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.

KOURI ISLAND

KOURI ISLAND

Do you know Kouri Island? We will introduce about Kouri Island. Kouri Island is a small island surrounded by the sea in the northern part of the main island of Okinawa. Kouri Island is connected by a large bridge from the main island, and it is possible to come and go by car. Its length is 1960 m and its width is 10 m. We went there to convey the beauty of Kouri Island. It takes about 30 minutes by car from the Meio university, and there are many road signs, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost. Then, we will introduce recommended places. 

First, the ocean of Kouri Island was exceptionally beautiful, because the ocean is crystal clear. We also actually entered the ocean and fully enjoyed the ocean of Kouri Island. It was very cool and pleasant. 

Second, we will introduce Heart Rock at Kouri Island. Heart Rock is located farthest from the entrance of the island. It is very mysterious and fantastic, although it costs to park in the parking lot. There are many couples in Heart rock. People who do not have someone else will be envious. Heart Rock seemed to have two hearts. The Heart symbolizes love. Heart Rock is in Thine beach. We have a long downhill until we go to Heart Rock. Please be careful about the last step. There are many tourists in front of Heart Rock. It may be difficult to take pictures. However, you should take a picture. Please take a picture and keep it for your memories. 

Third, we will introduce about what we can eat in the island. After we went to see Heart Rock, we bought ice cream and shaved ice at Blue Seal. These taste very good and we felt happy to eat sweets while seeing the beautiful ocean. These sell for about 300 yen. I think it is reasonable. 

There are many places to visit on Kouri Island. The sea which is transparent to the bottom of the ocean, Heart Rock which is a sightseeing spot is also recommended. It is good to eat ice cream after fully visiting Kouri Island. Kouri Island is an island that everyone can enjoy regardless of age. Please visit once by all means.

Strawberry Picking

Strawberry Picking🍓

What’s your favorite fruit? In 2017 strawberries took 1^st place on the ranking of favorite fruits. This time our group went strawberry picking.

Benefits of going in the earlier season

We went strawberry picking at Sun Foods Minatogawa Farm on May 5^th. Strawberry picking season is between February and May. So, when we went strawberry picking, the strawberries were very small. But, the sweetness was considerable in small strawberries. It was so good!!! We recommend you go there earlier. If so, you can eat bigger and sweeter strawberries.

Rules of strawberry picking

When you go to Sun Foods Minatogawa farm, you have some rules. First, before you go, you must make a reservation. They don’t have any website or something like that to reserve, so you have to make a phone call. When you get there, you’ll receive a food package and scissors. Please eat strawberries without condensed milk. Cut the vine closer to the fruit of the strawberry when you eat it. And you must be careful that the picked strawberries should all be in the food package; otherwise dropped berries will provoke plant disease. When your package is full, you can pour them into another bowl. If you want to enjoy strawberries at home, you can take them back with that food package by paying \250 per small package, \350 per big package.

Comment

It was our first time to go to strawberry picking, which was so fun. We ate a lot of Strawberries, but too many strawberries made one of us sick. We felt that strawberries are sweet and healthy. We’d like to go again in the next season. We didn’t think that we could do strawberry picking in northern Okinawa. However, the experience was totally precious, and we hope you come and visit Sun Foods Minatogawa Farm whenever you visit Okinawa in between February and May.

Details　

Name: Sun Foods Minatogawa Farm (Strawberry picking)

Place: 383 Gesashi , Higashi Village, Okinawa prefecture

Adult: 1400 yen per person

Junior: 500 yen per person

Baby: all-free

Time-limit: 20 minutes

Time of arrival: approximately two hours from Meio University

Operating period: 8:00a.m. ~5:00p.m. Available from February to mid-May (open every day)

Phone number: 0980-43-2542

Sacchan-soba

Have you ever eaten Okinawa Soba?

Okinawa Soba is a local food in Okinawa.You should eat this if you come to Okinawa. There are many kinds of soba and they’re difference depending on the region.  Also, Okinawa Soba has a lot of ingredients. For example, Sanmainiku, So-ki, and Tebichi.

There are a lot of delicious restaurants in Okinawa. Our recommended soba restaurant is Sacchan-soba, which is popular with local people.

At this restaurant, you can choose the type of noodle: Normal or Mozuku. The Normal noodle is Ie-Soba that comes from Ie Island. And the Mozuku noodle is Mozuku kneaded into noodle. Mozuku is seaweed that is popular for Okinawan people. There are some characteristics of ingredients in this restaurant. Sacchan-Soba’s meat is different from other restaurants. It’s crispy because It is fried. Also, noodles together with the soup is very delicious.

Sacchan-soba is very famous to local people. So, you should go eat there as soon as possible. We will tell you something we would like you to be careful about. First, because Sacchan-soba is in a residential area, it might be difficult for you to find it. You should use a map or ask local people how to get there. Second, the parking place is narrow and small. So, you had better go there on foot as much as possible. Third, local people often eat that soba for lunch, and Sacchan-soba might close depending on if it sells out. We recommend you should go to eat as soon as possible.

The cost of all menu items are less than 1000 yen. So if you want to go Sacchan soba,1000 yen will be sufficient. But, if you are very hungry and want to eat much, you should bring 2000  yen.


We ate sanmainikusoba. It cost 600 yen and it was very delicious.

Okinawa has a lot of delicious Soba restaurants, so you should looking for your favorite one by yourself.

