Monday, July 28, 2014

The Fukugi Line of Trees

We will introduce Bise place which is near Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium.





In Bise place is the Fukugi line of trees. Fukugi is a windbreak. There are many this trees on this road. You may feel the wonderful natural view of the Fukugi line of trees. You can ride bicycles. There are traditional houses along the road. Their roofs are made of red cement tiles. The house is a single-family house. You can feel the atmosphere of Okinawa.

You can buy Okinawa gifts. There are handmade items at the gift shop. The gifts use colorful shells. That was very cute.
 
Also there are "shisa" statues. Shisa is a guardian angel in Okinawa. There are various kind of Shisa.
 
 


If you are tired, you can take a rest at a café. This cafe’s name is “CHAHAYABULAN.” You can see a beautiful beach here. There are many kinds of drinks and sweets. For example, fruit smoothies, cakes and ice cream. They’re yummy. We ate shaved ice with mango syrup on the top.  It was delicious. You should have some money.


Then you can go to the beach. You can go swimming and see the sunset. There is a beach at the end of the Fukugi line of trees. The sunset seen there is very beautiful. If you want to go swimming, you must have swimming wear and spare clothes.
 
 
 
 
 
 
The dolphin show can be seen at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. The show’s name is “Oki chan show.” It is free to watch. The dolphin show is very exciting. Dolphins are very smart, and the dolphin’s performance is very funny and exciting. So you should see the dolphin show. You will have a good time. We hope you enjoy your summer.



Directions:

You can’t walk there. You should go there by car. From Nago, take route 449 west toward Motobu and Expo Park. Eventually, you will see Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium on your left. You have to drive past it. You will see the sign for the Fukugi line of trees. When you find this, you have to turn left. You will find the Fukugi line of trees on your left. There is a free parking lot. You can park in that place. 
 
 

Yuransen Ice Cream Cafe


At Yuransen Café, there is a panorama view of  360 degrees. We can see the very beautiful sea. Also, there are three Islands: Sesoko, Minna and Ie.

Yuransen is an ice cream shop. This shop was built by the owner. He spent eight years making the design. Yuransen has a beautiful appearance. A lot of trees abound all around this shop.
 

 

“Welcome” is written in sand. This shop is very big and has many rooms. It looks like an old western mansion. You can also go to the roof which has a seashell design and many pieces of coral. A good point of Yuransen is not only the appearance but also the view.

 












There are many desserts on the menu. Especially, ice cream is very famous. We ordered a parfait, cheesecake and ice cream, pancake and ice cream, and zenzai. There are very colorful decorations and lots of very delicious ice cream. Eating anything while watching the ocean view is a good combination. We can order dessert from 2:00. The cost is 500~1000 yen.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Yuransen is about 30 minutes from Meio University. First, turn right at the first signal (at Lawson). After that go straight along Route 84. There are eight signals before you get there. There is the Motobu resort hotel on the left at the last signal. There is a road on the right. Turn right at this road. There are a lot of signs that say “Yuransen.” Keep going until you see the big sign for “Yuransen”. Turn left at the sign. Then you will see the café.



If you go to this shop, we recommend going on a sunny day because you can see the scenery and beautiful sea and the setting sun. Yuransen is a good place, so you should go!
 



Fuku Chinese Restaurant

                                                                 FUKU:

Chinese restaurant                                                             We would like to recommend "Fuku" in Nago. "Fuku" is an Ominami Chinese tavern. You can eat your fill  of Chinese Sichuan home cooking. "Fuku" has 90 seats, so a lot of people can eat dishes, which is one of the attractive points. Families and drinking companions can sit in Japanese-style rooms, some kotatsu built into the floor, and some private rooms. Its dishes use ingredients which are produced in Okinawa. Authentic Chinese and Okinawan dishes are satisfying both the tastes. In addition, the outward appearance looks very beautiful at night, because of being decorated with a lot of illumination. You can enjoy looking and eating.





  In this tavern, you can eat and drink as much as you like within three hours. It costs 2,900 yen for men, 2,500 yen for women. You can order over one hundred dishes as well as various liquors such as a shouchu highball, soft drinks, and beer!Before 19:00 you can drink one of a grass of beer for 95 yen.

