2024 Okinawa Holiday Illumination Shopping Tour

2024 Okinawa Holiday Illumination Shopping Tour

• 5 Nights / 7 Days
• 9 Meals (5 Breakfasts, 1 Lunch, 3 Dinners)
• Escorted from Honolulu
• Includes English-Speaking Local Guide

TOUR DATE AND MANAGER:

December 06 – 12, 2024 • Tour Managers: Delbert & Gale Nakaoka

OVERVIEW:

Okinawa is home to a unique culture that differs considerably from that of mainland Japan. Until the islands were invaded by the Satsuma domain (present day Kagoshima Prefecture) in 1609, Okinawa existed as an entirely separate country from Japan, known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. After the invasion, the Ryukyu Kingdom served as a tributary state to Japan, but continued to be governed by the royal family from Shuri Castle. It was not until 1879, a few years after the Meiji Restoration, that the kingdom was abolished and incorporated into Japan as Okinawa Prefecture. The castles of Okinawa, known as “gusuku” in the Okinawan language, are among the most vivid monuments that testify to the unique cultural and historical heritage of the Ryukyu Kingdom. In the year 2000, five castles and four related sites were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the collective title of “Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.”

VISIT:

Naha • Toyosaki • Nago • Onna • Manza • Motobu • Nakijin • Kitanakagusuku

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Shuri Castle • Awamori Factory • Michi-no-Eki • Ryukyu Mura • Sweets House • Churaumi Aquarium • Nakijin Castle

ILLUMINATION TOUR HIGHLIGHTS:

Southeast Botanical Gardens Illumination

SHOPPING HIGHLIGHTS:

Iias Okinawa Toyosaki • San-A Tomigusuku • AEON Mall RYCOM • Kokusai-dori