In Naha, Okinawa’s capital, well-being is deeply embedded in everyday practices shaped by craft and food culture. Longstanding traditions such as awamori distilling, artisanal craftsmanship, and locally rooted cuisine reflect values of balance, moderation, and continuity that align closely with blue zone principles.
Through these practices, well-being is expressed not only in what people consume, but in how skills, time, and care are passed down. This article explores how Naha’s craft and food traditions continue to shape a lived sense of well-being today.
Discover awamori production near Shuri Castle
Established in 1887, Zuisen Distillery produces the local spirit of awamori from its base in Naha’s Shuri area, one of three areas sanctioned to do so since the Ryukyu Kingdom days. What is awamori? Unlike brewed sake, awamori is a distilled spirit that is even different from its shochu cousin, thanks to its single distillation process, use of Thai rice and reliance on unique Okinawan black koji mould during fermentation. Like many aspects of Okinawa’s Ryukyuan roots, awamori’s own lineage can be traced back to historical trade routes with China and Thailand.
Zuisen Distillery runs tours every 30 minutes, which start with a video presentation before being shown around the distillery premises to see the different stages of production. After distillation, this finishes with the bottling stage—which is not limited to just bottles. Earthenware clay pots are also used to store and age awamori to help produce prized Kūsu (lit. aged spirit), which takes on a more aromatic and full-bodied taste over time. Kūsu is defined as awamori that has been aged for three years or more using the shitsugi method. Here, any awamori removed for tastings—or lost through evaporation—is gradually replenished with slightly younger kūsu, with this process repeated across a sequence of chronologically aging vessels. This creates a continuous blending system that preserves small amounts of very old awamori while maintaining depth and consistency over time. The best place to see this is beside the distillery’s shop, where you can also taste samples of different awamori varieties as well as buy directly.
Getting to know how awamori production works provides a fascinating insight into past Ryukyuan culture, both in terms of the acceptance of overseas influences in its origin, but also the patience needed to produce its most prized varieties. On the health side, awamori is zero sugar, zero carb and low calorie, making it a healthy alternative to other types of alcohol.
Get to know Ryukyuan lacquerware
The artform of Ryukyuan lacquerware is another craft where skilled, manual hard work and time are vital in the preparation of its most revered pieces, which have 500 years of history dating back to the start of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s Sho dynasty.
The Kakuman Lacquerware (Kakuman Shikki) store, nearby Shuri Castle, has over 120 years of history itself and is run by 6th-generation owner Go Kadena. Using lightweight species of wood indigenous to Okinawa, he aims to carry forward Ryukyuan lacquerware’s legacy while also producing new Ryukyu styles for modern daily life — a vital part of preserving the traditional artform itself through promoting it to newer generations.
Ryukyu lacquer is known for its distinctive use of vermillion and vivid colors, which is enhanced by decorative techniques like tsuikin. This sees lacquer and pigment combined, thinned and cut into specific designs that are continually applied to the surface of an object, creating an appealing three-dimensional appearance. Further techniques to admire include raden (iridescent shells polished and thinned before finally being applied to an object) and chinkin (carvings in the lacquer are filled with gold powder to reveal intricate patterns). Some of the classic design techniques go towards producing magnificent objects, including jikirou—large boxes used during ceremonious meals—and hors d'oeuvres-style accompaniments known as Tundābun.
It is possible to arrange an advance tour of the upstairs atelier, but the groundfloor store is also home to a cosy cafe with panoramic views. Here you can take the time to enjoy a drink or snack served on genuine Ryukyu lacquerware, while pausing to reflect on this craft’s long history and heritage.
Ryukyuan cuisine in Naha
With Okinawa’s subtropical climate, it is easy to imagine how a year-round growing season can lead to abundant harvests of tropical fruits and vegetables throughout the year. From mango and papaya to bitter melon (gōyā) and purple sweet potatoes (beni-imo), Okinawa has a wide variety of staples that it is well-known for and that even other regions in Japan cannot readily produce.
Some of Okinawa’s modern soul foods, like the stir-fried gōyā champurū, make good use of local ingredients, but it is the island’s traditional Ryukyuan cuisine which holds the most charm, offering insights into Okinawa’s history and new well-being lessons.
At Naha’s Ryukyu Cuisine Mie, established in 1957, you can experience court-style cuisine, used for royal events, ceremonies and entertaining visiting envoys from overseas—often from close trading partners like China. Admire the use of lacquerware dishes in a course menu that arrives one dish at a time. Take Rafute, with its thick cuts of pork belly that are slowly simmered in soy sauce, awamori and sugar, Kombumaki (white fish wrapped in kelp and simmered), or Imokuzu andagī (deep-fried, flattened sweet potato balls). Each one tells its own story and offers a glimpse into past techniques and tastes.
With a warm interior inspired by Ryukyu’s history, from hanging scrolls to other artworks, is echoed by a familiar Okinawan style exterior adorned with classic red roof tiles—a symbol of Okinawa that is evocative of hilltop Shuri Castle a few kilometers to the east.
On your next trip to Japan, consider a trip down to Okinawa to explore at a slower pace, taking time to savor local flavors, reflect and engage with local traditions, and find more meaningful and mindful ways to appreciate your destination.
