Soft Creamy Caramel, A Rare Treat I Found in Nakijin

As a local tour guide, I need to visit as many regional destinations as possible and see things first hand. It is nothing special, of course. But, when you find a place or a thing in your area that you have somehow missed before, and if the place or the thing turned out to be your cup of tea, wouldn't you feel happy for the rest of the day? And wouldn't you feel like sharing your discovery with your family members or friends?

Well, this is my discovery today. The photo I uploaded here is a package of "Ryukyu-noh Shizuku." What contained inside the styrofoam box are wrapped, bite-sized brown-sugar soft caramels.

Soft caramels, or more popularly called "nah-mah carameloo" here in Japan, has become widely popular ever since Hanabatake Bokujo in Hokkaido introduced this new category of confection several years ago. Soon, dozens of other candy makers followed suit. I don't know how many confectionaries are out there now, having come up with their own products of soft caramels.

Here in Okinawa, we have this particular product for one. "Ryukyu-noh Shizuku" is a product of Ryukyu Aloe Ltd. (http://ryukyualoe.co.jp/). I happened to find a small wooden sign quetly put up by the roadside in the quiet community of Nakijin and the sign is written only in Japanese, making it almost impossible for foreign travellers to visit the confectionary.

Abundance of high quality brown suger -- as sugarcane is the main crop here on the island prefecture -- enables the candy maker to manufacture this rare sweet treat. It's rare because the amount of caramel it can produce in a day is limited and only a handful of stores with the license contract are allowed to sell this brand. (I have not yet checked which stores in Okinawa sell "Ryukyu-noh Shizuku.")

How does it taste? you ask.

Well, I'll put it like...it's soft and richly creamy and I recommend you taste what the lush, sun-kissed sugarcane on Okinawa has to offer in a very sweet manner.

Okinawa & Hawaii

I found a YouTube video clip featuring a former Hawaiian Sumo wrestler Konishiki and a popular singer from Okinawa, Rimi Natsukawa. Jake Shimabukuro, a ukulele virtuoso of Hawaiian-born, Okinawan decsent, is appropreately invited to perform his instrument for the concert. Enjoy the beautiful blend of Okinawan & Hawaiian melodies.

Clic ↓　to see YouTube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2Nd5nqVwn4

Asia's Largest Aquarium "Churaumi Suizokukan"

Okinawa is a tiny island, I must admit. So it may not be easy to imagine that one of the largest aquarium is established here on the 100 mile long island. We don't have a vast expanse of land, yet we are surrounded by the huge body of water, located between the edge of the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea. If not mistaken, "Churaumi Aquarium" is one of the three largest aquariums in the world, and if you are planning to visit Asia, you might want to add this unique destination to your itinerary.

This huge aquarium proudly displays three shark whales -- the largest kind of shark existing on earth -- and the way those huge marine creatures swim in a grandiose manner in the aquarium is sure to dazzle every visitor.

It is my hope that more cruise ships will make port calls at Motobo harbor so that more foreign visitors have chanses to see the great aquarium.

Clik the URL below to virtually visit Churaumni Aquarium

http://www.kaiyouhaku.com/en/index.html

Kouri Island

Kouri Island is one of 49 inhabited islands in Okinawa.
My wife and I spent a quiet afternoon at a cafe with wonderful view.
I'd like to share some of the photos we took last winter.

A Late Afternoon Tea at a Cafe on Kouri Island

Hibiscus Water, Bottleled Soft Drink

I went to a local convenience store in Okinawa and found "Hibiscus Water" today. As the name suggests, this bottled water is pinkish and refreshing in appearance. As many know, it is the state flower of Hawaii, where the abundance of the plant make it possible to create many products such as T-shirts with hibiscus motif and hibiscus tea. But I don't think many people know that Okinawa has its indigenous type of hibiscus called "Akabana." This particular brand is made of Akabana type and I'm sure the name and color prompt a sense of affinity among Okinawan people.

Okinawa Bireley's Ltd. (http://www.okinawa-bireleys.co.jp/index.html), a soft drink maker in this island prefecture of Japan, has added this new brand to its product lineup as it has done with other soft drink products using subtropical fruits readily available here.

They say Cleopatra loved hibiscus tea to maintain her superb beauty. I didn't choose this particular  soft drink for a cosmetic reason, but I'm glad that the company has come up with this refreshing taste using the indigenous flower here on the island.