a big supermarket here. Uh there is a mall and it’s a pretty large mall, not gigantic but larger than any you will find in uh on the Kokai area and um there’s um a nice park here where you can uh sit, walk around. The park is actually quite huge. But anyway, uh this mall is my favorite mall to go shopping. on the very top floor. They sell clothing for men and women um at very good prices. And um also they have a muji, they have unique clothes, they have all your Japanese stores that you could ever wish for. They’re all here. And it’s only about a 4minute walk from Omar Machi Station. And the mall is right here on the left side. If you just go uh straight down, you keep walking down, you get to the gigantic park. But anyway, we’ll check out the mall first and then maybe we’ll go to the park later. I need something to drink. Oh, that’s something new. It says Naha. That that uh that uh those letters are brand new. And here we are, guys. This is uh Naha main place. This is the mall you want to come to for shopping. So, first floor, typical mall with mostly women’s uh boutiques. There’s also a pretty big uh electronic store. So, if you need anything for your iPhone or electronics, they have you covered. There’s a supermarket. It’s pretty big. These are local produce here. So, you can try some of that as well. Really good cheesecake place, cosmetics area. And then on the second floor, you have a variety of shops. Uh these are like clothing, but there’s a pretty big men’s section as well. And the clothing, the clothes there. You’ll probably find something you like. This is a place I recommend you guys come to buy the Okinawan uh shirts here called Karushi. Look at this. You can find them at various prices. Like this one’s 13,500 yen. So, it’s not cheap, but it’s very wellmade. You have a whole section for uh this Okinawan uh shirt. Like a gigantic section. It just keeps going. And then you have a Muji store here. If you need something from Muji, this is the place to come. And then you have t-shirts here. I have purchased clothing from here. Satoshi particularly loves this shop. Like here you have some Okinawan t-shirts here. Like this is Goya Goya Champuru that we’ve um made on Tapi Eats. You have a spam hoodies, blue seal, and there’s a nice food court here as well. There’s restaurants on the first floor, too. But if you want like casual dining, like Nahan food court might be a good bet. These are some of the selections. You have Joyful, which is a local chain, Omu. Uh this is for Okinawan Soba. Uh shaved ice. Yeah. This is the food court here. And then right outside these doors you have a cinema complex. So if you want to catch a movie, you can check this place out here. I also forgot to mention that there is a tea galleria uh right next to Omar Machi Station. If uh that’s something you’re interested in, you can buy designer goods for cheaper than on the mainland. There’s a nice Tully’s cafe here with outdoor seating. Let me show you the surrounding area. So you get an idea of what Omachi is all about. So first thing that you should do if you have time, I I really do recommend visiting this museum here. Very interesting. You can learn about the history of Okinawa. Fascinating museum. You have another uh tight smaller mall over there. Pacico parlors, lots of condominiums here because this is kind of like a new area. It’s not like new new, but it’s a residential area, which is why you have the malls, you have stores, you have a really big park. Yeah. Like like if I lived in Okinawa, I I guess I wouldn’t mind living here because it’s right next to the station and it’s only three what was it maybe three stops away from Makishi and five stops away from Kenjaya and direct train line to the airport. So I did some shopping at the mall. Just some minor shopping for Satoshi. You know this time I came with a half empty suitcase. Actually more. I only brought like very little clothing. Uh I didn’t need much really because it’s a short trip and the weather is pretty much the same here and Tokyo right now. So uh yeah, I’m kind of tired now actually. Don’t know why. I thought I take you to the the park right across this bridge here and then I think I head back into town. just crossing over this bridge here. This was the mall here. As you can see, it’s not a small mall and I walked the whole thing. So, it was kind of exhausting. And then this is the museum I was talking about. That’s the outdoor museum area. You can kind of see it from the bridge. But anyway, check it out next time you’re here in Okinawa. And then all residential here. Actually, this is a park. Yeah, this is a big park