A street performer entertains visitors at Keibin Market.

Champuru Ichi & Keibin Ichi have their sights set on drawing attention to old Yonabaru Town with a pair of simultaneous market events.

Sellers at Keibin market operate from mini trucks.

Yonabaru Town, the smallest town on the island, is located on the southeastern coast of the island and is just nine kilometers away from Naha City. Two market events are scheduled to take place simultaneously Sunday on the old and new local shopping areas of Oyakawa and Ebisu Streets in Yonabaru Town.  Event organizers say simply the purpose is to revitalize the local shopping areas.  Images of Oyakawa Street can be seen at. http://yonabaru-too.com/walk/8100.html.

Champuru Ichi will be held on Oyakawa

Local youth groups provide entertainment at the market.

Street, which has an entrance to the left from Route 331, about 100 meters towards Sashiki from Yonabaru Intersection.   At the event, local people and stores from the area are setting up tents, selling foods and pastries, and offering games to play booths among others.

A unique feature of the Keibin Ichi is the many stores set up on mini trucks.  Farmers, fishery operators, bakers and anyone who wants to sell products, and reserves a spot in advance by calling Yonabaru Chamber of Commerce at 098-945-3513 (in Japanese), can bring their wares to the market for sale from the truck bed.

The mini truck stalls sell almost anything.

The Champru Ichi market takes place on Sunday, from 3 p.m. ~ 7 p.m. on Oyakawa Street, Yonabaru Town. The street is closed to motor vehicle traffic between 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

The Keibin Ichi market is also being held on Sunday  from 3 p.m. ~ 7 p.m. on Ebisu Street between Route 331 and the former Yabiku snack store. This street, too, is closed for vehicles between 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

There are not many changes to see local events like this in May, so this should be a fun place to go for the whole family. Yonabaru Town has some remaining old houses and streets in the old parts of the town, while the new Marine Town Agarihama area, built on a landfill, lies astride Nishihara Town on the shore of Nakagusuku Bay. The construction of the Marine Town is now completed, and an increasing number of people are moving into the area.

As a point of Yonabaru Town interest, Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga just recently announced that the Prefectural Government has chosen to locate the new MICE facility at the bay area. Other towns and cities were in hot competition for the MICE facility, most notably Tomigusuku City south of Naha, as the facility is expected to attract much other investment, such as large hotels, shopping centers and restaurants to the area giving the town a considerable economic boost.

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