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Okinawa Airport, also known as Naha Airport, is a great place to buy souvenirs and gifts. With over 50 stores, the airport offers a wide range of options, from traditional sweets and snacks to local crafts and alcoholic beverages. Many of the souvenirs available at the airport reflect Okinawa's unique culture and history, making them perfect gifts for friends and family or memorable mementos of your trip. In this paragraph, we will explore some of the most popular items to buy at Okinawa Airport and provide suggestions for travellers looking to bring a piece of Okinawa home with them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of stores | 50 |
| Location | Second floor of the departure terminal lobby |
| Products | Traditional Okinawan sweets, local craft products, regional alcohol, snacks, ramen, souvenirs |
| Traditional Okinawan sweets | Chinsuko, Shimatougarashi cookies, Sata Andagi, Benimo Sweet Potato Tart, Okinawan chocolate |
| Local craft products | Ryukyu Glass |
| Regional alcohol | Orion beer, Awamori, Sea serpent sake |
| Snacks | Okinawa Pretzel, Pocky |
| Ramen | Okinawa Soba noodle |
| Souvenirs | Shisa Statue |
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What You'll Learn
Local snacks and sweets
Okinawa is famed for its local snacks and sweets, which can be purchased at Naha Airport. One of the symbolic souvenirs is the Beniimo Tart, a fragrant and moist tart made with purple Okinawan sweet potatoes. The Okashi Goten Corner on the second floor of the airport sells these tarts individually, so you can try one as a snack before buying a pack of 12 to take home.
Another local treat is the Sata Andagi, a type of Okinawan doughnut. Unlike traditional doughnuts, Sata Andagi are shaped like small spheres rather than rings. At the Ryukyu Village on the second floor of Naha Airport, you can find freshly baked Sata Andagi in various flavours, including plain and brown cane sugar.
Chinsuko is another traditional Okinawan sweet. These plain confections are made from flour, sugar, and lard, and are known for their crisp texture and mild taste. The 400-year-old Aragaki Chinsuko sweets shop at Naha Airport offers a range of flavours, such as plain, brown sugar, chocolate, purple yam, cinnamon, sesame salt, and honey ginger.
For a savoury snack, try the Okinawa Pretzel, a biscuit stick flavoured with regional ingredients like purple sweet potatoes, brown sugar, and salt. If you're looking for something spicy, the "Shimatougarashi Cookies" might be worth a try. They are made with red pepper and Camembert cheese, resulting in a mildly spicy and sweet taste that pairs well with beer.
Lastly, Royce, a Japanese local chocolate brand, offers a special flavour exclusive to Naha Airport: brown sugar. With its sweet and mellow flavour and rich aroma, it is a popular choice for travellers looking for a unique treat.
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Regional alcoholic drinks
Okinawa has a thriving alcoholic beverage industry, with a variety of regional alcoholic drinks to choose from. Here are some of the most popular ones that you can buy at Naha Airport:
Awamori is an alcoholic beverage unique to Okinawa, Japan, and is the oldest distilled alcoholic drink in the country. It is made from long-grain Indica rice, which is typically imported from Thailand due to local production being insufficient to meet demand. Awamori has a strong flavour and is typically 60–86 proof (30–43% alcohol), although "export" brands tend to be 50 proof (25% alcohol). It is aged in traditional clay pots to improve its flavour and mellowness and is usually enjoyed with water and ice. It is similar to the Japanese drink Shochu but has a more refined flavour. It is also used in Kōrēgusu, a type of hot sauce made of chillies infused in Awamori, which is often used as a condiment for Okinawan dishes.
Orion beer is Okinawa's local beer and is the signature beer brand of the prefecture. It is enjoyed during quiet drinks at home as well as festive events. It is said to have both a local and international following.
In addition to these, Okinawa also offers fruit-flavoured wines, microbrewery beers, and sugarcane rum. For non-alcoholic options, Okinawa also has a variety of non-alcoholic beers readily found in grocery stores and convenience stores.
