by Pa Rock
Cultural Explorer
One thing that I am learning about Okinawa is that when it comes to real estate, things happen quickly. No sooner is one building knocked down than another springs up to take its place - often in just a matter of weeks.
That phenomenon recently occurred right here in my hood. My apartment house had been positioned between two pachinko parlors, each about a block from my front and back doors. And though Okinawans and Americans seem to love the noisy and smokey gambling centers, two that close together were a bit much. So I wasn't surprised when construction tape appeared around one of them, and the building was knocked down and the site leveled in just a couple of days.
I was surprised, however, when I happened to notice a few weeks later that a modern drugstore, Drugstore Mori, is now sitting on the same location - open and ready for business.
I ventured through the new business last week and discovered lots of Japanese products typical of what might be found in a Walgreen's in the United States, as well as many American brands. My purchase: four plastic bottles of milk tea which was selling for about twenty cents a bottle less than I would have paid on base!
Milk tea is one of the things I will miss about living in Japan.
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| Street entrance of Drugstore Mori |
One thing that I am learning about Okinawa is that when it comes to real estate, things happen quickly. No sooner is one building knocked down than another springs up to take its place - often in just a matter of weeks.
 |
| Drugstore Mori of Chatan |
I was surprised, however, when I happened to notice a few weeks later that a modern drugstore, Drugstore Mori, is now sitting on the same location - open and ready for business.
I ventured through the new business last week and discovered lots of Japanese products typical of what might be found in a Walgreen's in the United States, as well as many American brands. My purchase: four plastic bottles of milk tea which was selling for about twenty cents a bottle less than I would have paid on base!
Milk tea is one of the things I will miss about living in Japan.
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