Book Cafe Aether

Book

In the Book Cafe AETHER, there are more than 100 books. They have many kinds of books. It's called the “destiny library” and “destiny books.” One of AETHER’s themes is the “destiny library.” Many people donated the books that changed their destiny from all over Japan. I will introduce some of the destiny books.

As you can see, there are so many kinds of books in the destiny library. So, you can find the book that will change your whole life!!!! 

Food

They use healthy organic ingredients. These dishes are very delicious and make us healthier, more beautiful. We will introduce some menus.

〜Island Curry〜

Fresh vegetables, fragrant spices & Bonito soup.

〜Chiffon Cake〜

Plain chiffon cake with a rich taste from black, unrefined sugar.

〜Beauty & Fat-burning Fresh Juice series〜

Flat lemon: said to promote fat burning

Ginger: many beauty & health benefits

(It is my recommendation!!)

〜Water Extracted Ice coffee〜

Extracted drop by drop, mellow and smooth.

There are other menu items. The Beauty drink has a refreshing taste. So good! These dishes and drinks have good taste and are very healthy. If you care about your health and beauty, try to eat and drink these.

Onokuri Card

There is an attractive service in the cafe. It’s called “Onokuri card.” This card means pay it forward coffee. Anybody can use this service easily.

How to use

1. Choose one card. Cards have written conditions. You have to choose a card which has requirements you meet.
2. You write a response message on the card. Then, show the card to the staff. This card is mailed to the person who gave the cup of coffee.
3. Also, you can give a cup of coffee accompanied with a message on a postcard to someone who comes to the cafe next.

Staff

There is a nice staff at Book Cafe AETHER. If you go there, they’ll welcome you

warmly.

Naoto Shimoda

He is Book cafe AETHER’s owner and he is CEO of Espacio corporation. Last year, (July 2017) he started his shop. He said, “I want to make a place that connects people with others beyond time and space.” His wish has come true. He incorporated oversea’s shop style. For example, the Onokuri card.

Tomoe Shimoda

She is Mr. Shimoda’s wife. She started the cafe with her husband. She wanted to create the community “How people can be happy and how to live can be realized” too.

Nishio Tomohiro

He is shop manager. He always works in the cafe. Two years ago, he lived in Hiroshima in a mountain. He opened the cafe, and did product development using local specialty tea. But at this time he moved to Okinawa.

Megumi Henmi

She was a regular customer. The first time she went to the cafe, She was moved by AETER’s charm. Especially, she liked the “Onokuri card,” feeling that people are connected. She is friendly. She often talked about various topics when we visited the cafe. But recently, she left the café to go to England. If she came back to Nago, maybe you can hear about England.

Book cafe AETHER’s charm is not only food, drinks, and books, but also the Staff!

Ta-Taki

We went to Ta-Taki in Ogimi-son in Nago. We went to the destination by car. It was 30 minutes by car from my house. It was about 500 meters from the destination to the waterfall that we were aiming for, and we needed to walk to the waterfall through the river. The road was longer than we imaged , it felt like we were adventurers. On the way, there were many insects and fish and we were able to catch the insects and touch the fish. Okinawa insects are larger in size than other areas, so be careful if you do not like insects. We need to sandals or water shoes.

When we arrived at the waterfall, we were impressed with the scenery. We swam and fished there. We did not catch any fish. There were many tourists in the falls and we talked together and took pictures.

Finally, Ta-Taki is a place where you can be surrounded by nature and interact with people. Please come and visit everyone. 

ENTRO

If you meet a lovely creature, where will you go to eat with him or her? I recommend “ENTRO.”

“ENTRO” means “enter” in Spanish. You can find the signboard on the way to Meio University. The good points are its  interior design, foods and price. The interior design is open-kitchen style. There is a lot of space between tables. So you won't mind other conversations. This is because the owners want guests to relax. In this restaurant, you can see many creative ornaments and unique dishes. They are made by the owner's wife. They make this restaurant more stylish.

The food is very good. All the dishes are made of ingredients Yambaru. My recommendation is "Coq au vin of cheek beef" which is boiled beef with red wine. This is the most expensive dish, but it is worth a try. The best thing is about ENTRO is the price. It is comparative cheaper than the average around Nago and there are dishes which you can eat for 500 yen. Also, you can have a second helping of rice and soup for free. For these reasons, it is popular among young people in Nago. If you want to find stylish and delicious restaurant for a low price, you should go there.

