Travelers love to take a walk on streets and discover things along the way. My wife and I walked streets of Shanghai last summer. We stopped wherever we found any interesting thing or shop, and enjoyed every bit of our discovery. So, it's natural to assume that tourists visiting Okinawa would like to walk through streets on the island. With this view in mind, I take time to walk, discovering things on my own, introducing myself to the owners of new shops or eateries, or hearing latest developments of long-established small business entities like Antique Nagahama near Nago Cross Section.
As far as I remember, the last time I went into the shop was fifteen years ago or more. But it is the first time that I meet Mr. Nagahama, the shop keeper. He was so kind to show me around the inside, which is filled with items he has collected for many decades from all over the world.
We conversed for about an hour and half. He had so many stories to share with me. At one time, he went to Brazil to meet Okinawans who immigrated to the country on the other end of the globe. One of the item he wanted to collect was B-Yen, a currency issued by the U.S. military during the years of the military occupation of the island after WWII. (The reversion of Okinawa to Japan took place in 1972.) The shopkeeper knew that many of the Okinawan immigrants took B-Yen bills with them to Brazil. At a dinner table with Okinawans during his visit, he asked if they still kept B-Yen, and he was surprised to find out that the host made phone calls to other Okinawans nearby and asked them to bring the old currencies over if they had kept some. Soon, many Okinawans gathered at the host's house and brought him the bills they kept for so many years.
At another time in Brazil, he found a mansion. As he knocked, he was greeted by the master's wife. He soon found out that she was originally from England and lived there for good. He remembers it was a fortunate meeting because he made a purchase of a few items decorated in the gorgeous residence.
I cannot upload photos of the items he displays inside his shop, which is quite crammed with collected items. But, he allowed me to upload the photos of rare telephone cards, which are rather new items among his collections. Before the age of cell phone, telephone boxes stood at a certain distance along the shopping streets all over Japan. Telephone boxes, however, are quickly disappearing as it became inevitable for Nippon Telephone and Telegram--NTT, for short, is a telephone giant in Japan--to adopt with the shift of communication tools from telephone to cell phone. As less and less people bothered to find a nearest telephone box, the revenue plunged and it became impossible to maintain thousands of telephone boxes throughout Japan. So, telephone cards are already a thing of the past. Although I don't personally know anyone who collect telephone cards, I'm sure there must be many. (Telephone cards issued by NTT is only usable in Japan. It functions as a prepaid card.)
The telephone cards shown below were created by Okinawa branch of the telephone company. They printed a few works of famous Okinawan painters. Mr. Nagahama told me those telephone cards are not created anymore.
Antique Nagahama is located on Nago Main Street (Nago Ohdouri).
Opens on weekdays from 3PM - 7PM. Closes on weekends and Japanese holidays.
Tel: 0980-52-1722 (Japanese only)
The shop is very close from this blog's author, if you need any help in terms of interpretation.
Click here to see the location of the shop on Google Map.
We conversed for about an hour and half. He had so many stories to share with me. At one time, he went to Brazil to meet Okinawans who immigrated to the country on the other end of the globe. One of the item he wanted to collect was B-Yen, a currency issued by the U.S. military during the years of the military occupation of the island after WWII. (The reversion of Okinawa to Japan took place in 1972.) The shopkeeper knew that many of the Okinawan immigrants took B-Yen bills with them to Brazil. At a dinner table with Okinawans during his visit, he asked if they still kept B-Yen, and he was surprised to find out that the host made phone calls to other Okinawans nearby and asked them to bring the old currencies over if they had kept some. Soon, many Okinawans gathered at the host's house and brought him the bills they kept for so many years.
At another time in Brazil, he found a mansion. As he knocked, he was greeted by the master's wife. He soon found out that she was originally from England and lived there for good. He remembers it was a fortunate meeting because he made a purchase of a few items decorated in the gorgeous residence.
I cannot upload photos of the items he displays inside his shop, which is quite crammed with collected items. But, he allowed me to upload the photos of rare telephone cards, which are rather new items among his collections. Before the age of cell phone, telephone boxes stood at a certain distance along the shopping streets all over Japan. Telephone boxes, however, are quickly disappearing as it became inevitable for Nippon Telephone and Telegram--NTT, for short, is a telephone giant in Japan--to adopt with the shift of communication tools from telephone to cell phone. As less and less people bothered to find a nearest telephone box, the revenue plunged and it became impossible to maintain thousands of telephone boxes throughout Japan. So, telephone cards are already a thing of the past. Although I don't personally know anyone who collect telephone cards, I'm sure there must be many. (Telephone cards issued by NTT is only usable in Japan. It functions as a prepaid card.)
The telephone cards shown below were created by Okinawa branch of the telephone company. They printed a few works of famous Okinawan painters. Mr. Nagahama told me those telephone cards are not created anymore.
An Okinawan Court Dance Performer.
Painter: Koukan Yanagi
Shuri Castle In Bygone Days.
Painted by Shousei Yamazato.
Tribute Vessels Anchoring In Naha Port.
Antique Nagahama is located on Nago Main Street (Nago Ohdouri).
Opens on weekdays from 3PM - 7PM. Closes on weekends and Japanese holidays.
Tel: 0980-52-1722 (Japanese only)
The shop is very close from this blog's author, if you need any help in terms of interpretation.
Click here to see the location of the shop on Google Map.
Antique Nagahama on Nago Main Street
