Delicious Bento Specialty Shop Karaage Jinkara (からあげ神唐)
👋 Haisai! I’m CULT.
Today, let’s talk about a karaage bento speciality shop called Jinkara, which is perfect to grab a bite from after picking up your rental car in the south and before heading north on your Okinawa adventure. While there aren’t many around tourist spots, there are plenty of these bento shops in residential areas or near company offices in Naha. However, they often go unnoticed, so I’ll keep sharing these delicious bento spots with you.
Typically, you’ll pick up your rental car near the airport or at a hotel in Naha city. After getting your bento here, heading north to places like Tropical Beach or Araha Beach and enjoying your meal by the sea is quite a delightful way to travel, I think.
📌 Location and Opening Hours
The shop is located near Tomari Port, right next to Route 58. Indeed, when travelling in Okinawa, it’s better to take Route 58 rather than the highway, as you can see more beautiful sights and easily stop to enjoy the sea. ⏰ Opening hours are from 11 AM to 8 PM daily. [Google Map]
This is the entrance to the shop. First, park at the FamilyMart convenience store opposite, purchase a drink, then come to the shop to order a bento before heading off. It takes less than 10 minutes.
This is the menu. There isn’t a separate menu board; it’s displayed in a leaflet format, but ordering is no problem. The recommended bento options are on the lower left of the leaflet: the Jinkara Special Bento, Jinkara Special Bento DX, and Chicken Nanban Don are the signature dishes of this place.
You can use various payment methods such as cash, credit card, QR Pay, and Alipay to place your order. After pre-paying, you can sit down and wait for a while. It takes about 7-8 minutes when there are no customers, but during busy lunchtime, it can take up to 30 minutes. I used to visit this shop quite often.
🍱 Okinawa Food Spot: Jinkara’s Karaage Bento
This is the Jinkara Special Karaage Bento DX. For Koreans, the name might sound a bit cheesy, but since it’s Japan, we can understand. It’s priced at 800 yen and includes rice, karaage, and tempura, which might be a bit indulgent, but if you enjoy some water activities afterwards, it should be fine.
It’s quite detailed, and the karaage is fried very well. If you’re wondering what karaage is, it’s a Japanese-style boneless chicken dish. Korean people will find this quite familiar, and Westerners really enjoy it. I’ve never met a European who doesn’t like it, except for vegetarians.
Since it’s well-fried karaage, you can enjoy it deliciously with rice. However, as it’s a lunchbox shop catering to Okinawan locals, the portion of rice is quite large. Korean elders tend to finish the karaage but often leave some rice behind.
And this is Nanbanton, which is nice because it has a smaller portion and includes cabbage. The amount of rice is a bit less. For those who prefer lighter meals, this is more suitable, but even though it seems smaller than other Jinkara karaage lunch boxes, it doesn’t really feel that way once you try it.
Here’s a bit more detail. I usually buy this Nanbandon when I’m heading outdoors for a meal or going up to the American Village, and then find a suitable spot to enjoy it. Believe it or not, it’s much better quality than a convenience store bento.
This is the side order of chips we got… It’s just one of those things, you know… It’s the taste everyone is familiar with anyway.
This is the best value-for-money Jinkara special karaage bento. The difference from the square bento mentioned earlier is that it doesn’t have the DX and the menu is slightly simpler. One piece of tempura is removed and replaced with an extra piece of karaage. If you simply want to enjoy karaage and rice, and are looking for a meal with excellent value, this menu is recommended. The price is 700 yen.
Here is a slightly detailed look at the delicious karaage. If you’re reading this at night, it’s perfectly fine to order some chicken. After all, gaining a little weight is part of life.
🏝️ Picnic Lunchbox
This time, I packed a karaage lunchbox and planned to have a picnic by the seaside. Fortunately, the weather was cloudy with a gentle breeze, making it a perfect day to sit on the beach and enjoy a meal without feeling hot. I’ve ordered nanbandon and am waiting for it.
- Related post: Okinawa Weather on 11th July 2025
I bought chicken nanban-don and went to a beach on the west side of Okinawa to enjoy my meal. It seems the inside got a bit squashed from the bike ride.
Why not pack a lunchbox and enjoy it on the beach, or if it’s too hot, find some shade nearby? It’s quite a delightful experience.
Today, I take a bite of this delicious Nanban-don Araage. They really know how to fry perfectly. Definitely a must-visit eatery in Okinawa 👍
We also capture a shot with the sea as the backdrop. Since the weather was quite overcast, I reduced the emphasis on the sky and focused more on the Agalage.
Today, I enjoyed some delicious karaage while admiring the beautiful sea. Unfortunately, you’ll need to take your rubbish with you for disposal. However, don’t worry too much as you can dispose of it at your hotel or a nearby convenience store.
The prices are also very reasonable, which is great. The quality is definitely higher than convenience store lunch boxes, and since you receive it freshly made, it tastes even better. If you’re on a rental car trip in Okinawa, why not pack a lunch box like this and head north? I think it will be an even more fitting travel theme when summer ends and autumn arrives.
That’s it for today’s Okinawa food story. I’ll be back in a few days with another Okinawa food story. Matayasai 👋
