Nakamurake Old House (Nakamura House)

O has a viral infection that keeps her from hanging out with other kids right now.  So we decided that the best way to get her out of the house today was to go see one of the local tourist sites.  We chose the Nakamura House.

Nakamura House is a traditional Okinawan style house, dating from the 18th century, when it served as the residence of the Nakmura family.  Nakamura House has been designated a major cultural asset by the Japanese government and is open to the public.  (See below for some brochure information)

There are several really nice aspects to going to the Nakamura House.  One, it is only a couple km down the road from Camp Foster which makes it very convenient for us to get to.  Two, it is set back away from any major streets and is secluded from the surrounding houses.  So the atmosphere is very laid back and relaxing.  Time literally seems to slow down and you become more calm. Three, the house is so well preserved and furnished as if someone still lived there that you can really get a feel for the residence and how it's inhabitants would have spent their days.  Lastly, if you aren't ready to go home when you're done looking around, Nakagusuku Castle is just a little farther down the road.

Upon arriving, we approached an old house with a pond out front.  The bottom level was a gift shop where you purchase your entry tickets.  We found out later that your entry fee includes complimentary hot or cold tea and sugar cane jelly that is served at the tables inside the gift shop.  (O liked the jelly so much the hostess gave us the recipe.  See below.)  You are also able to purchase a few noodle dishes and some other foods.  I think next time we'll eat our lunch here.  The food looked and smelled really good.  I'll definitely bring more yen too.  The gift shop was awesome and offered a large variety of items.  They sell fish food too if you want to feed the koi out front.

We wandered around the house looking into each of the rooms and seeing a flashback into another era.  All the equipment used for stabling the animals were on display, the kitchen was set up and stocked with pots and pans as if someone were going to cook dinner later on, each room was furnished with tables, chests, laquerware, etc that was appropriate to its function, and even the alters were ready to be prayed at.

Before returning to the gift shop, we walked the stone pathway around the house which actually winds up and down the walls through a narrow garden mostly level with the rooftop.  This change in viewpoint really offers a great way to experience the house from another perspective... although I'm not sure how nice it would have been if the house was still a working farm due to the rising odors from the pig pen and horse stables... but I suppose you would be used to those. :D

Nakamura House Info:
Open 0900-1730 everyday except holidays.
Adults 500 yen, 12-18 300 yen, under 12 200 yen.
Groups of 20+: Adults 450 yen, 12-18 270 yen, under 12 180 yen.







Some Brochure Info:

Family History:

The history of the Nakamura family dates back to the early part of the 15th century when Gahi, an ancestor of the family, moved his residence to Nakagusuku from Zakimi in Yomitan.  The reason for the move was because Lord Gosamaru of Zakimi had received an order from the king in Shuri to relocate his castle to Nakagusuku.  Gashi served as Gosamaru's teacher until his downfall at the hands of Lord Amawari of Katsuren Castle.
With the Nakagusuku Castle in ruins, Gashi and his family also suffered from their lord's adversity.  It was not until 1720 that fortune came back to the Nakamura family when one of the ancestors was called upon to serve as a Jitoshoku (village headman) by the royal government in Shuri.  It was around this time when the first foundations of the Nakamura house was set in.

Structure:
The Nakamura house is a typical style of a rich farmer's residence.  The basic structural method dates back to houses found in mainland Japan between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods (1185-1572).  The house was originally of thatched roof and it was not until the time of the 7th generation when it was reroofed using the Okinawa traditional red tiles.  This reflects the rising social standard of the Nakamura family since rigid regulations at the time restricted commoners' homes in size and appearance.

Brown Sugar Jelly Recipe (word for word from the paper)

Materials: Brown Sugar 100g, Water 500ml, Gelatin powder 10g, soybean flour with liking

1.  Brown sugar and water are put into a pan and it applies to fire.
2.  If brown sugar melts, fire is put out, and gelatin will be added and it will melt.
3.  2 is put into a container and a refrigerator cools.
4.  It is completion, when dishing up in the vessel put into mind and covering soybean flour.

Xystus Kidsland

We kept hearing about all these wonderful indoor play-places, but had yet to go to one.  Sadly, we went to this one as a friend's PCS-ing playdate.  BUT it was awesome and O had so much fun!

