Naha Pier, Okinawa, Japan
We were delayed in disembarking from the ship in Okinawa because of immigration procedures. I had wanted to visit the Shurijo Castle but was told it was too late. The only activity left was the main shopping street, Kokusai. There were granite stone dragon pillars on the way to the shopping district. They commemorate the friendship between Naha City and Fuzhou City, China. In 2011, the community celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Friendship Agreement signed in 1981.
It took about half an hour to walk from the ship to Kokusai Street. I noticed the glass tumblers and glassware on sale in many of the stores. After the devastation of WWII, Okinawans began collecting bottles and other cast-off glass containers from the occupying U.S. troops. The glass was melted down and re-blown into glassware items. Servicemen began to purchase the goods to send home and a very proud industry was born. Many of the glasses had names of their creators and ample display space. The largest glass factory in Okinawa is called Ryukyu Glass Craft and is located in Itoman.
Mixed in with souvenir shops, there were bakery shops, convenience stores, a pharmacy, a seaweed shop, and restaurants. A friend of mine suggested I try Okinawan soba because it is different from Japanese soba, made of wheat flour instead of buckwheat. I found a restaurant on the fifth floor of a narrow building and had a wholesome meal.
Things had gotten better on the second half of our trip. The weather had improved and the seas were calm. We had two more days at sea and enjoyed the company of our dinner regulars in the Pacific Moon dining room. We met many interesting people on the ship. Many were celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary. Others were newly retired or found a good deal for the cruise. Everyone had an interesting story to tell.