Travel
Airlines
We use major airlines such as ANA, JAL, United Airlines, Continental, Delta, Lufthansa, Finnair, and Northwest from U.S. departure points and London, Heathrow, to Tokyo Narita airport, and then to Naha International Airport, Okinawa. Total flight time is approx. 14 hrs. Total journey time is around 17 hours. Tickets can be issued from any other departure point, with a price adjustment where necessary. Baggage allowance from the US is generally two bags weighing no more than 50 lbs. each. Be careful! If one is 49lbs, and the other 51lbs, you will be charged for excess baggage on the heavier one!
Travel Documents
Citizens of the United States and most European countries do not require visas to visit Japan at this time. If in doubt, please check with your nearest Japanese Embassy. If you plan to hire a car you will need an International Driving License, and one of the languages it is printed in must be Japanese.
Travel within the capital city of Naha is easy using the Yui Rail overhead monorail system that runs from Shuri to Naha Airport. The system is very convenient, relatively inexpensive, and trains are frequent during rush hours. Taxis are everywhere and cost around ¥500 for most short inner-city journeys. Okinawans do not consider tipping taxi drivers, or anyone else for that matter, necessary or desirable!
Travel/Medical Insurance
We strongly recommend that you buy accident and medical insurance for your stay, or make sure that your existing insurance policies covers you while you travel.
Okinawa
Is a tropical island two hours south of mainland Japan by jetliner, and halfway between Kyushu and Taiwan in the East China Sea. The Okinawans are ethnically and culturally diverse from the mainland Japanese, have a somewhat different diet, and their own religion. The original Okinawan language (Uchinaguchi) can still be heard in outlying districts, and is making a comeback. There is a daily radio news broadcast entirely in Okinawan.
The Okinawans…
…are noted for their friendliness, kindness, and hospitality; social qualities they view as important parts of their unique island culture. In Hogen, this spirit of friendship and cooperation which makes even the largest task easy to accomplish by a group of friends or neighbors is called, “Yui-maru.”
Currency
The Japanese ¥en, currently worth around $1=¥90. Most smaller stores, restaurants, and businesses do not accept credit cards, so in our experience it's best (and cheapest) to order Japanese currency through your own bank before leaving home. As all major expenses are included in the package price, you will need only enough money for meals, local travel, and entertainment. A debit card will allow you to easily draw money from ATM machines at the Central Post Office, airport, etc.
Sight-seeing
Okinawa is a beautiful tropical island surrounded by magnificent beaches and some of the best scuba diving in the world. Places to visit include: Shuri Castle, Shikina-En garden, Peace Prayer Park, Sefa-Utaki, Fukushu-En garden, The Ryukyu Village and Aboretum, Tsuboya Pottery Village, etc.
Shopping
Kokusai Dori (International Street) is the “main street” of Naha, and is packed with small stores, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and izakaya, (the bar/restaurants that are the Okinawan equivalent of the English Pub). A place to stroll, to meet friends, and to shop for souvenirs. The RyuBo and Mitsukoshi department stores are also located on Kokusai Dori, as is the Makishi Market. Monorail stations Makishi-Asahibashi serve this area. Our hotel, the Makishi Station Hotel, is on Kokusai Dori, close to the Makishi Monorail station Sophisticated shoppers may want to head for Naha’s new Shinto Shin shopping district, close to Omoromachi monorail station and the new Okinawa Museum (definitely worth a visit). The San Ei Department store building houses a supermarket, cinema, food court, restaurants, (Western & Japanese) and a mass of small independent vendors offering a wide range of goods and services.
Hotel
For the 2010 seminars our base hotel will be the Makishi Station Hotel on Kokusai Dori close to, you guessed it, Makishi monorail station. This is a medium sized business hotel, conveniently located in the heart of the city, and close to everything. The Okinawa Budokan is a 10 minute ride on the monorail, followed by a five minute stroll through Onoyama park to the dojo. The hotel has a coin laundry so you can keep your keikogi clean, and all rooms have refrigerators—essential for those cold drinks, before and after training. The Makishi Station is a very “karate-friendly” hotel, and its owner, a strong supporter of our seminar program.
Food
Restaurants are everywhere and offer a huge selection from traditional Okinawan, to sophisticated European. Personal favorites include “Sam’s by the Sea” in Oroku, and the Sakuraya Coffee Shop in Shinto Shin.
If you are really not “into” the whole Okinawan experience as far as food is concerned, don’t worry. McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Starbucks, and a host of other American fast-foods outlets are everywhere.
For a change try “Mosburger,” the Japanese equivalent of McDonalds, or “Italian Tomato,” an inexpensive and delicious spaghetti restaurant chain.
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