We were coming from Foster, so we took 330N and hung a left on 85 to get there.  Once on 85 you take a right at the first light and it's in the big shopping building on your left. 

Xystus Kidsland is inside on the second floor.  Apparently the little sushi place up there is fantastic as well, so we'll have to try it the next time we go up there.

We were a little confused about how the place worked when we first got there, but the attendants were very friendly and super helpful.  They showed us where the vending machine was to purchase your tickets and what options we would need.  You purchase tickets per person by age group.  Weekday prices for 3 hours are: babies (up to 18 mos) are 200 yen, 18 mos - 12 years = 750 yen, 13-19 years = 400 yen, and guardians are 200 yen.  Weekend prices are 100-200 more yen for children 18mos - 12 years.

We got our tickets and went in. On the left they have a storage area for your shoes and lockers you can lock your stuff up in.  There is also enough room to leave your strollers if you like.

The play area itself is huge!  They have three separate jungle gyms side by side and on each end of the room they have a play area for babies and new walkers.  The jungle gyms have ball pits, climbing ropes, tunnels, bridges, slides, trampolines, etc.  So many options to keep the kids moving and entertained.  The baby area has a doll-house, small swings, rocking horses, music instruments, balls, etc.  O really liked utilizing both areas depending on where there were kids and how tired she was feeling.

There are also lots of tables and chairs for adults to sit and watch and socialize with each other.  Or for the family to eat snacks and other foods they can purchase at the small cafe inside.  Adults are welcome to accompany their kids inside the play-place as well though.

When we left, the attendants handed us a stamp card with our stamps from this visit.  You earn stamps by spending so much yen on tickets.  Once you get so many stamps, the guardian gets in free.

They also gave O a toy gift.  I don't know if that's usual practice or if it was just for the holiday.  But she loved it.

O liked the kidsland so much, we'll definitely be coming back here again.

Okinawa Dance Night

Every year, MCCS hosts Okinawan Dance Night at the Foster Community Center the Friday after Thanksgiving as a way to relax and unwind with the family while experiencing some local culture.

Okinawan dances are passed down from generation to generation to preserve their unique local culture from the era of the Ryukyu kingdom.

This years' program featured dances that would be seen if the dancers were entertaining for the royal court.  All dances and accompanying music are performed by local nationals who volunteer their time to share their culture with the military community.  Before each piece is performed, a brief description of the dance style and its significance is given.



Unfortunately, we were only able to stay for the first half of the event.  Hopefully we'll be able to attend next year.  :)

Okinawa Comprehensive Park

Comprehensive Park is a wonderful place to visit any time because you can spend the entire day there and never run out of things to do.  In fact, I've been there several times and still discover a new place or activity each time.

Today's stroll around the park took us along the shoreline where the tide was out.  There were several small paths leading down to the "beach" that made it easy to go combing for new treasures and seeing what critters had gotten caught in the tide pools.

We also stopped at a cool panda water fountain for a drink and discovered that the park itself has its own restaurant.  So if you ever want to have a picnic and find that you accidentally left your basket of goodies at home, you can pick something up.




And even though we have frequented the pond near the playground, I somehow missed that they sell fish food for 100 yen a box in the adjacent pavilion.  So we bought a box and enjoyed seeing the fish swarm and compete for bits of food.  We also found out that these fish mean business when it comes to their tummies.  O decided to throw a whole handful into the pond at once instead of just a few pieces and the fish began jumping all over each other duking it out for that food.  We were getting splashed like crazy due to the frenzy and one fish even ate O's binky neck-string and all!  It was quite the event.



Other posts from visits to this site:
Okinawa Comprehensive Park (Okinawa Prefecture Athletic Park)
Okinawa Comprehensive Park Playground

Ocean Expo Park Dolphin Show & Churaumi Aquarium Playground

Our family loves going to the aquarium!

Dolphin Show:

The first thing we do when we arrive is head down to the Dolphin stadium to see the dolphin show.  If you haven't been to it, it is a must see family event.  The dolphins perform different jumping formations, play with hula hoops, fetch balls, interact with the audience, and even dance to upbeat music among other things.

