Oahu] Discover Chinatown on Oahu! Recommended Sightseeing Spots and Restaurants

Oahu, Hawaii's most popular resort island

Whenever we see special features on overseas resorts, Hawaii travel is always at the top of the list of popular destinations. Hawaii programs and magazines, and more recently, SNS posts and Hawaii travel videos by famous You Tubers are also popular.

Such is the popularity of travel to Hawaii, and Oahu is the most popular island in Hawaii.

Waikiki is crowded with tourists, and for good reason.

It is popular because of its proximity to a large shopping mall where you can also enjoy accommodations and gourmet food, and its convenient accessibility from famous tourist attractions.

If you want to travel to Hawaii, you may want to look into Oahu.

 

What is Oahu like?

Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu Airport), the gateway to Hawaii, is located on Oahu Island and has direct flights from Japan.

It is home to famous tourist attractions such as Waikiki Beach and Diamond Head, and is the site of the Honolulu Marathon.

Most of Hawaii's population lives on the island of Oahu, which has been developed and developed as a tourist destination.

Tourism is thriving and the city is bustling, but the unspoiled nature is protected and beautiful scenic areas can be enjoyed, which is why people keep coming back for trips.

 

How to get to Oahu

There are direct flights from Japan to Oahu.

It takes about 7 hours to reach Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (Honolulu Airport) from Narita Airport, Haneda Airport, Kansai International Airport, etc. on outbound flights.

The return trip takes about 9 hours, but please note that it may take more than 10 hours if the flight is via.

Prices vary depending on the season, but many people take direct flights to Oahu during the peak season of summer vacation and New Year's holidays.

Depending on the time of year, there are very inexpensive package tours available, so you may want to sign up with a travel agency.

 

Attractions of Oahu

No matter what time of year you visit Oahu, you can enjoy the mild climate and summer atmosphere.

Summer is a great time to enjoy the ocean to the fullest, and winter is a great time to experience Oahu's unique winter experience, making it a wonderful trip no matter what time of year you visit.

If you get tired of Waikiki, you can visit the North Shore and Kaka'ako areas. The charm of Oahu is what keeps many people coming back again and again because one trip is not enough.

 

Beautiful beaches and vast wilderness

On Oahu, the scenery you have seen in photos and videos unfolds before your eyes.

When you actually see it with your own eyes, you will be more impressed than with photos or videos because you will not only have the visual sense, but also the auditory sense of the smell of Hawaii and the sound of the waves.

 

One of the world's leading resorts

Many tourists from all over the world, not to mention Japanese, visit the area.

The beautiful ocean is famous as a diving spot and a mecca for surfers, and some of the most popular tourist spots with spectacular views have been used as movie locations.

With the spread of social networking services, resorts around the world can be seen in photos and videos, making travel easier than ever before. Oahu is one of the most popular of these destinations, with a wide variety of sightseeing spots and activities.

 

Shopping and restaurants are also recommended

When I visit a foreign country and discover a large shopping mall, I tend to visit it.

There are many large shopping malls on Oahu, and supermarkets offer souvenirs that can only be purchased there. Bento lunches are also sold from early in the morning, so many people buy them before their activities.

Gourmets will enjoy researching and comparing popular restaurants and documenting their food on social networking sites.

There are many restaurants where Japanese food is served, and they are very popular among the locals.

Garlic shrimp and malasada, a Hawaiian fried bread, are also popular at food trucks where they are readily available.

There is a wide variety of shopping and restaurants, so do your research in advance so you don't get lost.

 

About Chinatown on Oahu

On the island of Oahu, there is a district called Chinatown. It is home to excellent Chinese restaurants frequented by locals and an Asian market, and is attracting an increasing number of visitors from Waikiki.

This is a great place to experience Chinese culture and a different atmosphere from Waikiki.

A section of Chinatown has become an art hub, offering a different kind of art than the Kaka'ako district.

 

Access to Chinatown

Chinatown can be reached by The Bus, rental car, or cab.

There are several bus stops, so it is best to board the bus at the stop closest to where you are staying.

