Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
At Futenma-gū, there is a fairly large Haiden at the top of the flight of stairs. It's quite at-
tractive, with decorative ornaments trimmed in gold leaf. If you wander around behind the
Haiden, you'll find the Honden, raised up high and locked. Interestingly, and unique to Fut-
enma, there's another very ancient Honden. It's underground in a cave. You'll have to ask per-
mission because it is locked. Behind the Haiden is a door that leads down a corridor and a
flight of stairs to the cave. This was the original sacred place of worship for the cave contained
the
kami
. The original altar still rests at the foot of the stairs. Visitors are asked to pay their
respects to the spirits before exploring the path deeper into the cave. Two loud hand claps
do the trick. The cave is well lit and overflowing with stalactite and stalagmite formations. In
some places there is dripping water seeping down from the ground above. Many of the rock
formations are said to symbolize fertility, and young Okinawan women hoping to have chil-
dren sometimes come to pray here.
4
“AMERICAN VILLAGE” IN CHATAN
北谷町
Having paid our respects, and perhaps having left a small offering, we'll leave the shrine and
drive a little less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) northwest to our next stop, the Ferris wheel at
the “American Village” in Chatan (
北谷町
; Chatan-chō). It's probably a safe bet that a thou-
sandfold more people will visit here than at Futenma gongen, the Nakamura House and the
Nakagusuku ruins combined. And that's to be expected because the Chatan Town area and
the Mihama District (
美浜
;
Mi-hama
), in particular, are at the heart of a lively fun scene, both
day and night. It's especially popular with young people and you'll find them here by the hun-
dreds, both American and Okinawans. The district is full of restaurants, bars, clubs, fast food
places, Starbucks, shopping, sightseeing, a beach, and that giant Ferris wheel.
The American Village is somewhat modeled on a California beach town, say Venice
Beach or Santa Monica. There are plenty of things to do: shopping and more shopping, and
there's a waterfront to stroll along. With enough variety of restaurants and other entertain-
ment, it's an easy place to wander. One side of the Mihama District fronts the East China
Sea but the other is virtually surrounded by the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, Marine
Camp Foster, Navy Camp Lester and Kadena Air Base.
It's easy to see why so many Americans come to Chatan. They live nearby and they want
something to do. And it's easy to see why so many Okinawans come here too. The Amer-
ican Village is a nice place and it's a safe place. There's not much crime anywhere in Japan
and there's little in Okinawa as well. Young people, married couples, families with children,
American or Japanese, anybody can enjoy themselves. If you're new to the island and can't
find it, just drive along Route 58 until you see the Ferris wheel. The wheel itself is built on top
