My Okinawan adventure continues as I head south through the central part of the island.
“Here I am riding in the car with my crazy Japanese mom and my crazy Japanese aunt.”
Along the western coast are several resorts. One famous one is The Busena Terrace Beach Resort where the 2000 G8 Summit was held. It has a cool underwater observatory at the end of the pier where you can watch fish swim around the reefs.
Further down the coast is Moon Beach. This place has a nice beach to relax on and is a great place to partake in some water sports like sailing. “Suck in that gut James” or watching your brother-in-law, Joby, fall off his windsurfing board while you awkwardly glide past him. We also had some great family moments inside the hotel.
Continuing down the road in central Okinawa, one thing becomes clear, the U.S. military has a huge presence here. Since World War 2, the U.S. military has maintained several large bases on the island.
This presence has been controversial because the military took some of the best land on the island for its bases and the bad behavior of some soldiers has angered citizens.
On the flip side, the island has benefited economically from the spending of military members and their families. Also, many Okinawans have enjoyed some of the unique cultural imports from American society.
Gate 2 Street, just outside of Kadena Air Base in Okinawa City, is a great place to experience the juxtaposition of cultures. The street is lined with shops catering to GIs that are let’s say, American-esque
At night, the young Americans leave the base to experience the vibrant night life at bars and restaurants along this busy avenue.
During the day, you can watch planes of all different shapes and sizes flying in and out of the base. Japanese tourists flock to watch this unique show of military might. I was a bit impressed myself.
For another great view of the city, we head to the odd shaped viewing tower at the top of these stairs. From up here we can gaze upon a sea of urban buildings from the convention center in Ginowan City to the Futenma Air Base.
My last stop in central Okinawa is for Hyaku and sushi or 100 yen sushi. 100 yen is about a dollar and at these prices you can't afford not to eat. Each plate that rolls by costs 100 yen and that is cheap for sushi. Eight plates later, I am stuffed and ready to head to my next destination.
We’re almost halfway through my series. i’m visiting Okinawa. So if you’re watching this on a video sharing website, don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss out on future episodes of this great series.
Also, check out my website, straycompass.com. A travel adventure website., it’s a good place to get lost. Thanks for watching. I’m James Knott. Goodbye.
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