MARCH 2019 businesstraveller.comDESTINATIONS
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government. It was only in 1972 that it was finally
returned to Japan. Since then, it has slowly developed
into a tropical holiday hotspot for Japanese, Koreans and,
increasingly, mainland Chinese, who come for the sun, sea,
sand... and shopping.
The hub for serious retail enthusiasts is in Naha,
Okinawa’s main city in the southern part of the island,
where the airport is also located. The efficient Yui monorail
transit system curls right through Naha; get off at Makashi
station and you’re at the northern end of a long, straight
street running right through the downtown area all the
way to City Hall. This is the famous Kokusai Dori, a mecca
for shopaholics with bulk-buying on their minds.
Kokusai Dori is lined with duty-free stores fronted by
oversized models of all descriptions, from six-foot-high
anthropomorphic hot dogs to great white sharks and anime
characters; souvenir shops; cafés (serving both homegrown
and imported coffee) and fast-food outlets; and restaurants
with faux limestone-walled booths where you can sample
shabu-shabu ( Japanese hotpots), Okinawan pork and
the island’s distinctive purple sweet potato, while being
entertained by traditional song-and-dance acts.Branching off Kokusai Dori is a series of covered market
streets collectively known as Heiwadori, where you’ll find
stalls selling arts and crafts, brightly coloured clothing,
noodles, cheap souvenirs and cosmetics.FIT FOR A KING
On the largest hill overlooking Naha is Shurijo Castle,
home of the Ryukyu kings. Almost completely destroyed
duringtheBattleofOkinawa,aswellasonanumber
of occasions in previous centuries, Shurijo was carefully
restored from the 1950s on, and in 2000 was named a
World Heritage site.
The castle and its grounds are surrounded by impressive
three-metre-thick walls. Its architecture, open squares,
immaculate gardens and decorative themes are a curious
blend of cultural traditions influenced by the surrounding
kingdoms with which the Ryukyus traded. The emblem of
theRyukyukingswasthedragon–asymbolappropriated
from the Chinese and displayed on the roof of the
main castle building and on pillars, murals and carvings
throughout the complex. Vibrant red paint and lacquer
covers almost everything.ABOVE: The subtropical
island is surrounded
by the Pacific→