  In addition, you can  select two types of set dinners-780 yen and 1000 yen. Firstly, if you order 780 yen's set dinner, you can select from the A menu: chili shrimp, deep-fried chicken, livers and leeks, sauced dishes, spicy Sichuan dish of tofu and mince meat, sweet-and-sour pork, Chinese-style stir-fry containing green peppers and meat, eggplant sauced in miso, stir-fried vegetables, twice cooked pork, and assorted Chinese snacks. In addition, you can select soy sauce Chinese noodles or Taiwanese noodles or cold noodles. These sets are served with salad, deep-fried food, picked vegetables and rice. By the way, you can eat rice as much as you like.



 On the other hand, if you order 1000 yen's set dinner, you can select a spicy Sichuan dish of tofu and mince meat or stir-fried vegetables. This set is served with deep-fried chicken and dumplings  with minced pork and vegetable stuffing. In addition, you can drink free a grass of beer. 

  All Fuku's chefs are Chinese, so you can eat your fill of authentic Chinese dishes. All of the staff are waiting for your reservations.
Address:  4-5-12 Ominami Nago, Okinawa prefecture
TEL: 0980-53-5757
Lunch time: 11:30-15:00
Dinner time: 17:30-2:00
Holiday: Lunch on Sunday
Parking areas: over 15 cars
Seating: 90
How to go to "Fuku"→
















Sunday, July 27, 2014

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium


Do you know that sharks can smile?  Do you also know about deep waters?

We can give you a wonderful way to learn about them. Go and enjoy the Okinawa Churaumi  Aquarium!

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is located in Ocean Expo Park, in the Motobu district. You can go there by car, bus, or taxi. Taxis are the most expensive, so we don’t recommend it. The best way is by bus. First go to the Nago bus station and take NO 65, 66, or 70 bus to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. It costs about 1500 Yen.



In the place where “Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium” is located, people can take a walk, enjoy beautiful views of the sea, and have fun! This place has a lot of facilities, such as a very good restaurant and places to buy souvenirs. It’s very enjoyable and pleasant to walk all over the place. 

The Aquarium has a lot of species of fish living on four different floors. They are the Great Sea, a Coral Reef, Kuroshio, and the Deep Sea.  There we can see the sea creatures in their natural environments. We can see and learn about the dangerous marine life living beyond coral reefs. Meanwhile, we can enter a mysterious world under a great depth of water reaching 200 meters or more.




The best attraction here is in Kuroshio. Located on the third floor of the “Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium,” the “Kuroshio Sea” is undoubtedly the best place, with one titanic fishtank that you will not be able to forget once you have seen it. This gigantic aquarium has a lot of uncommon and singular species. We can also see a whale shark and a good quantity of manta rays, swimming untiringly around the place. People can see it as if they were inside the sea.

 Look how big mouth his is. This guy is the biggest one in the aquarium.
                
Actually, in addition to the aquarium, there are a lot of fun things near here, like dolphin shows and an amazing beach. We hung out around the beach. There were some people playing volleyball, and some people were swimming. It was really interesting.

The last thing is that we bought our tickets from Family Mart. They are cheaper than tickets bought at the aquarium, just 1660 yen. If you buy them at the aquarium, it costs 1850 yen.

We spent the whole day there. It was an unforgettable day!


Members: Jose, Vanesa, Amanda, Phanipuk, Cammie



Nangusuku: Nago Castle and Sakura park

Nangusuku is famous for cherry blossoms. Nangusuku is an important historical site in Nago. We don’t know exactly when people began to live in Nago castle. We can trace it back to the 14th century, which is called “Gusuku era.” Many people still discuss if “Gusuku” was a shrine or a place to live.

Stone monument of Nangusuku’s cherry blossoms
Sakura in Nago
January and February are the best times in Nago to see Sakura, or cherry blossoms. Many tourists come to Nago in order to see Sakura, not only from Okinawa but also some tourists come from mainland Japan. Nangusuku is known as one of the best Sakura places in Japan. In February, Nangusuku is full of people because the Sakura festival is held every year at this time. There are a lot of stalls there and you can enjoy eating food(including okinawan food).