Travel time is about 30 minutes by bus and 15 minutes by car.

 

Things to do in Chinatown

It is the perfect place for those who want a peek into deep downtown Hawaii.

With inexpensive and delicious gourmet food and antique stores that are fun just to look at, visitors can experience an atmosphere that cannot be found in resorts.

 

Chinatown Attractions

Once inside, visitors will immediately recognize Chinatown by the many signs in Chinese.

Many Chinese medicine stores and stores selling leis provide a unique Asian market atmosphere.

You can also enjoy inexpensive and delicious dim sum and Vietnamese cuisine, and other Asian delicacies. The Asian space you will experience at the resort is appealing.

 

Enjoy a wide variety of gourmet foods

Chinatown offers not only Chinese cuisine, but also Vietnamese, South American, and Mediterranean restaurants.

Some restaurants serve Mexican and Argentinian cuisine, so you will be able to enjoy a wide variety of gourmet foods.

 

Artistic streetscape

There are many galleries around the Hawaii Theatre that exhibit art, and a variety of works by both independent and well-known artists are on display and for sale.

The Hawaii Theatre, with its Art Deco style, hosts concerts and musicals, and is a center for the arts, serving as a venue for overseas performances of Japanese Kabuki and Noh plays.

The area also hosts art events and will continue to develop in the field of art.

 

You can experience a different exotic atmosphere from Hawaii.

Not only Chinese but also many Southeast Asian immigrants have recently arrived, and if you listen carefully, you will hear many different languages being spoken.

This is probably the only area in Hawaii where Chinese music is played and Chinese dresses and herbal medicines are sold.

In Chinatown, visitors can also experience the nostalgia of Hawaii's acceptance of immigrant culture.

If you get tired of the resort atmosphere of Waikiki, a visit to Chinatown will give you a taste of the unique Asian atmosphere.

 

Suggested Spots in Chinatown

Just walking the streets of Chinatown will make you nervous about what to expect, but here are a few spots we recommend.

 

Mauna Kea Market

Mauna Kea Market is a store where fresh seafood and other perishables are sold in a market-like atmosphere.

The store offers numerous products and may even sell live seafood.

 

Recommendations

If the items being sold do not have price tags, you will negotiate directly with the shopkeepers for your purchases. This is a special experience because you can shop as if you were at a market.

There is a food court, with a long, narrow aisle lined with international food stalls.

You can enjoy the unique atmosphere of a place with a high concentration of food stalls in Southeast Asia.

 

(one's) whereabouts

It is located in Chinatown, about a 3-minute walk from Mauna Kea Street.

 

Hawaii Izumo Taisha Shrine

In Hawaii, there is a branch of Izumo Taisha Shrine in Japan, which Japanese living in Hawaii used to use for New Year's visits, etc. Hawaii Izumo Taisha Shrine was introduced on TV and quickly became famous along with its Shinto priests.

More than 10,000 worshippers, both local and tourists, flock to the temple on New Year's Day.

 

Recommendations

Amulets, red seal books, and other items available only at Izumo-taisha Shrine in Hawaii are for sale and can be purchased for yourself or as souvenirs. The shrine is well known among Japanese people, and the lei-draped guardian dogs are cute, so more and more people are uploading their pictures to social networking sites.

Please note that the monetary offering you are interested in will be in U.S. dollars, not Japanese currency.

It is a must-visit place when you visit Oahu, not only for New Year's worship.

 

(one's) whereabouts

It is located outside of Chinatown, on the banks of the Nuuanu Canal.

 

Louis Paul Gallery

The Lewis Paul Gallery is a gallery that exhibits the work of Hawaii-based artists.

Louis Paul is a mainland-born artist who studied printmaking in Japan and worked to promote the art in Hawaii.

Hotel owners and other business people often come to Oahu to decorate their hotels with paintings that are uniquely Hawaiian.

 

Recommendations

There are several galleries, but if you want to experience Hawaiian art, the Louis Paul Gallery is the place to go.

There are also works by independent artists, and if you like something, you can buy it.