The show lasts 20 min and can be seen at 11 am, 1 pm, 2:30 pm, and 4 pm.  There is an additional show at 6 pm from March to September.

 

Playground:

For the first time since we began going to the aquarium, O had enough energy left to play on the enormous rope playground they have there.  The playground itself is all connected.  However, the ropes are separated into sections based on age appropriateness and labeled accordingly so it's very user friendly and you can be certain that it is safe for your child to play on.

The ropes are for ages 3+ which discouraged me at first since O is only 15 months.  After looking around a bit though, we found that they do have a section of the playground for children under 3 that is all flat and made out of rubber at the top of the hill on the side closest to the parking garage.  There is a slide and various other things to climb on and crawl under.  This made me extremely happy.  But O is headstrong, loves to try things that the older children are doing, and a little ahead on her developmental skill levels so did allow her to play on the ropes as well.



Other posts from visits to this site:
Churaumi Aquarium and Ocean Expo Park
Ocean Expo Park

Mihama American Village Photowalk

So between loosing my car keys (which after 4 days I finally located at the commissary) and all the rain coming in from typhoon Prapiroon, we haven't been out of the house for DAYS!

This morning, O had a doc appt.  After said appt, I decided I WAS NOT GOING HOME even thought the rain was not letting up.  We took a stroll through American Village instead.  It was vastly deserted since nothing opened for another 2 hours, but I didn't care.  I like to walk around, take pictures, and just take in my surroundings.

Since this was specifically a picture walk, these are some of the images I captured.

Other posts from this site:
Mihama American Village / Sushi-Go-Round 

Naha Tsunahiki (Tug-of-War)

O and I went on the MCCS tour down to Naha for the annual Tug-of-War.  Z wasn't sure he'd be able to make it, so he ended up driving down and meeting us on his own.

I'm very glad we took the tour.  We had transportation and didn't have to search/fight for parking.  It was a lot of stress off of me.  They also provided a tour guide who told us some of the history to the event which made the whole thing more exciting and meaningful.  It also helped with the wait time between events since I knew what was coming.  My husband didn't enjoy it as much because he didn't really know what was happening and doesn't like to stand around.

Our guide told us that Naha hosts the Tug-of-War every year on the Sunday closest to October 10th as a way to commemorate the lives of those lost on both sides when the Americans invaded Naha in 1944 during the Battle of Okinawa.

Tug-of-Wars exist all over the island, but Naha's is by far the largest.  The core of the rope remains in tact each year, but the outside is reconstructed completely out of straw for the next event.  This is partially due to the fact that it is considered good luck for your household to take home pieces of the rope (especially from the winning side) and also to maintain the Guinness World Record.  This years rope measured 200m (656 feet) in length, and weighed more than 40 metric tons (44 American tons)!

The story behind the tug-of-war beginnings on island goes as follows (As best as I can recall from listening to our guide):

There once was a time in Okinawa where the elders of the population were forced out of the villages once they reached a certain age so that they would not be a burden on the community.  They were to fend for themselves in the countryside and if they lived, they lived, and if they died... they died.

One year, a plague of insects overtook the fields and the farmers could not figure out how to get rid of them.  They tried every way they could think of, but nothing worked.  The Lord of the Land sent word that something must be done to end this crisis and whoever found the solution would be rewarded.  The villagers continued with their efforts, but were still unsuccessful.  

One man decided to go into the hills to where his father lived and asked him for advice.  The father told him to gather the gongs and light torches that would create as much smoke as possible and hold a tug-of -war in the field at night.  The gongs and the shouting would scare the insects and the torches and smoke would make them think that the field was on fire and the insects would flee.

The man took this advice back to his village and a tug-of-war was held soon after.  The insects did indeed flee the field.  The Lord of the Land heard of their success and it was reenacted in every field that was plagued by insects.  He then came down to reward the young man for his solution.

The man confessed that it was not his idea but that of his father.  The Lord of the Land determined that it was unwise to cast out the elderly into the hills for their wisdom and life-experience should be respected and was a valuable asset to the community.  From that day forth, the practice of sending elders into the hills was no more and tug-of-wars have taken place throughout the island every year.

The Naha tug-of-war pits the East vs. the West.