～ENTRO～

Biimata 1220-21,  Nago, Okinawa, Japan

Tuesday to Saturday, 12:00～15:00, 18:00～23:00 (last order 22:30)

Blue seal

Do you know Blue seal? This place is famous in Okinawa. A long time ago, there used to be a Blue Seal only in the U.S. military bases. But it has also spread through Okinawa because Americans wanted Okinawa’s people to eat the ice cream of Blue Seal. We went to Blue Seal last month. We will tell about Blue Seal.

First is the menu. The menu was so big, so we couldn’t chose right away. Blue Seal’s popular menu item is “beniimo” ice cream. Many tourists like it because beniimo is a very famous Okinawa food. There were more than 30 ice cream flavors. There are menus for each season. July is Suppaiman sherbet. June is Green smoothies. April ~ September are Lime sherbet. And the foremost series: Foremost rum raisin, Foremost vanilla, Foremost chocolate, Foremost strawberry, and so on. We want you to try many different foods when you go there. We ordered banana and chocolate crepes, vanilla flavor ice cream, and chocolate cookies swirl. We ate each other’s ice cream. All was so delicious and our choices were great.  

Second is the interior. Especially, the interior of the Blue Seal we went to is so American. There is a big funny and cute man’s statue. The wall is so colorful and interesting. Orange and blue are very characteristic. You should take some pictures. The popular reason is not only ice cream. Japanese tourists took many interior pictures, and shared on SNS. There were many Americans, not only Japanese. We interviewed some Americans. “Do you like Blue seal?” All Americans said, “Yes!” We knew that Blue Seal is loved by many people.

Last is what we can eat there. We thought that we can eat only ice cream. But there were many various menu items. For example, crepes, pasta, floats, or tapioca. Now Blue Seal sells charcoal-burned chicken thighs and grated radish with sudachi citron cold pasta, and Asian style spicy soup pasta. When you go there, please check those.

When you have a chance to come to Okinawa, please go to Blue Seal. Blue Seal in Nago is adjacent to the Nago Bay.  You can enjoy some various tastes, dishes and the location too. You will enjoy all of Blue Seal.

website  https://www.blueseal.co.jp/contact/shop_form/

369 farm cafe

Have you ever tried a shaved ice or pudding, or drinks made from Yanbaru (north of Okinawa) foodstuff? Do you want to try some? 369 farm café is a perfect place to enjoy them.

The café sells not only shaved ice, baked pudding pies, drinks and jam but also sells handmade accessories. There are 2 people who run this café. They use materials like syrups, jam or coffee from their field. The baked pudding pies are also made from scratch. They want to give us an original taste of local ingredients.

And now, we’re going to talk about the shaved ice. Its menu depends on the season. For example, they provide mango in summer and pumpkin in autumn. When a new flavor is released once a month, regular customers check it out on Facebook. There are three ways of eating the shaved ice so you can enjoy it whichever way you eat it. They said there is a popular menu that depends on who is eating. For instance, foreigners tend to eat mango shaved ice and kids tend to eat the strawberry milk one. We ate three kinds of shaved ice. 

As you can see in the photo, although the size is small, it was big enough to eat. We couldn’t imagine how big the regular one must have been! You can also take it away. Its price is cheaper but if you want a lid, you need extra money (10 yen). All Meio students have a student discount on weekdays. Why don’t you go?

You can check flavor and our recommendation here!

Zenzai (Japanese sweet dish of azuki bean with cake)    

• 369
• Black honey 369 (369 means Milk)
• Black honey and Soy flour (RECOMMENDED!)
• Tiramisu
• Apricot kernel and Mango
• Espresso 369

Shaved ice      

• Mango
• Tankan
• Tankan 369 and Cream
• Passion fruit and Mango and cream (RECOMMEND!)
• Coconut and Milk and Lime jelly
• 15369(Ichigo miruku means strawberry and Milk)
• Lime cello and Milk (alcohol)
• Shikuwasa and Milk
• Mint and Milk

Pudding pie    

• Deep red potato
• Cheese
• Strawberry and White chocolate (RECOMMEND!)
• Plain

369 farm café is a really popular place not only for tourists but also locals. Therefore, there is always a lively atmosphere in the café. There are about 12 seats in the café, so if you can get your seat you are in luck! But taking it away and eating at a beach is one of the best times, isn’t it? Please try visiting 369 farm café ! Enjoy!!

