Family Entertainment

[SPMF#1]

I'm fairly new to the island and was wondering what the best places were to take my kids to here.

[Tony Stacks]

Shuri Castle
Okinawa Zoo / Kids Discovery Kingdom
Aquarium

[SPMF#1]

What is the Kids Discovery Kingdom? I have heard that the aquarium is pretty good.

[DoctorP]

What is the Kids Discovery Kingdom? I have heard that the aquarium is pretty good.

Discovery Kingdom is located at the zoo. It's similar to the Discovery Place's in the US. A lot of interactive displays of science...just a cool place to go occasionally, especially when it is raining a lot or just too damn hot in the summer.

[watzitoou]

Monakids is good...

How old are the kids?

[proudtobnotpc]

Monakids is good...

How old are the kids?
yeah located outside of camp Kinser, its a giant indoor play ground. Perfect for in climate weather and a chance for the kids to play with kids of other nationality's

[shawncot]

We take ours down to Naha Ice Skating sometimes! Ours run from 8 to 17 y/o. How old are your kids?

[Muku]

We take ours down to Naha Ice Skating sometimes! Ours run from 8 to 17 y/o. How old are your kids?

Shawn FYI only here, the Ice Skating rink is in Haebaru, in fact it is within 5 minutes of the Haebaru JUSCO that is just off the Expressway.

And for those interested, the skating rink also has a large bowling alley, game center, karaoke, an izakaya, and batting center as well.

Plenty of free parking as well. The place is called Southern Hill..

Here are directions (http://www.geocities.com/skateokinawa/class.htm)to the place if anyone is interested.

Here is another link to many places to go and see here in Okinawa.

Okinawa Index (http://www.okinawaindex.com/index/?tid=3)
It includes listings of tourist spots, museums, beaches, World Heritage Sites etc etc.

[OkinawaStud]

If you go to monakids make sure you take ear plugs!

[SPMF#1]

My kids are 14, 12, and 3 years old.

[SPMF#1]

Shawn FYI only here, the Ice Skating rink is in Haebaru, in fact it is within 5 minutes of the Haebaru JUSCO that is just off the Expressway.

And for those interested, the skating rink also has a large bowling alley, game center, karaoke, an izakaya, and batting center as well.

Plenty of free parking as well. The place is called Southern Hill..

Here are directions (http://www.geocities.com/skateokinawa/class.htm)to the place if anyone is interested.

Here is another link to many places to go and see here in Okinawa.

Okinawa Index (http://www.okinawaindex.com/index/?tid=3)
It includes listings of tourist spots, museums, beaches, World Heritage Sites etc etc.

Great web site. My kids love the discovery place when we were in the states, and although I'm not co-ordinated enough to ice skate they all love it. Thank you very much.

[SPMF#1]

If you go to monakids make sure you take ear plugs!

I'll tell my wife to bring hearing protection, as for me, too many years around air craft, my hearing sucks!:) My kids are all about not having to use their indoor voice!!

[watzitoou]

Here is where you can find things to do on Islandhttp://www.ocvb.or.jp/index.php?current=Search&action=Search&mode=rsel&lang=en&name=search&keyword=&page=1&stype=&category_id[]=1120102000

[SPMF#1]

Another good web site. Thank you very much!:)

[watzitoou]

Here is a list of places to see and do...sorry its long.

Sightseeing Spots
Busena Resort (Underwater Tower)
Address: 1744-1 Kise-busenabaru Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 52-3379

Chinen Marine Leisure Center
Address: 676 Kudeken Chinen-son
Telephone: (098) 948-3355

Dogashima Orchid Center
Address: 961-30 Kadekaru Ishikawa-shi
Telephone: (098) 965-3400

The Former Japanese Navy's Headquarters
in the Underground Shelter
Address: 236 Tomigusuku Tomigusuku-son
Telephone: (098) 850-4055

Fukushu-en (Chinese-Style Garden)
Address: 2-29 Kume Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 869-5384

Gyokusendo Kingdom Village & Habu Park
Address: 1336 Maekawa Tamagusuku-son
Telephone: (098) 949-7421

Himeyuri Park
Address: 1300 Maehira Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 997-3111

Kin Kannodera Limestone Cave
Address: 222 Kin Kin-cho
Telephone: (098) 968-8581

"c10">Matsuyama-goden
Address: 1-12 Shuri Tobaru Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 885-1690

Mexican Cactus Park Sarabanda
Address: 1010 Odo Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 997-3355

Mogulin (Underwater 30m Cruise)
Address: Marina in Sun Marina Hotel, Onna-son
Telephone: (098) 964-5555

Nago Paradise
Address: 1774 Koki Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 52-6262

Nago Pineapple Fields
Address: 1195-1 Bimnata Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 53-3659

Nakagusuku Castle Park
Address: 503 Oshiro Kitanakagusuku-son
Telephone: (098) 935-5719

Nakijin Castle
Address: 4874 Imadomari Nakijin-son
Telephone: (0980) 56-4400

Nankai Okoku Ryukyu no Kaze
Address: 1040 Takashiho Yomitan-son
Telephone: (098) 958-1111

Neo Park Okinawa
Address: 4607-41 Nago Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 52-6348

Okinawa Children's Park (Island Park)
Address: 5-7-1 Goya Okinawa-shi
Telephone: (098) 933-4190
Closed Tuesdays.

