Who is to thank for the recent brisk sales at an Okinawa goods shop in Tokyo, former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi or pop singer Namie Amuro?
Whatever the answer, the boutique has been cashing in on growing interest in the island prefecture by the residents of the metropolis.
Officials of Ginza Washita Shop said they cannot decide whether to attribute the boom to the publicity generated by the Group of Eight summit to be held in the prefecture in July or the rise in public interest created by the popularity of Okinawa-born stars, most notably Amuro and the four-girl group SPEED.