Minatogawa Foreign Residents' Housing Area is located in Urasoe City, in the south-central part of Okinawa Prefecture.

This area was once a residential neighborhood lined with single-story concrete houses where families of U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan lived, but recently, shops have been renovated into general stores and cafes, opening one after another.

This stylish space, which suddenly appears in an otherwise unremarkable residential area, has now become a tourist spot attracting many visitors from both within and outside the prefecture.

This time, we visited "Port River Market," a shop that sells Okinawan goods that you'll want to pick up right away. We chatted with the owner couple and explored the shop's charm!

<Table of Contents>
1. Let us introduce you to the unique atmosphere of our shops.
1-1 What kind of shop is "Port River Market"?
1-2 Owner's carefully selected items
2. Take a quick break with our homemade organic drinks!
3. Summary - Store Information -

1. Let us introduce you to the unique atmosphere of our shops.

1-1 What kind of shop is "Port River Market"?

Port River Market is a lifestyle select shop that carries carefully selected Made-in-Okinawa products chosen by the owner couple.

First, before entering the store, you take off your shoes at the entrance and change into slippers.
It's unusual to find slippers in a select shop, isn't it? Taking off your shoes makes even a place you've never been to before feel like you've visited the home of an old friend.

Upon opening the door, the first thing you see in the center of the store is a dining table, filled with a wide variety of made-in-Okinawa products, primarily food items, carefully selected by the owner.

These are all products I've never seen before, and I just can't help but pick them up!

1-2 Owner's carefully selected items

The owner's carefully selected items cover a wide range of genres, not just food, with Okinawan Yachimun pottery being the most popular item, as well as food products and apparel.
The bay window next to the entrance is lined with rows and rows of Okinawan Yachimun pottery.A beautiful plate with vibrant colors.
Food would surely taste better served on a plate like this.The wooden desk drawers are full of chopstick rests and small ceramic items!
I'm having trouble deciding which one to choose.

All the food items are unique to Okinawa.

For example, organic green tea from Yanbaru. They even have jams and syrups made by slowly simmering Okinawan sugarcane without using any refined sugar.On the wall at the far end, you'll find earrings from the original accessory brand "Halloina" (from ¥1,300), and further inside, hair turbans (from ¥1,500)."Halloyna"'s handmade earrings are made using fabrics from various countries. It's hard to decide which one to get!The last room I'll show you is the one on the left side of the entrance.
Colorful and refreshing "basket bags" and Yachimun "coffee cups" are among the items on display.Among the cups casually placed around, there were some pieces from famous workshops that you would normally have to visit the local pottery studios to buy.

It's because we go all the way to the pottery workshops to source our products that we're able to offer such a wide selection.

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2. Take a quick break with our homemade organic drinks!

Drinks can be ordered at the cashier counter.
My top recommendation is the Port River Market's famous special smoothie!

The special smoothie changes monthly, using the freshest and most delicious organic fruit available at the time. Other drinks available at Port River Market are listed here.There is no seating area inside the store, so please get your drinks to go.

This time, I ordered the Dragon Fruit & Banana Smoothie (¥700) and this month's Special Smoothie (¥800). This month's special (as of March) is "Tankan" oranges from Okinawa. The special changes from time to time, so please check with the store.This is the dragon fruit and banana smoothie (¥700).And here is this month's special smoothie.
Neither uses any water or ice, so the fruit flavor is really concentrated!
What's more, it contains superfoods, which is great for your health.

When you visit Port River Market, be sure to try it!

3. Summary - Store Information -

Please note that Port River Market is closed on Sundays and public holidays. There are two parking spaces available, one next to the shop and another at the end of the road.If you cannot park here, please use the coin-operated parking lot next to the landmark sign.What impressed me most about my visit to Port River Market was the friendly personalities of the owners and the smiles on the faces of the customers who were drawn to the market by their warmth.

The owners, a husband and wife, moved from Tokyo to Okinawa and opened the shop in April 2013. This year marks their fifth anniversary.

It was a shop that gave you the feeling of watching tiny seeds planted in Okinawa sprout, grow quickly, eventually bloom, and begin to bear lots of fruit.

It would be great if more shops like this opened in Okinawa.

Shop information Port River Market Address: 2-15-8 Minatogawa, Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture #30 Opening hours: 11:30 AM - 18:00 PM (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) 12:30 PM - 18:00 PM (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) Closed on: Sundays and public holidays Parking: Parking available for 2 cars home page:http://www.portrivermarket.com/

Please make your hotel reservation here.

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