A so called ”Yatai Mura” or “Food Stall Village” is planned to open next June at the site of the old Grand Orion movie theater that closed in 2002, on Kokusai Street in Makishi, Naha City.

Planners are envisioning a facility that reflects Okinawan culture, and various kinds of restaurants are invited to move in once the construction is complete.  Okinawa General Bureau has approved the business plan as a part of the promotion of local business self-reliance project for fiscal 2014. The implementing bodies of the project are the Naha City Kokusai Street Shopping District Promotion Association, Makishi Urban Area Redevelopment Preparation Association and Kokuba-Gumi Co, Ltd. on a joint venture basis.

The preliminary name for the facility is “Island Marche” and the plan calls for tenants to transmit information on culture, nature and tourist facilities around the main island of Okinawa. Information on remote islands would also be provided together with tourist tours. The facility would also include a permanent exhibition and sale of goods and products from various districts of Okinawa, and a music stage.  Although the market would house about 20 restaurants, they are not limited to serving only Okinawa related food.  People will be able to enjoy a variety of other kinds of dishes as well, like Italian and Chinese.

The planners calculate that the project costs about ¥326 million, of which two thirds would be subsidized. The planned site is about 1,070 square meters, and the gross floor area of the facility itself would be about 580 square meters.

Organizers are planning to start asking offers in the middle of October from applicants who want to open up a store, and will select the stores next February.

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