I am visiting my sister and brother in law in Okinawa in a month, Google gave me a coin shop in Okinawa but was curious if anybody has been there or knew any others. Also going to Tokyo for a couple days, it being a major city I imagine there will be some but was hoping for first hand experiences. Thank you.
I have never actually been to this shop, but were I to visit Tokyo I would stop at Ginza Coin based on their website. Plus, they are open every day, as "年中無休" on their website indicates. I do speak enough Japanese to at least get by, so I don't know if you would encounter language barriers at this shop or not. You may speak more Japanese than I do in any case. Sounds like a fun trip! Let us know how the coin shop visits go - I would love to hear about your experiences! Oh, and pick me up the 新1円銀貨(小型) 大正3年 that they have in stock while you're there.
I speak zero Japanese, and sadly discovered Karate Kid Two wasn't filmed in Okinawa, but on the upside my sister told me she will make up a little tour pretending like it was for me. I'll send my sister their address and see what she says.
I made it to 'World Coins Japan' a few years back. I would run all that through the google translate page (pops up on the Chrome browser). IIRC the hours were odd and they are busy with shows/auctions at times, but it was an easy walk from the train/subway. https://www.coins.co.jp/event/2186/ April 28th-30th looks to be the Tokyo International Coin Convention, which is pretty big. A quick peek and NGC, PCGS, Stacks will have something there. It's held at the Royal Park Hotel, if those dates are near what you can work with. I don't see it on the English version of the JNDA website, but oh well. Hard to imagine those three would be so off!
Tokyo is an incredible city and it is also one of the most expensive cities in the world. If you are going to coin shop in the Ginza "gold" district, rest assured that you will pay mucho yen.
I was stationed in Okinawa in 76. At that time the Okinawans were not really happy with the Japanese taken over the Island again. Wasn't really in the coin collecting at the time. The Marines kept me pretty busy didn't have too much free time. And that particular time the Okinawa people were more concerned about the American money. Most of the Okinawan people preferred to be paid in US currency. At that time they were not that excited about the Japanese yen. But that was many moons ago.USMC60
My sister kinda told me the same thing, Okinawan people don't mind Americans and the people that protest the bases are usually paid to do so from the mainland.
From what I understood when I arrived on the island. Okinawa Island belong to the United States up until 1975. America gave the island back to Japan, and from living on the island for more than a year. The Okinawa people did not like the Japanese. And really hated being under Japan's rule. And it was estimated each town outside the military bases. Had a yearly income of over $1 million from the service personnel from that particular base. And every Okinawan I tried to pay in yen preferred to be paid in American money. If they accepted yen they were losing money. But that was many years ago. USMC60
