Partnership Shop and Cafe

Southeast Botanical Gardens' gift shop and restaurants

Michael Flemming Aug 20, 2013 - 2 min read

<p>Partnership Shop and Cafe is located on the left once entering Southeast Botanical Gardens</p>

<p>Find the very popular "Uminchu" shirts inside the gift shop; Uminchu is fisherman in the Ryukyuan language</p>

<p>There's a nice little selection of shisha dogs and Ryukyuan stained glass inside Partnerhip Shop and Cafe</p>

<p>Chibana Gelato is a popular spot to cool down with a gelato, sorbet or frozen yogurt</p>

<p>Aloha Blossom is a small snack stand within the Partnership shop and cafe</p>

<p>The Aloha Blossom restaurant's clever name play on pupu platter inspired curry has taken a wrong turn</p>

Partnership Shop and Cafe is the gift shop and restaurant at Southeast Botanical Gardens in Okinawa City. The facility, along with the rest of the garden park, was completely renovated and updated for the recent grand re-opening in July, 2013.

It's a great place—and really the only place—to cool off in air-conditioned comfort while visiting Southeast's beautiful botanical and water gardens. The gift shop has a good selection of nature, preservation and Okinawan-related items to select from. If you happen to be searching for souvenirs of your stay in Okinawa, Partnership isn't a bad place to shop at given its reasonable prices and good selection of shisha dogs and Ryukyuan stained glassware.

The Aloha Blossom restaurant serves curry and Okinawa soba, and a selection of Hawaiian beers along with local favorite Orion Beer on tap. The Chibana Gelato frozen dessert stand sells an interesting selection of gelatos, sorbets and frozen yogurts many of which are inspired by and infused with locally popular ingredients.

There's a lot of comfortable seating to take a break at and view the gardens from a more comfortable and effort free vantage point. Partnership Shop and Cafe is open during park hours from 09:00—22:00 and available to anyone with paid admission to the park.

Michael Flemming @michael.flemming

I'm a wanderer in Okinawa turning over every stone I can find. I write, photograph and blog about my favorite finds here in Japan's southernmost prefecture.