Naha, Okinawa, Japan
We left Taipei and after a day at sea, we arrived in Naha, Okinawa the largest of the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Naha was almost completely destroyed in the battle of Okinawa so only a few of the city's buildings predate WWII.
Of all the countries we visited, Japan was my favorite. The people are SO polite and welcoming, the cities are clean, and I found the best shopping in Japan - to name a few of my reasons for liking it so well.
As we sailed into port, we could see the city in the background and as we got closer, we could see the port terminal.
From the terminal, we took a taxi to Kokusai Dori, which was the shopping street and heart of the city.
We learned about the Shisa when we attended a lecture about the ports of call so we were watching for them. These gargoyle looking beasts are believed to protect from evils and bring good spirits. They can be found in pairs throughout the city in parks, on rooftops and gate posts etc.
It was still the celebration of the New Year and the city was busy and filled with traffic and people so our taxi driver let us off a block away from the main street.
As we walked around, I had to take a picture of this lady who was cleaning up trash and dirt on the sidewalk- this is why Japan is so clean!
We found Kosetsu Ichibo one of the covered markets in Naha.
You could find most anything in this market! |
Seaweed products |
"Year of the Pig" souvenirs |
Shisa figures - one always has his mouth open and the other has his closed! All kinds of food and drinks! |
Meats and Seafood |
Even a pig head and feet were available! |
Baked Goods |
Habu Sake - snake wine made in Okinawa with a pit viper, honey, herbs and Sake. |
We saw this cute Japanese family with mom and dad helping the older children to paint some pottery items. Many of the people we saw wore masks.
These interesting instruments are Okinawan Sanshin which means three strings. They reminded us of the 3 string Russian Balalaika, except the body of the Balalaika is triangular.
Naha is the center of Okinawan pottery called Tsuboya ware which dates back to the 15th century and the Ryukyu Kingdom - which was in power and control of the Okinawan Islands until 1879.
I saw many examples of this pottery in lots of shops and so I bought a bowl and some small Shisa figures.
After we explored the covered markets we went back out to the street.
The main street - Kokusai Dori was closed to traffic and areas for children to play were set up. It was fun to see the cute Japanese kids enjoying the activities.
There was also music and some children performing. |
Hal and a Shisa |
When we finished exploring the city, we took a taxi back to the ship.
It was a pleasant day in Naha!
Ishigaki
Ishagaki is a small island with beautiful beaches and is a popular holiday destination. It was a bit cool to go to the beach so we explored the town and a small Buddhist Temple.
We took the ship's shuttle to the marina near town and then walked a few blocks into the city center. We passed some shops and hotels with Shisa on the roofs and at the entrances.
The Shisa are ugly little things, but they kind of grew on me. |
We found the Euglena Mall - another covered shopping area.
After looking around the market we walked several block to the Torinji Temple -which was built in 1614 and is the oldest wooden building in Okinawa. It is a small Buddhist temple and Shinto shrine.
We looked inside the temple and then walked around the garden and grounds. It was an interesting and peaceful place.
The ribbons and plaques tied to the wires and the trees are prayer flags that have mantras written on them promoting peace, compassion, strength and wisdom.
We left the temple and walked back to town, to the harbor and caught the shuttle back to the ship. We passed more Shisa figures on our way.
We enjoyed seeing Ishigaki!
Busan, South Korea
After a night and a day at sea, we arrived at Busan, having traveled north quite a distance, and the weather was significantly cooler than Okinawa. Fortunately we had jackets and sweaters with us.
Busan/Pusan has a population of over 3 1/2 million people and is Korea's second largest city. It has one of the world's busiest commercial ports.
Busan/Pusan has a population of over 3 1/2 million people and is Korea's second largest city. It has one of the world's busiest commercial ports.
The Busan Port Terminal with our ship in the background |
Fortunately, there was an escalator that took us up the hill to the park area around the tower. |
Yi Sun-sin - famous Korean Naval Commander of the 16th Century - he won 23 battles against the Japanese in the Imgin War. |
We could even see our ship in the port. We took lots of pictures of Busan from different perspectives.
Each section of the windows had distances of the tower to various parts
of the world.
After we exited the tower, we walked down the many stairs to the street level. We then asked several people where Gukje Market was until we finally found it. This huge market combines indoor and outdoor shopping. You can find everything from souvenirs, clothing, electronics, housewares, food etc.
We had to take a picture of the KiraKira shop for our Kyra! |
Back on board in the dining room that evening we enjoyed another yummy dinner! We ate so many delicious meals - we are still trying to loose the weight we gained!!
Now you guys are in the territory where Balladiers performed for US soldiers in 1967. Our first stop was Seoul, Korea and we performed on the DMZ, but we didn't go to Busan. And I remember the beaches of Okinawa. We took a week en route in Japan to sight-see, and it was my favorite, too. I love all of your pics! What a great way to see those sights, returning to your cruise ship every night. Can't wait to talk to you about it!
ReplyDeleteI'm learning so much about Asia as I see your pics and read your blog. You got to see so many places all in the comfort of a cruise ship ;)Fabulous trip.
ReplyDeleteKen and I enjoyed reading this together. He served several months of his mission in Okinawa. So many of the things you saw are SO Japanese: the masks, the lock together mats for children to play on, the foods, etc. It made us a bit homesick.
ReplyDelete