Good Landscape
There is a staircase that has more than 400 steps. It has a good location, so it’s a good place to enjoy walking with your friends or pets. The more you go up, the more beautiful view you can see. You can see Nago City, Nago Bay and nature. I’m sure that you will be moved to see it.

View from the top of Nangusuku Park
Directions
If you are from outside Okinawa,

  • From Naha airport to Nago (about 70 minutes by car on the expressway)
  • If you are from Nago and don’t have a car, go from city hall to Nangusuku iriguchi by bus (No. 20, 120, 77, 65, 66, 70, 76, 78, 21)
  • Agarie junior high school is next to the park, so you can't miss it!

Map


Friday, July 25, 2014

Kajinho Pizza and Acerola Cafe


It is located at the top of a mountain, and it is surrounded by trees.

Kajinho is a Pizza, salad, coffee, and fruit juice (acerola juice, etc…) restaurant … and it is sooooooooo delicious!!!!!


 

It’s so popular that you may wait for a table for over 30 minutes. However, you can play Othello while you wait.
When you enter the café, you will be surrounded by the atmosphere of a traditional house style.



This frame was in the corner of the shop.
It means “I want to meet a person like a flower. I want to be a person like a flower.” (花に逢はん 人に逢はん Hana-ni-awan Hito-ni-awan) The restaurant’s name (花人逢 Ka-jin-ho) comes from this poetry. The owner chose the name because he wants the café to be loved by everyone, just like everyone loves flowers.

We asked the 2nd owner why they opened this café. The 2nd owner’s mother is good at cooking. Sometimes she cooked pizza and held parties at home. Her friends said, “You should open a pizza café!!” Because of her friends’ words, she decided to open Kajinho. At first, she wanted the café to be comfortable for anyone to stay a long time, like a library. However, the café has been popular for ten years. The café is very comfortable, but it is too lively to be like a library.
 

There is an English menu. We ordered pizza, salad, and acerola juice.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

ABOUT THE SALAD:
The salad is full of color. It contains lettuce, paprika, onion, cucumber, carrot and corn. The dressing is fresh and sour-tasting.
 



ABOUT THE PIZZA:
It is Kajinho’s original pizza. It contains pepperoni, bacon, corn, onion, green pepper and gooey cheese. When we saw the pizza, our mouths were watering and our stomachs were growling. We couldn’t wait to eat it. When we crammed the pizza into our mouths, cheese stretched and melted. The pizza crust is fluffy. YOU CAN GET TAKE OUT!!



ABOUT THE JUICE:
There are many kinds of juice, but the waiter recommended Acerola juice to us. The acerola fruit is grown in Motobu. It is rich, but not heavy. You should drink it, but be careful!! If you drink it here, you may not be able to drink acerola juice anywhere else. Because it has such a great taste. AND YOU CAN GET TAKE OUT!!
 
 
 
 
 


ABOUT THE WATER:
The 2nd owner is concerned with the use of spring water. He goes to Kunigami-Daikokurindo to draw spring water once a week. He uses spring water to make pizza crust, juice, coffee and so on.

If you aren’t good at speaking Japanese, you don’t have to worry. Because there is a waiter who can speak English, Chinese and Italian.
Address: 1153-2, Yamazato, Motobu-town, Okinawa
Phone: 0980-47-5537
Hours: 11:30-18:30
 
Directions:
  1. From Super-Hotel in Nago, take Route 84 west toward Motobu-town.
  2. Keep going straight for about 20-25 minutes.
  3. You will see the Hotel-Motobu-Resort on your left.
  4. Turn right at the traffic light.
  5. Go straight for a short time. You will see the Kajinho signboard* on your right.
  6. Turn right at this sign.
  7. Turn right when you see the next Kajinho signboard.
  8. You will see another Kajinho signboard, then turn left and keep going uphill.
  9. Then, you have arrived at Kajinho!!!

*The sign is in Kanji. This is what it looks like: 花人逢


Captain Kangaroo Hamburgers


Captain Kangaroo

We will introduce a hamburger café!  It’s the only café which specializes in hamburgers in Nago.

It’s “Captain Kangaroo”!!
 

