Minatogawa Foreigner Housing is an area that was originally a residential area for foreigners, but has been renovated and transformed into a stylish shopping district.

Within walking distance, you'll find a collection of stylish restaurants, cafes, and shops selling unique goods.

The white, square exteriors of the foreign-style houses evoke a somewhat nostalgic atmosphere, but each shop has its own unique character, and many people stroll around with cameras in hand because of their distinctiveness.

This article will introduce recommended lunch spots, cafes, and shops selling miscellaneous goods in the Minatogawa Foreigners' Housing area.

<Table of Contents>
1. Lunch Edition
1-1. UFO Burger & Sandwich CAFÉ
1-2. Torisoba-ya Ishigufu
1-3. Minatogawa Restaurant Rat & Sheep
2. Cafe Edition
2-1. Ohakorte Minatogawa Main Store
2-2. COKOFUCafe
2-3. COCOROAR CAFÉ
3. Miscellaneous Goods
3-1. Proots
3-2. American Wav)
3-3. Industrial Works

Show all table of contents

1. Lunch Edition

1-1. UFO Burger & Sandwich CAFÉ

As the name suggests, UFO Burger & Sandwich CAFÉ specializes in hamburgers and sandwiches.

The store's exterior is predominantly white with light blue accents, creating a refreshing impression. The interior also features a white and light blue color scheme, with wood and steel furniture providing nice accents.

Our top recommendation on the menu is the UFO Triple Cheeseburger. With its UFO-like silhouette, it's a dish that's enjoyable to look at.

It's so big and voluminous that even an adult with their mouth wide open couldn't fit it all in.
The saucer-shaped part of the UFO is made of crispy cheese, which gives it a fun texture!

Opening hours: 11: 00 to 18: 00
Closed on Mondays
Address: 2-9-10 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 55
Telephone: 098-988-3658

1-2. Torisoba-ya Ishigufu

Torisoba Ishigufu is a specialty restaurant serving Okinawan soba noodles. However, it's a bit different from typical Okinawan soba restaurants.
While typical Okinawan soba is usually topped with pork such as "soki" or "sanmai-niku," Ishigufu, a chicken soba restaurant, uses chicken as its topping, as its name suggests.

The thick, grilled chicken is juicy, and the balance with the light broth is exquisite. It's such a classic combination that you'll think, "I never knew Okinawan soba and chicken went together so well."

They also have a system where you can bring your own chopsticks, and it's unique to see the chopsticks belonging to what appear to be regular customers lined up on the wall.

Opening hours: 9: 00 to 17: 00
Closed on Mondays (open on public holidays)
Address: 2-13-6 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 40
Telephone: 098-879-7517

1-3. Minatogawa Restaurant Rat & Sheep

Minatogawa Restaurant Rat & Sheep is a restaurant where you can enjoy goat meat in a casual setting.

The exterior retains the appearance of a former foreign residence, and is a simple, all-white design.

The interior of the shop is striking with its long counter, creating a comfortable and inviting atmosphere.

In Okinawa, goat dishes typically include goat soup and goat sashimi, but at rat&sheep, you can enjoy goat meat in different forms such as hamburgers and curry.

This is Pinza Hamburg Steak. (Pinza is a Miyako Island dialect word for "goat.")

It's absolutely delicious, with no unpleasant goat smell at all. This is a highly recommended spot that will change your perspective on goat dishes.

Lunch: (Monday-Saturday) 11:30 AM - 16:00 PM
Dinner: (Thu) 18:00-22:00 (Fri & Sat) 18:00-24:00
Closed on Sundays
Address: 2-13-9 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 43
Telephone: 098-963-6488

2. Cafe Edition

2-1. Ohakorte Minatogawa Main Store

One of the most popular shops representing the Minatogawa Foreigner Housing area is Ohacorte Minatogawa Main Store, famous for its tarts that have garnered a huge following. While there are also stores at Naha Airport and in Naha city, the Ohacorte in Minatogawa Foreigner Housing is the main store.

Of course, you can't miss not only the shop's design, but also the "tarts," which are synonymous with Ohacorte. This is the "Seasonal Assorted Fruit Tart."

It's packed with delicious seasonal fruits, which pair perfectly with the light and refreshing cream.

The garden in front of the shop, with its small house nestled in the shade of trees, is a particularly atmospheric spot among the Minatogawa foreign residences.

Opening hours: 11: 30 to 19: 00
Closed on Tuesdays
Address: 2-17-1 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 18
Telephone: 098-875-2129

2-2. COKOFUCafe

COKOFUCafe is a shop where you can enjoy a wide variety of sweets, including smoothies, crepes, and ice cream, all made with carefully selected ingredients.

The store's exterior is primarily white, with bright green accents, creating a cheerful and bright atmosphere.

