Located on the Route 58 coast road along the beautiful Onna coastline is the well-known souvenir shop Okashigoten. This place is the one-stop shop for all things beni-imo purple sweet potato-flavour, as well as other Okinawan specialities such as pineapple, hibiscus, shikwasa, awamori, Ryukyu glass and shisa statues. The shop’s speciality is the purple sweet potato tart, which contains nothing but sweet potato in a thin pastry crust, freshly baked in the on-site ovens. In fact, one of the highlights of Okashigoten is the fact that many of the products are made in the on-site factory which is cleverly laid out in a production line behind a window so that shoppers can watch the whole baking process. I believe you can also have a go at making your own sweet potato tarts on the second floor if you pre-book on the website and are able to pick up your tarts at the end of the day. The experience takes around an hour.
So, a little history. The company was set up in 1979 and opened its first branch in Yomitan in 1991. The Onna branch opened in 2001 and was constructed to look like Shuri Castle with the gates over the entrance resembling the famous Shureimon Gate. The building is impressive and you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s more than just a souvenir shop. I suppose souvenirs are big business in Japan.
The products are arranged neatly around the shop on the ground floor and here there is a small cafe selling Blue Seal ice cream and various fresh cream cakes. On the second floor, as well as the baking experience, is the Restaurant Churaumi which sells set meals of taco rice and Okinawa Soba.
The shop is built overlooking Diamond beach and there is access down to the beach via a staircase just to the right of the main entrance. Follow the path further down to the right and the views are amazing!
There is parking for up to 80 cars, plus 2 disabled parking spaces. There is also a wheelchair-accessible bathroom plus nursing and baby changing facilities. Credit card and electronic payments such as Waon, au pay and Suica are accepted as well as cash (Yen). Enjoy!
100 Seragaki, Onna, Kunigami District, Okinawa 904-0404
098-982-3388
http://www.okashigoten.co.jp/onna-shop/
Open 7 days a week 9.00-18.00
