 Most viewed - Kokusai-dori & Nenes/Nenez 国際通り・ネーネーズ |
At Pallet Kumoji mall, there was this Shuri Castle illumination monument complemented by paper lanterns. (首里城うむいの燈(あかり)モニュメント)378 views
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Shuri Castle illumination monument was lit up in the evening until midnight from Oct. 28 to Nov 15, 2020. Many local businesses sponsored the artwork. (首里城うむいの燈(あかり)モニュメント)351 views
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Shuri Castle illumination monument at Pallet Kumoji in Nov. 2020. (首里城うむいの燈(あかり)モニュメント)350 viewsLit up in the evening until midnight from Oct. 28 to Nov 15, 2020. Many local businesses sponsored the artwork.
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Shuri Castle illumination monument at Pallet Kumoji in Nov. 2020. (首里城うむいの燈(あかり)モニュメント)348 views
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Pickled vegetables.313 views
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My lunch.303 views
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Nice Okinawan shop signs here and there on Kokusai-dori.297 views
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She's selling goya (bitter melon) juice. I tried it.296 views
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The club had their CDs on sale, but they weren't autographed.295 views
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Colorful fish in the old Makishi Public Market where you could pick the fish to be cooked for your meal.293 views
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Pedestrain paradise on Kokusai-dori on Sunday.289 views
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In central Naha, Kokusai-dori is the city's main drag of shops and restaurants. Mostly for tourists. The nearest rail stations are Kencho-mae and Makishi Stations on the Yui Rail. Large building on the right is the Okinawa Prefectural capitol.287 views
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The food and drinks at Live House Shima-uta are good. This is goya-chanpuru (¥700), my Okinawan favorite. You can eat during the two intermissions.287 views
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Most cheap clothing not made in Okinawa. The cheap ones especially.281 views
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Famous Nenes/Nenez perform at Live House Shima-uta on most nights. Third floor of Haisai Okinawa Building on Kokusai-dori.280 viewshttp://livehousesimauta.com/
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Surprised to see Don Quijote on Kokusai-dori. One of the few shops that's not Okinawan, but I was glad to see Kokusai-dori not overrun by non-Okinawan businesses. Hopefully we'll never see Gucci, etc., here either.279 views
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Rubber slippers276 views
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Goya chips.276 views
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Pallet Kumoji steps.276 views
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The Nenes have been around since the 1990s, made famous when Sakamoto Ryuichi featured them in his Okinawan CDs and took them on a concert tour.275 views
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Nakazato Haruhi (仲里はるひ) plays many instruments, centering on the sanshin and taiko drums.274 views
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The show is great with colorful costumes and singing. There's also audience participation. Not allowed to go up and dance though.273 views
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273 views
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Entrance to Kokusai-dori is flanked by two shisa guardian lion-dogs.272 views
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Yonaha Ruon (与那覇琉音) is the youngest member and plays this Okinawan instrument called the "sanba" (三板). It's three small pieces of wood strung together to make clacking sounds. Love the sanba. 272 views
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Lizard on Kokusai-dori.272 views
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Shisa guardian lion-dog at the entrance of Kokusai-dori.270 views
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Uehara Nagisa (上原渚) plays another common Okinawan musical instrument: the finger whistle (yubi-bue 指笛).270 views
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Heiwa-dori shopping arcade, a side street off Kokusai-dori.269 views
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Habu liquor or habu-shu with a dead habu snake inside. Made with awamori or brandy. The extract from the snake supposed to be good for you. The snake's venom is somehow neutralized by the alcohol, so it's not poisonous when you drink it.266 viewsNever tried it. What do people do with the snake after drinking the sake? Would a bird of prey eat an alcohol-soaked snake? ハブ酒
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Haisai Okinawa Building on Kokusai-dori is where the Nenes/Nenez perform at Live House Shima-uta on the 3rd floor.264 views
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Uehara Nagisa (上原渚) is the oldest and current Nenes leader. Member since 2004.264 views
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Tenbusu Naha てんぶす那覇 264 views
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Washita Shop sells CDs besides food and drink.263 views
