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Secret In The Map #7: The Pineapple in Higashi Village Okinawa Japan

Did you know Okinawa is holding many titles of being No. 1 in Japan?

Due to its geolocation, weather, and diet, Okinawa ranks No. 1 for

  • Longest life expectancy for females.
  • Earliest prefecture in Japanese where Sakura (Cherry blossom) blooms.
  • Population growth

and get this

No.1 in pineapple production.

And within Okinawa, Higashi village in northern Okinawa is responsible for this title. They have a sign in the area to prove it.

Higashi Village Okinawa Japan

Photo source: Aeon Ryukyu

Besides beautiful beaches and mountains, Higashi village is all about pineapples.

Soon after you pass Nago, you will start to see pineapple farms everywhere. During pineapple season – summer, you can enjoy Okinawa pineapple. Okinawa pineapple is smaller in size than the ones we usually see in the market produced by Dole plantations across the globe. Okinawa pineapple is also sweeter. In Japanese grocery stores, you can see the measurement of sweetness on the label. Among all the fruits produced in Okinawa including mango, strawberry, watermelon, pineapple’s sweetness ranks the highest.

During its production peak, the village produces so much pineapple that the locals leave them on the roadside “self-serve vending stand.” Put 100 yen in the jar, and you can walk away with a hand full of fresh pineapple grown in the nearby farms.

Self-serve pineapple stand in Okinawa

Self-serve pineapple stand in Okinawa, photo source 石垣島食べある記 

If you are allergic to pineapple acid like me, the villagers have invented so many products out of the pineapple – juice, cake, cookies, there has to be something you can enjoy.

You can find Okinawa pineapple all over the island, but it doesn’t hurt to visit their home while enjoying a nice road trip in northern Okinawa.

Besides pineapples, there are a few more places to check out in the area.

1. Melody road – a small portion of the Route 331 where you can hear a “song” created by your tires if you drive through it at about 40 km/h. Location on Google Maps.

2. Oura, a hidden crossroad stretch 1 km into the wetland. You can find a hidden village with colorful Shisa dogs mounted on each home by the local villagers.

Oura Village Okinawa

Oura village service area, water cross way entrance location: https://goo.gl/maps/dwDqetepbc72

Oura village location: https://goo.gl/maps/fU3K1vQTbMr

3. Nago pineapple park. A more convenient way to enjoy Okinawa pineapple.

4. Visit the Aguu park to learn more about an important part of Okinawa diet.

Last but not least, Okinawa’s most celebrated local brewery, Orion brewery, has pineapple flavor beer every year during pineapple season. It tastes a bit fruity, but you should at least try once while you are here.

Orion beer tropical collection pineapple beer

Orion tropical collection pineapple flavored beer, photo source http://www.beergril.net

There are 30 more hidden secrets like this on the Okinawa map. Join 5,300+ Okinawa Map Owners to Discover Okinawa Together



Where to Buy The Map

The Okinawa maps are sold in a number of locations in Okinawa, please find a store near you to buy the map. If you live outside of Okinawa or if you want to send a map to your friends and family, we can ship the map to anywhere outside of Okinawa.

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**The information in this article is written by the designer of the Okinawa Story Map based personal experience. It does not aim to be 100% accurate or academically correct. Please enjoy the stories and feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding this article.