The Oklaho... er... Okinawa Smiths: June 2011

Kokusai Street... You can shop 'til you drop here... literally. And it's not just a street... as in one street. There's the main street, sure, but then there are all these sort of alleys that branch out in all directions. If you're directionally challenged, take your GPS 'cause you can easily get turned around in this labyrinth of shops. Oh, and take your wallet. With money in it. A lot of money. Or a credit card, if you're into that sort of thing. It kinda reminds me of a cross between the 16th Street Mall in Denver and Pike Place Market in Seattle... except... really, it's not like either of those places...

We started off at Starbucks, 'cause... well... it's Starbucks. I know you can go to Starbucks any ol' time, but I try to make it a policy to go whenever I see one. There's for sure a clean potty and a refreshing beverage awaiting.

The sweetest barista ever treated Noah to a complimentary chocolate milk. Good to the last drop and so refreshing for my sweaty little guy. Devin had a delicious bitter dark chocolate frappuccino thing, and I chose a Matcha/Green Tea frappuccino which was my favorite shade of green and quite tasty.

Emerie is pumped and ready to shop!

A pig in a Ryukyu red lotus hat... of course.

There's so much to see here, I doubt if you could cover all the real estate in just one day. There's the Starbucks, of course, and the McDonald's... of course. Then there's a great Birkenstock shop that I'd like to get back to, an awesome Coach outlet, and several other recognizable stores. But when you venture off into the covered alley ways, there's oh so much more. Bingata, Ryukyu glassware and laquerware, my favorite sugar cane dyed fabrics, smelly foods, unrecognizable eats, fresh fruits, sundresses, t-shirts... you name it, it's here. Everything from tacky souvenirs and stuff that looks like it's from someone's yard sale... to beautiful handcrafted textiles and Okinawan crafts.