Okinawa Commemorative National Government Park
(Oceanic Culture Pavilion, Aquarium, Tropical Dream Center)
Address: 424 Ishikawa Motobu-Cho
Telephone: (0980) 48-2743
Closed on Thursdays.

Okinawa Expo Land
Address: 148 Bise Motobu-cho
Telephone: (0980) 48-2980

Okinawa Fruits Land
Address: 1220-71 Bimata Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 52-1568

Orion Beer Factory
Address: 2-2-1 Agaire Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 52-2136
Closed Saturdays, Sundays, and National Holidays.

Ostrich Farm
Address: 309 Heshiki Nakijin-son
Telephone: (0980) 56-5608

Paradise Ryugu-jo of Herbs and Butterflies
Address: 390-1 Yamakawa Motobu-cho
Telephone: (0980) 48-3456

Pineapple House
Address: 684-1 Kyomizu Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 858-9009

Ryukyu Village
Address: 1130 Yamada Onna-son
Telephone: (098) 965-1234

Shikina-en
Address: 421-7 Maji Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 855-5936

Shuri Castle Park
Address: 1-1 Shuri Kinjo-cho Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 886-2020

Southeast Botanical Garden
Address: 2146 Chibana Okinawa-shi
Telephone: (098) 939-2555

Tomishiro Castle Park
Address: 863 Tomigukusu Tomigusuku-son
Telephone: (098) 850-0031

Water Sightseeing Boat "Naha"
Address: 3-25-1 Maejima Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 869-4701

Wine House
Address: 1195-1 Bimata Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 53-3659

Yanabaru Sub-tropical Park
Address: 1024-1 Nakayama Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 53-0007

Sightseeing Info - Museums and Folkcraft Centers
Awamori Masahiro Gallery
Address: 5-8-1 Nishizaki Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 994-8080

Bashofu Hall
Address: 1103 Kijoyoka Ogimi-son
Telephone: (0980) 44-3033
Closed Sundays and National Holidays.

Ginoza Museum
Address: 232 Ginoza Ginoza-son
Telephone: (098) 968-4378

Himeyuri Peace Prayer and Memorial Museum
Address: 671-1 Ihara Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 997-2100

Hirara City Comprehensive Museum
Address: 1166-287 Higashi-Nakasonezoe Hirara-shi
Telephone: (098) 073-0567
Closed Mondays and National Holidays.

Ishigaki City Yaeyama Museum
Address: 4-1 Tonoshiro Ishigaki-shi
Telephone: (098) 082-4712

Ishikawa City History and Folklore Museum
Address: 2865-1 Ishikawa Ishikawa-shi
Telephone: (098) 965-3866

Kihoin Temple Shushuin Treasure House
Address: 108 Taketomi Taketomi-cho Yaeyama-gun
Telephone: (098) 085-2202

Kyoei Glasswork Factory
Address: 85 Fuchaku Onna-son
Telephone: (098) 965-3090

Moromi Folklore Hall
Address: 3-11-10 Moromi Zato Okinawa-shi
Telephone: (098) 932-0028

Motobu Town Museum
Address: 847-1 Ohama Motobu-cho
Telephone: (0980) 47-5217

Nago Museum
Address: 1-8-11 Agaire Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 53-1342
Closed Mondays and holidays.

Nago Shellfish Exhibition Hall
Address: 1004 Miyazato Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 53-7501

Naha City Traditional Craft Center
Address: 1-1 Toma Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 858-6655

Nakagusuku Castle Museum
Address: 563 Oshiro Kitanakagusuku-son
Telephone: (098) 935-3347

The Nakamura's Residence
Address: 106 Oshiro Kitanakagusuku-son
Telephone: (098) 935-3500

Nakijin Village History and Culture Center
Address: 5110 Imadomari Nakijin-son
Telephone: (0980) 56-5767

Okinawa City Hometown Museum
Address: 235-3 Uechi Okinawa-shi
Telephone: (098) 932-6882
Closed Mondays and National Holidays.

Okinawa Craft Village
Address: 6203-1 Onna Onna-son
Telephone: (098) 966-2910

Okinawa Peace Prayer and Memorial Hall
Address: 448-2 Mabuni Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 997-3011

Okinawa Prefectural Museum
Address: 1-1 Shuri Onaka-cho Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 884-2243
Closed Mondays and National Holidays.

