Chatan Town Tourist Information Center
Services/Support | Avg price: ¥0 | English Available: None (Unknown)
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Small "Chatan" tourist information center outside American Village, Okinawa
The name on the front of this small facility is written as “chatan information” (their usage, or lack thereof, of capital letters). Perhaps, “Chatan Town Tourist Information Center” might make for a more fruitful online search. In Japanese, 北谷町観光情報センター (Chatan Machi Kanko Joho Center). Chatan information is located on the southeastern corner of the crossroads just south of American Village, a popular shopping, eating and entertainment area for locals, Marines, and tourists alike. The information center is pretty easy to spot (especially at night) due to the bright pink lettering of its sign. For parking, use that which is provided by American Village which is free and close by (a bus stop is immediately out front of the information center which makes it difficult to pull up in your car). If you’re really struggling to locate the facility, head first for the large ferris wheel and refine your search from there. Staff at “chatan information” are able to speak English and there may be someone there who can speak Chinese and / or Korean depending on the time of your visit. This is a clean, modern space although it is small. That said, “chatan information” is a good place to come and pick up maps, tourists brochures and other bits and bobs of information about what to see and do, and where to stay in the Chatan area. Aside from information provided in person and by paper copy, there are also PCs / tablets which one can use for Internet searches. The “Chatan Town Tourist Association” (the people who run the center have a website but it is Japanese only). I was pleased to see that the Chatan Town Tourist Information Center had in stock copies of free English-language publications like “Okinawa Wanderer” and “totalokinawa” available to take away. On a disappointing note, the Chatan Town (sightseeing) maps in English were out of stock (including those that might have been somewhere in the back) and when I asked about this it would have been nice to have seen some attempt to offer an alternative and / or have gotten some follow-up questions / advice but neither were forthcoming from the staff at the time. The facility is home to restrooms, baggage storage (500 yen / day), baby changing facility, stroller / wheelchair rental and coin lockers (there is a beach in these parts). Bicycle rental is also available for 500 yen / four hours. Overall, the tourist information center, like any other, is a got spot to pop into when travelling in Okinawa, if only to pick up some maps and get a sense of where you are and what there is to see. Hours: 10:00 - 19:00 (closed Jan 1)
KamaT
on Sep 1