In 1950, shortly after the war, the "black market" that was quietly operating in Naha City at the time was consolidated and opened as a municipal market, the "Naha City First Makishi Public Market," which is still loved by many as the "Kitchen of the Prefecture." Right across from the market is the small but sophisticated shop with a mortar-like exterior, "Miyoshi Sour Stand."


A shop in the heart of Naha that has inherited Okinawa's history
When you walk through the door of Miyoshi Sour Stand, the store manager, Yuji Ikeda, will greet you with a smile.

"Miyoshi Sour Stand is a sour juice specialty store where you can enjoy fresh fruits from Okinawa. In addition to strawberries and scallions, you can enjoy fresh drinks made with fruits that are hard to find outside of Okinawa, such as passion fruit and dragon fruit."

Enjoy seasonal Okinawan fruits in sour drinks and juices.

This shop just opened in the spring of 2022. Previously, there was a store called "Miyoshi Shoten" that had been operating as a fruit shop for many years. However, due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the store switched from in-store sales to mail order sales. Ikeda, who was originally acquainted with the owner, inherited the name "Miyoshi" and the characteristic of being a "fruit specialty store", and "Miyoshi Sour stand" was born. "The ingredients for our sours are basically just fruit and alcohol. We use as little sugar or juice as possible. You can enjoy the natural yet powerful flavor of fruits grown under the strong Okinawan sun. We make each one carefully after receiving an order so that you will be impressed with how delicious it is at first bite."


A fruit sour juice specialty store opens thanks to a combination of connections
Ikeda-san currently runs a sour specialty store in Naha, but he was actually born and raised in Sendai. What made him decide to open a store in faraway Okinawa?

"I had always dreamed of working overseas. After graduating from a local school, I worked in the food and beverage industry in various countries, including the United States. I thought I would continue working overseas, but... my visa renewal didn't go through, and I ended up returning to Japan with nothing but the clothes on my back. I lost all my money, work, and place to live all at once, and I was in despair."

What saved Ikeda was the experience he had cultivated in the food and beverage industry.

"I had an acquaintance who wanted to open a restaurant on a remote island in Okinawa, so I moved to Okinawa to help him. I fell in love with the land of Okinawa. Still, I was preparing to move back overseas someday. But just around that time, the COVID-19 pandemic began. Of course, I was shocked, but I thought, 'This might be a good opportunity to settle down,' and decided to open a restaurant in Okinawa."

He then took over the fruit shop "Miyoshi Shoten." Seeing how Ikeda continued to move forward in his new location with a smile on his face despite the various hardships, the owner of the shop approached Ikeda directly.

The name "MIYOSHI" was inherited from a fruit store.

"I'm in the middle of Naha, right in front of the Makishi Public Market, which is visited by many customers every day. When I first came to Okinawa, I never imagined I'd be able to open a shop in such a great location. I really have been blessed with many connections."


Walking around Naha city, enjoying the Okinawan seasons and sunshine

Ikeda-san has been working in the food and beverage industry for many years, but his core beliefs have never changed.

"We make delicious food with sincerity. I've been in the food and beverage industry for over 20 years, and my place of residence and business model have changed all the time. But that passion remains the same. For example, at Miyoshi Sour Stand, we use only fresh seasonal fruit and alcohol for our sour drinks. That's why they look very simple and don't have the impact of alcohol served at bars or izakayas. But we never give up on our pursuit of delicious food."

I visited the store in March, when strawberries were in season. I tried one of the popular dishes at Miyoshi Sour Stand, a strawberry sour made with luxurious seasonal strawberries grown in Ginoza in the northern part of Okinawa.

The strawberry sour drink is made with a generous half-pack of strawberries.

"Recently, we've had a lot of customers who search for our shop and come here because they've always wanted to try it. We're grateful that many of them have been repeat customers. We also offer takeaway, so some customers enjoy sightseeing around Naha with a sour or juice in hand."

Walking around the city of Naha, enjoying the Okinawan seasons and sunshine. When you visit Kokusai Street, stop by Miyoshi Sour stand, where you can enjoy sours and juices filled with seasonal Okinawan ingredients.

Left: Pineapple sour Right: Passion fruit sour

Miyoshi Sour stand

Address: 2-11-12 Matsuo, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture, 900-0014

Access: 10 minutes walk from Miebashi Station

SNS:https://www.instagram.com/miyoshisourstand/

*For details on business hours and holidays, please check the link above.