I was talking about. I think the reason why I’m so tired right now is because I think it’s because of the bread. Basically, I only had carbs for breakfast and nothing else. I had tea, but I had butter, honey, cream cheese, I guess. But yeah, I’m feeling like I have like a sugar low or something. Anyway, I bought something that looked yummy. I’m kind of hungry, too. Since the weather is warming up, I’ve been walking a lot these days. Again, I don’t walk 20,000 steps like that like I used to, but maybe I walk around somewhere between 15,000 and 17,000 steps. I guess it’s around the same, but not quite 20,000 steps. Sometimes more. It really depends. But I try to walk a minimum of five kilometers. That’s like my goal for the day. And I think for my age, I think that’s pretty good. What do you guys think? So, this is the park. There are some kids over there. Maybe it’s a Is it spring holiday? I don’t know. They’re they’re doing like soccer or something there. Yeah. This is the big park area. Yeah, they’re they’re playing ball, soccer, something. Okay. And then yeah, um there are some places to sit here. See, I I think I also like uh Okinawan parks because they look different from parks in Tokyo, for example. Like the trees seem a bit more tropical. You see, like we don’t have like these kind of plants in the parks in Tokyo. So, I guess it’s kind of unique to me. You see the residential apartment buildings around the park. So, yeah, this uh park is basically for the residents. Of course, it’s for everyone really. This is the museum. That’s the outdoor portion. I’ll get closer to there in a moment. Now, I just got to sip myself on this little block here. I bought this. This is moku tempura. It’s a tempura made with mo, which is like the local seaweed. And I love it cuz you can’t really find it in Tokyo unless you go to an Okinawan restaurant. I bought a whole bag of it, but just going to eat one right now. And I really hate my hair today. My hair is getting too long. I’m going to cut it. I have a haircut appointment this week when I get back. [Music] crispy. Delicious. I love mo seaweed. M. They have so much mozzuku here at Okinawa. Not only does it have seaweed, it has like um I think some onions and carrots in here. Isn’t this nice? I know it’s just grass trees, but it’s quite relaxing. I also see butterflies and bees. Butterflies. Okay. I don’t like the bees, though. Please don’t come near [Music] me. Can you guys hear the birds? So, this is the the back the back portion. Oh, you know what? I think we’re allowed to check out the outdoor area. So, this is the Okinawa Prefectual Museum and Art Museum. Can you see it? Yeah, the the the letters are the same color as the the wall, but this is the entrance. And wow, I didn’t know that we could freely check out the outdoor portion. So, these two sculptures are art pieces. Wonder what this is. Kind of looks like a dinosaur to me. A metal dinosaur. This should tell us who the artist is. So, this is called Concrete and Steel. Concrete and Steel by No. Okay. Interesting. What do you guys see? What do you guys think this is? I kind of see a a human face there. And it does look like a dinosaur to me. And here, here’s the other one. What does this one look like to you guys? This one also looks like an animal to me. All right, people. So, um I’m going to take the train back to the hotel. Uh put my stuff down because my bag is a bit heavy right now. And I’ll pick up something for dinner later on. Okay, it’s dinner time. I just got back from the convenience store and this is what I bought. So this is from Family Mart. I bought seaweed soup yuzu flavor and this is only in Okinawa. Whenever I come here, I have to eat this at least once. This is the Okinawa oni with abula miso. For a little appetizer, I got this shio sbe, which is salted uh Okinawa rice crackers. I just cannot get enough of these. These are wheat crackers and these are simply salted. Oh, so good. It’s just the flavor of salt and wheat and a little bit of oil cuz I think this has been deep fried. I’m not sure. I think I think so. I don’t know. But it’s really good. I love these. I’m going to admit that I am very tired today, but it just means that I I did a lot. I walked a lot today. Yeah. Okay. So, you see this is the mo seaweed. There’s some carrots in here. What’s this? What’s this? Not sure what that is. Could be egg. Oh That’s good. A little bit sourness from the yuzu. The flavor of the the oceany seaweed. Lots of umami. Oh, this is so comforting. It’s more like a sandwich. You see the tamagoyaki and the the spam. And then there is abrama miso which is uh oh there’s