Okinawa World's 'Bukubuku Tea House' Certified as Cultural Affairs Agency's 'Food Culture Museum'

The 'Bukubuku Tea House,' located within the tourist facility 'Okinawa World' (Nanto Group) in Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture, has been certified as a 'Food Culture Museum (Food Experience and Information Dissemination Facility)' for fiscal year 2025 by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.

This certification was granted because the 'multifaceted promotional activities,' such as continuously providing a place where anyone can easily enjoy Bukubuku tea, Okinawa's traditional tea culture, amidst a landscape of traditional houses and stone-paved streets, and for many years offering experience programs for domestic and international groups, align with the certification criteria of 'Providing Learning and Experience of Food Culture.'

With this certification as an opportunity, we will further strengthen our role as a 'hub for learning and experiencing' regional food culture.

■ What is the Agency for Cultural Affairs 'Food Culture Museum'?

The Agency for Cultural Affairs 'Food Culture Museum' is a system certified by the Agency for Cultural Affairs with the aim of inheriting and promoting diverse regional food cultures.

It is divided into three categories: 'Museums and Art Museums, etc.', 'Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Stations) and Food-Related Facilities', and 'Food Experience and Information Dissemination Facilities', and is selected and certified annually from a large number of applications.

The 'Food Experience and Information Dissemination Facility' category, for which Bukubuku Tea House was certified, targets facilities equipped with functions for learning, experience, and information dissemination, and Bukubuku Tea House was highly praised as a place where visitors can experience Okinawa's unique tea culture.

■ Conveying Okinawa's Tea Culture at 'Bukubuku Tea House'

Okinawa's traditional tea, 'Bukubuku tea,' is a culture that once disappeared due to post-war turmoil but was revived through the efforts of preservation societies.

It is known as a unique traditional Okinawan beverage made by combining the hot water from parched rice with tea water and frothing it with a large bamboo whisk. It is said to have been served with 'respect and courtesy' when entertaining state guests such as envoys from the Chinese Emperor (Saffu-shi), and is deeply connected to Okinawa's history and culture.

At Bukubuku Tea House, visitors can learn about this Bukubuku tea through experience.

■ Enjoy a Moment of Bliss Amidst Traditional Houses

The 'Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town' where Bukubuku Tea House is located is an area lined with registered tangible cultural properties, traditional houses.

With its red-tiled roofs and stone-paved streets, creating an atmospheric landscape reminiscent of the Ryukyu Kingdom era, visitors can enjoy authentic Bukubuku tea prepared by staff, along with Ryukyuan sweets. They can also savor 'Bukubuku Coffee,' which utilizes the froth of Bukubuku tea, in a historic setting, enjoying a relaxing moment with the fragrant aroma of parched rice.

■ Sharing the Traditional Froth Together: 'Bukubuku Tea Experience' for Groups

Okinawa World values providing 'places for experience' to deepen understanding of Okinawa's unique culture. This program, targeted at school trips and general tour groups (15 or more people, reservation required), is also widely used as a local learning opportunity for elementary schools in the prefecture. Through the experience of frothing the tea themselves using a bamboo whisk, participants can enjoyably learn about its history and etiquette. The experience of touching upon the history behind the frothing technique is not only one of the important awareness activities that this facility has been carrying out for many years but also plays a crucial role in passing down traditions to the next generation. These initiatives align with the purpose of this system, which aims to inherit and promote traditions, and were highly evaluated.

■ Following the Food Culture Museum Certification

Okinawa World welcomes many visitors from Japan and abroad throughout the year. We will fully leverage this characteristic to disseminate Okinawa's unique culture to the world as a certified facility. Furthermore, we will further strengthen our educational support for the next generation, such as students on school trips, and connect Okinawa's proud rich food culture to the future and the world.

〈Food Culture Museum〉

Food Culture Museum Special Site

https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/shokubunka/foodculture/foodculturemuseum/

List of Certified Facilities for Fiscal Years 2021-2025 (PDF file)

https://www.bunka.go.jp/seisaku/shokubunka/foodculture/assets/pdf/about/foodculturemuseum/list.pdf

〈Bukubuku Tea House〉

https://www.gyokusendo.co.jp/okinawaworld/foods/#foods_cafe

〈Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town〉

https://www.gyokusendo.co.jp/okinawaworld/7recommendations/#feature4

〈Okinawa World Facility Overview〉

- Facility Name: Okinawa World

- Location: 1336 Tamagusuku Maekawa, Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture

- Business Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM (Last admission 4:00 PM)

- Regular Holidays: Open year-round

- Admission Fee: Adults ¥2,000 (15 years and older), Children ¥1,000 (4-14 years old)

- Official Website: https://www.gyokusendo.co.jp/okinawaworld/

〈Inquiries Regarding This Matter〉

Nanto Co., Ltd. Okinawa World Planning and Public Relations Division

Mail: ad@gyokusendo.co.jp