Time out in… Okinawa I 59
T
here are many places to see a breathtaking sunset, and I’ve been lucky enough to experience my fair share – almost to the point of indifference. Almost. Here in Okinawa, the largest of Japan’s
subtropical Ryukyu island chain, surrounded by pollution-free sky and the deep, clear waters of the Pacific, I am treated to a truly memorable ten minutes on aptly named Sunset Beach, a short stroll or free electric buggy ride from the plush surroundings of my lodgings at the Hilton Okinawa Chatan Resort. This particular sunset has me mesmerised, my gaze fixed – like the hundred plus people around me – on a horizon comprised of low, purple-black storm clouds (which drenched us earlier in the day); a thin strip of bright-blue sky; and an ocean of deep-blue water, from which emerge the silhouetted peaks of the distant Kerama Islands. Behind the clouds, where the sun is hiding, the sky first glows bright orange, then rich gold, before the heavy fiery
ball emerges briefly and triumphantly (to “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd), then quickly dips below the waterline – providing the perfect photo op for young couples and families to frame each other against the kaleidoscopic backdrop. It’s a deeply satisfying feeling, seeing Mother Nature put on a show like that.
SEAS OF CHANGE
Okinawa is an intriguing island of many faces. Its ancient and recent history fall into very different categories: centuries-old castle ruins with thick walls of coral limestone serve as a fascinating reminder of the Ryukyu Kingdom, whose rulers oversaw a powerful dynasty that lasted almost 500 years from the early 15th to late 19th centuries. Its success was built on the sea trade between Japan, Korea, China and Southeast Asia, a strategic location on the main sailing routes bringing it wealth and power. Unfortunately, in the latter part of WWII it was Okinawa’s strategic
location that made it the focus of imperial Japan’s final defence against the advancing US Naval forces. The Battle of Okinawa involved three months of fierce and desperate fighting from April to June 1945, claiming the lives of more than 120,000 Japanese soldiers and native Okinawans. It was the largest battle of the Pacific campaign, and is considered an important factor in the US’s decision to drop the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki less than two months later – the thought of facing such desperate but determined resistance in a land invasion of mainland Japan gave the American tacticians serious food for thought at the potential loss of life all round.
After the war Okinawa was the site of
a large-scale US military base, and it was only in 1972 that it was finally returned to the Japanese. 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.
The colourful Seiden in Naha’s Shurijo Castle
businesstraveller.com NOVEMBER 2017
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