- A Community-Rooted Supermarket
- Maruki Supermarket Is a Community-Rooted Supermarket on the Ground Floor of Hotel South Island
- With No Convenience Stores on Irabu Island, the Supermarket Is Precious
- The Range Is Compact but What You Need Is There
- Fresh Local Fish Are Sometimes Lined Up
- Some Prices Are a Bit High but Within Reason
- You Can Enjoy a Meal at Restaurant Irie Too
- Tips and Convenient Ways to Use It
- Combine It with Nearby Sightseeing Spots
- Maruki Supermarket's Pros and Cons
- Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
- A Special Experience of Touching Island Life
A Community-Rooted Supermarket
The morning I stayed at Hotel South Island, I heard there was a supermarket on the ground floor and went down, and island flip-flops were lined up at the entrance — from the moment I thought "ah, this is an island supermarket," I started getting excited.
Stepping inside, it was more compact than I'd expected, but looking closely, the deli dishes, the bento, the drinks, the bread, the cup noodles, the snacks, the seasonings and the daily goods — what you need is all properly there. Locals were shopping as a matter of course, and the sight of me, a tourist, mixing in and choosing products was somehow fresh, and the realisation welled up: "this is where the island's people do their everyday shopping."
Since Irabu Island has no convenience stores, this Maruki Supermarket has become an important place supporting the islanders' lives, and the sensation of peeking just a little at island life by stepping in as a tourist is interesting.
I'll introduce Maruki Supermarket's appeal in detail, based on my experience of visiting many times. Since I'll write about the range, prices, opening hours and tips for using it while weaving in actual experiences, I hope those planning to stay on Irabu Island will use it as a reference.
Maruki Supermarket Is a Community-Rooted Supermarket on the Ground Floor of Hotel South Island
Maruki Supermarket is a community-rooted supermarket loved by Irabu Island's residents, and since it occupies the ground floor of Hotel South Island, it's a convenient place for both guests and locals.
Basic Information and Access
Address: 1493-1 Irabu, Irabu, Miyakojima City, Okinawa
Opening hours: 8:00–20:00
Closed: Open year-round
Phone: 0980-78-3638
Parking: Available (use the Hotel South Island car park)
Cross the Irabu Bridge onto Irabu Island, run along the coastline, and the Hotel South Island sign comes into view. Park in the car park and head to the building, and the ground floor is Maruki Supermarket — it's nice that you can use it freely even if you're not a hotel guest.
Since the opening hours are long, from 8 in the morning to 8 at night, it's good to go buy breakfast ingredients, and good to go buy beer and snacks in the evening. As it's open year-round, there's a reassurance that it's open whenever you go.
A Complex with a Hotel and Restaurant Attached
Hotel South Island is a popular hotel on Irabu Island, with Maruki Supermarket on its ground floor, and on the first floor there's Restaurant Irie, where you can eat seafood dishes and Miyako soba. In other words, staying, eating and shopping are all completed in this one building — a convenient place.
When I stayed at the hotel too, my daily routine became getting up in the morning, buying a bento at the ground-floor supermarket, and heading out to the beach with it. Being able to shop right away just by going downstairs was more convenient and comfortable than I'd imagined.
With No Convenience Stores on Irabu Island, the Supermarket Is Precious
On Irabu Island there's not a single convenience store — no 7-Eleven, no FamilyMart, no Lawson. There's no large supermarket either, and there are just two: Maruki Supermarket and one more, Shimoji Supermarket. So the locals do their everyday shopping at these two supermarkets.
It's Good Precisely Because There's Nothing
Irabu Island is sometimes said to have "nothing," and indeed there are no convenience stores, no large supermarkets, none of the convenience of Tokyo or Osaka. But that's what's good about it, I think.
It's quiet and calm, and you can feel the locals' lives. The natural, as-it-is island atmosphere, not over-touristified, remains. Go to Maruki Supermarket and you can tell what the island's people usually buy and what ingredients are lined up, and that becomes an entrance to knowing island life.
Precisely because there are no convenience stores, the supermarket has become the centre of the local community, and being allowed to take part in it as a tourist feels like an interesting experience.
