You might have seen a photo on social media featuring this beautiful tree road, probably saw someone on a bicycle they rented from a vendor nearby. But let me tell you, this place is so much more than one sandy street, it's an entire functioning village and it was not built for tourism either.
Bise Village lies on the west side of the main island of Okinawa. It's staple Fukugi tree lines the village streets providing ample shade from that intense summer sun. There are shaved ice shops, cafes and shops to peruse, but if you ask me, the real story of this town revolves around its inhabitants. The fishermen, the villagers, some of which are more on the modern side, but from what I've seen, some very much so grasping onto their unique way of life, the old way of life, a much more beautiful way of life if you ask me.
The Fukugi tree is a hardy tree, it is said to protect the village from typhoons, which if you didn't know, Okinawa experiences some of the worst typhoons as they sit on the western edge of the Pacific. This is the old way of protection, a very beautifully natural way too. The streets are made of white soft sand, they are swept every morning by the locals. In the summer, you'll find spider webs galore and the other arch nemesis, the mosquito, waiting for you around every corner. So it's good to be appropriately dressed or at the very least carry some bug spray on you, maybe a stick too. If you can get past the negatives of jungle life, it's a very pretty place to be. It sits right off of the ocean, you can see small fishermen boats and nets lining the seawall. I'd say if you find yourself missing some culture, some of the old way of life, make a day of it here. It'll definitely put you back in time. Ahhhh, the good ole days.
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