OKINAWA PART 1. Gyukusendo Cave.
First stop: Okinawa World.
23rd Nov 2017
Okinawa World is a big theme park at the southern end of the main island that focuses on traditional Okinawan culture. Actually it is three separate sites, Kingdom Village, Gyokusendo Cave & Habu Center, each with its own entry fee or, 2 of the 3, or all 3 as a combined ticket.
Gyokusendo is the biggest of the many caves on Okinawa, its also the second biggest cave system in Japan after Akiyoshido. Formed over 300,000 years, the cave systems total length is about 5 kilometers, but just less than 1 kilometer is open to the public.
The route is along a metal walkway with guardrails and is easy and safe, though with the high humidity and moisture sections can be a little slippy. In the narrowest sections the ceiling of stalactites have been cut off to allow the headroom for people to walk through. Colored lights are used for effect to illuminate the impressive displays of thousands of stalactites and stalagmites as well as the small waterfalls and pools of water.
Habu Center
Unless you happen to have a fascination with venomous snakes, this is probably the least interesting of the three sites. The Habu is the common, poisonous snake in Okinawa, similar to rattlesnakes, though without the rattle. Its venom can kill, but usually just causes sickness. There is a small museum on the Habu, a park where they can be seen in their natural habitat, and four times a day a show where the habu are handled by the presenters.
Okinawa World is a big theme park at the southern end of the main island that focuses on traditional Okinawan culture. Actually it is three separate sites, Kingdom Village, Gyokusendo Cave & Habu Center, each with its own entry fee or, 2 of the 3, or all 3 as a combined ticket. On the whole it is very touristy and commercial - you are given plenty of opportunities to part with your cash.
Okinawa World, OkinawaKingdom Village
The main part of Okinawa World, Kingdom Village, purports to be a reconstruction of a traditional Okinawan village, and most of the buildings are shops or workshops selling and making a variety of craft-works.
You can watch artisans doing traditional weaving, paper making, pottery, processing cane sugar, glass blowing, and musical instrument making. For most of these you can try your hand at the craft, including the glass blowing.
There is, of course, plenty of opportunities to eat and drink with a buffet restaurant serving a wide variety of Okinawan style foods like Soki Soba, swordfish sushi, sugarcane rice, pork curry etc, a variety of flavored ice creams and Okinawan beers, but probably the most unusual beverage, produced on site, is habushu, a drink based on awamori, an Okinawan version of shochu, distilled from rice.
Travel Video Okinawa Japan Kadena see other videos and rest stops
14 Days in Okinawa Japan with Pete Gustis Day 12 of 14
Introduction to 14 days in Okinawa Japan –
1 – Kokusai Dori Hotels in Naha Izakaya Food -
2 – Kokusai Dori Lohas Villas Star Bucks -
3 – Steak Butcher Grocery Ninja shop Kokusai Dori Shopping Zoo-
4 – Family mart Naminoue Redlight district -
5 – Naminoue Shine Makashi Market Beach Kaientai -
6 – Kokusai Towne Inn Small Cars -
7 – Mcdonalds Okinawa sunshine casino -
8 – Shuri Castle Shurijo Ryukyu Kingdom -
9 – Okinawa world snake alcohol Kaitenzushi -
10 – Tsuyboya Pottery Museum Izakaya -
11 – Heiwa Dori Street Shopping Shuri-Ryusen -
12 – Kadena Airforce base Steak 88 Grilling in Okinawa -
13 – Eisa Festival - Yakiniku King – Grocery Okinawa -
14 – Highway Rest Stop – PaiKaji -
Okinawa Travel and Tourism -
Japan Kokusai information website -
Mono Rail website –
Japan Basic Food Guide -
Haneda Airpot Tokyo
Narita Airport Tokyo
Okinawa Japan Naha Airport -
Big Echo Keroke Bar big-echo.jp
Lohas Villas
Dontei Restaurant - dontei.jp
Kokusai Dori Map
First Mikishi Public Market
Heiwa Dori -
Near Beach
Hotel Continential
Naminoue Shrine
Cozy Beach Club -
Kaientai Izakaya Restaurant – 100 yen beers -
Okinawa World – Gyokusendo Caves - -
Gangala Valley – close by caves with café -
Sunshine Next -
Shopping center, visitor center and Tourist photo by McDonalds -
Shuri Castle -
Kaitenzushi – Sushiro - sushi paid for by the plate -
Kokusai Towns Inn -
All You Can Eat Steak - Yakiniku King -
Shuri-ryusen - Bingata Art and Craft Center –
Knife shop and Hardware Store -
Tacos in Naha -
Arcade – Game in Naha -
Kimono and fabric store -
Embroydery store is near this store… I couldn’t find a link.
