Watch my second, sun-filled day in Okinawa here!

NAMINOUE BEACH:

Naminoue Beach was about a 15 minute walk from our hostel. We woke up a little earlier than usual, around 8:30AM, to bright sunshine so we headed out as soon as possible to ensure that we would get to the beach with plenty of sun. We were worried the typhoon wasn’t over yet but it turned out that we had nothing to worry about. The sun stayed bright and hot throughout the day.

You can see the sectioned off portion of the water, marked by the floaties as well as the highway that went directly over the beach.

The water was beautifully clear and the temperature was perfect. However, there was only a small section of water that visitors were allowed to swim in and when Sarah and I tried to move outside of that section to take pictures, we were scolded loudly. The scenery was also interrupted by a massive highway that cut directly across the horizon.

I know that Okinawa has much prettier and bigger beaches so I would definitely try a different beach the next time I happen to be in Okinawa.

FUKUSHUEN GARDENS:

After swimming and sunbathing, we headed off to Fukushuen Gardens. Entrance cost 200 yen for adults and it is a miniature price to pay to wander in the majestic gardens. It is a traditional Chinese garden, created to celebrate the ties of friendship between Naha and Fuzhou, China.

A relaxing scene from the Spring location.

There are several beautiful ponds and springs all sprinkled with glimmering koi fish and for 100 yen, you can buy a box of food to feed them. There are also lovely footbridges to cross but the main area of the garden is the Soaring Rainbow Bridge and Mount Ye and Pavilion of Ye located in the “Colors of Autumn and Winter” section. There are three parts to this garden and each is meant to depict the scenery of one of the four seasons. There is the Autumn and Winter area, located by the main entrance and next comes the Summer location followed by the Spring location. All are beautiful and have unique Chinese architecture, which makes sense considering that all these pieces were ordered from Fuzhou, China.

The iconic figures from the Autumn and Winter area.

The Soaring Rainbow Bridge and Mount Ye and Pavilion of Ye are the most iconic landmarks of the Fukushuen Garden. The Rainbow Bridge crosses in front of the waterfall that splashes out beneath the pavilion that sits on top of the manmade mountain, made to imitate Fuzhou’s own Mount Ye.

Fukushuen is a massive garden that stretches out for 8,500 square meters so there is plenty more to see than the things I mentioned. These parts were just my personal favorite and because it was so hot the day I went, there weren’t very many people so I was able to peacefully enjoy the sounds of water splashing throughout the garden. I would highly recommend visiting this place when in Naha, Okinawa! It is also very close to the Kenchomae Monorail station so very easy to access.

The view from the Mount Ye Pavilion.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this post!