Moopon

Kokusaidori (literally "International Road") is Naha's main street, stretching for around two kilometers through downtown Naha.
The street takes its name from the former "Ernie Pyle International Theater",a movie theater which was built along the road after the war.

Starting around the Naha Bus Terminal and Prefectural Hall, Kokusaidori is lined by restaurants, cafes,
bars, hotels, boutiques, department stores and souvenir shops.
Many shops are open until 11pm,and live Okinawa music is played at several restaurants..
If you are looking for even more shopping opportunities, you are encouraged to go into the colorful Heiwadori,
Mutsumidori and Ichiba Hondori arcades,which branch off Kokusaidori around the intersection with Okieidori,
halfway along the street.
The shops in the arcade are smaller than those along Kokusaidori.

The Tamaudun Mausoleum was built around the beginning of the 16th century as the mausoleum for the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
It was restored after suffering extensive damage during Battle of Okinawa.
The mausoleum is located only a short walk from Shuri Castle.
It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 2, 2000,
as a part of the site group Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.

The mausoleum consists of three closed chambers:
the left one for kings and queens, the right one for princes and princesses,
and the central one for storing recently deceased bodies before undergoing a ritual of bone cleaning a few years later. 

Visitors require an entry fee, which also covers admission to a small museum located in the basement of the reception building.
Although the museum is small and the English is limited, visitors are able to see pictures of the mausoleum from before the war. 

Facility Information:
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:30)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 300 yen
Level of English: Minimal

Access Information:

Tsumago was a post town on the Nakasendo route between Kyoto and Edo.
It is known today as one of the best preserved post towns in Japan.
The town and its residents go to great lengths to recreate the environment and atomosphere of the Edo Period.
Cars are not allowed on the main street in the day and phone lines and power cables are kept concealed,
allowing visitors to imagine they have slipped back to an earlier time.

Tsumago also recreates the post town ambience by maintaining its Honjin and Wakihonjin.
In all post towns, the Honjin was the principal inn and served government officials who were traveling through.
When more accomodations were required, the Wakihonjin served to accommodate the travelers of lower status.
Tsumago also maintains the office where laborers and horses were rented to aid in travel.                                          
Tsumago's Honjin was reconstructed in the 1990s, but great efforts have been taken so that it resembles its condition in the 1830s,
when it served as an inn.

Tsumago was a post town on the Nakasendo route between Kyoto and Edo.
It is known today as one of the best preserved post towns in Japan.
The town and its residents go to great lengths to recreate the environment and atmosphere of the Edo Period.
Cars are not allowed on the main street in the day and phone lines and power cables are kept invisible, allowing
visitors to imagine they have slipped back to an earlier time.

Tsumago also recreates the post town ambience by maintaining its Honjin and Wakihonjin.
In all post towns, the Honjin was the principal inn and served government officials who were traveling through.
When more accomodations were required, the Wakihonjin served to accommodate the travelers of lower status.
Tsumago also maintains the office where laborers and horses were rented to aid in travel.                            
Kotoku Temple (Kotokuji) is a Buddhist temple which is believed to have been built in 1500.
It is not really remarkable, but still quite pleasant.

The trail between Magome and Tsumago is a well-maintained section of the former Nakasendo,
the route that ran along the Kiso Valley and connected Tokyo with Kyoto during the Edo Period.
The trail is not challenging and is well marked in English and Japanese.
It is about 8 km long and should take 2 to 3 hours to complete at a leisurely pace.

The trail leads through the countryside and passes right alongside the houses and fields of local residents.
The trail also intersects with the road and hikers must tread along asphalt for some portions.
Despite this, walking along the Magome-Tsumago trail is a highly enjoyable part of visiting the Kiso Valley.
From Magome to Tsumago involves less uphill walking than the opposite direction.

The Tamaudun Mausoleum was built around the beginning of the 16th century as the mausoleum for the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
It was restored after suffering extensive damage during Battle of Okinawa.
The mausoleum is located only a short walk from Shuri Castle.
It was designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 2, 2000,
as a part of the site group Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.

The mausoleum consists of three closed chambers:
the left one for kings and queens, the right one for princes and princesses,
and the central one for storing recently deceased bodies before undergoing a ritual of bone cleaning a few years later. 

Visitors require an entry fee, which also covers admission to a small museum located in the basement of the reception building.
Although the museum is small and the English is limited, visitors are able to see pictures of the mausoleum from before the war. 

Facility Information:
Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (last entry at 17:30)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: 300 yen
Level of English: Minimal

Access Information: