A new season, a new place! I went to "Minami no Eki Yaese," which opened on April 27, 2017!
There are tons of delicious local food, sweets, and specialty products! It's sure to bring a breath of fresh air to the tourist spots in the southern part of the main island!
It's conveniently located right on a scenic drive, making it easily accessible♪ The parking lot is also spacious, making it perfect for a short break! So, let me introduce you to the new spot, "Minami no Eki Yaese"!

<Table of Contents>
1. What kind of place is Yaese Station in the south?
2. Locally produced sweets are worth checking out!
3. Other products besides food and drink are also worth noting.
4. Access to "Minami no Eki Yaese" from an Okinawan perspective

2. What kind of place is Yaese Station in the south?

The southern part of Okinawa Island has many spots where you can experience Okinawa's history and beautiful nature, such as Seifa Utaki, Niihara Beach, Kudaka Island, Okinawa World, and Gangara Valley!
"Minami no Eki Yaese" is located in Yaese Town, in the southern part of Okinawa Island.

Upon arriving at "Minami no Eki Yaese," you'll be greeted by a very large banyan tree.

The person resting under the tree looks so tiny, doesn't he?

This place, "Minami no Eki Yaese," was originally a junior high school. That junior high school relocated and became the village office, and then, due to the merger of municipalities, the office building moved again, and "Minami no Eki Yaese" was born.
This banyan tree has been living in this spot since at least the time I was in junior high school, and it truly is a symbol of Yaese Town.

At "Minami no Eki Yaese," you can find tourist information for the entire southern part of Okinawa Island, as well as purchase locally produced fruits and vegetables and small items.
And since there's a post office right next door, you can easily send souvenirs, packages, or letters from here.

2. Locally produced sweets are worth checking out!

There are restaurants lined up in front of the building. Everywhere you look, they use Okinawan specialty products.
Let's take a look right away.

At HaluHalu, you can enjoy sweets made with purple sweet potatoes, a specialty of Yaese Town.

HaluHalu's purple sweet potato pound cake has an exquisite balance of sweetness from the purple sweet potato and a hint of saltiness in the pound cake! The sweetness of the purple sweet potato really stands out.

And here's Fachafacha. It's an organic snack made only from purple sweet potato and starch. The name comes from the sound it makes when it's made. You can just picture the "fachafacha" sound it makes when it's fried in oil. The taste is simple, a rustic flavor that brings out the best in the ingredients.

What was the name of that wonderful shop again?

Yes, it's HaluHalu.

At Uechiya, an ice cream shop, you can enjoy a variety of sweets. Surprisingly, Uechiya is a company primarily focused on brown sugar production. They refine wasanbon sugar there and have developed their signature product! And that signature product is here!!

The ice cream in Mr. Uechi's hand, who also serves as the factory manager, is none other than "Showa Sanbon Sugar Ice Cream"!
You can enjoy the elegant sweetness and gentle melt-in-your-mouth texture unique to wasanbon sugar all at once. With a clean aftertaste and a cool sensation, you'll finish it in no time!

They also occasionally sell Agarasa (brown sugar steamed buns). The chewy texture combined with the flavor and sweetness of brown sugar is delicious. Apparently, there can be long lines, especially on weekends!

3. Other products besides food and drink are also worth noting.

While meals are mainly served outside the facility, the building itself is lined with local produce and specialty products! You can purchase mangoes and summer vegetables, which come into season from the end of June, as well as bento boxes and baked goods. Perfect for enjoying during your drive!

And we also sell Kariyushi wear, the essential companion of Okinawan businessmen! While a typical mass-market retailer sells them for around 5,000 yen each... this is an absolute bargain!
They also have other souvenirs such as Shisa statues and Ryukyu glass.

4. Access to "Minami no Eki Yaese" from an Okinawan perspective

"Minami no Eki Yaese" is a leisurely 40-minute drive from Naha Airport, or about 20 minutes if you take the expressway!
A recommended leisurely route is to drive south along National Route 331 from the airport.

Along the way, you can enjoy Okinawa's southernmost point, Cape Kyan, the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman City, and endless sugarcane fields (Uji fields)!

If you're using the expressway, take the Nakachi Interchange, the closest interchange to Naha Airport, and exit at the Haebaru Minami Interchange, which is about a 10-minute drive away. From there, just head south on National Route 507!

By the way, the highway tolls for this section are free!
Near "Minami no Eki Yaese," you'll find Gyokusendo Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Asia, and Okinawa World, which houses Gyokusendo Cave—a tourist spot that's like a concentrated essence of Okinawa!

This looks like it will be a great rest stop when heading from Naha to the southern region! Please feel free to use it for a short break during your sightseeing!

(Author: Miney)

Shirokuma Tours offers affordable Okinawa package tours. A wide variety of options are available, including tours to Ishigaki and Miyako Islands.

For local experiences and optional tours such as snorkeling and sightseeing bus tours, choose Tabi Plus One.

For diving in Okinawa, from license acquisition and fun dives to introductory experiences, choose Oceans Dive Tour.