CONTRIBUTED BY LAN
Massages are such a wonderful thing, esp. when you’re expecting a little one and your bones and muscles are being stretched this way and that. As my belly is expanding beyond my comfort zone, I am personally interested in this question submitted by Kristina:
“Hi! I’m wondering if you can post a blog about spa services for all the pregnant women like myself 
. I’d love to know where to go, how to get there, and some pricing info as well. I stopped at the spa at the Spot on Foster yesterday and asked if they could give me a massage and I’m not sure if they even knew what I was speaking of. I know that you need to be certified in order to give a massage to someone who’s pregnant but I’m not sure if the ladies I spoke to understood me completely. Any info that you can pass this way would be greatly appreciated!:) Thanks so much.”
Just for starters, I was able to make a couple of phone calls and was able to ascertain that Cocock’s, a popular spa out on Hwy. 23, unfortunately doesn’t do prenatal massages, but Risner Recreation Center on Kadena Air Force Base does. They were able to tell me over the phone that an hour of massage costs $35 and half an hour costs $25. No matter what stage of pregnancy that you’re in, you can still get a massage. Also, all massage appts. must be paid in advance. More details can be had at their website HERE. Let’s help out Kristina and other expectant moms on the island get some much-needed relaxation!
I highly recommend Kelly at Risner! I had two massages from her towards the end of my pregnancy. They were heavenly!! One was actually on my due date — I told her to do ALL the induction things/pressure points she knew of, and after the massage she said, “Well, sorry, but he’s not coming this week.” She was right — he was born 10 days later!!
They do prenatal massages at Gunner’s Gym on Camp Foster as well. It’s $30 for one hour, $60 for 2 hours. You pay when you get there for your appointment. I’ve had massages done there several times including a couple of times when I was pregnant. Nozomi is fantastic and she also uses hot stones. Very relaxing!
Here’s a link with more info re: massages at Foster as well as other marine bases.
Sorry, forgot to put in the link. Here it is:
link to mccsokinawa.com
Love Gunner’s. Loved, loved, loved the hot stone treatments while I was pregnant.
Also, Kanno Thalasso spa in Ginoza has fabulous treatments – great facials also. I found them the most similar to those in the States; they use steam – unlike many of the other spas here (that just drab on lots of product).
You can use their walking pool – and although there is controversy regarding the temperature – if one can survive an Okinawan summer pregnant, the temp in the spa is nothing.
Although I am not pregnant, I did get a massage at Aroma Forest near American Village. The had good prices and a quiet atmosphere. I did notice their menu offered pregnancy massages (after a certain stage in your pregnancy). Here is their web site: link to okinawa-aroma.com and here is their phone number: 098-926-1822. Hope this helps! –Diana
Thanks so much!!!! I’m off to try to get an appointment for a prenatal massage today! Do any of you know where the Kanno Thalasso spa in Ginoza is located or if they have a website? I’ve never heard of the place but want to get a facial too.
Here’s a link with more information about Kanna Thalasso:
link to ocvb.or.jp
It is a really nice bathhouse close to Camp Schwab so if you stay at the Cottages at Oura Wan then you should definitely check out the spa.
I HIGHLY recommend Nozomi at Gunners Gym on Camp Foster. I went to her every week for the last 2 months of my pregnancy and she really helped. Her hot rock treatment made a huge difference to my poor tired and swollen feet. Also, for $30/hour, you can’t go wrong. You’d pay three times that amount in the States.
There are two therapists that work out of Gunners and although both are excellent Nozomi is one I’d recommend for any pregnant ladies out there.
Secret Garden is a GREAT little aromatherapy massage place in Awase (on the way to Sams-by-the-Sea). I tried most of the other massage places on Okinawa and SG is absolutely THE BEST. Ms. Miyuki gives fantastic massages of all types, including full-body massage with facial, lower body, upper body, deep tissue sports massage, head massage, prenatal massages, and the list goes on. Although her online menu is not lengthy, she will tailor any massage to her client’s desires; all you have to do is ask. And her prices are very reasonable.
Aside from her fantastic massages, her salon is PRIVATE and CLEAN!!! By private, I mean her salon is a little bit off-the-beaten-path (but don’t worry, Ms. Miyuki has such an easy-to-follow, printable map on her website that even Island Newbies’ Julie can find Secret Garden ) and Ms. Miyuki schedules clients far enough apart that clients do not normally see each other unless they dally in the parking lot or a client arrives early for an appointment. And by clean, I mean really, really CLEAN. And unlike most massage places on Okinawa, she caters to WOMEN ONLY. That is important to me because, believe it or not, many of the massage places here on Okinawa still offer “special massages” to their male customers–just thinking about getting a massage from a woman that just finished “massaging” a man gives me the heebie-jeebies!
My husband and I have served in Okinawa many times during his military career. Our children spent half of their childhood here. On this tour alone we have been here four years and counting. We love it here! I encourage everyone to get away from the bases and explore and enjoy Okinawa. Not just the scenery, but the cuisine, the culture, and most of all, the people!
Almost forgot, here is the link for Secret Garden if anyone is interested:
http://www.rest-n-relax.com
I lived on top of Mount Yaedake above Toguchi Village from 1969-70. What a beautiful place. Things were much cheaper then. Cost prohibits me from going back. I have a daughter that lives in the toguchi area that I have never seen. I hope one day to go find her.
