Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
dōri was born immediately after the end of World War II and quickly became the symbol of
Okinawa's revival.
Kokusai-dōri is especially popular in the evening when the lights are on and street mer-
chants and musicians come out to ply their trades and talents. The street gets its name from
the former Kokusai Theater which was located nearby. On Sunday afternoons, from noon to
6:00
PM
, Kokusai-dōri is closed to car and bus traffic and is far more pleasant to stroll.
The Heiwa-dōri arcade is one of several glass-roofed pedestrian arcades running perpendicular from
Kokusai-dōri.
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HEIWA-DŌRI
平和通り
About midway along the length of Kokusaidōri you'll come across Heiwa-dōri (
平和通 り
; lit.
“Peace Street”) and Ichiba-hon-dōri (
市場本通り
; lit. “Main Market Street”). These are long
pedestrian-only indoor arcades covered by glass roofs all the way. That's a big plus in the
summer when the sun can be brutal, or during the rainy season, for equally obvious reasons.
You'll find hundreds of shops under these arcades, including a fabulous fish market. The un-
dersea creatures on display rival those at Churaumi Aquarium but with one big difference:
these fish are on ice. They're for sale and meant to be eaten. At the end of Heiwa-dōri is the
Tsuboya (
壺屋
; lit. “Pot Shop”) area, which is famous for its many traditional ceramic shops.
If this is of interest to you, be sure to visit the Tsuboya Pottery Museum (
壷屋陶器会館
; Tsu-
boya tōki kaikan). It's well worth the small admission price.
Indoor Fish Market
Around the world ish, fruit and vegetable markets are usually prety colorful places. This is no more
so than in Okinawa. In the glass-roofed arcades running off Kokusaidōri, you'll find markets stocking
about every kind of fish, fruit and vegetable imaginable, and some almost unimaginable. How about
