Okinawa World was billed as a “theme park”, so we weren’t quite sure what to expect, but everyone said we should check it out. We started out in Gyokusendo cave, which was really incredible.
It was so much warmer in the cave than outside that we took longer than the “standard 25 minutes” to see it! Then we had to hurry out to catch the Eisa dancing show. The Eisa dancing was really fun to watch. It’s a very exciting rhythm, and the spinning jumps the dancers did with their drums were so impressive! Unfortunately I didn’t catch any of the jumps on my little video, but it should give you a feel for the music. 
After the Eisa dancing, there was a butterfly dance, which was so pathetic that we felt sorry for the dancers who looked mortified. We couldn’t help giggling at the silly choreography!
And then this little dance number. 
Next on the route through Okinawa World was the snake museum. There was a Californian snake caged in a model Shinto shrine… I have no idea why.
Then it was time for the snake show. Before it began, audience members lined up to have their photos taken with a huge snake. I had to snap this photo of this poor little baby with the snake. He is going to have a major phobia later in life! 
The snake show once again highlighted the poor treatment of animals we’ve seen all over Japan (except for pet dogs which are pampered half to death). The snake handlers dropped a mongoose and a water snake into tubes of water to see which could swim faster. (I was afraid they were going to make them fight, so maybe I should be relieved?) And then they showed us the Habu snake, a pit viper, the only poisonous snake in Japan. Because it was all in Japanese, I can’t really tell you more than that, but maybe the link will be more helpful. 
Okinawa World also included an awamori distillery (a very strong alcohol, unique to Okinawa). Sometimes the Habu snake is added to the liquor to add to its potency. We sampled the awamori, without the Habu! It was strong but very smooth. 
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