One of my most frequented spots in Okinawa is American Village – a patchwork neighborhood of shops, restaurants, and oceanside boardwalk that feels nothing like America. American Village is covered in Christmas lights year-round and is only a 5- or 10-minute drive from several of the military bases on the island. Highlighting how Japan views American culture, American Village is complete with several buskers performing along the streets, a grand firework show every Saturday night, bowling alleys, arcades, and probably the highest density of New York-style pizza shops in Japan.
Despite the name and its proximity to many bases, American Village (referred to as A.V. by most Americans living in Okinawa) is mostly frequented by Japanese tourists from outside of Okinawa. Especially on a weekend in Okinawa, most U.S. military members are usually partying in the capital city of Naha or bar-crawling along the party district of Koza. A.V. offers a much more family-friendly atmosphere with very few bars, but over 50 restaurants and countless souvenir shops.
Despite the name, the cuisine options in A.V. are quite international. While there are several American-style pizza and burger shops, there are also several traditional Okinawan, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean, and Mexican restaurants. The food is good, but the best part of American Village without a doubt is the ice cream. Specifically, one certain ice cream shop.
I honestly do not know the name of the ice cream shop, but everyone that knows of it refers to it as the “cat ice cream.” The entire shop and menu are covered with strange posters and pictures of cats. The only person who is ever working there is a quirky, middle-aged Japanese man with long hair and thick glasses. I don’t think I have ever seen his mouth because he is always wearing a mask. The ice cream is all homemade and the menu changes daily. Favorite flavors of mine include pistachio cream, caramel cheesecake, strawberry salt crunch, and caramel pound cake.
I also learned quite quickly that dedicated repeat customers often get extra-large scoops. I am proud to say that I became a regular of “cat ice cream.” I believe this is the first place that I have every truly become a “regular.” The unfortunate part of this ordeal is that the hours for this shop are always changing and never advertised. For me, that meant frequent trips to American Village, sometimes a trip every day, just to see if I could get some ice cream. The man running the shop doesn’t speak much English. I had never heard him say anything in English besides “thank you” – until one day when he asked, “Back again?” That was not my proudest moment, but this ice cream truly is the best ice cream I have ever had in my entire life.
Something that I love about this place is the amount of care and showmanship the man puts into his ice cream. On more than one occasion, the shop keeper has come running out to catch me walking away with my ice cream because he forgot to put a single piece of cheesecake or a wafer on top. Presentation of food seems to be a huge deal in Japanese restaurant culture. Unlike in the U.S. where food usually gets thrown on the plate or in a sack, even the simplest and cheapest eateries in Japan tend to put a great deal of effort into the presentation, and “cat ice cream” is no exception.
Thanks to both “cat ice cream” and the restaurants of American Village as a whole, I have gained about 15-pounds to take home from Okinawa with me as a souvenir. This is just a small price to pay for direct access to the best ice cream in the entire world – and I will argue anyone who begs to differ. Where else in the world can you get over a pound of homemade ice cream made with care in a cat-themed restaurant for less than $5? Definitely not in America, but most definitely in American Village.
AloJapan.com