369 farm café takes about 10 minutes by car from Meio university. About 25 minutes by walking from Meio university. It’s near the Super Hotel.

Open : 11:00〜18:30      Close : Wednesday, Thursday

Parking area : for about 6~7 cars

Tell : 080-6497-3690

Address : 〒905-0011 1007  Miyazato, Nago, Okinawa Japan.

Mail Address : info@369farm.com

Glass Art "Ai"

              Do you have an item which is the only one in the world? On June 21, we visited glass art “Ai”. Originally, glass art “Ai” was established in 1998 in Itoman city, so where we went is the Nago branch shop. It takes about ten minutes from Nago Pineapple Park on foot. At that shop, we can make our own glass by ourselves.

              There are two most interesting things about making our own glass. First, we can choose the colors which are contained in the glass. We can also choose the color of the body. Yuichi chose pink and white as the inside colors and pink as the body. Yuichi made a glass thinking of spring. Shogo chose blue, white and light blue as the inside colors and blue as the body. So, it looks totally blue. It reminds Shogo of the blue ocean of Okinawa! 

Second, we blow air into the glass while rotating long and narrow stick. At this time, we must be careful not to blow so strongly that the glass will be broken. And not to rotate the stick so fast to keep the shape of the glass beautiful. It takes about twenty minutes for one person to make his or her own glass. We spent 2500 yen to make our glass. But actually, it depends on how many colors you choose or what kind of ornament you choose.  

Yuichi is making his glass

              The best reason that we recommend Glass Art “Ai” is that it is easy for everyone, especially foreign tourists, to access there and get a great experience. The experience of making their own glass must be a big memory for Okinawa tourists. We were surprised when we saw our complete glasses because they were so beautiful. Thanks for the staffs, although we are amateurs, we can make it as well as a professional. To make a great memory in Okinawa, we recommend glass art “Ai.”

Access

Address Aza Nakayama 211-1, Nago city in Okinawa prefecture

Phone number 0980-53-2110

Website https://www.glassart-ai.jp/

Hours and days Open 09:30~18:00 Close every Tuesday

*Reservation needed

Cafe CALiN

Are you tired of your busy days? Especially, the sound of vehicles, many crowds, the middle of exam week, tight deadlines of your schoolwork and so on. It is like being stuck between a rock and a hard place. You must be tired. In those cases, you should go to Café CALiN. Come get refreshed with us!

When we left from Nago, there were no clouds in the sky. It was a boiling hot day. At that time, in our car, our water bottle was sweating, and it seemed like the beginning of summer. Then we turned up our favorite song, and turned on the air conditioner. This weather raised us up, and it was the best match with summer paradise by a simple plan. When we just went straight to the north, buildings gradually disappeared, and instead, we could see lush greenery from outside of our car. And we arrived at Yagaji island, we couldn’t find Café CALiN. Needless to say, we were completely lost. It is because there were many narrow paths around the shop. And, there was no signboard for the shop. So you have to look hard at the roads around there. Then we learned one thing. It is that Google maps is not much help on Yagaji island. So we called the shop to ask the way there. And finally, we could get there.

The clear sky blue door of the shop suddenly appeared from the woods as if the door welcomed us. There were no sounds of vehicles, no crowds around there. We could hear only the sound of the soothing breeze. When we went into the shop, we felt as if we were the main characters of Ghibli. It had such a fancy interior, and also there were some cute accessories and dishes. Also there were some doughnuts lined next to the register. Then, the shop staff said, “We are the sister brand of Shima doughnuts.” After that we ate “Taco rice Doria (Doria is like potato gratin, but with rice instead of potato)” and “Green curry with Okinawan summer vegetables.” Both are very delicious and the price is very reasonable. We recommend that women should eat them because they are very healthy. After we ate lunch, we enjoyed looking at accessories and dishes. Whenever you see them, you must feel like buying them. When we left there, it was getting darker. Before we realized it, the shining sun changed to a soft orange sun. These days we are getting overwhelmed with our schoolwork, so we were refreshed in a day.