Go to Miyako Island and the Options Widen
That said, it's a fact there's a limit to the range, and if you want a specific brand's product or a rich variety of options, you need to cross the Irabu Bridge to the MaxValu or Don Quijote on Miyako Island. It takes about 30 minutes by car, but when you want to shop in bulk or need something special, stretching out to Miyako Island is also an option.
But for a stay of one to a few nights, my honest feeling is that Maruki Supermarket alone is plenty — rather, if you take the "buying time" way of thinking, finishing up at the nearby supermarket is more efficient.
The Range Is Compact but What You Need Is There
Maruki Supermarket is a compact supermarket, but what's impressive is that what you need is properly there, and just by going around the store once you can see everything from food to daily goods.
A Full Lineup of Deli Dishes and Bento
Go around 8 in the morning and handmade bento are lined up, just the right size and price to take to the beach, so I often went to buy them first thing. They come in handy when heading out somewhere, and eating them in the hotel room is good too.
Go around 10 and lots of deli dishes are on sale too, where you can enjoy handmade flavours using local ingredients. Rather than being aimed at tourists, it's the homely taste locals usually eat, and that was appealing in its own way.
The Pork-Tamago Onigiri Popular with Tourists
Especially popular with tourists is the pork-tamago onigiri — this rice ball, famous as an Okinawan local specialty, is an Okinawa-only item with Spam and egg sandwiched in the rice. It's incredibly delicious, and eating it on the beach makes you feel supremely happy.
When I first ate it too, I thought "this is the addictive kind," and went to buy it many times during my stay. It's good for breakfast, good for lunch, and the size that's also perfect when you're a bit peckish is exquisite.
A Range of Okinawa-Style Drinks
The drinks corner has a whole row of Okinawa-style drinks — Orion Beer, sanpin tea (jasmine tea), shikuwasa juice and more. Orion Beer in particular can be bought by the case, and the price is on par with Miyako Island supermarkets, so it's nice you can buy it without feeling it's overpriced.
I bought Orion Beer by the case too and drank it night after night in the hotel room, and it became the best partner for spending the island night quietly. Sanpin tea also has a distinctive aroma, and chilled and drunk on a hot day it's truly delicious.
Bread and Onigiri, Cup Noodles and Snacks
There's bread and onigiri too, so you won't be stuck for breakfast or lunch. The cup noodles and snacks aren't many in kind, but the basics are there, convenient for a late-night meal or a little snack.
For seasonings, the basics like soy sauce, salt, sugar and oil are there, so even people staying at condominium-type lodgings and cooking for themselves can do minimal cooking.
Daily Goods and Souvenirs Too
The daily-goods corner has all the things needed for life — toothbrushes, shampoo, detergent, toilet paper and so on. Beach sandals are sold too, so those who forgot theirs or broke a pair can be reassured.
At the back of the checkout there's a souvenir corner too, with little Okinawa-original souvenirs. You can buy things like asa seaweed crackers and other Okinawa-style sweets, so it was convenient for buying a little gift too.
Fresh Local Fish Are Sometimes Lined Up
One of Maruki Supermarket's appeals is that fresh fish caught locally are sometimes lined up — this depends on timing, but if you're lucky you can buy fish just caught in the waters near Irabu Island.
Fish brought in by local fishermen appearing on the shelves is a sight you rarely see at a large supermarket, and I think it's an appeal unique to an island supermarket. I once saw a splendid giant clam lined up and remember being surprised at its size.
If you buy fresh fish and have an environment to cook it at the hotel, you can have the luxurious experience of savouring the island's seafood.
Some Prices Are a Bit High but Within Reason
Since there's the cost of transporting products to Irabu Island, it's a fact that some items feel a bit more expensive than at Miyako Island supermarkets. Luxury goods and specific brand items in particular are at remote-island prices, as expected.
But things like Orion Beer and basic ingredients can be bought at the same price as Miyako Island supermarkets, so seen overall I think it's a reasonable price setting. Rather, considering the time and petrol cost of going all the way to Miyako Island and back, there are many cases where buying nearby, even if a little pricier, is the better move.
Take the "buying time" way of thinking and you can accept that Maruki Supermarket's prices are by no means too high.
You Can Enjoy a Meal at Restaurant Irie Too
Restaurant Irie on the first floor is a restaurant where you can eat seafood dishes and Miyako soba, open for both lunch and dinner. You can enjoy dishes using Irabu's local ingredients reasonably, so it's popular with tourists too.
Lunch: 11:30–14:30
Dinner: 17:30–21:00 (food last order), 21:30 (drink last order)
The Irabu seafood bowl, for one, is loaded with fresh seafood and comes with a small side dish and miso soup, so it's full of volume. At night it has an izakaya-like atmosphere, where you can enjoy dishes using local ingredients along with drinks.
The flow of shopping at Maruki Supermarket and then eating upstairs is convenient, and conversely, buying the next day's ingredients at the supermarket after a meal and heading home is good too.
Tips and Convenient Ways to Use It
Let me introduce a few tips for using Maruki Supermarket well.
Go Early in the Morning for a Full Bento Range
Go from right after the 8 a.m. opening until around 9 and lots of handmade bento are lined up, so buying one for that day's lunch is recommended. Popular bento can sell out early, so if you definitely want to buy one, first thing in the morning is the target.
Deli Dishes Are Abundant Around 10
If you want to buy deli dishes, go around 10 and the range is abundant. It's the time band when locals come to buy deli dishes too, so observing what's popular is interesting.
Orion Beer Is a Good Deal by the Case
If you're buying several bottles of Orion Beer, buying by the case is easier to carry and a better deal price-wise. Since it's the same price as Miyako Island supermarkets, buying it here during your Irabu Island stay is the smart choice.
List Up What You Need
Since the store is compact, listing up what you need lets you shop smoothly. Especially when you've forgotten a daily-goods item, you can stock up here, so you can be reassured.
Enjoy the Sense of Shopping Together with Locals
You visit as a tourist, but enjoying the sense of shopping together with locals is the real charm of Maruki Supermarket. By exchanging casual conversation or seeing what locals are buying, you can catch a glimpse of island life.
Combine It with Nearby Sightseeing Spots
After shopping at Maruki Supermarket, touring nearby sightseeing spots is good too.
Toguchi-no-Hama (10 minutes by car)
Irabu Island's most popular beach, with beautiful pure-white sand. Buying a bento at Maruki Supermarket and eating it at Toguchi-no-Hama is the best lunch plan.
Sawada-no-Hama (15 minutes by car)
A beach chosen among Japan's 100 Best Shores, where you can see a distinctive scenery with tsunami boulders dotted about. It's also famous as a spot with a beautiful sunset, so visiting in the evening is recommended.
Makiyama Observatory (15 minutes by car)
An observatory at the highest point on Irabu Island, with a sweeping view of Miyako Island and the Irabu Bridge. Buying a drink at Maruki Supermarket and gazing leisurely at the view from the observatory is good too.
17END (20 minutes by car)
A phantom beach at the end of the Shimojishima Airport runway, where the emerald-green sea is truly beautiful. You can see planes taking off and landing too, so it's ideal for photography.
Maruki Supermarket's Pros and Cons
Let me sum up the good points and the points needing care that I felt from actually using Maruki Supermarket many times.
Pros
Super convenient for Hotel South Island guests
Since it's on the building's ground floor, guests can shop just by going downstairs.
You can feel local life
By shopping together with locals, you can experience island life.
Deli dishes and bento are handmade and delicious
You can enjoy handmade flavours using local ingredients.
Open year-round with long hours
Open from 8 to 20, usable anytime.
Orion Beer at the same price as Miyako Island
Even buying by the case isn't overpriced, so you can buy it casually.
Okinawa-style products are lined up
You can get Okinawa-only products like pork-tamago onigiri and sanpin tea.
The car park is large
You can use the hotel car park, so you won't be stuck for a place to park.
Cons
The range is limited
Being a compact supermarket, you can't expect a rich variety of options.
Some products are a bit pricey
At remote-island prices, luxury goods and specific brand items are higher than on Miyako Island.
Specific brands aren't stocked
Your favourite brand's product isn't necessarily always there.
There are busy time bands
The time band when locals come to shop can have a crowded checkout.
Fresh-food range isn't stable
Fresh fish being lined up depends on timing and isn't always there.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Let me sum up and answer questions often asked about Maruki Supermarket.
Q1: What are the opening hours?
8:00–20:00, open year-round.
Q2: Is there parking?
You can use the Hotel South Island car park. It's large and easy to park.
Q3: Can I use a credit card?
You can. Cash works too.
Q4: Around what time are bento abundant?
From 8 to around 9 in the morning is most stocked. Popular items can sell out early.
Q5: What's the price of Orion Beer?
The same price as Miyako Island supermarkets. You can buy by the case too.
Q6: Can I buy souvenirs?
There's a souvenir corner at the back of the checkout, where you can buy Okinawa-style sweets and the like.
Q7: Can I use it even if I'm not a guest?
You can. Anyone can use it freely.
Q8: Can I use the first-floor restaurant too?
You can. Go during lunch and dinner hours and you can enjoy a meal.
Q9: Is it expensive compared with Miyako Island supermarkets?
Some products are a bit pricey, but basic ingredients and Orion Beer are the same price.
Q10: Can it be used in place of a convenience store?
It can. Since Irabu Island has no convenience stores, Maruki Supermarket fulfils that role.
Q11: Which is better, Maruki or Shimoji Supermarket?
Maruki Supermarket is more convenient, integrated with the hotel, but Shimoji Supermarket is community-rooted and appealing too. Trying both is good.
Q12: What's recommended to buy?
Pork-tamago onigiri, deli dishes, Orion Beer and sanpin tea are especially recommended.
A Special Experience of Touching Island Life
Maruki Supermarket isn't merely a place to shop — it's become an entrance to touching Irabu Island's way of life. By stepping in as a tourist to the supermarket locals usually use, you can have the precious experience of glimpsing the island's daily life.
I still clearly remember the impression of my first visit — the moment I saw the island flip-flops lined up at the entrance, I realised "ah, this isn't a tourist site, it's a place of local people's lives." Stepping inside, locals were shopping as a matter of course, and the experience of mixing in among them and choosing products was somehow fresh and fun.
My eyes meeting a local grandmother choosing a handmade bento at the deli corner and exchanging a light nod, or being called out to with "it's hot today, isn't it" while queuing at the checkout — those casual exchanges gave me the sensation of being allowed to take part, just a little, in island life.
When I first bought a pork-tamago onigiri, the checkout person told me "this is delicious," and when I actually ate it on the beach it really was, and I've been completely hooked ever since. Being able to hear locals' recommendations is, I think, an appeal unique to a small supermarket.
When I bought Orion Beer by the case, I was recommended "awamori is delicious too," and I tried buying a bottle, and this again was a taste that suited the island night, and the time spent drinking it quietly in the hotel room became the best luxury.
Certainly the range is limited, and compared with Miyako Island's large supermarkets the options may be few. But what you need is there, and above all the value of being able to feel the locals' lives is something no large supermarket can replace.
Some say Irabu Island has "nothing," but I think the opposite — "it's good precisely because there's nothing." Because there are no convenience stores, the local supermarket is cherished. Because there are no large supermarkets, people gather at the small one. That's what builds the island community, and being allowed to take part in it as a tourist is, I think, Maruki Supermarket's true appeal.
If you're planning to stay on Irabu Island, please by all means drop by Maruki Supermarket. Go down to the ground floor of Hotel South Island, and step inside while glancing at the island flip-flops at the entrance.
Shop together with locals, choose deli dishes, buy Orion Beer, pick up a pork-tamago onigiri. Exchange a "thank you" at the checkout, and head to the beach with what you've bought.
It's just that much, but that experience becomes an entrance to knowing island life and adds colour to your travel memories. You can touch the warmth unique to a community-rooted supermarket, unavailable at a large supermarket, and the kindness of the island's people.
However many times I visit, I'm healed by that warmth and local atmosphere and think I want to come again. Irabu Island's blue sea and white sand, and the casual shopping at Maruki Supermarket. When all of this comes together, it surely becomes an unforgettable island trip. I hope you'll experience such a trip too.
