About 10 minutes by car from Naha Airport. This select store is located on the second floor of Liubo, a department store representing Naha City. If you want something stylish and thoughtful, rather than a run-of-the-mill Okinawan souvenir, stop by here!
Point 1: What is the location of “Rakuen Department Store”?
Rakuen Department Store” is located on the second floor of Department Store Liubo in Kumoji, Naha City, just a 10-minute drive from Naha Airport.
Department Store Rakuen started in 1948 (Showa 23), during the era of U.S. colonial rule, as Ryukyu Boeki Kaisha, Ltd.
The concept is “three highs”: a resort high as a special Japanese resort in Japan and the nearest one from Asia, a glittering department store high as the origin of the department store that my mother took me to when I was a child, and a travel high as a place where you can feel the extraordinary experience of traveling.
(Inside the spacious Rakuen Department Store. (Inside the spacious Rakuen Department Store, everything from accessories, apparel, toiletries, yachimun, and food products are displayed in a comfortable and spacious environment.)
The Rakuen Department Store is not just an ordinary department store, but a lifestyle store that offers a resort-like atmosphere with a selection of the best products from Okinawa, as well as from other prefectures and countries, and products that are good for the body and soul.
Department Store Rakuen is located near the entrance of Kokusai-dori Street, and many tourists tend to pass by it on their way to Kokusai-dori Street, but have you ever thought that there are too many stores and they all look the same? Have you ever thought, “There are too many shops and they all look the same?
If you are looking for a different and memorable souvenir, why don’t you turn your feet toward Liubow?
Point 2: What kind of things are sold at “Rakuen Department Store”?
Rakuen Department Store” offers food, apparel, cosmetics, and yachimun (Okinawan traditional handicrafts).
For example, the shop offers a variety of Okinawan souvenirs that are different from other souvenir shops in town, such as “Shurijo Monaka”, part of the proceeds of which are donated to support the local community, and spices from the popular Thai cafe “Kurukuma” in Nanjo City, as shown in the photo!
Even if you have wanted to go to a place you have seen in a guidebook, you can find goods at a store that is located in a remote area and that you may have passed up due to time constraints.
Even a single chinsuko, such as “Kugani” or “Aragaki,” is available from famous stores, as well as “konpen” buns from Minamishima Confectionery, which have been loved by those in the know for many years.
(The color of the ramune is a natural pigment. (The color of the ramune is a natural pigment, and they also wrap it cutely.)
I couldn’t help but pick up a bottle of “Ryukyu dried sweets (Ramune)” because it was so cute. They are colorful, but they are said to be made from natural dyes such as butterfly peas, turmeric, shell ginger, and brown sugar. The taste is also gentle. They also wrap it in a cute wrapping.
(There were some great yachimun on sale as well!)
The lineup of yachimun includes both traditional and up-and-coming artists.
There are so many goods on display that one could spend hours looking at them.
Prices range from a few hundred yen to several thousand yen, and just because it is a department store does not mean that only expensive items are sold, so you can enjoy shopping with peace of mind.
Point 3: “Rakuen Department Store” also has a cafe!
The “Rakuen Department Store” also has a café attached to its lifestyle store.
The café offers light meals as well as tropical desserts such as the one in the photo. There is also a vegan menu, allowing customers to experience local Okinawan food with a focus on ingredients.
For example, the pineapple sundae in the photo is made with light amazake soy milk soft serve ice cream
topped with juicy pineapple and sweet and sour passion fruit sauce.
You can experience a dessert menu that is not likely to be found anywhere else in Okinawa.
Even the café offers a menu that is different from the cafés in town. Please try it for yourself.