Okinawa Shellfish Specimen Hall
Address: 486 Kushi Nago-shi
Telephone: (0980) 55-2153

Prefectural Peace Prayer and Memorial Museum
Address: 604 Mabuni Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 997-2874

Ryukyu Glasswork Village
Address: 169 Fukuchi Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 997-4784

Ryukyu no Yakata
Address: 5-11-2 Nishizaki Itoman-shi
Telephone: (098) 992-1000

Sakima Art Museum
Address: 358 Uehara Ginowan-shi
Telephone: (098) 893-5737

Tama-udun
Address: 1-3 Shuri Kinjo-cho Naha-shi
Telephone: (098) 885-2861

Tropical Nature Museum
Address: 527 Yonehara Ishigaki-shi
Telephone: (098) 088-2124

Urasoe City Art Museum
Address: 1330 Nakama Urasoe-shi
Telephone: (098) 879-3219

Yomitan Village Art Museum
Address: 708-6 Zakimi Yomitan-son
Telephone: (098) 958-2254
Closed Mondays and National Holidays.

Yomitan Village History and Folklore Museum
Address: 708-4 Zakimi Yomitan-son
Telephone: (098) 958-3141
Closed Mondays and National Holidays.

Yomitan Village Traditional Craft Center
Address: 2974-2 Zakimi Yomitan-son
Telephone: (098) 958-4674
Closed Sundays and National Holidays

[SPMF#1]

WOW! That's a lot more than I expected. Many thanks to you.

[watzitoou]

Here is a link that has prices to some of the above info: http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-q1l6Pwk4draxpBmKrlxx5bY-?cq=1&p=161

For Neo Park you can buy a 1yr pass for $13.00 for family of 5! http://www.mccsokinawa.com/tours/attractions.asp?view=tickets

Monakids -Now if you buy the tickets from ITT you don't get points on membership card. For Membership card its for ages 3 - 12yr olds. Each time you pay reg. fee you get 1 point for each child between 3 - 12yrs old. After 12 points you get 1 kid free next visit. Also when you have the membership card you don't have to fill out your information each time you go there, you just give them your card and they give you a new card with your points on it and you are in!!! So much faster than filling out the paper each visit. Also Membership is FREE!!!

NOTE: You can't bring food in, but their food is cheaper than Mcdonalds. If you have a B-day party there and are members you can add all those kids to your membership card. Thats only if you go thru Monakids for the B-day Party, not ITT. Only B-day parties can bring their own food!!

Menu:

curry (spicy or mild) or Okinawa soba - 350

rice balls (seaweed or miso) 100

chicken nugget 250

french fries 150

tacoyaki 300

frozen drink 120

Vending machines for all drinks, popcorn, ramen, and ice cream.

During the week you get 3hrs of play time vs weekends only 2hrs.


Other things to do, picking oranges!
January marks the beginning of the harvest for the variety of orange called "tankan", which can only be grown in very warm climates. At the farms located in the small town of Izumi, you can pick and taste these little oranges.

For about twenty five years the "lzumi Orange Producer's Union" has been letting visitors enter their orange tree groves for a small fee. A cost of 250 yen provides you with a guide, who leads you to one of the union's farms. Once you have arrived, you are allowed to pick and eat as many oranges as your belly can hold. You can also take home your and-picked fruits for about 3OO yen a kilogram.

It has a tough orange, greenish sometimes brownish colored skin, which may be a little difficult to peel but, well worth it as they are juicy and sweet. The trees bloom every April, then small friuts will appear in May and are ready for harvest the following year.

The busiest time is of course is on the weekends as many as a thousand people may come during the weekends. The place is usually open from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. English wasn't used a whole lot here so bring a dictionary. The orange picking tours will generally last until the end of February.

To get there head north from Kadena towards Nago on route 58. After passing through Nago City, stay to the right at the traffic light and follow Route 58. Turn left on to Route 116 and continue past the Meio University. The road will wind through the mountains, taking you through the center of the peninsula. From the University it will take about 10 to 15 minutes to reach Izumi depending on traffic. Just before the Jonio gas station, on your right, will be a sign written in Japanese for the "Izumi Mikan Seisan Kuiniai". A road sign will read in English "Okinawa Memorial Park and Nakajin". This is where you will park. For more information, please call 0908-47-3466.

Now you know this for next year!!!


Family Land -
They have billiards on the first floor for adults, snack bar, and Karaoke and a batting cage on the roof. Kiddos get a play place on the roof (not air-conditioned) and the whole 2nd floor which is air conditioned. There is a bouncy area with all sorts of ball pits, climbing things, etc for the kids. Also they have tons of video games like the taiko drum game and driving and motorcycle games which are FREE! And ping pong.

