Kokusai Dori is the name of a 2 km stretch of shops, hotels, bars and restaurants which cuts through the heart of downtown Naha, the largest city in Okinawa. The street’s name in English is International Road, supposedly named after the Ernie Pyle’s now-closed International Theater, which was a popular movie theater for U.S. troops during the occupation of Okinawa following World War II. Before the war Kokusai Dori was just a dirt path through swampy fields, but during the postwar reconstruction, it became of symbol of Okinawa’s quick revival, earning it another name — Miracle Mile.
Regardless of what you call it, a visit to the street is virtually essential for tourists in Okinawa.
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