2024/04/17

Nanjo City, Okinawa

While traveling in Okinawa, I caused a lot of trouble to the local people due to my mistake, but they also helped me out.
Now, with all due respect, I would like to talk about the kindness I received at that time.


In the middle of our trip to Okinawa, we rented a car and drove to our destination with our children. Driving in an unfamiliar place while looking at a car navigation system or Google Maps is difficult. Especially in Okinawa, where there are many road construction projects, navigation systems are often not updated, and we often find ourselves driving around in circles or being forced to make a U-turn, which can be frustrating.

Meanwhile, I followed the navigation and ended up on a narrow road. I was heading to the hotel, but even though the map showed that I was very close, I couldn't get there. Cars were coming at me from the front, so I pulled over to the left and fell into the gutter. There were tall weeds growing there, so I couldn't see the gutter while I was driving. I realized that the car had dropped and tilted to the left.
"I did it!"
At the same time, the things I had been told at the rental car company flashed through my mind like a slideshow.
- If an accident occurs, please contact us immediately.
-If you need a tow truck, your insurance will cover it.

I immediately got out of the car to check and found that both the left front and rear wheels had fallen off.
"What should I do?"

As I stood there, dumbfounded, the car I had passed first pulled up alongside me, and a tanned, well-built man in his fifties got out. He slowly walked towards me,
"Sis, the car is leaning."
"Yes, that's right. I fell into the gutter."
While I was in a daze, the man walked around to the left, sat down and looked at the tire hidden in the grass.
"Wow, it's fallen beautifully. Sis, is this a rental car?"
"Yes, I have insurance, so I will contact the rental car company and have them call a tow truck."
The man muttered that we couldn't get here without a tow truck and sat next to me with a worried look on his face. The rental car staff checked my identity and asked me where I was. Actually, I had entered a back road and didn't know the name of the road, so I asked the man, "Where am I?"
"Well, I don't know where I am either. But I'll take the call."
He scratched his head and explained instead.

As I was doing this, suddenly a young woman stood behind me.
"I've just contacted the young people in my company, so I think about 10 of them will be here in about XNUMX minutes!"
I was like, "Who are these young people?" and "What are these people here for?" and I couldn't follow the conversation at all.

Then, this time,
"Wow, you did it"
And with that, a tanned man in his 60s came over with a big smile on his face.
"There are a lot of cars falling here. It's a problem for the council too. They don't put covers on the drains."
"Is that so? That will give me some relief."
I laughed and said,
"Yeah, you're not the only one."
He comforted me by saying, "Thank you." It seemed that the man had come on foot.
"Where are you from, uncle?"
"I live in that building, and when I heard you, I looked out from the balcony and saw your car fall."
A tall apartment building stood in front of me. At this point, I was impressed that Okinawa was attracting so many people.

Then, about 20 young men in their 30s and 10s came in one by one. The first man was
"Oh, with these we can lift the car ourselves. We won't need a tow truck!"
" he said, giving instructions to everyone. I was stunned and confused by the kindness of strangers and the unexpected turn of events.
"Um, I appreciate the thought, but I don't want anyone to get hurt, and I can call a tow truck."
But no one listened to me. I was so confused and moved that I couldn't put it into words, that so many people were trying so hard to help me after my mistake. The car was heavier than I thought, and it wasn't easy to lift, so I called out to them many times as they tried to lift it.

Then, two huge yellow road construction trucks happened to be passing by and pulled up next to us on the side of the road. We were overwhelmed by how big the trucks were, and then three big men came out of them. They came next to our car and helped us without asking any questions or saying anything.
"Let's go at the same time!"
They all shouted out, and then they lifted the car about 30cm up, then slid it onto the road.
45 minutes after it fell into the gutter, the car was sitting in the road as if nothing had happened.

As I bowed to everyone who had lent me their strength,
"That's good for you. Be careful."
And with that, they all dispersed, and the people who had come by car barely said hello before driving off. I was left in the middle of the road with my car and my child, without having the chance to properly thank any of them.

 

After that, we managed to keep our cool and make it to the hotel where we were staying that night. When we checked in, I was still excited and even though my child tried to stop me, I enthusiastically told him the touching story that had just happened. The hotel staff listened to us sympathetically without showing any signs of displeasure, said that it must have been hard and that we should get some rest, and perhaps out of sympathy, upgraded our room. Tears

 

The next day, when I went to return the rental car, the staff
"Yesterday was tough. Were you okay? But you should think of it as being extremely lucky."
I also felt that the unbelievable events of the previous day had, after a night's sleep, been like an experience where a parched plant had been given water, so I nodded enthusiastically.
"Okinawa people are amazing. I was surprised that they would help strangers like that. And they just left without even asking for a thank you."
The staff continued,
"Okinawa has a lot of nice people, but a lot of good things happened at the same time. First of all, the place and time when it fell were perfect. Everyone had just finished work and were heading home, and there was an empty lot nearby where we could park our cars. Also, normally, a car cannot be lifted by human hands. It was a miracle that so many people came together to lift it."
That day, the staff usually only takes me to the nearest monorail station, which is only 15-XNUMX minutes away, but they took me to the hotel, which is XNUMX minutes away by car, for free.

 

My trip to Okinawa was an unusual one, but everyone I met was so warm and welcoming, I was blown away. Seeing beautiful things, eating delicious food, and having fun experiences are wonderful, but the best part of traveling is interacting with the people who live there. Whether it's in a small shop, a restaurant, or a taxi driver, talking to people there doubles the fun. I love traveling because I have such wonderful encounters everywhere.

Thank you so much to everyone who helped me. I'll come visit Okinawa again!


<Page 1>
The people of Okinawa are so warm and it brings me to tears
-Even if you don't plan your trip, everyone will tell you about it!
It's close to Hong Kong after all!
- Just over two hours by plane!
-How about traveling from subtropical to subtropical?
-There are many ways to enjoy and stay
- Transportation: It's inconvenient if you don't have a car. Rental car paradise
<Page 2>
Fun for beginners: Shopping
・Kokusai Street
・Tsuboya Yachimun Street
·sake
・Outlet
Recommended eating spots recommended by locals
・Umikaji Terrace on Senaga Island
・Shimauta Live
・Itoman Roadside Station Itoman Fish Center
・Kiraku, a home-style restaurant
<Page 3>
Experience
・Ryukyu glass
・Paper driver training
・Tour of Yachimun pottery workshop
・Okinawa World
・Gangara Valley
・Uwaga Jungle, Night Trekking
・Visiting war sites
・World Heritage Site "Sefa Utaki"
・Kudaka Island

Extra Edition←Here and Now
A story about being helped by people in Okinawa during a trip


 

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