There are many tourist attractions in southern Okinawa.
In addition to the Peace Memorial Park, Himeyuri Pagoda, and Saiba Utaki, there are castle ruins and capes.
There is a place that tends to get lost among these numerous tourist attractions.
That is “Minami no Eki Yaese” (Southern Station Yaese).
Opened in 2017, this station is full of locals, sitting outside in chairs leisurely eating delicious food, and it is truly Uchinatime.
I have never seen it crowded, perhaps because it is not well known to tourists.
Let us tell you about the best places to visit at “Minami no Eki Yaese”!
Point 1: Open plaza & unique restaurants
Entering the parking lot of “Minami-no-Eki Yaese,” you will see a large open space.
It is covered with a roof, so you can enjoy the Okinawan sunshine or a sudden squall.
Of course, you can enjoy Okinawa’s standard foods such as zenzai, tempura, and Okinawan soba.
The zenzai is made with orthodox crunchy ice and lightly simmered kintoki-mame (kidney beans) and shiratama (white rice balls).
Tempura is well seasoned and makes you want to drink beer.
In addition, there is also a sweet called “Beni imo chichii,” which can only be purchased at this station.
It is made by kneading a lot of red sweet potato into rice cake flour, and is just like a deep-fried dumpling.
It is very savory, and you will be full after eating one.
Point 2: Slightly stylish processed Okinawan products
This beautiful facility contains the restaurant I mentioned earlier.
Here, you can buy rare souvenirs made in Okinawa Prefecture.
These are not the usual items sold on Kokusai-Dori or at the airport.
The products here are specially made for Yaese, so you will not find anything you have never seen before.
In addition, vegetables grown in Yaesse are also available.
Nowadays, vegetables sold in supermarkets are so expensive that you cannot afford to buy them.
However, the vegetables here are large, fresh, and reasonably priced.
When I saw a hefty piece of broccoli for 100 yen, I couldn’t help but buy three of them…
Point 3: Yaese Town residents, your go-to supermarket
On the same site as “Minami-no-Eki Yaese” is a JA-operated supermarket called “Gushi-chan.
As you can see, it is a local supermarket with a nice flavor.
The specialty of this supermarket is, of course, bento boxes!
Okinawa has a well-developed bento culture, and bentos are characterized by their high portions and low prices.
There are many independent bento shops all over the place, where men, mainly those doing hard labor, buy their bento early in the morning.
Here at Gushi-chan, you can get a heavy bento for about 400 yen.
The side dishes are all sold separately and are of high quality.
There are many kinds of bento, so be careful not to buy one while you are still confused.
When you are sightseeing in the southern part of Okinawa, you should visit “Minami-no-Eki Yaese” here.
