Star's Reviews Page 2/6

Houkiboshi “Brown Sugar Cannelés – 10-Piece Set”

The most popular item from Houkiboshi, Okinawa’s first specialty shop dedicated to Brown Sugar Cannelés, is this delightful 10-piece set. Made with premium brown sugar from Tarama Island, each bite offers a rich depth of flavor and an elegant sweetness. The exterior is perfectly crisp, while the inside remains soft and chewy.

Okinawa
Snacks

12 Aug 2026 See More

The cannelés were so small that I finished them in no time, so all I have left is this flyer. Their cannelés are really beautiful—so beautiful that I wanted to buy several more boxes—but they’re also really expensive. The texture was average, and the outside wasn’t very crisp, but they make up for it with their cute appearance. They’re still worth buying if you visit Okinawa.

SAN-A Urasoe West Coast PARCO CITY

Jointly operated by PARCO, which runs fashion buildings across Japan, and SAN-A, a supermarket chain in Okinawa, SAN-A Urasoe West Coast PARCO CITY is housed in a six-story building, with its 1st to 3rd floors serving as a commercial area. Boasting 78,000 square meters of retail space, it stands as one of the largest shopping facilities in the Okinawa region.

Yomitan, Chatan, Okinawa City, Uruma, Kitanakagusuku, Urasoe
Commercial Buildings

31 Jul 2026 See More

I don't know if it's because this PARCO is mostly high-end boutiques, but AEON Mall feels more fun to browse. Still, there are cute shisa here, so I recommend stopping by. The shisa here are even tan versions, and they're really super cute.

AEON MALL Okinawa Rycom

Opened in 2015, this is one of the largest shopping malls in Okinawa Prefecture. The five-story complex houses around 220 shops, including fashion, lifestyle goods, gourmet food, and entertainment facilities. Based on the concept of an “Okinawa Resort Mall,” the mall is filled with attractions and events that let visitors fully experience Okinawa through shopping and dining.

Yomitan, Chatan, Okinawa City, Uruma, Kitanakagusuku, Urasoe
Commercial Buildings

31 Jul 2026 See More

I went in December, when it was almost Christmas, so there were Christmas decorations everywhere, as well as a Christmas Pikachu. This place is huge, so I recommend setting aside a whole day to explore. There are tons of stores, including an inexpensive Daiso.

Naha Airport

Naha Airport sits on Okinawa’s main island, serving as Japan’s southern gateway to the world. Flights here service a regular roster of domestic flights to major cities including Tokyo (Haneda), Osaka (Kansai), Nagoya (Chubu), and Fukuoka, while international routes link Okinawa directly with several Asian destinations. In addition to frequent flight options to Okinawa’s outlying islands, including Ishigaki, Miyako, and Kume, the airport sees over 20 million passengers each year.

Naha, Shuri, Itoman, Nanjo
Airplanes & Airport

31 Jul 2026 See More

Naha Airport is the gateway to Okinawa, and the station here is also Japan's westernmost station. After landing, you can take the monorail and reach downtown in no time. Naha Airport also has lots of great souvenirs and food, so you can grab something to eat and drink before heading into the city.

Sensoji Temple

This iconic destination in Asakusa sees as many as 30 million visitors each year. It stands as a well-loved mainstay in Tokyo, all while hosting a number of annual traditions like the first temple visit at New Years, Setsubun and more across the year.

Asakusa, Tokyo Skytree
Shrines & Temples

31 Jul 2026 See More

Whenever I'm in Tokyo, if time allows, I always visit Sensoji Temple to pray. The fortunes here are very accurate, and they feel like reminders of things you should pay attention to. You can really feel how gentle the bodhisattva is.

Togetsukyo Bridge

The bridge was built in the first half of the 9th century during the Heian period (794-1185). It has been washed out many times, but each time it has been rebuilt. It is said that the name was given by Emperor Kameyama in the Kamakura period (1185-1333), as the moon moved across the bridge as if it were crossing over it.

Arashiyama, Sagano, Nishiyama
Tourist Attractions

31 Jul 2026 See More

Emperor Kameyama of the Kamakura period saw the moon slowly moving above the bridge and thought it looked like the moon was crossing it, so the bridge was named Togetsukyo Bridge. Also, nearby Horinji Temple has a tradition called Jusan Mairi, in which 13-year-old children pray for wisdom. On the way back across Togetsukyo Bridge, they must not look back, or the wisdom they just gained will disappear. Later, a legend also arose that couples crossing the bridge must not look back, or they will break up. This was also a filming location for Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter. It's really beautiful, and I think it would be even prettier when the maple leaves turn red.

Mt. Otowa Kiyomizu-dera Temple

Opened in the year 778, the temple was registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1994. In the 130, 000 m2 area of the precincts spread out on the hillside of Mt. Otowa, there are more than 30 cathedrals and monuments, including national treasures and important cultural properties.

Gion, Higashiyama, Yamashina
Shrines & Temples

31 Jul 2026 See More

Kiyomizu-dera Temple's mountain name is Mt. Otowa, and it mainly enshrines the Thousand-Armed Kannon. This was also a setting in Detective Conan: The Scarlet School Trip. Unfortunately, I visited in early October, so I couldn't see the mountains covered in red maple leaves, but I was still very happy to be here.

Kansai International Airport

Many domestic and international flights carry nearly 28 million people a year at this western Japan’s entrance, Kansai International Airport. It is on an island about 5km off the coast of Senshu in Osaka Bay, famous as the world’s first marine airport on a completely man-made island. The airport code KIX is used as the familiar nickname “KIX.”

Kishiwada, Kansai Airport, Senshu
Airplanes & Airport

31 Jul 2026 See More

As the gateway to Osaka, this airport has quite a few great restaurants, including the famous 551 buns and Kamukura ramen. They're both super delicious. The restrooms are also very clean. If you're going to Kyoto, take the HARUKA. The seats are a little small, but still very comfortable.

Sunshine City

Sunshine City has been popular for many years as a major spot in Ikebukuro Station’s east exit area. The facility consists of 5 distinct areas: Sunshine 60, Prince Hotel, World Import Mart, Bunka Kaikan, and Specialty Store Alpa. Besides commercial facilities and hotels, the area features a cluster of popular entertainment facilities such as aquariums, planetariums, and NAMJATOWN.

Ikebukuro
Commercial Buildings

31 Jul 2026 See More

Sunshine City is quite large, so I recommend setting aside one or two days to explore it. It has everything, including the Pokémon Center, Uniqlo, MUJI, and all kinds of capsule toy shops. It feels like one day isn't nearly enough to see it all.

Yasaka Shrine

The shrine’s deities are Susanoo-no-Mikoto, Kushiinadahime-no-Mikoto, and Yahashira-no-Mikogami, and it is the head shrine of approximately 2,300 Yasaka Shrine and related shrines with Susanoo-no-Mikoto enshrined scattered throughout Japan.

Gion, Higashiyama, Yamashina
Shrines & Temples

31 Jul 2026 See More

Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto's Gion district is the head shrine. It's quite impressive and is also the site of Kyoto's Gion Festival. I've heard it's very lively, and I hope I'll have a chance to attend someday.