They charged us each a one time membership fee of 315 yen and then 105 yen per 15 min per adult. So, I think its a great rainy day location for the kiddos to run around. The one drawback is not opening till 10:00 but they do serve lunch for pretty cheap prices (soba, hot dogs, onigiri, etc).

There are other payment options instead of the 105 yen per 15 minutes. If you plan on staying a while you can pay 1000 yen up front that will allow you to stay as long as you like Monday-Friday from 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM. After 5 PM on weekdays you can pay 1500 yen to stay up to closing time. On the weekends 1000 yen buys you 3 hours. Keep in mind that all payment options are in addition to the initial membership fee of 315 yen. (Admission for one child is free with a paid adult admission. Any other children under the age of 2 are also free).

Overall, Family Land is a great alternative to being outdoors in this crazy heat if you’re getting tired of the beaches and water parks.

Hours:
10:00 AM - 2 :00 AM Weekdays
10:00 AM - 2:00 AM on Saturday and Sundays
Phone No.: 098-939-5777

Directions from Kadena Gate 2:

Head straight out KAB Gate 2 onto Route 20. Take a LEFT onto 330. Take a RIGHT onto 329 and proceed about half a block. Family Land will be on the right side. It is a big black building with a sphinx in front of it. Park in their indoor garage.

[Sex Wax]

KIDS' KINGDOM
Okinawa City park features zoo, museum, learning center
Cpl. Sarah M. Maynard


OKINAWA CITY, Okinawa (Jun 23, 2006) -- Got the blues during the long, hot, Okinawan summer days? Grab your hiking shoes and your thinking caps and head over to Kodomo no Kuni.


The park, also known as the Okinawa Kids' Discovery Kingdom, is a sprawling combination of a museum, zoo, and an interactive learning center. Each display has something for everyone.


The museum, aptly named the Wonder Museum, is a hands-on experience rivaling many leading museums. Adventurers, from young to old, can poke, probe and examine every exhibit in the building. The Recollections IV exhibit casts a rainbow shadow of every person who walks past. The Floating Words exhibit projects small words spoken by patrons onto a pool of water for ambitious explorers to catch. The Equilibrium Point exhibit uses sound to make liquid jump and dance. These are a few examples of the mind-boggling displays. The museum also features colorful and unique displays from local artists, focusing on the themes of world peace and harmony.


When the delights of the Wonder Museum wear thin, visitors can work on their intellect at the Children's Center. The center is a fully equipped digital graphic workshop that offers classes in many design programs. It also offers computer stations available for


If you're craving outdoor fun, the place for you is Nature Land. This exotic glimpse into the world of the wild is stuffed to the brim with more than 200 types of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles. The park offers an up close and personal glimpse of wildlife rarely found here or in the United States. Lions bask in the sun and crocodiles shatter the air with their booming warning calls only feet from patrons' paths. Pelicans, that stand as tall as full grown adults, mingle with the crowd.


A visit to the park can easily fill up an entire day, so visitors may want to pack a lunch or bring some extra yen to eat at the restaurant located inside Children's Center.


If you're looking for a wild adventure, you can find your summertime fun within the walls of Okinawa Kids' Discovery Kingdom.

[shoopdawoop]

kickass thread...Im heading out to Pineapple Park to get drunk off their wine. My plan is to see most of these places by the end of summer.

[tim duncan]

when i went to visit, heiwa dori was cool. it was a huge side street on kokusai dori. its like an open market in any china town- usa, only with a roof. there were nice looking tropical fishes on ice for sale, pigs faces in plastic bags for sale..really weird, smoked pig tounge samples.. which tasted like really tender and soft beef jerkey ( if you like beef jerky, you will love the pig tongue), ice cream vendors, dollar stores, awesome andagi- sweet okinawan donut, and lots of okinawan culture. there was however not much parking. so you may want to ask around before going, about the best way to get there. maybe the "experts" on this site will help.:)

[shoopdawoop]

when i went to visit, heiwa dori was cool. it was a huge side street on kokusai dori. its like an open market in any china town- usa, only with a roof. there were nice looking tropical fishes on ice for sale, pigs faces in plastic bags for sale..really weird, smoked pig tounge samples.. which tasted like really tender and soft beef jerkey ( if you like beef jerky, you will love the pig tongue), ice cream vendors, dollar stores, awesome andagi- sweet okinawan donut, and lots of okinawan culture. there was however not much parking. so you may want to ask around before going, about the best way to get there. maybe the "experts" on this site will help.:)

Im going to Kokusai street this sunday when they close down the street. I've got an "expert" who will be taking me, my okinawan girlfriend, so she can find the parking. :thumbup: I haven't been there before so Im pretty excited.

[okisteve]

The entrance is just across the street from the big Mitsukoshi department store, and there are loads of coin parking places around. Actually you can park for free at the Pottery Museum which is at the top end of Heiwadori, but don't tell them I said it was OK!