not much of it. I I think that’s it. I I think the the miso is in between the egg and the spam. So good okino miso. I love it so much. It’s sweet. It’s like sweet miso really. And there’s pork inside. Um, I believe that the video of the recipe for this uh particular on Okinawa sandwich is already up on the Tabi Eats channel. So, if you want to know how to make it, including the Abu Damiso, check it out. I really enjoyed this uh solo trip. I really did. I visited places I’ve never been to. In fact, I did even go to Yakimundi. You know that the street with the ceramics? I always go there, but this time I didn’t have time. I I didn’t even go to the market because I just kind of focused on places uh I haven’t been to. Um I did go to Umi Umi Kaji Terrace, but I went there because um I wanted to learn how to take the bus. Of course, um I was uh miserably unsuccessful. I ended up taking a cab, but that’s the reason why I went there. And besides, I found a place that sells the Okinawan donuts, but fancy version, and they were pretty good. I’m learning something. I’m learning something very important about myself. uh if I’m too busy and I don’t have any time for myself whatsoever, it eventually catches up with me and I and I spin out of control. But the opposite is also true. I realize that if I have nothing to do, nothing productive, then after a while I start to get depressed as well. So on this trip, I feel like it was a good balance between uh uh making videos and visiting uh new places. It was a really good mix. Um did I get enough rest? Uh maybe not so much. Um first of all, the room that I’m staying in, it’s just not that comfortable. And I mean I mean may maybe if I was staying at a really beautiful hotel I might do that but I mean the bed’s not that comfortable either. So I ended up spending most of my time outdoors and I did enjoy it but I felt maybe I overdid it a bit. Um I walked a lot so maybe next time I will take a break in between. It’s just you know this room is just not that great. But that’s something I’m learning about myself. I also seem to enjoy meeting new people. Uh, of course, genuine people, nice, kind-hearted people. Of course, I really enjoy that. And um I I’ve met some new people on this trip and so that was nice. In June, we are going to Australia again. Yes, we are. You know, I wanted to take Satoshi on a first class trip to London, but there were two issues with that. Number one, it’s too expensive. And number two, although I saved up enough miles for his first class ticket, the first class ticket that I have to pay for myself is ridiculously high and that would make me go bankrupt. And so I decided, well, I asked him, is it okay if I take him to Australia instead business class? Yeah, we’re going to be going to Sydney and Melbourne this time. First time to Melbourne. Super super excited. I’m also excited to share all the good places I went to last time on my solo trip with Satoshi. I think he’s going to like some of them. And of course, we want to go to some new places. Also, we’re going to be meeting up with Lawrence in Sydney. So, stay tuned for all that. Of course, I’m going to be filming tons of video for you guys. Um, probably mostly in Sydney because all the videos we’re going to be filming in Melbourne is going to be on the Tap Eats channel. Let’s see if I have time to film in Melbourne for this channel as well. I’m not sure. But anyway, yeah, if you guys are in Melbourne or Sydney, and if you have any suggestions on where to go, what to eat, uh a great cafe, um what kind of souvenirs we should buy, please let me know in the comments. Anyway, thank you so much for joining me on this trip to Naha. I had a good time. I hope you enjoyed the videos. I’ll see you guys on the next one. Thank you so much. Bye-bye.

This adventure begins with a leisurely stroll through the charming back alleys, uncovering the unique character of the city of Naha. I savor a delicious breakfast at a retro theater café that boasts a nostalgic atmosphere and delectable treats. After fueling up, I head to Omoromachi for some shopping and a peaceful walk around a nearby park, soaking in the serene beauty of Okinawa before I bid farewell to this incredible island. Come along for a perfect ending to my solo journey in Naha!

Places I visit on this video.

Sakurazaka Theater
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/cypGjjzzGGzxAXuU8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy
San-A Naha Main Place
📍 https://maps.app.goo.gl/yc1PWYnVi6ECN97n9?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

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