CONTRIBUTED BY DIANA MIDDLETON

Anchor Shoji 1

Anchor Shoji is a great place to find unique Okinawan pottery and kitchen ware such as teapots, plate sets, etc.  The first floor, where you enter, has more of the high end items with a huge variety to choose from.  Personally, I love teapots and their large selection gives you a lot to choose from.

Anchor Shoji 2 Anchor Shoji 3 Anchor Shoji 4

This is a great place to purchase items as gifts for birthdays, to send back home or for a hostess gift.

Mix Life-Style & Anchor Shoji Kitchen Supply Store 008

The lower floor stores the restaurant-supply type items, such as bento holders, large pots, etc.  You can also find wine glasses and other dishware at a reasonable price.

Mix Life-Style & Anchor Shoji Kitchen Supply Store 005


Anchor Shoji

Payment: This store takes Master Card, Visa and Yen.

Website: www.anchorshoji.co.jp

Hours:  Open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Phone: 098-892-2320, but their English is limited

Address: Japan, 〒901-2201 Okinawa Prefecture, Ginowan, 新城2丁目23−8

GPS Coordinates: 26.287844, 127.77164570000002

Directions:  Jump on the 330 going south past Foster.  The 330 splits just passed the American Legion gate.  To stay on the 330 you actually have to turn left.  Going straight will put you on the 81.  Follow this road until you see a Lawson’s on the left.  You want to turn left at the SECOND LIGHT passed Lawsons.  There is a Higa Dental Clinic at this intersection as well as a brown Izakaya restaurant.  Once you make this left Anchor Shoji will be on the right just passed your first light.  Parking is limited.  If you can’t find parking in front of the store then turn down the street where the first signal is, turn left if you are heading back in the direction of 81,  and park in the small parking area in front of the 2nd building on your right.  It looks like someone’s home with two parking spaces.

11 COMMENTS

  1. I just wanted to post an update since all of the comments are a few years old. This shop has tons of great dishes and stuff! The directions in the post aren’t that great as another commenter had stated. If you’re going south on 330, you pass Camp Foster. Then, 330 will just become 81 (you don’t have to turn off anywhere). Then, the Lawson after 330 changes to 81 is when you start counting the stoplights and turn left at the second one. I think you can only turn left and it’s a small street. You’ll see the place on the right on that road. It’s on a corner, and you can see all the kitchen stuff in the windows.

    • Hello, I was wondering since you’ve been to Anchor Shoiji, did you notice if they sell Japanese Chef knives?! Or would you know where in Okinawa I may purchase a chef knife? I will be flying there soon and any info you can provide would be great. Thank you

  2. Anchor Shoji has just about any kind of Japanese plate / bowl / cup / tray / etc. you could ask for. The selection (variation within each dish type) isn’t enormously extensive, but there are enough options to make you feel like you’ve chosen from among a selection. For someone looking just for plates or bowls, I’d suggest checking out a 100 yen store first (I hear there’s a big one down by the Ginowan convention center) since the ones here are at least 4x that amount. For rarer items (such as a Japanese style charcoal table-top grill), Anchor Shoji is perfect.

  3. How pricey was everything in the store? I’ve definitely hit a huge nesting phase in my pregnancy (throwing out my old dishes as we speak). I’d like to get some dishware from a local vendor so we have household items to remember our stay here. Was it expensive? Price range?

  4. My husband and I printed this post yesterday (along w/ several others) in the hopes of some exploring! We noticed that the directions for this are a bit confusing and I wanted to clarify so others don’t get as wonderfully lost (we found other cool stuff!) as we did and go a more direct route. …the directions above read…”The 330 splits just passed the American Legion gate. To stay on the 330 you actually have to turn left. Going straight will put you on the 81. Follow this road until you see a Lawson’s on the left.”… THESE directions don’t say which way to go… they tell two options and then say “stay on this road.” So we wanted to clarify that you DO NOT make a left hand turn… you stay straight and take what turns into 81.

    Okay! Enjoy! The store is amazing.

  5. Mishka – thanks for the reminder. There is a small two car parking spot down the street from the store but I was afraid the directions would be confusing. After turning left off of 81 you would then make a right at the street before the store. You can park in front of the 2nd building on the right – looks like you are parking in front of someone’s apartment. Or ask the employees where to park. Not really convenient but it’s a great store so I think it’s worth it!!!!

    Carrie – You want to be on 81 so stay to the right and then 330 turns into 81. Sorry for the confusion.

  6. I have visited this store a few times on my way to or from Sanzo’s fabric store and it should be noted that if you park on the street, be careful…they do tow cars away. I have seen them tow Japapese and Y plated vehicles…there are no parking signs along that section of street.