[Full Cost Disclosure] The most impressive food I had in Okinawa was A&W. The complete record of Day 3 for 7,792 yen
"What is Sefa-utaki actually like?" "Is American Village better at night or during the day?" "Is A&W really that good?"
When researching an Okinawa trip, don't these kinds of questions come up?
In this article, I will write everything about the reality of my third day, where I visited everything from a World Heritage sacred site to an American-style neon street in a single day. I'll be honest about the costs, my impressions, and my mistakes.
This article covers the third day of my "7-day, 6-night Okinawa trip on 7,000 yen per day."
▶ Day 1: Arrived in Okinawa on a snowy night. A trip starting from a 2,700 yen hostel https://note.com/satuki_0527/n/n7236c949f994
▶ Day 2: How much is a rental bike? The Okinawa trip begins in earnest! https://note.com/satuki_0527/n/nfd2d1135e959
[Morning: The 'Nakayoshi Pan' I bought at 7-Eleven was unexpectedly delicious]
For breakfast, I bought a "Nakayoshi Pan - Half Size -" at 7-Eleven.
Actually, this bread is manufactured by "Gushiken Pan," not Yamazaki Pan. It seems the surname "Gushiken" is not uncommon in Okinawa. The trip begins with a small discovery.
The bread has slits in it, designed to be easily shared with someone. As the name suggests, it's probably made with the premise of sharing it happily. ...Well, I ate the whole thing by myself, though.
The taste: It's surprisingly delicious. Light cream and a gentle sweetness at the core. It's not too sweet, so you can eat it up in no time. If this were served in elementary school lunches, it would definitely be a popular menu item.
Breakfast cost: 203 yen
💡 Perspective from the Small Luxury Lab If you have breakfast at a cafe in a tourist spot, it will cost 800 to 1,200 yen. I'll put the money I saved by keeping it to 203 yen at a local convenience store toward A&W at night. This is not "cutting costs," but "choosing where to spend."
[Morning: To Sefa-utaki. A place where the air changes]
What kind of place is Sefa-utaki?
Sefa-utaki is a representative power spot in Okinawa. Registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000, it is the most sacred place in Okinawa.
I have a stronger impression of it being a "place of prayer" rather than a tourist spot.
Passing through the rocks, the air feels cool and the sounds become quiet. How should I put it, it felt like the flow of time was different there. A place closer to the beginning of Okinawa, long before Shuri Castle.
Since it is a sacred place, you naturally need to be quiet. It is easy to understand if you think of it as the same as saying, 'You shouldn't be loud even when visiting someone else's home.'
God ( ˙꒳˙ ), I understand.
It is understandable why this would be a subject for manga. In fact, seeing the fantastical scenery of the sea and rocks, I thought, 'I feel like I've met a god.'
Sightseeing expenses (Sefa-utaki admission fee): 300 yen
To Yahara-zukasa. Not a tourist attraction, but a place of worship
After Sefa-utaki, I stopped by Yahara-zukasa.
It is not a flashy tourist spot like those listed in guidebooks. But here, I felt, 'Oh, I have truly arrived in Okinawa.'
The Shuri Castle exhibition was like a report on 'why it burned down and the history of its reconstruction.' That was fine in its own way. But I feel like this was the first time I touched the origin of Okinawa. By the third day, I finally started to feel immersed in Okinawa.
[Afternoon: Riding a motorcycle across the Niraikanai Bridge]
On the way to Chatan, I crossed the Niraikanai Bridge.
Niraikanai is a place that has been believed in the Okinawa region since ancient times to be a 'utopia beyond the sea or on the ocean floor.' It is said that gods visit the human world and bring prosperity.
As you ride your motorcycle across the bridge, your field of vision opens up more and more. What you see after reaching the top is the breathtaking Okinawan sea.
It is not a glaring, flashy view. It is a landscape that gently soaks into your heart.
I think I would have only felt half of this if I were behind the window of a rental car. It was the moment I realized again that choosing a motorcycle was the right decision.
💡 Perspective from the Small Luxury Lab The Niraikanai Bridge has no toll. Just riding a motorcycle across it was an experience that ranked among the highest in satisfaction during my '7,000 yen per day trip.' Even if you don't spend money, the quality of the experience changes depending on how you choose to travel.
[Night: To American Village. It doesn't feel like the same island]
From the sacred site during the day to the neon streets at night
I arrived at American Village in Chatan. I aimed to come during the illumination time, so the timing was perfect.
Just a moment ago I was in a space of rocks and prayer, but it suddenly transformed into an American world shining with neon lights and illuminations.
The range of difference is so vast you wouldn't think it's the same island. I think this is the interesting part of Okinawa.
At night, American Village was full of locals and American military personnel. Blue Seal ice cream is everywhere. It's an island where Blue Seal, not Baskin Robbins, is the 'standard'.
When I entered one ice cream shop, all the customers and staff were from overseas, and I only heard English inside. I ordered while thinking, 'This is Japan, right...?'
[A&W's hamburger was the best I've ever eaten]
The finale of American Village was A&W. Honestly, there's a theory that this was my main goal.
What is A&W: A hamburger chain that only exists in Okinawa in Japan. It's a super major fast-food restaurant in America. In Okinawa, it exists with the convenience of a convenience store.
The famous Root Beer is free refills and comes in a mug size. (If you don't like Root Beer, go for the orange juice. By the way, I'm an orange person)
The issue is the burger.
The moment I ate it, I went silent. It was the first time I had been so moved by a hamburger from a chain store. Before I knew it, I had ordered extra for takeout to bring back for a midnight snack.
Expenses for two meals, dinner and the next night's snack.
Dinner cost (A&W for 2 meals): 1,990 yen
[Summary of all expenses for Day 3]
Breakfast (Nakayoshi Pan): 203 yen
Dinner (A&W for 2 meals): 1,990 yen
Sightseeing/Experience (Sefa-utaki): 300 yen
Accommodation: 2,187 yen
Rental bike (daily equivalent): 916 yen
Airfare (daily equivalent): 2,196 yen
Day 3 Total: 7,792 yen
I didn't reach my goal of 7,000 yen, but it was a significant improvement over Day 2 (9,903 yen). I fell asleep thinking, 'Thank goodness, I didn't ruin the subject matter today.'
[Summary: What I gained for 7,792 yen]
Morning: Touched the origins of Okinawa at a World Heritage sacred site (300 yen) Afternoon: Rode a bike across a free bridge and saw the spectacular ocean (0 yen) Night: Ate the best hamburger of my life (1,990 yen for 2 meals)
A total of 7,792 yen. From a sacred site to America, I experienced it all in one day.
I don't think it was a bad way to spend money. Rather, the satisfaction level of this day was among the highest of the 7-day, 6-night trip.
The satisfaction of a trip is determined not by the size of the budget, but by 'where you spend it.' This was a day that made me realize that.