The artist whose work you buy here may one day be recognized as a famous artist.

In addition to paintings, postcards and other items are sold, and postcards with Hawaiian designs are popular as souvenirs.

 

(one's) whereabouts

From the Hawaii Theatre in Chinatown, it is about a 5-minute walk westward.

 

Recommended restaurants

Most visitors to Chinatown will be looking forward to cheap and delicious food.

In Chinatown, the number of fashionable stores has increased and the atmosphere is reputed to have become easier to enter. However, there are many stores that are not listed in guidebooks, so it is difficult to find them on your own.

There are many delicious Chinese and international restaurants that are frequented by locals, so let us introduce a few.

There are also many take-out restaurants, so it is recommended that you bring some home for a snack or evening meal. In Japan, the word "take-out" is understood, but overseas, "take-away" is understood as "take-out.

 

Royal Kitchen

A representative of Chinatown's dim sum and dim sum restaurants, it is popular with customers lining up early in the morning.

Hawaiian steamed buns called manapua and Chinese deli items are available in the store.

The cute design of the signage makes it easy for women to enter the restaurant.

 

Recommendations

Manapua, or steamed or baked steamed meat buns, are very popular in Hawaii. The store specializes in take-out, making it a perfect accompaniment to a stroll through town.

There are chairs and tables outside the restaurant, so some people eat there or along the nearby river.

Chinese side dishes are also popular, and you will find yourself buying a lot of them when you see them in the showcase.

 

(one's) whereabouts

It is a 10-minute walk from the statue of King Kamehameha the Great, on the other side of the river in front of Izumo Taisha Shrine.

 

Four97

This restaurant, run by Vietnamese sisters, is popular for its pho (pho rice with lots of vegetables).

With many varieties of pho, this popular restaurant is visited by locals and tourists alike, and since vegetables tend to be in short supply when eating overseas, a menu full of vegetables is invaluable.

The side menu also features Vietnamese home-style dishes, so you can compare them with Vietnamese food eaten in Japan.

 

Recommendations

Recommended points of interest are the wide variety of pho. Plenty of vegetables are also used in side dishes such as fresh spring rolls and stir-fried seafood.

The restaurant has a large, open dining room that can accommodate a large group. In addition to pho, the restaurant's most popular menu item is the Vietnamese okonomiyaki báinh xèo.

Vegetables and meat are wrapped in a crispy thin crust, giving it the appearance of a large omelet. The ba-in-seo is a large portion, so it is best to share it with others.

 

(one's) whereabouts

Located near the clock tower at the entrance of Mauna Kea Street, Chinatown.

 

The Pig & The Lady

The Pig & The Lady is a Vietnamese-based restaurant with a French flair.

The restaurant's interior is stylishly decorated with brickwork and has a modern, stylish design.

The restaurant has won numerous gourmet awards on Oahu and is always crowded during lunch hours.

Pho and Banh Mi, typical Vietnamese dishes, are popular, but the restaurant's stylish appearance and elegant seasoning will also be enjoyed by those who enjoy fine cuisine.

 

Recommendations

If you are looking for a stylish lunch in Chinatown, you can't go wrong by choosing The Pig & The Lady.

The restaurant is very popular on social networking sites, and the stylish interior design and food presentation on the tableware make you want to take pictures.

Vietnamese dishes such as pho and vain mee, as well as Japanese dipping noodles, are also popular, and a variety of food cultures are incorporated into delicious creations.

Reservations are essential as the restaurant gets crowded during lunch hours. When visiting at night, taking a cab is a safe option for those who are concerned about security.

 

(one's) whereabouts

It is located in the area east of Smith Street.

 

summary

How was it? We introduced Chinatown in downtown Oahu.

It is wonderful to be able to visit Hawaii and experience Asian culture.

In the past, security was a concern in the district, but in recent years, the area has become easier to visit, thanks to art activities and the attraction of fashionable restaurants to dispel such an image.

With more tourist attractions, you can also visit Chinatown and experience Asian culture when you visit Oahu.