1st Jan 2026: Motobu Cultural Exchange Center in Okinawa

The Motobu Cultural Exchange Center in Motobu, Okinawa offers a wide variety of programs that allow visitors to enjoy traditional Okinawan culture and hands‑on crafts in a short amount of time.

Popular activities include pottery painting on unglazed dishes, hand‑building Shisa figures from clay, making gel candles with shells and sand, creating coral wind chimes, and glass etching—each providing a memorable keepsake to take home.

The center also offers more immersive cultural experiences, such as crafting a kankara sanshin (a traditional three‑stringed instrument made from a tin can), as well as bingata dyeing and Churaumi‑inspired dyeing, both of which reflect Okinawa’s rich artistic heritage.

There’s actually a pond in the garden, and turtles swim in it gracefully.

Because the weather was rainy on the day of our visit, our family chose to try glass etching in the morning, followed by gel candle making and bingata dyeing in the afternoon. Many of the programs are open to participants as young as four, making them ideal for families. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn about Okinawa’s nature, culture, and traditions in an enjoyable and accessible way.

Taken with iPhone 14 Pro