Exploring the Newest Okinawa Mall

As I was researching Okinawa before our move last summer I read several blog posts about the new mall that opened up in May 2015. After arriving I was asked on various occasions if I'd been to the new mall. So my curiosity has been piqued ever since I heard about it. I wasn't sure where it was located and had envisioned it being closer to Naha. When our realtor was driving us to see our temporary apartment, we drove right past the mall and it was way closer to the base than I had anticipated. I was also quite excited to learn that we would be living close to the mall because I knew just by looking at it that I needed to plan a few days to explore it....and I had a feeling I'd want to go there often.

My first visit was on a Wednesday in mid-December and as I walked in I was greeted by a huge aquarium of fish. My favorite was a huge blue fish that reminded me of the "Pout Pout Fish" from a book I love to read to my grandsons. Before I left the aquarium I had to call them on facetime to show them the fish. They were getting ready for bed and were happy to see that Nana had found the Pout Pout fish. After showing them the fish I walked outside to show them that it was daytime for me at the same time they were going to bed. This seemed to amaze Liam. He kept looking out his window to make sure it was nighttime there. I will always think of them when I see that aquarium. They love watching fish.

After ending my conversation I began my exploration of one of my new favorite places. The Rycom Aeon mall is four stories tall and is full of familiar American stores mixed in with popular Japanese stores. I found Old Navy, American Eagle, Forever 21, Gap, Sketchers, Dr. Martens, Sports Authority, Toys R Us/Babies R Us, Coldstone Ice Cream, Baskin Robbins Ice Cream, McDonalds, and Starbucks. I walked through each of them to see how the prices compared to American prices and they were very close in prices. It gave me a warm feeling to know that I could find a little bit of the USA anytime I want to go to the mall.

At the end of the second and third floors are food courts with every imaginable type of food. The fourth floor has a huge movie theater. At the opposite end from the food courts is the Aeon department store. The first floor of Aeon is a grocery store and the other two floors are similar to our department stores. I spent the whole day meandering from store to store and stopped for a smoothie for my lunch. I found several stores that I loved and have been back to them many times. My feet were sore by the end of my exploration and I realized it will be a nice place to walk on rainy days. The mall also has free internet so I can go there and spend time online while we wait for internet service.

I thought I'd seen all of the mall on my first visit but later realized that there were several stores on the outside of the mall that I'd missed. I explored those on my next visit. I went to the mall several times during the holiday season. It helped to get me psyched for the holidays with all the Christmas music and decorations. As it got closer to New Years Eve I avoided going because all the Okinawans were off on vacation and the parking lots were packed.  Most weekends it takes us much longer to get home because the mall generates more traffic when the local people are off of work. They are building a hospital across from the mall that is scheduled to open this spring and I'm thinking it will add even more traffic to an already busy area.  Here's a glimpse inside the Rycom Aeon Mall.