CONTRIBUTED BY MARY RICHARDSON
Looking for a local shop that supplies organic food staples?
Well, you’re in luck. One afternoon I was driving along in Okinawa City and noticed the Organic and Natural Market.
I stopped to check out this tiny store and found a goldmine of organic and macrobiotic diet foods, including a buffet of home-cooked prepared dishes.
On that day, some of the store’s offerings included vegetables such as lettuce, onions, carrots, daikon, kale, and several different varieties of mushrooms. I didn’t happen to notice any fruit, however.
Inside the freezer cases, I found organic milk, chicken, bacon, pancetta, other pork products, and even some meats I couldn’t quite identify. The fully stocked aisles featured organic beans, grains, pasta, sauce mixes, and eggs.
The prepared dishes included tofu stir-fries, salads, onigiri (rice balls), quiches, and sata andagi (Okinawan donuts). In fact, I observed one woman filling up her bento boxes from home with a yummy healthy looking vegetable medley. I also noticed a selection of bakery items such as breads and sweet buns as well as organic teas.
Moreover, one section of the store is devoted to an alternative treatment area, where there were shelves of vials of homeopathic remedies, natural oils, lotions, and soaps. The homeopathic practitioner does speak English and is available for acupressure and acupuncture appointments and other types of counseling. Her name is Nobuko Irei and her number is 098-973-3193.
Overall, the store had a funky health food vibe to it, and the sales people were extremely friendly (though English was limited). The store also seemed to be genuinely committed to healthy eating and living practices, so even if they don’t happen to sell a product there, they would be a great resource for finding that obscure organic item in Okinawa.
Organic and Natural Shop – Tenbusu
Store Hours: Monday to Saturday 12:00 noon to 8:00 pm.
Phone: 81 98-880-6866
Website: tenbusu.ti-da.net
Address: 2 Chome-2-8 Hiyagon, Okinawa, Okinawa Prefecture 904-2173, Japan
GPS Coordinates: 26.2124013, 127.68093169999997
Directions: Take a left turn out of Sgt Major gate on Camp Foster (where Westpac is) and keep going downhill. Turn left at the 329 intersection and go straight. You will pass Living Design Square on your right and keep going in the direction of Comprehensive Park, but not all the way to the park. You will come to a big intersection with a McDonalds on the right side and a Hotto Motto on the left. Turn right at that intersection and continue straight towards Awase Shopping Center on the right. Just beyond the Awase Shopping Center (with ToysRus) two or three buildings down, you will see the Organic and Natural Market on the right side. Go to the next intersection and make a U-turn. There are several parking spaces in front.
Can anyone drop a pin on this place in google maps, or take a screen shot. I’m having trouble finding it. Thank you.
Just a heads up, the acupuncture services are no longer located here. They are in Uruma. The phone number is still good so you can call for an appointment and get directions.
I found virgin coconut oil in mainland Japan… 500 ml costs 2.500 JPY…
I had to buy a bunch so I could have free shipping…
If someone is interested we can order together next time…over 20.000 Jpy shipping is free…
I am totally loving it… its really helping to lose weight…
They have virgin coconut oil at Kadena now. Much cheaper then what you are currently paying. Its on the bottom shelf by all the vegetable oils and is usually hard to see because they are always limited on supplies.
Does this store or any others sell local honey?
I’ve seen a honey store on 58 — here is an Okinawahai article about it:
https://okinawahai.com/2009/02/local-honey.html
I see this hasn’t been commented on in awhile but I wanted to also add in, the pork they sell here is local. Their pork sausages are AMAZING. Personally I just go here for the meat & eggs. They have chicken (I assume local but it’s frozen) & their eggs are very high quality. For our family, I will buy some organic options at the commissary like milk but I’d rather buy my meat locally. San A also sells great local meats & NZ grass fed beef options. I buy my coconut oil online from Vitacost but they just started carrying it at the comm. In response to the questions abt oils, I have seen carrier type oils like jojoba, almond, etc at the EWTS store by Bovinos. I saw there is also an essential oil shop out gate 2 that was written abt on here. Happy shopping! Oh & to my knowledge (not that extensive) there isn’t a place that sells raw milk here but if anyones does hear of a place, I’d like to know as well!
Can you tell me the name of the store that sells essential oils or where you seen someone talk about it?
Sure! Here’s the link:https://okinawahai.com/2009/11/tennenkobo.html
I have seen small bottles of jojoba and almond oil at Muji. There are three locations. One up the road from Naha Main Place and one on an upper floor of Ryubo department store on one end of kokusaidori.
You can get organic cold pressed coconut oil online from Tropical Traditions. They have no problem sending to APO/FPO at a reasonable price. I don’t go through it that fast and have only ordered it a couple of times. Excellent quality.
Even when the milk is organic, pasturized and especially ultra pasturized like the milk in the comissary is just as bad as the other milk, but in different ways. What I would love to find is someplace that sells raw milk. If anybody knows where I could find raw milk……..?
Did you ever find raw milk? I’m looking too.
We went there the other day and I didn’t see anything that looked like coconut oil, but I also can’t read Japanese (or speak it) and I didn’t ask. I did see Grapeseed oil (it was written in English). There were other oils around the Grapeseed oil, and I’m sure you could ask one of the ladies. I am looking for those things, too….so the next time we go into the store I will ask and report back here!
Let me know if you get the answer to your question Moni J. I’m looking for organic extra virgin coconut oil.
Does anyone know if this store carries unrefined shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, almond oil, castor oil or if anyone does on the island?
For everyone who wants organic, I urge you to contact the managers of your commissary and tell them. The manager of kadena commissary has started to order more items and was very friendly and provided me a list of what they do have for organic. Since i contacted them you can now purchase organic juice, both juice box type, pouch type and in a full size juice bottle. Other things I’ve noticed that he did was make a stand where i can find all organic produce. All it took was a simple email and if you would like to see more organic things I urge you to speak up. We are the customers and when we buy something we are making a vote to keep that item on the shelf. If you want to see something on the shelf then speak with the manager, buy it and keep buying organic. Thank you for this post! I haven’t yet checked out this off base store but i will be headed there tomorrow! Thanks again
there are commissaries (grocery stores) here on Main Bases like Foster, Kadena, Courtney,I know there is one type of organic milk at Kadena Commissary and there is one brand of organic yogurt. The milk price was $3.59 compared to around $2.12 for 2% inorganic milk, so expect to pay higher prices. Higher than usual that is compared to organic milk in the US. The choice of brands is limited.
Thank you… I am just curious, Is there grocery store in the base? and can I find organic milk and yogurt over there?
Thank you for sharing this!! I am new to the island and am in desperate need for this store! I will be going this weekend to stock up.
Thanks, Brian!
The store’s name is “Tenbusu”, not “Tenbutsu”.
actually, you *will* pass one of the entrances to comprehensive park before you get to the big mcdonalds intersection. It is the entrance I usually use. And just fyi, the road you turn onto from the Sgt.Maj. gate is 81.