Pop-up restaurant operator Dining Out opens for just a few days a year at off-the-beaten-path places in Japan. Running over three consecutive days in December 2020, the restaurant’s latest project, Sanctuary Dining, will be at one of Okinawa’s most sacred places.
The outdoor dinner takes place in the city of Nanjo in Okinawa, just an hour by bus from Naha airport. The city is home to four of the sacred places of Amamikyo – the goddess who created the Ryukyu Islands (now Okinawa) – including the Unesco World Heritage site Sefa-utaki, known for its distinctive caves and rock formations.
The exact location of Sanctuary Dining will be the ruins of Chinen Castle, a place of religious pilgrimage since the 1400s. While sampling authentic Ryukyu cuisine, you’ll also be able to watch some traditional Okinawan performing arts.
The dining experience takes place on December 11, 12 and 13, each from 6.30pm to 9.30pm. The event is limited to 20 guests each evening and costs ¥59,800 per person.
For an additional ¥15,000 per person, on the morning after your dinner, you can also join a cultural tour to Sefa-utaki, plus enjoy a luxurious breakfast at Cape Chinen Park facing Kudaka Island. The breakfast and the tour run from 6am to 8.30am.
Make your reservation for Sanctuary Dining here (in Japanese only).
Based on the original reporting by Mari Hiratsuka.
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