🍢「Late-night carnival at Kokusai-dori! Okinawa Yatai Street: a street that will excite your taste buds」

#5月好去地方2025 Address: 3‑11‑16 Makishi, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture (Kokusai-dori Yatai Village, near Makishi Station and Mieibashi Station)  Atmosphere/Facilities: Yatai Street is hidden in a narrow alley next to Kokusai-dori. Wooden red-tiled yatai are arranged in a Y shape, with a total of about 20 stalls. The entire venue is like a miniature of Okinawa. From 11pm, it gets more and more lively as the night goes on. Neon lights, Ryukyu music and live performances are intertwined. Regular customers and travelers drink and eat skewers side by side, and the atmosphere is super exciting (). There is a small central stage, and most of the seats are high chairs and a bar in front of the stalls. You can eat while watching the crowds, and you can hear hot dance performances from time to time. ⸻ Cost: • Snacks cost about ¥100–600 (NT$20–150) per skewer, and there is a rich selection of skewers, fried foods and small dishes (). • Drinks such as beer and Ryukyu Awamori cost about ¥500–¥1,000 (NT$120–250) per glass. • The average per capita budget is about ¥1,000–2,500 (NT$250–600), suitable for relaxing while drinking and eating snacks. ⸻ Features: • Japanese food stall culture: Enjoy ramen, sushi, Okinawa soba, skewers, tempura, Asian cuisine, etc. at more than 20 stalls at once. • 40-degree night version of Kokusai-dori: The atmosphere is full at night, and it is the only real night market in Kokusai-dori. • Live performances: There are regular Ryukyu Island songs and drum performances on the central stage, and you can watch and listen while eating (). • Interactive social scene: The bar format facilitates the opportunity to meet stall owners and neighboring tables, mostly for locals and tourists to communicate with each other. • Convenient transportation: Located in the core of Kokusai-dori, less than 5 minutes walk from Makishi Station, it is easy to go shopping and drink and then return to the hotel. ⸻ Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5) ⸻ ✨Experience When night falls, stepping into this alley is like being hit by the passion of Okinawa. The Yatai Street connects more than 20 specialty stalls in the form of an izakaya market, from skewers, tempura, Okinawa soba to nigiri sushi, and even creative goat dishes, like a world tour of taste. The atmosphere gets more lively as the night goes on. Whenever the lights are lit, the music starts, and the stage starts, the air immediately becomes hot. My favorite stall is the grilled "Agu Pork Skewers" and "Sea Grape Salad". The pork is fragrant and the seaweed tastes full of Okinawa flavor. Paired with a glass of ice beer and some tempura dishes recommended by friends, the taste and quantity are just right, which makes people's appetite open. I looked back and saw the vendor next to me warmly inviting me to join the chat at the table. After a cup of awamori, I instantly became a "local". The charm of Yatai Street is not only the food, but also the sense of ritual of "eating to the excitement". The stalls are close to each other, and the customer group is mixed, including Japanese office workers, travelers, students, and aunties toasting at the table. Everyone eats a skewer and chats a few words, and the scene is warmer than any landmark. I must mention the night performances. There are island songs and Eisa drum performances on the central stage, with a clear and infectious rhythm. I ordered a drink when it was getting dark and watched the Ryukyu youth dancing. The lights were sprinkled on the wooden houses and the faces of the crowd. The scene was like an abstract movie scene, both joyful and profound. The prices are much more affordable than the restaurants in Kokusai Street. The skewers start at 100 yuan and the fried skewers are less than 200 yuan. A round of eating and drinking can be finished for about NT$400-600. It is suitable for sharing with many people, and you can also try small portions. You can eat full without burning money. If you want to take photos and check in, remember to enter early. There are fewer people before 7 o'clock, and the lights and wooden houses are more beautiful. The later hours are suitable for the real feeling of "flavors are squeezed by people and sounds are drowned by music". If it is a weekend or holiday, it is recommended to queue up early to choose a good position. Of course, there are also small disadvantages: the alleys are narrow and a little crowded when there are many people. You should be polite to queue or wait when ordering. It is also recommended to bring enough cash. Although some stalls support PayPay, some still only accept cash. In short, Okinawa Yatai Street is the most authentic epitome of Naha's nightlife. It is simple, vigorous, and diverse, making people drink happily, eat to their heart's content, and their souls are activated by Okinawa. If you ask what is the "most exciting part of Okinawa night", I think it is this Yatai Street: an alley, a few lights, and a sound, but it can ignite the enthusiasm of the entire island. As long as you come to Naha, you might as well slow down, lower your posture, prepare your taste buds, and let the night of this city take you into the heart of Ryukyu. #Okinawa #Naha #Okinawa Yatai #Kokusai-dori Yatai Village #Kokusai-dori Izakaya #Okinawa Late Night Snack