On the other hand, the shop has a calm atmosphere, making it a place where you can slowly enjoy your sweets.

This is an Okinawan banana smoothie made with "Ryukyu Mochikko Bananas." The refreshing, not-too-sweet flavor spreads in your mouth, soothing your tired body after walking around the area.

Furthermore, COKOFU Cafe is packed with baked goods made with Okinawan ingredients, making it a great place to enjoy shopping as well.

This shop offers a variety of unique items, including sweets made with wheat gluten, making it a great place to enjoy both sweets and shopping.

Opening hours: 11: 30 to 18: 00
Closed on Thursdays
Address: 2-12-7 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 50
Telephone: 098-955-6844

2-3. COCOROAR CAFÉ

COCOROAR CAFÉ is a café whose concept is based on the tropical paradise of "Hawaii," just like Okinawa.

The white-based exterior, accented with a shop logo, and the palm trees create a tropical feel, giving the place a distinctly Hawaiian atmosphere.

The interior has a relaxing atmosphere and is very comfortable. The menu is extensive, with both food and coffee options.

The terrace in front of the shop is lovely, and on sunny days, I recommend enjoying meals, sweets, and drinks outside.

Opening hours: 11: 00 to 18: 00
Regular closing days: None
Address: 2-17-7 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 15
Telephone: 098-988-8251

3. Miscellaneous Goods

3-1. Proots

Proots is a store that carries carefully selected Okinawan products chosen by the owner.
The store's exterior walls are covered in ivy, but the area where the shop logo is located has been neatly removed, creating a unique atmosphere right from the outside.

The shop has a warm and inviting atmosphere, filled with a relaxed and gentle ambiance.

The shop is filled with wonderful products from Okinawa, including items from La Cucina, a soap workshop said to be a pioneer of handmade soap in Okinawa, and pottery from Ikutouen, a Tsuboya ware pottery studio. The owner's discerning taste shines through in their selections.

Everything is wonderful, making this a great place to find a gift for someone special.

Opening hours: 11: 00 to 18: 00
Closed on: Wednesdays and the first Saturday of each month
Address: 2-16-7 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 20
Telephone: 098-955-9887

3-2. American Wave

American Wave is a vintage shop where you can enjoy shopping for American-made goods selected by an American owner.

The store is packed with a colorful array of products that make you want to pick them all up.

The house itself has a very American feel, having been previously inhabited by foreigners, and the products are also American-made, making you feel as if you're visiting the room of a stylish American.

This is a place where you can enjoy a wide range of shopping, from clothing and jewelry to miscellaneous goods.

Opening hours: 11: 00 to 19: 00
Regular closing days: Open all year round (closed on December 25th and during the New Year holidays)
Address: 2-16-9 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 22
Telephone: 098-988-3649

3-3. Industrial Works

INDUSTRIAL WORKS is a store with "lighting" as its concept.
Upon opening the door, you're greeted by a collection of unique, originally designed lamps and lighting fixtures. Each piece is distinctive and playful.

Apparently, the owner personally travels abroad to source materials and combines them to create products, and even shop owners visit the shop to purchase lighting for their own stores.

This is a shop that makes you think, "Ah, a room with this kind of lighting would be wonderful," and your imagination runs wild, wondering what it would be like to have this kind of lighting in your own home.

Opening hours: 11: 00 to 16: 00
Regular closing days: None
Address: 2-14-1 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture No. 39
Telephone: 098-923-4474

4. Access and Parking for Minatogawa Foreigners' Housing

Minatogawa Foreigners' Housing is located in Urasoe City, which is next to Naha City where Naha Airport is located. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes by car from Naha Airport.

From Naha, head north on National Route 58 and turn right at the traffic light at the intersection where you'll see "Kanehide Makiminato Store" on your left.

If you continue straight along the road for about 150 meters, you will find the Minatogawa Foreigners' Housing on your right.

There are four paid parking lots called Minatogawa Stateside Coin Parking scattered throughout the area, so if you're planning to explore the area, it's recommended to park there.

The four parking lots have a total capacity of 55 vehicles.

Parking Fee
8:00 - 20:00 30 minutes / 100 yen
20:00 - 8:00 60 minutes / 100 yen
*Maximum 700 yen for 12 hours

Even if you're someone who says, "I don't want to wander around, I have a specific store in mind!", while some stores do have parking lots, be aware that the number of parking spaces is not very large.
The roads in the foreign residential area are narrow and there are many pedestrians, so it's recommended to park in a coin-operated parking lot, especially if you're not used to driving there.

5. Conclusion

This article introduced the Minatogawa Foreigners' Housing area. Every shop there has its own unique character, making it an area where you can easily lose track of time while exploring.

Although we couldn't introduce them this time, there are many other wonderful shops. Why not indulge yourself with meals, desserts, and shopping?