Before the tug-of-war, the Ufunnasunei parade is held on Kokusai Street.  The parade consists of 14 hatagashira (flags/decorative poles), their bearers, and their escorts comprised of musicians and performers.  

7 flags represent the West and 7 the East. These flags are symbols and good-luck charms of the districts in which the flag bearers live.  Western districts: Izumizaki, Wakasa, Oroku, Kakinohana, Kume, and Tsuzi.  Eastern districts: Asato, Shuri, Tomari, Mawashi, Kumoji, and Tsuboya.  Each side also has a lead flag.

Flag bearers are denoted by their special black uniforms called Mumunuchihanta. It is very difficult to maneuver these 30 ft tall flags so it is a great honor to be chosen.  Flag bearers balance the flags on their stomachs and move rhythmically in time with their escorts banging of drums and brass gongs and the blowing of conch shells.  The performers that accompany them put on displays of martial arts for crowds awaiting the arrival of the next hatagashira.  And every now and then firecrackers are set off throughout the parade.  

O was not a fan of the firecrackers at all.  However, even she was drawn into watching the parade.  She mostly spent her time staring at the children playing the instruments or carrying smaller flags.  But she did intently watch the men "bouncing" the hatagashira on their stomachs.  A couple times large gusts of wind threatened to knock them over onto us.  I wasn't worried though because they had an entourage of guys with long poles for catching and redirecting them in situations like this.

When the parade was done, we stopped at one of the many stands selling festival food on our way back to the rope site.  Z thought he was getting naan but it was actually a sort of flat bread with ham and cheese baked inside.  It was delicious!  I wish our noodle dishes had been half as good.  They were still tasty, but I could have lived on that bread for the day.


Next time I think we'll eat during the parade because we weren't able to get a spot to watch the opening festivities for the actual tug-of-war.  At the center of the rope they have martial arts, shisa dogs, and eisa dancing before the ceremony begins.  Then the hatagashira are brought in to designate their sides and assemble their teams.  A few speeches are made.  Participants help move the two halves of the rope to the center where it is then connected by a 10 foot wooden pole.  Then, the Kings of the East and West come down their ropes to meet in the center.  They have a fake dual and then announce the tug-of-war begun.  The giant golden ball hanging over the center of the rope is split in half releasing balloons and confetti and a giant flag/banner drops down signaling teams to begin pulling.

Z & O were not participating in the tugging, so they were watching as best they could near the center.  I was tugging for the East, so I was able to see our King and his two court attendants enter and exit.  Parents were encouraged to take their children to the sidewalks once the actual tugging began due to the dangers involved in being in an event of that size.

It was good advice actually.  I had several children around me who I helped hold up so they could see the King go by.  Only one got to stay for the actual tugging and her mother was having a difficult time keeping her on her feet.  I was even getting pretty smashed by the people around me.  I would describe it as a giant mosh pit.  The only real difference being that everyone is trying to move together instead of doing their own random thing.

The goal is to move the rope a total of 5 meters (about 15 feet) within 30 minutes. If by the end of 30 minutes there is not a clear winner, the match is declared a tie.  After 15 minutes, we were all pretty tired and our intensity was starting to wane.  Suddenly, some Japanese people hopped on to the end of our rope and started pulling with us and screaming "Hai-ya", which I guess means pull harder.  With them and our motivator guys standing on the rope calling out to us, we caught a second wind (so it seemed) and we were able to noticeably move the rope.  It was awesome!  It almost semed like we all tripped backwards at the same time, lol.

We continued with our goal to see this tugging to the end and were able to get one more giant tug in our direction just minutes before the match was over.  Exhausted, sweaty and smiling and laughing alongside our Japanese and American neighbors, the winner was announced... EAST WON!  GO TEAM!

Someone was nice enough to cut off the strand of rope I had been holding onto for at least an hour for me so I could take it home.  My own personal piece of memorabilia from a truely fantastic cultural event.  Really, who could ask for more?

