A wonderful place, Okinawa 3： Naha and Gyokusen cave

＜　Gyokusen cave　＞

This time, I introduce a central city Naha and a limestone cave.

Probably, the greatest pleasure of Naha is Kokusai street, and nature of south part is a limestone cave.

今回は、沖縄の中心都市那覇と鍾乳洞を紹介します。

那覇の楽しみは国際通り、南部の自然は鍾乳洞でしょう。

＜　A yellow frame is the place that I introduce this time.　＞

＜　Gyokusen cave　＞

The biggest feature in here is many icicle-like stalactites and many stalagmites that extended from the bottom around us.

It is easy to walk, and we can sightsee in it within 30 minutes on 890m in length.

Although south part in the main Okinawa island is flat ground, it consists of many limestone layers, and is a low number of rivers.

This geographical feature and the typhoon of summer had directed Okinawa to the dry-field farming of sugarcane or pineapple.

ここはつらら状の鍾乳石と下から伸びる石筍が身近に多く見られることが特徴だと思います。

ここは歩き易く、長さ８９０ｍを３０分以内で観光出来ます。

この本島南部は平地が多いのですが石灰岩層が多く、河川が少ない。

この地形と夏の台風が、沖縄をサトウキビやパイナップルの畑作に向かわせた。

＜　Naha City　＞

I am surprised that this place has been developed much further, because I had traveled to it about 20 years ago once.

Here is a prefectural capital at the present day, and has been the center in Okinawa since a capital of Ryukyu Kingdom that has born in the 15th century.

私は２０年ほど前に、一度旅行で来たことがあるが、発展していた。

ここは県庁所在地であり、１５世紀に誕生した琉球王国の首都以来、沖縄の中心地です。

＜　Kokusai street, a public market　＞

The greatest tourist spot is Kokusai street that is the greatest shopping quarter.

Its scale is the same or more than Grand bazar in Istanbul or Namdaemun market in Seoul.

There are restaurants, souvenir shops and clothing stores on both sides of 1.6-km driveway in Kokusaistreet.

Furthermore, ten long shopping streets have been continuing from it.

A public market in it is the most interesting and we can experience there the Okinawa people's life.

We can taste Ryukyu, seafood, and Chinese food at a handy price on the second floor, where there are many restaurants.

I recommended it.

When I was walking Kokusai street, I looked many tourists of Taiwan or China.

Though there is a territorial issue between both countries, I thought that Okinawa is a familiar existence by both countries.

Next time, I introduced the Food of Okinawa.

観光地として外せないのは最大の繁華街、この国際通りではないでしょうか。

ソウルの南大門市場やイスタンブールのグランドバザールに負けない規模を誇ります。

国際通りは１．６ｋｍの車道の両側に飲食店や土産物屋、衣料店が並びます。

さらにそこから１０本ほど枝別れした長い商店街が続きます。

最も興味深いのは公設市場で、沖縄庶民の暮らしを味わえます。

2階は琉球、海鮮、中華料理を手頃な値段で味わえる食堂街で、お奨めです。

国際通りを歩いていると、台湾と中国の観光客が多く、尖閣の問題がありながらも両国とは身近な存在なのだと感じた。

次回は、沖縄の食を紹介します。