URL:http://sacchansoba.ti-da.net/

Location: 〒905-0015 11-3 2-chome Ominami,Nago-city, Okinawa (map)

Open Wednesday through  Monday 10:00-16:00(Every Tuesday is closed )

Tel.0980-43-5352

↓Menu and cost (you can buy by vending machine) only cash

Sky Walking in Forest Adventure

Forest Adventure is the most exiting place in Okinawa. We went to Forest Adventure in Onna on May 12. That day was rain in the morning. So, we felt down. However, when we arrived, the weather changed to sunny.

We went to there by Jumpei's car. It took about 50 minutes from Meio university. On the way to Forest Adventure, we lost our way because the main office was changed so be careful about that. We went from the parking area to the information desk by free bus.

We have to bring 3,800 yen for each person to experience the attractions. That price was a little high for university students. However, we had had a ticket which discounts 500 yen for one person. My friend gave it to us. So it cost 3,300 yen. We felt lucky. We also got the ticket so if you go to Forest Adventure, we are going to give it to you.

Most of the Participants were U.S. soldiers in Okinawa. The staff can speak English so foreign students can understand how to play with fun and safety. We think people who want to make foreign friends should go to Forest Adventure. In Forest Adventure there are 10 attractions: Zip Slide ride, Amazon Rope Bridge, Tibetan Bridge and others. First we wore a harness and then we received some explanations so that we can play safely. After that we started to play on the attractions. We used a pulley to slide in most of the attractions and the length was about 50m or 100m for each attraction. So we were scared the first time but once we rode it, it was really fun and refreshing; we screamed and opened our arms.

One of the 10 attractions was an advanced course. The attraction was like becoming Tarzan: we had to jump holding a rope and then let go of the rope to grab another rope. We were really scared. One American girl also hesitated to jump. Especially Jumpei was afraid of doing it. The attraction made him petrified. Then, not only her family but also people who don’t know her like us cheered for her. It was impressive for our hearts.

We have three reasons that we want foreign students to visit here. First, the view is really beautiful. There are many attractions as we introduced before and you can see the East China Sea in the distance while playing with the attractions. Second, it is very fun. You will definitely get thrilled but it is really refreshing. Third, Forest adventure’s staff can speak English. So foreign students can ask anything. You can experience nature in Okinawa. Then you can see a beautiful beach and forest.

We have some things that we want you to know. First is about your belongings. You should bring only these: towel, cell phone, drinks and the least money because there is not any locker. Therefore, you are better off leaving other things in your car. Second is about your clothes. You cannot play wearing a skirt and for your footwear you have to wear shoes. Furthermore, the clothes should not be new because maybe you will sweat and get some dirty marks such as mud and wood shavings. Third is about while playing. Before you start attractions you will wear a harness which is an implement that helps playing safely. After you wear it you cannot go to the bathroom. So please remember it so that you will not get trouble with bathroom stuff. Moreover, you may wear sunscreen but it is often useless because you will sweat and lose it. And finally, on the previous evening, you should go to bed early so that you can enjoy athletics.

The place was surrounded by nature and has lots of nature. For example, a blue sea and a big forest. When we experienced it, we felt like becoming a Yambarukuina flying above the sea. Forest Adventure is loved by not only kids but also adults. You can play in nature and some staff can speak English so you can play safely. Furthermore, you can make good memories there with your friends.

We hope you have a nice day in Forest Adventure.

Let’s go to Matsuda Shoten

If you are hungry when you come to northern Okinawa, we recommend a fruit cafe called “Matsuda Shoten.”  It takes about 30 minutes to drive there from Meio University. There are two routes: the coast side and the mountain side. We recommend the route of the coast side when you go to Matsuda Shoten, because there is a  very beautiful ocean view, and when you return, use the route of the mountain side where there are sightseeing spots such as Okashi Goten and Fruits Land.

When you come in front of the Matsuda Shoten, the shape of the store looks cozy as the picture shows. But inside the store won’t betray you because there is a beautiful ocean view, Sesoko-jima, and Sesoko bridge.

Matsuda Shoten’s feature is that it's made of Okinawan ingredients. We ate Chura-Waffle, Shrimp Katsu sandwich, mix pizza, and shaved ice. They were really delicious. And also, there are a variety of sandwiches, such as island pig Katsu sandwich, in the store. As a side, the store uses the flour made in Ie-jima in the bread. Next, there are colorful fruit desserts, such as pancakes and waffles. The fruits are tropical. Also it’s a good way to share the pictures of your dessert with your friends.

By the way, the most surprising dessert in the store is “Rainbow Mountain.” We really recommend it. It is a shaved ice and its height is about 40cm, very large!!! As the name shows, it is colorful and 3 flavors are included. You can try it when summer comes!!

      

Matsuda Shoten is close to many tourist attractions. There is bridge named Sesoko bridge which connects Sesoko-jima right behind Matsuda Shoten. Sesoko-Jima has beautiful beaches and you can enjoy Marine sports and activities during the summer. Besides that, Matsuda Shoten is also close to Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Kaiyohaku Park, Ryugujo Butterfly Garden and others famous tourist attractions. Matsuda Shoten opens early in the morning so maybe you can have your breakfast here before you go to those tourist attractions.

〒905-0226

Kenken 127, Motobu-cho, Okinawa

Open. 10:00-18:00(Last Order, 17:30)

Close. Thursday

TEL .0980-43-6005

FAX .0980-43-6005

URL . matsudastore.jp

ADDRESS . info@matsudastore.jp

facebook . https://www.facebook.com/cafematsuda/