Sometimes, people want to run away from the things they should do. But it is not a bad thing. It happens to the best of us. At such times, you should take a deep breath, go driving somewhere far away, and visit a fancy café. So Café CALiN is the most appropriate place to refresh yourself. Let’s try to visit there!

Open: 11:00~17:00    Close: Monday

Tell: 0980-52-0200

Address:〒905-1634  522 Untenbaru, Nago, Okinawa Japan.

Ie Island

Directions

Here, we will tell you how to go to Ie Island from Nago city. Ie Island can be accessed via a 30-minute ferry ride from Okinawa Motobu port. A round trip fare is 1370 yen for an adults and children are 690 yen. When we arrived at Ie Port, we rented bicycles. Probably, you think that it will be tiring going around the Island by bicycle. However, it was so awesome. You do have to ride a bicycle.

Wajee

Wajee

It is located at the northwest bank of the Island and means, "underwater spring." Local people still use it an important source of drinking water from the old days. Now, Ie soda and Awamori using the water of Wajee have been produced and they are popular among locals. On a sunny day, you can see incredibly beautiful scenery.

Bijiru Stone

Niyathia Dou

At first, we went to “Niyathia Dou”. It is located in the southeast. From Ie port to Niyathia Dou is about 15 minutes by bicycle. While you go to there, you can see the beautiful sea and you can feel a comfortable wind. When you arrive in there, you can see a beautiful scene. The sunlight is streaming through from the outside of the cave and a transparent sea that can be seen from the cave is very mysterious. There is also a mysterious stone. It is called, “Bijiru Stone.” When you lift this stone, a boy is born when it is heavy, and a girl is born when it is light. It is known as a power spot to many people.

Soki soba

Zenzai

Parlor Penshima
We recommend a good place when you are hungry on Ie Island. We will introduce “parlor penshima." From Ie port to there is about 3 minutes by bicycle. It is a small parlor, so you have to look around carefully. When you find it, you can eat a good meal. We ate Soki soba and Ice Zenzai so we recommend them. This Soki soba contains pork, kamaboko (fish-paste loaf), green onions, red ginger and soup. You spend only 550 yen, you can eat such a delicious one and become full. If you finish eating the main dish, you will want to eat Ice Zenzai. It is a famous frozen sweet in Okinawa. It is only 300 yen and if you pay 350 yen milk syrup is added to it.

Address: 240-2, Kawahira, Ie-son Kunigami-gun, Okinawa, 905-0503, Japan

Flap Coffee & Bake shop

Flap over to Flap Coffee and Bake Shop. One sip of their coffee, and you will flip over with the rich taste and your heart will flap with joy.

Do you like coffee?

This shop was opened 9 months ago in Nago. There is a nearby cake shop called Cake House Sakura and a blue door as a guide when you visit. In the shop is a relaxing atmosphere. If you love a cup of great coffee, you must visit Flap Coffee and Bake Shop in Nago, Okinawa. The shop is conveniently located on Hwy 449, off Hwy 58, where you can stop over for a cup of their heart flapping great coffee on your way to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.

When you open the blue door to this quaint coffee shop, the first thing you notice is the beautiful hardwood floor, and handcrafted tables and chairs which may accommodate a party of ten people or ten couples. Or your left sits a long comfortable couch with coffee table in front. There is a long counter facing the window with comfortable chairs where you can study, read, or work with your laptop. This shop’s menu varies from coffee, home baked sweets and sandwiches. For example, caramel macchiato, caffe latte, cappuccino and so on. This shop’s coffee is slightly sweet so, it is easy to drink.

A married couple manages the shop. They proudly present you with a single origin coffee from Ethiopia, Rwanda, Guatemala, Indonesia, and Colombia, and of course their special blend of coffee. The wife bakes Chocolate brownies, Cinnamon rolls and so on. They are very yummy. The husband makes coffee. They are particular about coffee, sowe can’t drink at another place.

We asked why he opened a coffee shop. He loves coffee. He was working on coffee machines and appliances in Tokyo. He met a coffee shop on his way to work. It was a shop serving espresso. After drinking it, he decided to master coffee. At the time, there was not Starbucks coffee in Japan. And espresso coffee was not popular. Before Starbucks came to Japan, he went to Seattle in the USA to go for coffee. After training, he came back to Japan. He moved Nago because he thought that Nago is suitable for raising children. So, he opened a coffee shop. The name of the shop is FLAP COFFEE and BAKE SHOP. It was because the latte art in the leaf looks like a feather, and flight, and flapping.

