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Okinawa Terror Story Tour! Spooky Okinawa stories, folklore and mythical spots!
After the wet and moist rainy season comes the long-awaited Summer.
The secret to overcoming the heat of summer is not eating a delicious cup of Japanese Kakigori, nor a scrumptious bowl of Hiyashi Chuka chilled noodles. No, the best way to relieve the heat is to hear a tale that will send a chill down your spine and into your bones — that’s right, horror stories!
This occasion’s plan is an ace up our sleeve to scare away the heat! We will introduce Okinawa’s famous horror stories, spooky folklores and legends. Of course, it won’t end there! We will also take you to the locations where those stories and legends took place!
The settings of this here story and that over there story… are actually right beside Okinawa’s staple tourism spots!?!?
So, let’s get out of our rooms chilled by air conditioners and embark on a Spooky Story-Spot tour that will *really* freeze us to the core!
Fall in Love with Okinawan Chocolate. Drops of Bliss at Jacaranda Blue
When you want to unwind.
When you have earned a reward.
When you want to have a good tomorrow.
Chocolate, with its sweet aroma and taste to match, is the magic potion to heal our bodies and souls.
And for this reason we made our way to Jacaranda Blue in Ginowan in search of this coveted chocolate.
At first you may think that the words chocolate and Okinawa may seem strange together, however the cacao beans which are an ingredient of chocolate are from a tropical plant which grows in hot humid regions.
When it seems like it is getting too hot to bear, eating something that has actually been produced in a hot climate is actually quite beneficial for your body.
If you are in Okinawa this is a taste that you must try. Let’s start our search for the coveted pieces of chocolate
Contents
1. What kind of shop is Jacaranda Blue ?
2. Full of Okinawan Ingredients Jacaranda Blue Chocolate
3. Sweets – Taste Okinawa
4. Jacaranda Blue – Information
5. The beloved pieces of chocolate.
What kind of shop is Jacaranda Blue ?
If you follow the signs , pass through a line of houses and make your way to the top of a slight slope you will find Jacaranda Blue.
Waiting for you at the door is a sweet smell that invites you in leaving you wanting more.
Using things that are locally produced / local production for local consumption is an idea based on the French pastry industry led the chef to create his pride and joy which is chocolate confectionery.
We are welcomed by the sight of the “Vendeuse” selling the sweets at the head of the store. Turning our eyes to the glass case at the front of the store, we find what we are looking for.
Simple and quaint, with an aura that could not be concealed, the Parisiennesque “Bonbon Chocolate”.
The chocolates were so beautiful that the sight alone caused me to let out a gasp,however with chocolates names such as “Miyako Miso” and “Haru Ukon” something was a little odd.
I couldn’t get my head around most of the labels, but I did learn that the names had great significance around the Okinawan dinner table.
Jacaranda Blue is the place where you can experience the taste of Okinawa with chocolates that include local ingredients.
The chef pays respect to the ingredients taken from the locality and to the producers using the ideals of French confectionery to breathe life into these bonbon chocolates.
Full of Okinawan Ingredients Jacaranda Blue Chocolate
Okinawa Chocolat Box of 9/￥2,300 includes (tax)
I like chocolate with a unique taste.
I recommend the (Okinawa Chocolat) Box of 9/￥2,300 includes (tax)
The well wrapped chocolate can be a treat for yourself or it can work perfectly as a souvenir present for someone special.
The feeling of excitement when the box is being opened is worth every moment. Seeing that you have gone to all this trouble make sure to taste and compare all 9 chocolate varieties.
According to the Vendeuse a great way to enjoy this delicious chocolate is to first slowly it melt in your mouth before eating it.
And she was right, if you eat it this way with every breath you take, you’ll take in the sweet smell of the chocolate, giving you double the happiness.
1: Miyako Miso
The malt taste you feel in your tongue feels strange but goes well with the chocolate. Even after you finish eating, there is a pleasant after taste. A chocolate for adults. We recommend having it with alcohol.
2: Brown Sugar
The marvelous combination of the aromatic and sweetness of the brown sugar mixed with the bitter cacao taste. Although it is rich in flavor it only leaves a slight aftertaste. It has a taste we would recommend even for those who don’t often indulge in chocolate.
3: Tankan
Tankan is a citrus fruit that is often eaten in Okinawa similar to a mandarin. The bitter-sweetness of the peel, the citrus smell plus the bitterness of the cacao brings out an undeniably delicious taste.
4: Island Chilli (Shima tougarashi)
Drop a little on the tip of your tongue, for a slightly ethnic and flavorful fragrance. Shortly after experience an unexpected level of spice. This single drop of temptation, will leave you wanting to eat more.
5: Haru Ukon (Spring Tumeric)
If at first you notice the aroma of the tumeric, then you will slowly start to smell the cacao. However, if at first you notice the cacao smell, then the aroma of ukon will slowly make an appearance. A chocolate with an aroma you can enjoy. Goes well with a strong green tea.
