Kokusaidori In Naha, Buku Buku Tea And Okinawan Symbols

Kokusaidori 国際通り is a famous shopping street in Naha, the capital and largest city of Okinawa. It is the city’s main street. It is 1.6 km long. Kokusai Dori means International Street. Apart from department stores, there are shops with souvenirs and Okinawan crafts as well. There are also so many places to eat on this street. You can enjoy Buku Buku Tea, literally "bubbly tea" - made of rice, fried and then boiled in water for about half an hour, and in its water jasmine tea is added, and also some smashed peanuts. The purple Okinawan sweet potatoes are a highlight in the local desserts. Also, the traditional clothes of Okinawa come in vivid designs of Ryukyu bingata. The traditional costume is called ryuso, and you can see it below. The Okinawan hat is called hanagasa. The local alcoholic drink is called awamori. Another symbol of Okinawa is the komainu lion dog, called shisa, a local cultural artifact that I described in a previous post. Here it is, guarding this famous street in Naha.