Japan: Okinawa (Naha)

 Tuesday, June 13, 2023, Okinawa (Naha), Japan

We arrived at 11:30 am in Naha, which is in Okinawa Prefecture. Japan requires a face-to-face customs inspection, so we were given our passports and spent an hour and a half standing in line after getting off the ship to get through the customs. 


Going through customs—our first stop in Japan

With our landing cards pasted into our passports, we got on a tour bus and headed for Shuri Castle, which dates back to the 14th century. We were unfamiliar with Japan and decided a ship tour was a good idea for our first of 10 ports in Japan.


Between 1429 and 1879, Shuri Castle was the palace of the Ryukyuan Kingdom. It’s burned down and been rebuilt several times. The entire area was pretty much obliterated in WWII when it was the headquarters for the Japanese army. Starting in 1992, reconstruction of the main courtyard was begun based on historical records, photographs, and memory. In 2000 it was designated as a World Heritage Site. 


Unfortunately, in 2019 it was again destroyed by fire. Sitting on top of a hill, Shuri Castle is considered an important symbol of Okinawa. Reconstruction is again underway. This speaks to the tenacity of the Japanese people. There were large workshops with ongoing carving and construction. The Ryukyuan Kingdom had a close relationship with China, and the Chinese influence is evident in the architecture.


Working on dragon carving in large workshop on site


Walking the outer wall of the castle


It began pouring rain while we were there. We were glad we’d brought umbrellas. The view was impressive, as was its famous Shureimon gate.


Shuri castle gate


Note umbrella—it was raining off and on



View from Shuri Castle


It was a rainy bus ride back to the port. However, there was a shuttle service running from the port to the city center, and we still had time to experience Naha’s downtown. The shuttle dropped us at Kokusai Street, a stretch of shops, cafes and bars. On our own in a new culture, it was quite strange but interesting. We wandered the streets. With no yen, we didn’t buy anything unless they took VISA. We caught the shuttle back to the ship in time for the 6:30 pm all aboard call.


Kokusai Street in downtown Naha

Cute lion statues to attract customers


Shopping mall in Naha


Location: Naha, Okinawa, Japan

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