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.

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

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!