Okinawa - Kokusai Dori

Kokusai Dori, which literally translates as International Street, is a 1.6 km street in Naha. The name comes from the Ernie Pyle International Theater, which catered to US servicemen after WWII.  

When I visited this street on previous trips, it was a busy, crowded street, with many restaurants and shops and activity. Previously on Sundays, the street was closed to traffic and people were everywhere. I was there on a Sunday afternoon on this trip and the street was open to traffic, there were few people, and there were many closed shops. That was surprising because it was the New Year Holiday time, so it should have been full of tourists. One good thing was the Blue Seal Ice Cream shop!