Murasaki Mura

Yesterday, we went to Murasaki Mura, which translates into Purple Village because of the famous sweet potatoes. It's a place filled with classes and shops of Okinawan arts and crafts in Yomitan. If we had known how close it was to our place, we would have gone sooner.

Murasaki Mura is made up of many tiny huts to do and/or buy different types of crafts.

The walkway. It's a great place to photographers.

Our first stop was painting Shisa dog ornaments. There were other clay figures to choose from, varying in size and price, but we chose the ornaments because we're starting our family Christmas tree ornament collection.

They give you an apron, paints, paint brushes, a painting palette, and a blow dryer (to dry the paint). Then, you're free to paint your work!

Our unpainted Shisa dog ornaments.

One of the workers gave us instruction cards in English because of the communication barrier. As Joey was reading up on the Shisa history, he said, "Oh, the male Shisa has an open mouth and the female Shisa has a closed mouth. I think that's how it should always be." Of course he was joking, but I made sure I gave him a mouthful of words about his comment.

Our painted Shisa dogs! Can you tell which is Joey's and which is mine?

Blown glass.

After painting, we wanted to do some glass blowing, but it was time for lunch/early dinner. Rather than eating, then coming back, we decided that we'd come back next time we're feeling crafty.

Other activities at Murasaki Mura are: glass blowing, go-carting, learning karate, wood working, Kankara Sanshin (guitar) making, pottery, costume and photography (where you dress up as a geisha), sugar making, beach crafting, lacquer painting, taking an Okinawan cooking class, traditional toy making, bingata dyeing, glass fusing, glass bead accessorizing, shisa dog making, basho thread accessorizing, Ryukyu indigo dyeing, shisa dog painting, making candle art, Hanaori weaving, and herb tea making.