🍙Potama Okinawa Rice Balls (Honbucho Store)
Image Source：© 2024 OKINAWA HANASAKI MARCHE.
Before heading to the Churaumi Aquarium, make sure to stop by Hanasaki Marche shopping mall to savor the local favorite soul food – Potama Okinawa Rice Balls.
If you can't decide, we recommend trying the classic "Pork and Egg Rice Ball."
To ensure guests enjoy the freshest flavors, each dish is made to order.
This time, I went for the Mentaiko Mayo Pork and Egg Rice Ball. It's wrapped in seaweed, with a soft fried egg, luncheon meat, and rice inside, topped off with mentaiko sauce.
Though the ingredients seem simple, the taste is anything but. The savory and umami flavors create a delightful experience that will leave you craving more!
Besides the classic flavors, there are over 10 different varieties of rice balls to choose from, such as Bitter Gourd Tempura and Shrimp Tartar Sauce.
There's even a special Agupork flavor exclusive to the Honbucho shop in Okinawa!
Potama Okinawa Rice Balls has five locations in Okinawa: near the Churaumi Aquarium ("Honbucho Shop"), on Kokusai Street ("Makishi Market Shop"),
Naha Airport Domestic Shop, Naha Airport International Shop, and Chatan American Village Shop.
Don't miss out on this local delicacy when you visit Okinawa!
Potama Okinawa Rice Balls (Honbucho Store) Official Website
📍 Address：Okinawa Hanasakimarusie, 1421-5 Yamakawa, Motobu Town, Kunigami Gun, Okinawa Prefecture
🏠 Business Hours：7:00~20:00
☕Starbucks Coffee Okinawa Motobucho
After enjoying your rice ball, why not relax here with a coffee while gazing at the sea?
This is the northernmost Starbucks in Okinawa, offering beautiful sea views. At the entrance, there are two majestic Okinawan Shisa statues.
The building is constructed with Ryukyu limestone, giving it a distinct Okinawan style!
Starbucks Coffee Okinawa Motobucho Official Website
📍 Address：1421-4 Yamagawa, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa
🏠 Business Hours：7:00~22:00
🏠Umikaze Market
Located next to the Starbucks in Honbucho, Okinawa, just a one-minute walk away, you'll find a spot that gathers souvenirs and local specialties from all over Okinawa.
It's the perfect place to do all your shopping in one go!
Umikaze Market(海風マーケット) Official Website
📍 Address：1421-5 Yamagawa, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa
🏠 Business Hours：9:30-21:00
🐳Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
The Churaumi Aquarium is a popular attraction in Okinawa and a must-visit for travelers!
The aquarium spans 4 floors, and visitors typically spend about 2 to 3 hours exploring.
The most iconic exhibit is the "Sea of the Kuroshio Current," home to majestic whale shark.
The "Sea of the Kuroshio Current" is the world's largest aquarium, where a massive whale shark approximately 8.8 meters long gracefully swims.
Don't miss the spectacular "Whale Shark Feeding Show" at the "Sea of the Kuroshio Current,"
where you can witness the awe-inspiring feeding behavior of the whale shark, accompanied by expert commentary.
In addition, there's the popular "Kuroshio Adventure" viewing route, where visitors can enter above the large tank
to get a close-up view of the whale shark swimming gracefully!
Image Source：churaumi.okinawa
In the Coral Reef Zone, you can observe marine life surrounded by coral reefs and even touch sea cucumbers and starfishes.
Image Source：churaumi.okinawa
The Coral Sea and Tropical Fish Sea zones showcase around 140 species of Okinawan marine fish. Watching the colorful tropical fish swimming gracefully is truly a soothing experience.
Image Source：churaumi.okinawa
Watching the jellyfish float leisurely in the water as if the time is slowing down.
The shark exhibition hall showcases a variety of shark jawbone specimens. It really got a BIG mouth and sharp teeth!
Image Source：churaumi.okinawa
After exploring the aquarium, a visit to the Museum Shop is definitely needed!
There are all kinds of merchandises like dolls and Okinawa limited snacks, you can't leave without taking a look!
After visiting the shop with satisfaction, there are still a few more places for you to go.
There are some free activities that you definitely need to know about!
1, The "dolphin theater" hosts dolphin shows 5 times a day. We recommend checking the schedule on the website in advance before going.
Watching the delightful interactions between the dolphins and the divers with their cute movements set to music is truly spectacular!
Dolphins are all airborne!
In the Sea Cow Pavilion, observe the sea cows related to mermaids, with the tail shaped like a semi-circular fan.
※Because sea cows can float vertically in the water, if seaweed happens to cover their heads, sailors might mistake them for women floating on the sea, thus giving rise to the legend of mermaids.
At the "Sea Turtle Pavilion," you can observe sea turtles swimming gracefully from above the water surface.
You can also visit the "Underground Viewing Room" to observe sea turtles in the most natural state from a side-view angle!
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium Official Website
📍 Address：424 Ishikawa, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa
🏠 Business Hours：8:30～18:30
※Business hours might vary, please check the official website for the latest information.