Isetan Shinjuku Store will be holding an event titled "Menso-re Okinawa: The Great Okinawa Exhibition" in the event space on the 6th floor of the main building, showcasing Okinawan gourmet food, sweets, clothing, and miscellaneous goods all in one place. This year marks the store's 20th anniversary, and this time the Okinawa exhibition will expand beyond the main island of Okinawa to Miyakojima. The event will run from July 23rd to July 28th.
The highlight will be the pizza from Doncolino, an Italian restaurant located on Miyakojima. The "Miyakojima Pizza Ortnala" (1,500 yen) is designed to resemble a vegetable garden, with the pizza crust decorated with tomatoes, bitter melon, okra, and eggplant from Miyakojima. The "Miyako Beef Meat Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese Pizza" (1,750 yen) uses a meat sauce that concentrates the flavor of Miyako beef. The tartness of tomatoes and the richness of mozzarella cheese are a perfect match, accented by the aroma of Miyakojima basil.
Don Colino's owner chef, Naoki Mochizuki, commented, "Pizza made with plenty of Miyakojima ingredients pairs well with awamori. This time, we're also offering an awamori highball in collaboration with Awamori Warehouse, a members-only bar in Naha City. Enjoy the perfect awamori pairing with pizza to fully immerse yourself in the Okinawa atmosphere."
He also hopes that the Okinawa Exhibition will not only allow visitors to enjoy the food, but also to experience the "spirit of Miyakojima and Okinawa." "Miyakojima is not only rich in ingredients, but also a place that enriches the soul. The island allows for close connections between people, and the relationship between humans and nature is taught over time. At the venue, we hope visitors will not only experience Okinawan culture, but also a sense of relaxation that is hard to find in everyday life, and even contemplate the way the people who live there think." This time, the venue will introduce Okinawan items based on the theme of "the five senses." The "Eat" corner will feature dine-in options such as Kirisuba (800 yen) from Miyanchi, a cafe produced by musician Kazufumi Miyazawa, and Okinawa soba (1,000 yen) from Okinawa Soba Dining Kawa, available exclusively at Isetan Shinjuku. The "Scent" corner will offer 20-year-old sake aged in a limestone cavern by Kin Shuzo, sold by weight. The "Touch" corner will feature a 100% cotton tunic dress (9,800 yen) from Paikaji, a brand committed to creating comfortable, relaxing aloha shirts. The "Listen" corner will sell Miyako Mokkogei's Okinawan sanshin set (including sanshin case, sticks, sheet music, spare strings, and spare picks / 20,000 yen). The "See" corner will host the "Okinawa Healing Photo Exhibition," featuring a collection of Okinawan landscapes by Tamura Masahiro, a photographer active in the magazine Hanako.
During the event, a beer garden where you can enjoy Orion beer will be open on the store's rooftop, and there will also be live performances by Okinawan artists. Also, on Shinjuku Street in front of the store, the "Shinjuku Eisa Festival" (from 12 noon on July 26th) will be held, where people will parade around dancing Eisa, the Okinawan Bon Odori dance, and traditional Okinawan dance.