The tour we were on gave you the option to leave at 1700, 1800, or 1900 after the tug-of-war was over so you could enjoy the rest of the festival as you saw fit.  I would've liked to stay longer, but O needed to go home and go to bed and honestly I was a little sore from tugging.  We chose to hop the earliest bus back to base.  I repeat from earlier in this post, taking the tour was a great idea.  Go, have fun and participate, NO DRIVING.  We could just relax on the way home and not worry about traffic.  I will definitely be taking the tour again next year.  :D

Urasoe Park

On one of our local Stroller Warriors outings, we were to go for a run at Urasoe Park.  Well... it's a little hard to go running when you get your running stroller out and the tires are flat.  C'est la vie.  Needlesstosay, O and I went for a walk while the other ladies went running.  :)

The path we were on took you down by a stream that ran under the freeways.  The path itself curved away from the freeways taking you upstream.  There were several miniature waterfalls and rapids with bridges allowing you to either cross the stream to paths leading elsewhere or merely to admire the stream from another vantage point.  Even little bridges in the middle of nowhere here have great detail and artistry and seem to belong in their surroundings.  It's amazing.

Eventually the path dead-ended and we had to go back the way we came. Which worked out well for us because we ended up back at the playground where we could meet up and play with the other ladies and their children.

The playground was awesome.  There was something for everyone, no matter what age you are.  And they had two roller slides.  A small, slightly inclined one for the little tykes and the largest roller slide I've seen thus far for the older kids/adults.  That slide was awesome!  And O even liked going down it with me.  :D

Did you know that you are supposed to ride on something going down the roller slides?  I didn't.  A lot of people brought cardboard or plastic lunch trays to sit on.  And apparently the Japanese actually sell these little plastic things that look like shovels with a butt imprint specifically for riding on the roller slides.  I was told you can get them at Make-Man for like 100 yen.  Anyways, a very nice lady let us borrow hers to go down the huge roller slide.  O.M.G. did it make a difference.  Not only was my butt NOT numb by the time I reached the bottom, but the ride itself was a whole lot faster.  You have got to check it out for yourself.  Totally worth it.

Okinawa Comprehensive Park Playground

The playground at Comprehensive Park is one of the best that I've come across on island so far.  The only thing missing that I can tell are the Japanese Roller Slides.  But who knows, they could have them elsewhere in the park.  I may have to explore some more to find out.

Anyways, this playground rocks because of the large variety of things for kids to do.  There are stairs, hanging balls and chains to climb, various types of swings, slides, teeter totters, springy animals, a stationary train, etc.  Just so many things to see, explore, and play on.  If your kid gets bored here... well, they'll be bored anywhere.  :D

Also, I love that the Japanese inspectors (last photo) were out checking the playground for safety after the typhoon.  As a mommy, this makes me all warm and fuzzy knowing they care so much about the kids!

Other posts from visits to this site:
Okinawa Comprehensive Park (Okinawa Prefecture Athletic Park)
Okinawa Comprehensive Park

Fukushen Gardens

The Fukushen Gardens (Fukushu En Park) are located in the heart of Naha.  This Chinese garden was given as a gift from Naha's sister city, Fuzhou City of China, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of their friendship.  The gardens are split into three sections:  Fall & Winter, Summer, and Spring.  Each section boasts landscaping and architectural features representative of their season.

Fall & Winter

By far my favorite portion of the gardens (also my favorite seasons in real life).  This section contained a large central pond and a circular pathway.  There were also many other pathways that branched off and took you to other smaller scenes throughout.

The main scene is that of the pond, bridge, and waterfall.  

Once you walk around to the waterfall, you can climb the rocky stairways to sit in the gazebo on top, meander through the cave-like pathways underneath and look out from beneath the waterfall, or you can hop stones in front of the waterfall.

The waterfall flows out into the pond but also feeds a smaller pond just to its left that is a tranquil sitting place.  O really enjoyed watching some of the turtles up close here.

We were also able to find a vending machine where you can buy boxes of food for only a couple hundred yen to feed the fish and turtles.  I'm not sure O understood the concept, but she definitely showed enthusiasm throwing the food into the water.  Whether she realized the fish were eating them or not... I have no idea.  I loved watching the fish eat the food.  It was like a frenzied rainbow flitting about and shimmering in the sunlight.

Summer

Spring






 No matter where you are in this garden, pay attention to the details.  See the picture below?  That is the roof to the gazebo on the left.  You'd totally miss it if you didn't look up!