Naha, Keelung, Sasebo

Naha is the largest city in Okinawa Prefecture. Located in the southern part of Okinawa Main Island, it is the political, economic and transportation center of the prefecture. Kokusai Street is surely the most crowded place in Naha. This approximately 1.6-kilometer-long street is lined with department stores, restaurants, coffee shops, general shops, clothing shops, travel agencies, banks, and of course souvenir shops which account for about 40% of the businesses and facilities on the high traffic street. The Makishi Public Market is located on Main Market Street, running south from a halfway point on Kokusai Street. The market, known as the "kitchen of Naha," is always full of energy and excitement with old women called "Obaa" working actively amongst the brisk talking venders.

Keelung is a port city near Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Taiwan is an island nation located off the coast of southwest Okinawa, Japan and north of the Philippines. Taiwan is known for its crowded cities, its steep mountains and its lush forests. The city of Keelung is within walking distance from the pier. Visit the Yingee Museum, a museum dedicated to the preservation of the ceramic’s history in Taiwan or head towards Miaokou Market, known for its wide variety of tasty snacks.

The area of present-day Sasebo was a small fishing village under the control of nearby Hirado Domain until shortly after the start of the Meiji period. Sasebo Naval District, founded in 1886, became the major port for the Japanese navy in its operations in the First Sino-Japanese War and Russo-Japanese War, and remained a major naval base to the end of World War II.