The atmosphere in the shop is good. The interior is also nice and relaxing. The interior of the shop was designed by his acquaintance. He has a passion for coffee. His coffee is loved by a lot of people. Many customers are young people. But, various ages of people visit the coffee shop. Some people enjoy coffee time slowly in the shop, some people stop by the store and take out. Eating delicious coffee and baked goods will rest your mind. And you also will want to visit FLAP COFFEE again. Please do visit FLAP COFFEE and BAKE SHOP in Nago by all means.

Address:  905-0009 4-19-3 Umusanomori, Nago Okinawa

Kouri Island at Night

Are you tired of everyday? Do you want to heal? If so, you should go to Kouri Island at night. Then, you can see the sky filled with stars. You may forget your real busy life. Kouri Island is famous for the beautiful blue sea. Many tourists visit to see the view all the time. However, the beautiful view is not only the sea. Kouri has another fascination. That is the starry sky! On a clear night, you can watch a lot of stars, and you also may watch shooting stars.

We thought that it was like a planetarium when we saw the sky. It is hard to find out zodiac signs because of too many stars. You can enjoy the wonderful sky with friends, your girlfriend or your boyfriend, favorite music, telescope, fluffy pillow, and so on. The Kouri sky was too beautiful, so when we went back to Nago, we felt as if we were in another world.

Suggestion

Our suggestion to enjoy the Kouri night more is to compare the daytime and the nighttime. For example, when it is light, you can swim in the sea, and after that, you can enjoy BBQ, and at the end of the day, you can watch the starry sky. Then you can see a different Kouri from the daytime. This is one of the ways to enjoy Kouri’s night sky. It is also good to take pictures of the day and the night.

Caution

In summer, you should bring insect repellent. There are mosquitoes, so you will get a mosquito bite if you do not have something to keep them away.

Location

〒905-0406: It takes about 20 minutes to go Kouri Island from Nago City.

(You can go there by car or bike)

Have a romantic time!

Ma-Blue Garden House and Cafe

How it looks 

In Ma-Blue Cafe, there are many Hawaiian knick-knacks. A concept in this cafe is a Hawaiian style.There is much nature and it has an atmosphere which we can relax in. Therefore, we can take a break from the busy everyday life and reflect on ourselves.

How was the food it serves

It is a Hawaiian style cafe restaurant. There are such fantastic dishes there!

Even just loco moco, they have 10 kinds on the menu. Especially the 3 most popular loco moco are: 

1. Hawaiian loco moco (original spicy BBQ sauce)
2. Mabel loco moco (original demi-glace sauce)
3. Garlic shrimp loco moco

They also sell bread, drinks, smoothies, scones, pasta and omelette rice. 

The dishes at this restaurant are very big so we couldn’t finish eating everything.

What services do they have

Place to eat. It is a cafe restaurant where you can be relaxed. And the place makes us feel like we are in Hawaii. They serve Hawaiian style food. We can eat inside or outside on the balcony. And we can take out the food and eat at the beach near the restaurant. (about¥1500~2000 dessert included)

Place to sleep over. They have three guest rooms where we can sleep and stay overnight. We can see the beautiful ocean from the rooms. They have comfy beds and sofas, and some rooms have a private pool too.  (¥10260/a person)

How to go there

We will explain the directions from Nago to the destination. First you go on the way to Churaumi Aquarium along the coast, and keep going to 505 until the Guskiken (West) signal. After that, turn right immediately, turn left immediately and turn right immediately again. The roads are narrow and bit difficult to go, on so you might nearly get lost. But it's okay because you all have google maps. We recommend using it:)

Address 〒905-0208　沖縄県国頭郡本部町新里247-1 

Phone number TEL.0980-48-2222

Website http://ma-blue.com/index.html

They are open 10am~7pm 

Closed on Monday

Minnnajima Island

Do you want to get away from daily life and soothe your soul? If you want to forget everything, let’s go to Minnajima Island. That will be your second hometown.