Dinner theater –
Tsuboya Ufu Shisa -
Tsuboya Pottery Center -
Naha Municipal Tsuboya Pottery Museum –
Blue Seal Ice Cream (many locations) -
Steak House 88 (many locations) -
Eisa Festival – 10,000 Eisa Dancer Parade -
Michinoeki Kadena Observation Area for Kadena Air Base -
Paikaji – Traditional Okinawan Restaurant -
To get Japanese Snacks sent to your home -
To get Japanese Toys sent to your home -
To get Japanese Makeup Sent to your home -
#KadenaAirforceBase #JapanTravelGuide #MichinoekiKadenaObservationDeck
DJI Mavic Pro - White Beach, Okinawa
The first flight for Brandin's DJI Mavic Pro at White Beach Naval Station, Okinawa, Japan. Thanks for watching!
Music by Cabu Akacia - Gold
Travel Video Okinawa Japan Okinawa World Explore - see links in video
14 Days in Okinawa Japan with Pete Gustis Day 9 of 14
Introduction to 14 days in Okinawa Japan –
1 – Kokusai Dori Hotels in Naha Izakaya Food -
2 – Kokusai Dori Lohas Villas Star Bucks -
3 – Steak Butcher Grocery Ninja shop Kokusai Dori Shopping Zoo-
4 – Family mart Naminoue Redlight district -
5 – Naminoue Shine Makashi Market Beach Kaientai -
6 – Kokusai Towne Inn Small Cars -
7 – Mcdonalds Okinawa sunshine casino -
8 – Shuri Castle Shurijo Ryukyu Kingdom -
9 – Okinawa world snake alcohol Kaitenzushi -
10 – Tsuyboya Pottery Museum Izakaya -
11 – Heiwa Dori Street Shopping Shuri-Ryusen -
12 – Kadena Airforce base Steak 88 Grilling in Okinawa -
13 – Eisa Festival - Yakiniku King – Grocery Okinawa -
14 – Highway Rest Stop – PaiKaji -
Okinawa Travel and Tourism -
Japan Kokusai information website -
Mono Rail website –
Japan Basic Food Guide -
Haneda Airpot Tokyo
Narita Airport Tokyo
Okinawa Japan Naha Airport -
Big Echo Keroke Bar big-echo.jp
Lohas Villas
Dontei Restaurant - dontei.jp
Kokusai Dori Map
First Mikishi Public Market
Heiwa Dori -
Near Beach
Hotel Continential
Naminoue Shrine
Cozy Beach Club -
Kaientai Izakaya Restaurant – 100 yen beers -
Okinawa World – Gyokusendo Caves - -
Gangala Valley – close by caves with café -
Sunshine Next -
Shopping center, visitor center and Tourist photo by McDonalds -
Shuri Castle -
Kaitenzushi – Sushiro - sushi paid for by the plate -
Kokusai Towns Inn -
All You Can Eat Steak - Yakiniku King -
Shuri-ryusen - Bingata Art and Craft Center –
Knife shop and Hardware Store -
Tacos in Naha -
Arcade – Game in Naha -
Kimono and fabric store -
Embroydery store is near this store… I couldn’t find a link.
Dinner theater –
Tsuboya Ufu Shisa -
Tsuboya Pottery Center -
Naha Municipal Tsuboya Pottery Museum –
Blue Seal Ice Cream (many locations) -
Steak House 88 (many locations) -
Eisa Festival – 10,000 Eisa Dancer Parade -
Michinoeki Kadena Observation Area for Kadena Air Base -
Paikaji – Traditional Okinawan Restaurant -
To get Japanese Snacks sent to your home -
To get Japanese Toys sent to your home -
To get Japanese Makeup Sent to your home -
#goodluckOkinawa #Okinawaworld #snakeokinawa
Beer in Japan
The four major beer producers in Japan are Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory producing mainly pale-colored light lagers with an alcohol strength of around 5.0% ABV. Pilsner style lagers are the most commonly produced beer style in Japan, but beer-like beverages, made with lower levels of malts called happoshu or non-malt happōsei have captured a large part of the market, as tax is substantially lower on these products.
Microbreweries have also gained increasing popularity since deregulation in 1994, supplying distinct tasting beers in a variety of styles that seek to match the emphasis on craftsmanship, quality, and ingredient provenance often associated with Japanese food.
This video is targeted to blind users.
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Creative Commons image source in video