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On Sundays, Kokusai-dori is closed to traffic.262 views
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Still photography is allowed, but no videos.262 views
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Colorful neon signs at Kokusai-dori, Naha.260 views
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Noren-gai restaurant complex on Kokusai-dori. のれん街260 views
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259 views
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Live House Shima-uta menu. Reasonable prices. Official website usually has a coupon for a free side dish.258 views
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Kariyushi shirts, Okinawan-style Aloha shirts.257 views
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Okinawan instrument called the "sanba" (三板). It's three small pieces of wood strung together to make clacking sounds. 257 views
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Beni-imo tart is sold everywhere in Okinawa. Like macadamia nut chocolates in Hawaii, there are many Beni-imo tart brands in Okinawa. I'm told the most famous brand is Okashi Goten (御菓子御殿), the confection's inventor. 256 views
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Taiko drums is also big in Okinawan music. 256 views
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Entrance to Kokusai-dori.255 views
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Entrance to Kokusai-dori.255 views
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The show is from 7 pm to 10 pm when they play three sets (two intermissions) for a cover charge of only ¥2,300 (as of Nov. 2020). Food and drink are extra.255 viewshttp://livehousesimauta.com/
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Intersection in front of Kokusai-dori, looking toward Pallet Kumoji mall.255 views
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Okinawan dolls for sale on Kokusai-dori.253 views
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Ichiba-Hondori shopping arcade. 253 views
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Lots of T-shirt shops on Kokusai-dori, but most are not made in Okinawa.252 views
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In central Naha, Kokusai-dori (国際通り), main drag of tourist shops and restaurants. Lined with palm trees.251 views
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Map of Kokusai-dori.251 views
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Kariyushi shirts, Okinawan-style Aloha shirts. Make sure the shirt is made in Okinawa. Cheaper ones are made elsewhere in Asia.251 views
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Kencho-mae Station on the Yui Rail, the closest station to Kokusai-dori. 県庁前駅251 views
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Shisa guardian lion-dog.250 views
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Okinawan dolls for sale on Kokusai-dori.250 views
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Don Quijote on Kokusai-dori in Naha, Okinawa.250 views
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Sanshin for sale on Kokusai-dori.249 views
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The sanshin is a modest instrument, used to complement the singing. Okinawan folk songs focus on the singing, not the instruments. 249 viewsThis is opposite from the Tsugaru-jamisen (shamisen) in Aomori Prefecture which uses the showy jamisen as the main focus with long jamisen instrumentals.
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The sanshin is Okinawa's main musical instrument. What the sanshin is to Okinawa is what the ʻukulele is to Hawaii. Famous for the snakeskin (python) covered body, but cheaper sanshin might have fake snakeskin which is easier to care for.248 views
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A&W restaurant (Kokusai-dori branch) is another Okinawa favorite from the US. Took only a few root beer sips to relish teenage memories. Too much sugar for me now.248 views
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Gift shop modeled after Shuri Castle.247 views
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Beni-imo tarts are Okinawa's most famous confection and omiyage gift. Made of Okinawan sweet potato (purple yam) in a boat-like crust.247 views
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Shuri Castle illumination monument at Pallet Kumoji in Nov. 2020. (首里城うむいの燈(あかり)モニュメント)246 views
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Intersection in front of Kokusai-dori.245 views
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Haisai Okinawa Building on Kokusai-dori. ハイサイおきなわビル245 views
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Heiwa-dori shopping arcade244 views
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A&W restaurant's Kokusai-dori branch is at the entrance to Kokusai-dori on the 2nd floor.244 views
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This new tart flavor is also good.243 views
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Rin also plays the ʻukulele as a hobby.243 views
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Doesn't feel like I'm in Okinawa until I see and hear Okinawan music. Well-known Okinawan female quartet since the 1990s.240 viewsThey played their original hit songs like "Kogane no Hana" (黄金の花), Okinawan folk favorites like "Tinsagu no Hana" (てぃんさぐの花) and tracks from their latest CD.
