DE S T INAT IONS


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government. It was only in 1972 that it was finally returned to Japan. Since then, it has slowly developed into a tropical holiday hotspot for Japanese, Koreans and, increasingly, mainland Chinese, who come for the sun, sea, sand… and shopping. Te hub for serious retail enthusiasts is in Naha,


Okinawa’s main city in the southern part of the island, where the airport is also located. Te efficient Yui monorail transit system curls right through Naha; get off at Makashi station and you’re at the northern end of a long, straight street running right through the downtown area all the way to City Hall. Tis is the famous Kokusai Dori, a mecca for shopaholics with bulk-buying on their minds. Kokusai Dori is lined with duty-free stores fronted by


oversized models of all descriptions, from six-foot-high anthropomorphic hot dogs to great white sharks and anime characters; souvenir shops; cafés (serving both homegrown and imported coffee) and fast-food outlets; and restaurants with faux limestone-walled booths where you can sample shabu-shabu ( Japanese hotpots), Okinawan pork and the island’s distinctive purple sweet potato, while being entertained by traditional song-and-dance acts.


MAR CH 2 0 19


ABOVE: The subtropical island is surrounded by the Pacific


Branching off Kokusai Dori is a series of covered market


streets collectively known as Heiwadori, where you’ll find stalls selling arts and craſts, brightly coloured clothing, noodles, cheap souvenirs and cosmetics.


FIT FOR A KING On the largest hill overlooking Naha is Shurijo Castle, home of the Ryukyu kings. Almost completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa, as well as on a number of occasions in previous centuries, Shurijo was carefully restored from the 1950s on, and in 2000 was named a World Heritage site. Te castle and its grounds are surrounded by impressive


three-metre-thick walls. Its architecture, open squares, immaculate gardens and decorative themes are a curious blend of cultural traditions influenced by the surrounding kingdoms with which the Ryukyus traded. Te emblem of the Ryukyu kings was the dragon – a symbol appropriated from the Chinese and displayed on the roof of the main castle building and on pillars, murals and carvings throughout the complex. Vibrant red paint and lacquer covers almost everything.


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