6:Shimamaasu
Shimamaasu is Okinawan salt. The moment it touches your tongue, you will taste it’s strong, sweet, salty flavor. Surprisingly smooth with conflicting tastes creating harmony. In this one piece of chocolate the rush of sweetness is almost poetic, just the memory of the taste is enough to make you happy.
7: Jiimamii
Jiimamii refers to peanuts. This piece comes with a taste that you think you may be familiar with but once you try it, you will realize that your expectations have betrayed you. Even the taste of the peanut is something quite spectacular You will have to try it and see!
8: Fuuchibaa
When we talk about fuuchibaa we mean Japanese mugwort. Compared to the mugwort used in Japanese sweets, this has a different feeling. The vibrant floral smell is its main feature You can enjoy a new type of deliciousness.
9: Shima Koshou (Island Pepper)
Shima Koshou is often referred to as Pibachi This is a chocolate with a spicy, herbal aroma similar to cinnamon that goes well with coffee.
- Sweets – Taste Okinawa
△ Macaron/ 1 for ￥160 (including tax)
At Jacaranda Blue as well as chocolate bonbons there a re a variety of sweets made using local Okinawan ingredients.
Usually made using Almond powder, these macarons are made using peanut powder after going through a week long oil extraction process. With a light crunchy texture, you can also enjoy the aromatic scent of the peanuts.
As well as flavors such as vanilla and framboise , you can also enjoy Okinawan flavors such as brown sugar and Japanese mugwort .
They are beautifully wrapped so we also recommend these as souvenirs.
△<Okinawan Coral Box of 5/￥400 includes (tax)
We would like to recommend the Okinawa Sango, which only became available as a result of the endless research, experimentation and trial and error of the chef.
The white caramel softly melts as soon as it touches your tongue spreading a mellow aroma and sweetness throughout your mouth. It has a gentle after taste, yet a strong flavor unbelievably created from simple ingredients.
As hinted in the name there is real coral inside, as you reminisce about your vacation with friends enjoy the caramel’s strange yet wonderful taste.
Jacaranda Blue – Information
Jacaranda Blue | Shop Information
■ Address : Okinawa, Ginowan City Nagata 1-8-7 Maison Tomori
■ Telephone : 098-892-8654
Opening Hours：11:00 ~ 19:00
■Regular Holidays : Tuesdays and Wednesdays
■ Car Park : Yes ( 3 spaces at shop front)
■ Website : https://jacarandablue.ti-da.net/
Except for fresh cakes, most of our products can be delivered regionally. Take home chocolate without having to worry about it melting due to changes in temperature.
You can contact us in advance and book a delivery. For further details please contact us by phone at the number above.
The beloved pieces of chocolate.
We would like all our visitors to return home relaxed and with a smile. As we know it is not an easy to get to location, it is our aim to create a place where our customers can enjoy from the very moment , they head out to us, whilst they are choosing their sweets right up until the moment they open the box.
Of course we want to create delicious treats people can enjoy eating, but we also want to spread the joy that can be found when eating them with a friend or giving them as presents.
These are the words of the Chef and Vendesue delivered to me with a warm smile by Mr and Mrs Tomori. Any of the arrangement of sweets at Jacaranda Blue are bound to tickle anybody s fancy.
Just one piece is enough to put a smile on your face.
Try one of the treasured chocolates and feel the real Okinawa in a fabulous shop nestled alongside Okinawan houses.
Written by : mochiking
Explore Okinawa tourism by walking!│Yui Rail Strolling ~ Akamine Edition ~
Yui Rail, a convenient tool for Naha tourism.
For people who cannot rent or drive cars, it is without a doubt an important method of transportation.
With this occasion’s theme being ‘exploring Okinawa tourism by walking’, we’ll even focus on local stations that you probably don’t stop at normally!
To start it off, we will hit the spots of “Akamine Station”, Naha Airport’s neighboring station.
People who had ridden the Yui Rail before will have heard of it.
We approached Okinawa’s deep charms known only to people who actually stopped at this station…
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. What kind of place is Akamine?
2. Enjoy a meal at an Okinawa Soba shop “SHUREI SOBA” before any activities!
3. Touring by Photos -Akamine Strolling
4. In Conclusion
1. What kind of place is Akamine?
…but first, as the title says, what kind of place is Akamine Station?
It is located 26.11.36 north latitude – 127.39.38 east latitude at the map, and its address is Naha-shi Akamine 2-chome 1000-11.
For being the most southern point, its banchi (house number) of 1000 is a little bemusing!
The area of Akamine is a quiet residential town outside of Naha city, with public apartment housings lined up and 24/7 supermarkets and restaurants scattered all around.
