Explore the deep forests and blue seas of Okinawa Yanbaru with a nature guide - 2 days and 1 night

Ai Nishimura

Administrator of the blog "My Diary," which began in 2004. A writer who has traveled to all 47 prefectures and loves local culture and history.
Author of Shimane's "Geography, Place Names, and Maps" Mysteries (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha), My Town is the "Number One in Japan" Dictionary (PHP Institute), and Prefectures Explained in Neko Neko Japanese History (Jitsugyo no Nihonsha). Official blogger for Suntory Gourmet Guide, official top user for Retty, and official platinum blogger for Excite.

Roadside Station Yuiyui Kunigami: A wealth of northern Okinawa souvenirs and World Heritage goods

Kunigami Village Roadside Station, located along National Route 58, is marked by its triangular roof. It is a bustling area within the village, with restaurants and a food court on the premises and convenience stores in the surrounding area. It is a relatively large roadside station, stocked with tourist information for the north, pamphlets and documents related to the World Natural Heritage Site, and local souvenirs.
There are approximately 3,000 souvenir items available.
The soft and chewy "Kunjan Nantu" has a lightly sweet brown sugar flavor. It has a chewy texture similar to "Uiro" and is accented with the aroma of ginger at the end.
"Karagi tea" is a popular tea in Kunigami Village, with a refreshing cinnamon scent.
They also sell fresh local vegetables and fruits, such as tankan in the winter and pineapples and mangoes in the summer.

To mark the occasion of the area's registration as a World Heritage Site in 2021, a "World Heritage Site Specialty Products Corner" will also be set up, with related stickers, T-shirts and other travel memorabilia on offer.
This is a roadside station that you should definitely stop by when sightseeing in the northern part of the country.

Yuiyui Kunigami Roadside Station

Miyazato confectionery shop "Kunigami Donuts" has more than 70 years of history in the Hedona shopping district

Kunigami Donuts are extremely popular at the previously introduced "Yuiyui Kunigami Roadside Station." The shop that makes these donuts is located in the Hentona Shopping Arcade, a little north of the roadside station.
Miyazato Kashiten is a Japanese and Western confectionery shop run by the Miyazato couple. It has been in business for almost 50 years since its founding, and is loved by locals.
The most popular cake is the "Banana Boat," a sponge cake filled with fresh cream and bananas. This local confectionery shop also makes sweets for memorial services and Japanese sweets for seasonal events.

About 14 or 15 years ago, the Chamber of Commerce approached me to see if I could make something using local ingredients, and I decided to make donuts. Initially, three shops in the town made donuts based on the recipe I came up with, but now they are only made here at Miyazato Confectionery.

The donuts are made by hand, without the use of machines. The dough is prepared the night before, left to rest, and then fried the next morning. They use whole wheat flour, cane sugar, tapioca flour, local soy milk, and coconut milk from Okinawa. They do not contain any animal products such as eggs or milk, and they also do not contain any preservatives, so they are safe for both adults and children to eat.
There are five flavors: plain, chocolate, and the local "tankan," "pineapple," and "karagi tea."
You can also enjoy donuts along with delicious coffee at Coffee Shop M, which is connected to the confectionery shop.

Miyazato Confectionery Shop

Okinawa Nature Guide Recommended! Enjoy beef soba noodles while admiring the flowers and pond at "Yamabiko"

The restaurant recommended by Mr. Hattori, our guide at Daisekirinzan, is Yamabiko, where you can eat set meals and Okinawa soba.
This is a restaurant frequented by locals, and the appeal is that you can fill your stomach at an affordable price.
The menu also includes "beef soba," a specialty of northern Okinawa.
Beef soba is a noodle dish made by stir-frying bean sprouts and beef with pepper and other spices, then topping it generously on Okinawa soba. The richness and umami of the stir-fried beef is fully absorbed into the soup. The noodles are thick and satisfying, ordered from a noodle factory in Nago. Even though it was my first time eating beef soba, I was completely hooked.
Of course, they serve authentic Okinawa soba, but other popular dishes include the "Yakiniku Set Meal" and "Beef and Bean Sprout Set Meal."

The unique feature of this restaurant is its large garden, which you won't notice until you enter the restaurant. As soon as you step inside the restaurant, the flowers that spread out before you are well-maintained, and as a private hobby, the scale of the garden is impressive. You can dine while looking at the koi swimming gracefully in the large pond, and the garden is covered with flowering trees such as orchids and ornamental plants.
The garden was created 20 years ago when the shop opened, and now that it has become well-known, they often receive flowers and trees to plant.

The visually stunning garden, delicious beef soba noodles, and homey atmosphere made for a soothing and comfortable lunchtime.

Echo

"Hiji Falls" where you can encounter nature through river walking and trekking even in the middle of winter

Hiji Falls has the highest drop on Okinawa Island, at 25.7m.
On the last day, we took part in a trekking tour of Hiji Falls.

On this tour, we encountered the flora and fauna of the Yanbaru forest, and along the way we learned about forest conservation activities, the eradication of invasive species, and nature conservation, all of which are common to any region or forest. We learned a lot about how to interact with nature.
Our guide for this tour was Hiromi Kamikaiji. She was born in Chiba prefecture and moved to Kunigami village, where she now works as a nature guide in Yanbaru.

During the tour, we had fun trekking and learning about the various creatures and plants of subtropical Okinawa, where both temperate and tropical plants and animals live. Uekaichi says that he finds even small caterpillars "beautiful," and urges people to understand their true nature and treat them with love, rather than disliking them. Most caterpillars are not poisonous, and each one has evolved to protect itself, which he finds very adorable and lovable. He says that he has received many comments from people saying that their attitude towards insects has changed by getting to know them and looking closely.
The tour was designed with the hope that it would encourage everyone to think about ways in which humans can coexist with plants and animals in their daily lives.

The course allows you to enjoy a leisurely trek along the promenade that runs along the river.
Along the way, we had the thrilling experience of wading through the river up to our knees, meeting the Noguchi's woodpecker (a type of woodpecker) a rare endemic species found only in the Yanbaru region, observing flowers and fruits that can only be seen in winter, enjoying their shapes and scents, and fully enjoying nature while making full use of all five senses. Taking our time allowed us to experience the ultimate extraordinary experience, feeling nature with our whole bodies.
The route doesn't cross the river and takes about 40 minutes one way to the falls. However, Uekaichi's trekking tour takes twice as long and is a relaxed and thorough experience.
In addition to the volume of water and the force of the falls, I realized that a proper understanding of nature can greatly change the way you experience it, and this experience strengthened my desire to respect and cherish the nature of Yanbaru.

You can apply for a tour of Kamikaichi at "Endemic Garden H."

Hiji Falls

Endemic Garden H