 
Grand Prix

What is this?” we thought when we heard the word for the first time.  At Nakijin Beach Rock Village, there was a competition to make the best hamburger.  At that time, Captain Kangaroo made a BBQ hamburger.  Then, they won the championship.  This is proof that Captain Kangaroo’s hamburger is very delicious.  Why don’t you try to eat Captain Kangaroo’s hamburger?

Outside

The café looks like a house, but it is actually a famous hamburger shop.  Outside the café, there is a signboard with a kangaroo on it.  We can see the very beautiful sea near the café.



Inside

This café has a homey and casual atmosphere.  There are counter tables and café tables with soft sofas.  We can sit on a sofa in a relaxed way.  And we can see the very beautiful ocean from the café.  It must be special to eat hamburgers with such a nice view.  The Western atmosphere was good and relaxing.



History

Captain Kangaroo came to Nago in 2007.  The main store is in Osaka and it was established in 1997.  The main store was a bar at first and the shop keeper wanted to make a hamburger shop in Okinawa on the 10th anniversary of the café’s foundation. Captain Kangaroo had a few costumers at first, but now, it is becoming the famous hamburger café in Nago by word of mouth and magazines!

Staff

We met good workers here.  They are very friendly and cheerful, so they make us happy. There are about ten people in Captain Kangaroo, and four people work on weekdays and five people work on weekends.  Their smiles makes the hamburgers more delicious.  Of course, they love hamburgers very much too!

Customers

Many foreigners come to Captain Kangaroo.  American soldiers often come there so the employees have a service manual in English.  When foreigners come, the employees use it so they have no problem using English.  The time the shop is crowded is 12:00-15:00.  Holidays and vacations are crowded too.  After  holidays, they have more free time.

Menu

Captain Kangaroo has 11 menu items, and sometimes limited seasonal items. Most things cost about 700~1,000 yen.

Now, we will introduce the menu we ate to you.


Special burger  (By Nana)

This is a big hamburger! The tomato, lettuce, cheese and meat are very delicious.  When I ate this, the cheese had melted. I was full. If you eat this, you’ll be happy! 

 
Teriyaki burger  (By Ai T.)

The teriyaki sauce is really creamy and the meat is very tender.  I couldn’t stop eating it.  I drank mango juice.  It makes you feel happy and you may feel refreshed!  And also the French fries are so delicious.  You can choose a set or a la carte. 

Teriyaki chicken burger  (By Ai N.)

 If you like chicken more than beef or pork, you should eat it!  Mayonnaise, sauce, crispy buns, fresh and sweet vegetables and juicy chicken make fantastic harmony!  I’m sure that the burger will make you smile and feel happy when you eat it. 

Ume to shiso no wahu chicken burger  (By Natsumi)

It’s a chicken burger with Japanese apricot and shiso, so it is a Japanese-style hamburger. The sour Japanese apricot and juicy chicken makes a good taste!  It is healthier than other hamburgers, so you can enjoy it if you worry about your weight.  I want you to try this one! 

BBQ burger  (By Mitsuki)

There were beef, lettuce, cheese, onions, tomato and BBQ sauce in the hamburger.  The vegetables were fresh and the taste was good, too.  

Tacorice  (By Eri)

Tacorice is made with Taco materials, and uses rice instead of a tortilla.  It’s a traditional food of Okinawa. And there are a lot of kinds of Tacorice in Okinawa!!  I ordered Tacorice at Captain Kangaroo because I like Tacorice very much!  There were avocados on the Tacorice.  So, you can try different types of Tacorice there!  It’s very delicious!  It looks expensive, but it’s not so expensive.  I think you should try to eat it!! 

Captain Kangaroo Mini

By the way, do you know “Captain Kangaroo Mini”?  This is a different shop with a lot of mini hamburgers.  In 2013, Captain Kangaroo Mini was built on the same road as Pan de Kaito and Sakura Bakery.  The food is not fresh from the kitchen but the taste is so good and can’t be boring.  It uses different types of bread and the burgers are smaller than Captain Kangaroo’s.  You should go there and check out the taste!


Address: 183 Umusa, Nago City   Phone: 0980-54-3698

Hours: 11:0020:00 (last order 19:40)   Closed: Wednesday


Directions: