“Nozura-Zatsuzumi” (野面雑積み) is a Okinawan technique of stacking Ryukyu limestone to create walls. It was used by fisherman in the Itoman region of the island to construct fishing grounds. Picking up where their ancestors left off, architects decided to use this same technique and material to create the facade of a restaurant “promoting the local tradition and culture through its cuisine.”
Itoman Gyomin Shokudo opened in 2013 and serves up the freshest seafood that Okinawa has to offer. Want to see what’s going to be on the menu? Just head to their Facebook page where, on a regular basis, the latest catch is uploaded.
“The restaurant seating is raised from the ground level and creates a spatial balance with the sunken gardens that surround it,” explains architect Kentaro Yamazaki. The architect made a point of designing the restaurant so that the roof protects guests from the harsh island sun while also letting in the cool ocean breeze. And given the restaurant’s emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients, the organizers felt it was important to involve the local community. So as part of the construction process they held “masonry workshops” in which locals were invited to participate while learning about their island’s heritage.
the “masonry workshop” held during the construction process
Itoman Gyomin Shokudo
4-17 Nishizakichō, Itoman-shi, Okinawa (Gmap)
tel: 098-992-7277
hours: 11:30～22:00 (closed Tuesdays)