Nearby are the Yui Rail Museum (Free Admission 9:30 ~ 16:30 – closed at SAT.SUN.Holidays) and the Naha Air Base.
After exiting the station’s ticket booth, the first thing you’ll see will be a sign for a free shuttle bus boarding station.
Free pick-up buses for Rito, which can be accessed by car, and Senaga Island are also available.
For those planning on “staying in Naha city for the time being after arriving in Okinawa, and going towards the North via rent-a-car tomorrow”…
… how about setting of towards Akamine station via Yui Rail once in a while, and from there stop by Senaga Islands with this free bus?
With your excess cash, grab a cold one at Senaga Island’s Umikaji Terrace! The return trip is also safe and reassuring.
With that, let’s head down the station’s stairs.
At the plaza in front of the Station is the “Most Southern Stone Monument”.
After focusing a little on the fact that “we’re really at the most southern point”, the strolling finally starts!
2．Enjoy a meal at Okinawa Soba shop “SHUREI SOBA” before any activities!
Town sights you miss out on when driving a car can be seen as completely different vistas if you go by foot, making for a completely fresh sensation.
As this is the time where we get hungry, we looked around for a nice joint to eat at… and lo and behold! The Okinawan noodle shop of “SHUREI SOBA” appeared right as we were thinking of about it!
It has high word-of-mouth reviews if you look it up on the Net, and local patrons being a matter of course it seems like a popular place even for tourists.
The interior of the store looks like this. The walls are designed with Yachimun pottery, and the space is dominated by calm, relaxing tones.
Though we would very much like to order the store’s eponymous “Shurei Soba”, this time we went for the Ikasumi Yakisoba (squid-ink fried noodles, 820 JPY with tax).
It uses flat noodles, which are also used in Okinawa Soba. To tell the truth, we were in doubt whether this noodle would mesh well with the squid ink before tucking in, but when we did, we were pleasantly surprised!
The squid ink mixes good with the flat noodles and the squid is soft and exotically seasoned with salt, making for a level of deliciousness that is beyond actual squid ink pasta.
This was a must-have dish for squid-ink lovers!
“Shurei Soba” also boasts a bountiful selection of Okinawa Soba, with 24 unique choices on offer; you can even choose texture of the noodle and the type of Dashi stock used!
Though we visited in a time way past noon, apparently live Sanshin performances are held everyday from 12PM to 2PM.
And since there are also low-rise seats, it might have good user-availability for those accompanied by children.
3．Touring by Photo -Akamine Strolling-
With our stomach full and our mouth completely blackened, we resume our stroll. Our next destination – Akamine open space reserve.
Passing through Akamine Station from Shurei Soba, the Akamine open space reserve is in a distance of 15 minutes by foot.
The Akamine open space reserve was once a sacred site called “Winumo”.
Akamine and Ashimine’s current Utaki (sacred place) are historical places that have appeared in the “Ryukyu Koku Yuraiki”.
On the top of the open space reserve there is a roofed resting area.
Though we had our lunch at Shurei Soba, we could, for example, have a nice little picnic here by buying “Uchina obento” and “Sanpin tea” takeouts from the supermarkets around Akamine station such as SAN-A and Union!
Here is a SAN-A that is 5 minutes away from the Station by foot.
Though at first glance it might be the usual Obento corner in any other supermarket, if you look closely you can find Obento that can only be had in Okinawa such as the Goya bento!
4．In Conclusion
[Never touch the highly poisonous Sea Mangoes within the open space reserve!!!]
Most of the means of transportation for those visiting Okinawa for tourism are usually rent-a-cars.
But once in a while, getting off your car and walking around is also a valid means of travel!
By walking on your own two feet, there will be new discoveries wherever you might end up!
If you’re wondering what to enjoy for an Okinawa tour, why not travel in a way that is not written in a guidebook?
“Okinawa Strolling”, where you can feel as if you lived your entire life in this island. Please experience it by yourself!
AUTHOR: EIICHI
Founded in Yomitani Village Mainichi Shokudo is an Okinawan Soba Restaurant Loved by the Locals
Founded in Yomitani Village Mainichi Shokudo is an Okinawan Soba Restaurant Loved by the Locals
Yomitani is a village filled with delicious bakeries and fancy cafes.
There has been a recent increase in Okinawan soba restaurants, and we paid a visit to the Mainichi Shokudo that has gained quite a following with the local community since opening its doors in 2017.
The yellow exterior doesn’t look like your ordinary soba eatery, and once you enter even the interior looks like a cafe.
However, when it comes to the taste of the soba it is the real deal. The delicious taste of the stock is without a doubt what pulls in the local clients.
It has a space for kids and colourful chair that create a bubbly atmosphere. I went to find out what makes the uniquely coloured Mainichi Shokudou so facinating.
