Naha and Naeba, Japan

Naha

Naha is the capital of Okinawa Prefecture and the political and cultural center of the archipelago. In addition to UNESCO-listed attractions, colorful markets and traditional quarters with colorful houses, Naha even has a beach – Nami-no-Ue – the only one in the city.

Monorail and buses in Naha

The U-Ray city monorail, opened in August 2003, is an extremely comfortable and fast means of getting around the city. This system connects the center of Naha with Shuri Airport, passing through the Kokusai Street shopping center and making stops at 15 locations. The route covers various tourist spots in the city: the Shintoshin area, Shuri Castle, and others. Laid at a height of 8-12 m, the monorail offers beautiful views of the city.

Note: according to allcitypopulation, the population of Japan is 125.7 million (2021).

In addition, buses with numbers 1 to 14, as well as 16 and 17 run around the city. Buses on the circular routes start from the Miegusku bus terminal. Embarkation is made through the front door, disembarkation – through the back. Except for bus No. 8 from Shuri-Shitamachi, which has a one-way fare of JPY 200, the fare for other routes is JPY 200-330, regardless of pick-up or drop-off point.

The fare is paid directly on the bus, in special cash registers in small change (large bills and coins can also be exchanged here).

Shopping and stores

Kokusai Street or “Magic Mile” (1.6 km long) is the center of the city’s tourist life. Here you can easily find souvenirs even for the most demanding relatives, as well as cafes and restaurants to your taste and budget. The street is only a couple of minutes walk from the Kancho-mae or Makishi monorail station.

A popular place to shop for souvenirs is the Naha Traditional Crafts Center, located on the second floor of the Tenbusu Naha Building on Naha Street. Kokusai.

Washita, an Okinawan shop selling traditional souvenirs, awamori alcohol, black sugar candy, noodles, sea salt, and the mythical protector Shisa.

You can buy traditional yachimun pottery from the Tsuboya area (which is more than 400 years old) on Yachimun Street, which is located near Kokusai. The 400-meter street between Heiva and Himyueri streets is full of galleries, cafes and pottery shops with unique pieces of art.

Entertainment and attractions in Naha

Shuri Castle, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The castle itself and its Unaa inner plaza are a synthesis of Korean, Chinese and Okinawan architectural styles, and can be accessed through the Kankai and Zuisen gates, as well as through the surrounding walls of the castle, the Main, South and North Corridors. Not far from the Shurei gate, the traditional Kinjo quarter goes down. Also of interest is Fukushuen Garden, a symbol of the close relationship between China and Okinawa, completed in 1992.

Other Attractions: Sonohyan Stone Gate, Tamaudun Royal Mausoleum, Sefa-Utaki Sacred Site, Makishi-Kosetsu-Ichiba Central Market, Shintoshin City’s newest district.

Naeba

The mysterious country of Japan has something to offer ski lovers. In Niigata Prefecture, one of the popular ski resorts Naeba is located, which is located at the foot of the mountain of the same name. The resort is part of the Yuzawa ski area, known for its wonderful snow cover and long ski season: the resorts of the area welcome guests from mid-November to the end of May. A wide variety of slopes on the picturesque slopes attracts beginners, masters, and real skiing professionals: as the largest ski resort in Japan, Naeba is the venue for numerous World Cups, which makes it even more attractive.

How to get there

The proximity of the resort to Tokyo (a little more than an hour on a high-speed, very comfortable train) makes it even more attractive, as it makes it possible to organize a rich excursion program.

Treatment and spa

To complete the impressions of the Naeba resort, it makes sense to visit the hot springs, which are numerous at the base of the mountain. Spas offer many different treatments and programs based on the use of mineral water from sources for healing the body and just relaxing.

Hotels and restaurants

The resort has a developed infrastructure that takes into account all the needs of athletes and just vacationers, and is traditionally loved by the inhabitants of the Land of the Rising Sun, so it is especially crowded here on weekends. The world’s largest ski hotel is located here. Actually, it is impossible to call it a ski resort: all guests are welcome here, and for everyone there are opportunities for a comfortable and interesting vacation. Located at the foot of Mount Naeba, the Naeba Prince 5 * hotel offers its guests tennis courts, spas, saunas, and a swimming pool.

Restaurants with Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian food are hospitably waiting for guests, numerous various bars are ready to offer all kinds of drinks, both national and international. This makes the guests’ leisure time rich and enjoyable, and the rest after skiing fills them with new emotions. The level of service at the hotel is the highest: the professional training of the staff, combined with purely Japanese traditions and character traits, gives an excellent result. More modest hotels are also available for accommodation. However, the number of stars here depends only on the range of additional services and the degree of sophistication of the interior, the level of service in all hotels is equally high.

Slopes

On the slopes of Naeba there are many slopes of various levels (of which 30% green, for beginners, 40% red, medium difficulty, and 30% black, focused on professionals), they are served by more than 30 lifts, optimally located. Just like in European ski resorts, here you can buy a ski pass for a different number of days. The longest descent has a length of about 4000 meters with a vertical drop of 889 meters, which will allow you to fully enjoy the features of the slope and the picturesque landscapes around. Much attention is paid to the rescue services at the resort. They have at their disposal various vehicles, means of communication and modern equipment in case of evacuation of an injured athlete. The reverent attitude of the Japanese towards children is also manifested in the ski resort. Playground for the little ones