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Shisa statues
Some of the most famous Shisa statues in Okinawa include the Giant Shisa at Kokusai Street, standing at over three meters tall, and the Shuri Castle Shisa, which reflects the architectural and artistic influences of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The Shisa of Naha Gate is another prominent pair of statues, overlooking the entrance to the old royal palace. These statues serve as symbolic guardians, protecting against evil spirits and offering a striking first impression of Okinawan culture and tradition.
The Tomori Lion Shisa is the oldest and among the largest Shisa statues, erected in 1689. It guards against disasters, specifically fires, which have historically plagued the village of Tomori. This statue also bears bullet holes from the Battle of Okinawa, adding to its historical significance. The Kouri Bridge Shisa is another symbolic protector, watching over those crossing Okinawa's longest bridge and enhancing the area's tourist appeal with its cultural and mythological presence.
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![[Japanese Postcard] Photo by MIRO ANA airplane and airplane postcard flying over Okinawa Main Island in Okinawa Prefecture](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/11xYK1TcUfL._AC_UL320_.jpg)
Ryukyu glass
You can find a variety of Ryukyu glass items at the Ryukyu Glass Outlet, located in the Ryukyu Glass Craft Village in the southern part of Okinawa, near Naha Airport. The outlet offers a large selection of Ryukyu glass at reasonable prices. Additionally, you can visit the Rurian shop at Naha Airport, which carries a range of Ryukyu glass products, including cups, accessories, and interior design items.
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Okinawan chocolate
Okinawa is known for its unique souvenirs, including local sweet snacks and regional alcoholic drinks. One such sweet treat is Okinawan chocolate, which is carefully handcrafted with local ingredients.
One type of Okinawan chocolate is "uchinaa chocolate", which comes in nine types of bon-bon chocolates with distinct scents and flavours of Okinawa. These chocolates incorporate local ingredients such as turmeric, mugwort, miso from Miyako, sea salt, island chilli pepper, orange, peanuts, brown cane sugar, and island peppercorn.
Another option for chocolate lovers is the bean-to-bar chocolate specialty shop, Timeless Chocolate, in Mihama Depot Island, Chatan Town. The shop explores the combination of Okinawan sugarcane and cacao beans, showcasing the different flavours that emerge based on their country of origin. The entire process of chocolate production, from roasting and cracking cacao beans to conching and tempering, takes place at this factory. The branding and taste of the chocolate, created using only cacao beans and sugarcane, have gained popularity beyond Okinawa and throughout Japan.
Additionally, Okinawa CACAO is another bean-to-bar chocolate maker that creates handcrafted chocolates with Okinawan ingredients. They also cultivate cacao on their own farm, aiming for their first crop in 2020-2021. Their chocolates aim to bring joy and foster connections between people.
For those with a sweet tooth, Okinawan chocolate offers a delightful blend of local flavours and craftsmanship, making it a memorable treat to indulge in or bring home as a souvenir from Okinawa.
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Frequently asked questions
Naha Airport has over 50 stores selling a variety of souvenirs, including:
- Shimatougarashi cookies
- Chinsuko, a traditional Okinawan sweet
- Sata Andagi, or Okinawan donuts
- Okinawan chocolate
- Ryukyu Glass
- Awamori, a traditional Okinawan liquor
- Shisa Statues
- Beniimo Tart, made with Okinawan sweet potatoes
- Okinawa Soba noodles
- Orion beer, Okinawa's local beer
There are several shopping areas within a 40-minute drive of Naha Airport:
- American Village, a large-scale seaside resort town
- AEON MALL Okinawa Rycom, one of the largest shopping malls in Okinawa
- Ashibina Okinawa Outlet Mall, which features over 100 boutiques
- Umikazi Terrace Senagajima, a commercial facility with over 40 specialist outlets
Okinawa is famous for its red peppers, so you could buy something made with red pepper as a souvenir. You could also try Sea Serpent Sake, which is said to have a fruitful effect on the body.
Naha Airport has a wide variety of snacks available, including:
- Okinawan Pretzels, biscuit sticks flavoured with regional ingredients like purple sweet potatoes, brown sugar and salt
- Pocky, a popular Japanese snack
- Fresh noodles from Terukina's
Chocolate is a safe bet for a souvenir that anyone will enjoy. The Japanese local brand "Royce" sells chocolate in a special flavour of "brown sugar" that is exclusive to Naha Airport.