Contents
1. The pull of the vibrant yellow exterior.
2.The spacious cafe style interior
3. A kids’ space in a soba restaurant? !
4.Soup that you will drink to the very last drop.
5. The perfect side menu
6. Summary
The vibrant yellow exterior.
Mainichi Shokudo is located in Yomitani Village, Chuubu Okinawa. It is located near Yachimun no Sato.
Make your way using a satellite navigation system and follow the signs along the way. You will come a cross the striking yellow establishment that seems as if it is a natural part of the surroundings.
Based on its appearance you would be forgiven for thinking it was an ordinary cafe.
With a name like Mainichi Shokudo you would be tricked into believing that you had come across a restaurant serving typical Japanese meals, but there is no doubt that this is an Okinawan soba place. It far from a cafe or a typical Japanese eatery.
This is the Mainichi Shokudo oozing with uniqueness from the appearance all the way to its name.
2.The spacious cafe style interior
The interior holds a range of different coloured chairs creating a poppy atmosphere. There are not many seats in comparison to the spacious interior , giving you room to relax.
If you picture the typical soba restaurant, you may imagine a very busy and noisy establishment. However, this Okinawan soba restaurant feels more like a cafe.
The smell of the stock soup floats from behind the counter, filling the room with a delightful aroma.
The sight of the well arranged pottery will give you that at home feeling.
Even the view of the kitchen from the counter is colourful.
3.A kids’ space in a soba restaurant? !
This is the kids’ space that you didn’t believe could exist.
An Okinawan soba restaurant with a kids’ space is not something that you would expect to see.
It is only the size of one tatami mat, but kids can enter the land of colouring books and toys. Remember to tell them to remove their shoes first.
Keep your kids entertained while you wait for your food, by using this space perfect for customers with children.
We even have a baby bouncer. Child sized cutlery and child seats are of course also available.
4.Soup that you will drink to the very last drop.
We ordered an Okinawan pork gristle soba. A full bowl topped with two thick slices of pork.
Tempted by the smell of the bonito stock flavour, the first thing I tried was the soup. I was surprised by how delicious it was.
It is rich in flavour yet leaves you feeling refreshed. It doesn’t have that greasy feeling, so you can easily drink it to the very last drop.
The mixture of soup and the thin flat noodles boiled together with the bittersweet Okinawan pork is perfectly balanced.
The lightness of the soup and the thick slices of pork creates a deep contrast in taste which you can’t stop eating.
I tend to usually leave some noodles and soup in the bowl, but just for today I finished everything down to the very last drop of soup.
Here is the Okinawan pork gristle soba [A-sa] in the Okinawana local dialect is the word for an edible green algae.
With a slight smell of the ocean and an original taste.
Make sure to try the A-sa soba on your second visit or you can share if you come with a friend.
There is also a three meat slice and a yushi tofu soba option available.
5.The perfect side menu
You can order soba as a meal by itself, however we recommend the juicy set . Where you can have other delectable dishes comparable to the soba.
There is also taco rice and Okinawan pork gristle rice bowl, so if you want to eat something else other than soba you will not be disappointed.
The Okinawan soba restaurants specialty dessert zenzai (made from sweet red beans) or the owners coffee of choice are essentials for after your meal.
6.Summary
It may not be noted in many tourist guidebooks, but there a lot of local patrons of the Mainichi Shokudo.
From the groups in their laborers outfits to the families with young children that frequent this establishment we can see that this restaurant is loved by people from all walks of life.
According to my friend that lives in the area, when it comes to Okinawan soba this place is number one and I’m sure that there are a lot regular customers who would agree.
Mix with the locals and enjoy this delicious and friendly soba in a spacious and relaxing surrounding.
Raise your luck with cute protective charms! A matchmaking pilgrimage to Okinawa’s history-rich Shrines!
With its beautiful azure sea and its abundant nature, it goes without saying that Okinawa is a treasure trove for spiritual power-spots. Since you are going to Okinawa anyway, there is simply no reason you should not power-up during your travels!
On this occasion we have carefully selected shrines known for blessing people with marriages, children and safe births. We will also introduce many cute and adorable protective charms recommended for the remembrance of girls-only trips and solo travels!
Loved by the locals and visited nonstop by those from outside of the prefecture, why not pray for an increase of luck in shrines that are filled with rich and interesting history?
Basic Information When You Do Car Rental in Naha Area!
The most common mode of transportation when traveling around Okinawa is the rental car.
But it isn’t always clear how and where to rent.
We will recommend some rental car companies and give you some advice on how to get the most for your money.
This is a must-read for a sensible, smooth vacation!
10 Great Okinawan Souvenirs to Buy at Naha Airport
For the first-time visitor to Okinawa, the more than 50 stores at Naha Aiport can present a bewildering array of choices.
Here, we will introduce the standard gifts that are best suited for first-time visitors. To help you find them, we have also included the name of the store where each product is available.
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