Ferry which we rode

Explanation

Minnajima Island is a popular remote island that you can easily go to from the northern part of Okinawa main island. The name “croissant island” is also popular because the island looks like a croissant from the sky. Minnajima island is about 4 km around and is a small island surrounded by the sea. The total population of the island is said to be about 40 people, but 60 thousand visitors visit there per year. Their purpose is the surprisingly beautiful sea. The shallow sea is ideal for swimming and it is very popular from many divers to see colorful coral reefs and tropical fish surrounding the island in close proximity.

A fashionable guide

Situation

We went to Minnajima Island at around 8:30 in the morning of May 26. It was cloudy when leaving Toguchi port, but it was sunny when we headed to Minnajima Island.

A dining room of Minnna

A lot more people came there than we expected. When we arrived, people in Minnajima Island greeted us with smiles and the beautiful sea had spread. We walked around the island and we found five goats. Also, we were surprised at the elementary and junior high school which only had two students. We ate "Okinawa soba" which was very very delicious with us looking at the sea!!! Minnajima Island is wrapped in the very beautiful sea and warmhearted people.

 

Mysterious forest

Recommendation

There are several Marine activities, many kinds of rice and shaved ice which we want to eat when it’s hot. Everyone on the island is kind and friendly so we can get along. What we found out is that you had better wear clothes to wear in the sea. The ferry’s time is decided so we have to check it and be careful. It is better to bring a flotation device to play with in the sea. You are able to get many good things after you have gone to there. Let’s go to Minnnajima Island. A very beautiful sea is waiting for everyone. 

Smoothed our soul

     

Change of mind

Because we had not been to Minnajima Island before, we were able to go in this fieldwork for the first time. We are usually pressed by various things including study at the university and part-time jobs. Therefore, the place where we can be relaxed is only our houses. However, we visited Minnajima Island and could come in contact with wealthier nature when we felt the sun and sand and sea on our skin, and we were able to escape the fixed schedule of  everyday life. And we could be relaxed there and were very good.

A beautiful white sand

 How to access there

 First you should go to the Toguchi port in Motobu town and there, you need to get in a ferry to Minnajima island. It takes about 15 minutes by ferry.

Ferry’s fare (As of the end of April, 2018)

	One way	Two way
Adult	900yen	1,710yen
Children	450yen	860yen

By Shiho, Utana, Nozomi, Mai

Aikaze cafe

Aikaze cafe

General comment



The appearance of Aikaze cafe

Aikaze café is a very nice café. If you are tired, you should go there because Aikaze café is very relaxing. You can get nature power. You feel mysterious. There is a lot of indigo pottery, so you can enjoy using them after going back home. Also, the food is good. However, the food is light food, for example coffee, tea, some cakes and so on. So we don’t recommend you go there if you are very very hungry. But the taste is so good!

We hope you can relax in this café. 

Menu

Coffee and tea (400yen)

・blended coffee

・iced coffee

 (coffee seconds are 200yen)

・hot tea

・iced tea

Juice (400yen)

・passion fruit juice

・mango juice

・guava juice

・pineapple juice

・sequester juice  

 Herbs tea (450yen)

・lavender

・chamomile

・wormwood

・sequester

・safflower

・hibiscus                          

 Food (550yen)
 ・hiraya-chi (Aikaze special)

Cake (450yen)

・black honey and kinako roll cake

・apple tart

・rare cheesecake

(coffee or tea set 700yen)

 

What to do there

In this café, many indigo dyed items are sold. For example, there were dishes, cloths, book jackets and hanging scrolls. These items which are dyed with Ryukyu indigo were made by this cafe’s owner. They all are hand-made!  Of course, you can see and buy them.

Also, this café is in a forest, so the green color of many plants fills your field of vision. This café is also a photo taking spot. You can take photogenic pictures and post them on Instagram. These pictures also will remind you of a memory in this café every time.  

                                               

How to get there

Aikaze Café is located in the forest of Motobu. It takes about 20 minutes by car from the university to the café. There is a slope where the car is likely to overturn while going to the café, but after that the space of healing is spreading. Please pay attention to driving when going to the café.

Basic information

〒905-0221 Okinawa Prefecture Kunigami-gun Motobu town Izumi 3417-6

Tel&Fax 0980-47-5583

Aikaze Café opens at 10:00 and closes at 17:00. The last order of meals is at 16:00.The regular days-off are Monday and Thursday.