Date I went: 03/29/2020
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Welcome back to the blog my Ryukyu loving peeps!
We are going to look at some of the less explored beaches of Okinawa in the Nanjo and Yaese areas.
Here are some links to other great attractions in the Nanjo and Yaese areas
From Nakagusuku castle I made my way to the Nishihara Kira Kira Beach; side note I used to have a cat named Kita Kita whose fur was white as snow.
Nishihara Kira Kira Beach (西原きらきらビーチ)
One of the most popular features of this beach is the beach soccer area they have that seems to be set up all the time for any locals or tourists to use! When I arrived here there was a friendly beach soccer scrimmage taking place.
Even if you are just a family or visiting alone it's a great place to come and relax and catch some of the local beach soccer action. It's a bit windy at this beach so if you are going in the winter months I would recommend bringing a jacket.
Dolphin Park (東崎都市緑地 イルカ公園)
Across the street from the beach is the Dolphin Park. The park touts a huge dolphin playground structure. After a swim at the beach it's a great spot to come have a picnic or play on a dolphin.
There's also a nice observatory hill that has a view of the beach and park.
Around the park I found this fella doing some rad Dragon Ball art on a wall, can't wait to come back and see how it turned out.
Fusozaki Park (冨祖崎公園)
I looked a bit more around the area and found a man fishing at the pier around Fusozaki Park (featured in the bottom right corner above), as is very common in Okinawa. The top three pictures also feature Fusozaki Park.
There was also a reservoir that had one of those unique Okinawan rocks in the middle of it (featured in the bottom left corner picture). I'm really obsessed with the Okinawan rock formations if you didn't know.
Azama Sun Sun Beach (あざまサンサンビーチ)
A bit south down the coast in the Nanjo area I checked out Azama Sun Sun Beach, which was a nice wide open beach with a few hidden gems itself. The road down is very very steep so be careful when driving down!
The swing reminds me of the Ainori series in Japan, also known as Love Wagon. Couples are formed after going on a rough journey through various parts of the world, and in a few seasons a guy builds a swing to show his affection to the girl.
Another interesting staple I've noticed about Okinawan beaches is the entrances they have. In Hawaii every beach is free and open to the public, and although I did go into the Azama beach for free I know that some of the beaches require you to pay an entrance fee.
Heart Bell (ハートの鐘)
The Heart Bell is the most prominent feature of the Azama Sun Sun beach. It has a bell you ring while looking out to the sea. There's no sign saying what the bell is for, or who built it, but I would guess that it's for good luck in romance; yes I did ring it a few times.
I then made my way back up the steep hill from Azama beach to head to my next beach destination. You can really get a sense of the steepness here.
Northeast Coast of Cape Chinen (知念岬北東の海岸)
I think this beach in the Nanjo area of Okinawa is hardly every visited as the name does not give off beach vibes. Northeast Coast of Cape Chinen... it sounds like a place where something important in history occurred.
Nonetheless it's a nice secluded beach with some more views of the unique rock formations of Okinawa and plenty of little tide pools where you can see fish and other little critters of the Okinawan marine ecosystem.
These are a few pics I snapped from above the coast line as the roads around the Nanjo area all are a bit elevated above since the hills drop quick steeply to the coastline here.
Niraibashi and Kanai Bridge (ニライ橋、カナイ橋)
If you are driving around the Nanjo area you definitely need to drive through the Niraibashi and Kanai bridges. They offer some spectacular views of the Nanjo coastline below, and there's even a few places you can pull off on the side of this bridge to take in the breathtaking scenery. It's definitely the most scenic road I drove on in Okinawa.
Okutake Beach (奥武ビーチ)
I wasn't even planning to stop by this small beach on Ou island called Okutake beach, but it was so cute that I just had to!
Ojima Island (奥武島)
I'm always so fascinated by these small little towns on little islands around Okinawa, and Ou island is no exception. The island is just a kilometer wide, but has their own market, restaurants, lodings, and the beach of course!
Gushichan Beach (ぐしちゃん浜)
Gushichan Boulder (具志頭ボルダー)
My last stops for the day were to Gushichan Boulder and Gushichan beach. I found out later that due to the unique shapes of these rocks in Okinawa they have become popular spots for rock climbers. There's a few tide pools here as well to catch some of the smaller marine organisms on the island.
Another beach with hardly anyone around! There's so many options for great beaches to choose from Okinawa :D
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