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Shisa guardian lion-dog at the entrance of Kokusai-dori.239 views
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In recent years, they've been spelling their name in English as "Nenez." However, the original spelling is "Nenes" which is how I still spell their name. 239 viewsNot to be confused with the Hawaiian goose. "Nene" means "sister" in Okinawan, equivalent to "ne-chan" in Japanese.
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Naha Bus stop on Kokusai-dori.239 views
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Haisai T-shirt. "Haisai" is a "hello" greeting for men.238 views
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They've lasted this long thanks to occasional personnel changes. The current members are the sixth incarnation of the group.238 views
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Okinawa Mart238 views
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Kencho-mae Station on the Yui Rail, the closest station to Kokusai-dori. 県庁前駅238 views
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Go to Travel discounts were great in autumn 2020 in Naha, Okinawa.237 views
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Blue Seal ice cream, another brand associated with Okinawa.237 views
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Haisai Okinawa Building on Kokusai-dori. ハイサイおきなわビル236 views
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She plays the sanshin (三線), another icon of Okinawa. The three-stringed sanshin came to Okinawa (Ryukyu Kingdom) from China in the 16th century. It later evolved into the shamisen on mainland Japan.235 views
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Lots of Okinawan restaurants on Kokusai-dori.235 views
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234 views
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Beni-imo soft service ice cream cone from Blue Seal.234 views
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Not so many people during a pandemic.233 views
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Washita Shop's Kokusai-dori branch. Well-known chain selling Okinawan products. They also have branches in Tokyo (near Yurakucho) and major cities in Japan. https://www.washita.co.jp/info/shop/ginza/233 views
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Haisai Okinawa Building on Kokusai-dori. ハイサイおきなわビル231 views
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Kohama Rin (小濱凜) wears a bingata kimono. 紅型 They wear different Okinawan costumes for each set. Colorful eye candy. Wish they also explained the Okinawan design of their gorgeous kimono. Crowd-pleasing entertainment.231 views
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Live House Shima-uta. About 50 people can fit into the club. Entirely non-smoking. Reservations recommended.230 views
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From left to right, the current Nenes/Nenez are Kohama Rin (小濱凜), Yonaha Ruon (与那覇琉音), Uehara Nagisa (上原渚), and Nakazato Haruhi (仲里はるひ). ネーネーズ229 viewsMost are in their 20s, and two of them have grandmothers who were the original Nenes from the early 1990s. Amazing! (As of Nov. 2020.)
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Another Okinawan live house on Kokusai-dori.229 views
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At Pallet Kumoji mall, there was this Shuri Castle illumination monument complemented by paper lanterns. (首里城うむいの燈(あかり)モニュメント)225 views
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223 views
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"Okinawa Aloha," apparently Hawaii is idolized in Okinawa.223 views
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Sam's Maui on Kokusai-dori, Naha.223 views
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221 views
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Rubber slippers221 views
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Gift shop modeled after Shuri Castle.219 views
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Haisai Okinawa Building on Kokusai-dori. ハイサイおきなわビル219 views
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219 views
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Beni-imo tart shop.217 views
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Don Quijote does have an impressive selection of Okinawan products.217 views
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Rawhide on Kokusai-dori.216 views
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Taiko drums for sale on Kokusai-dori.215 views
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Noren-gai restaurant complex.214 views
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Raunchy artwork and graffitti on Kokusai-dori.214 views
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Naha Bus on Kokusai-dori. There are larger buses too.211 views
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Haisai Okinawa Building entrance on Kokusai-dori. ハイサイおきなわビル208 views
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Noren-gai restaurant complex.207 views
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Not so many tourists in Okinawa during the coronavirus pandemic.200 views
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Inside the Okashi Goten (御菓子御殿) tart shop.195 views
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