I took Susan’s advice and checked out Secret Garden. IT WAS GREAT! I second all of Susan’s comments regarding Secret Garden and Ms. Miyuki. There are, however, a couple of things Susan didn’t mention. Ms. Miyuki speaks nearly perfect English and she is so personable! She has fresh herbal tea available for customers and we had a most interesting conversation. And, talk about low prices; she only charges 5000 yen for a 60-minute full-body massage. As if that isn’t cheap enough, she is giving all customers 25% off through the end of August! So I got a heavenly, hour-long, full-body massage for only 3750 yen!! You can’t beat that with a stick! I can’t wait for my next appointment in 2 weeks! Sorry for all the exclamation points, but I am just so excited I can’t help it!!!
Thank you, Okinawa Hai, for this forum. Without it I probably would not be enjoying so much of Okinawa. Thank you.
I know this was posted a while ago, but does anyone know where you can get a couples massage specifically a prenatal massage for me? I was looking for some place to go to surprise him for our anniversary.
Kelly M:
I found this on the current USAF services site. It lists prenatal and other massages. You have to make the appointment in person and pay in advance. I hope this helps! link to kadenaservices.com
To Kelly M.
Secret Garden might be just the place for you. It is a great little aromatherapy massage place that I have been going to for the last two years. Secret Garden has always been a women’s-only salon, but I just learned they are now accepting couples–a man and a woman together. And although prenatal massages are not listed on the menu, the owner does offer them. I have never been pregnant yet (although my husband and I are trying), but a pregnant friend of mine has been going to Secret Garden and she said the owner gives super prenatal massages! They have a cute website http://www.rest-n-relax.com with lots more information. Hope this helps! The owner’s English is very good also so don’t be afraid to give her a call.
Does anyone know of other spas, besides Secret Garden mentioned in the above post, where you can get couples massages done? Thanks!
My husband and I had a couples massage for my birthday back in August at Shanbio Spa right on the corner of the Sunabe Seawall right outside of Kadena Gate 1. We loved it and want to go back. Here is the link to the website.
link to shanbio.com
Thanks Sherry! For the couples massage at Shanbio, do they have a special price for 2 people,or do you just pick the type of massage you want and pay that price, but for each person?
Ash, I believe we paid 9,800 yen per person. My husband set the massage up so I am not sure if that was a special price for couples or if they just charge as individuals and you are just in the same room. They speak English well so if you give them a call, I am sure they will answer any questions you have. It was a very nice place! I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Thanks again Sherry for your help. I’ll have to give them a try!
I am just a Southern Gal and it is not in my nature to address folks in a public forum, but I would like to shout out a big thank you to all you ladies who recommended Secret Garden so highly. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! You all made me want to try it and try it I did. I got the most wonderful massage and facial! I was closely tended to and pampered from the second I arrived to the second I left. I was so tense and stressed when I arrived, but just a short time after Miss Meuke (not sure how to spell her name) started her phenomenal massage, I began to relax more completely than I had done in months, and before long I could literally feel the accumulated stress being whisked out of my body. My whole experience was genuinely marvelous! I left Secret Garden feeling so refreshed, and that feeling still lingers on even today, several days after my massage. If you have never been to Secret Garden, you can’t possibly know what you are missing. I am so glad I went and I am treating my husband to a couples massage as soon as he gets back from TDY.
Thanks to everyone’s terrific comments about Secret Garden Aromatherapy Salon posted on Okinawa Hai, my husband and I finally got a massage we both loved! We got a truly heavenly couples massage at Secret Garden and now we are hooked! http://www.rest-n-relax.com See for yourself. If you are anything like us, you will have found the perfect massage!
Does anyone know of a place where they do acupuncture on the island?
Thanks!
If you want a super relaxing massage that is done as near to perfection as I believe anyone can ever get, you need to check out Secret Garden at http://www.aromatherapyokinawa.com – you will be happy you did. I tried lots of other places, but Secret Garden takes the cake, hands down! Their therapists are very kind, attentive, meticulous and thorough, and they clearly enjoy relieving stress and helping people relax. And in my experience, their prices are much lower than any other massage salon on Okinawa. With their generous stamp cards, birthday discounts, and other specials, I can easily afford to get a massage more often now than ever before! Best of all, I am getting the most satisfying massage I have ever gotten anywhere!
My husband and his friends went to a place by Gate 1 called U-Time. I am suspicious of it after hearing from my girlfreinds. Has anyone went there for a massage before?
To answer your question Cindy, and for anyone else who might be wondering, U-Time, Bingo, Heaven, Gekka Bijin, Sweet Healing,
Oil Angels, White/Pretty White (although I understand White/Pretty White changed their name), and Naha Soaplands are all playfully referred to as “Happy Ending” massage parlors. Given this reputable name, it really doesn’t take much of an imagination to conclude what really goes on in these places or what “Happy Ending” means. The following forum provides additional insight: link to japanupdate.com
A First Sergeant friend of ours says that every month he learns of a couple more guys that have contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD) from these places. What is even more interesting is that some of these men are married and have passed the STD on to their loving wives before symptoms of infection appeared. Since many STDs do not produce overt symptoms in women like they do in men, after men find out they contracted ‘the gift that keeps on giving’, it is up to the men to advise their wives to get checked. Of course, AIDS is much more dangerous in that it spreads unchecked because it can incubate or lie dormant in an infected person for many years before symptoms appear.
Anyway ladies, if you are happily married and want to stay that way, you will probably want to keep your man away from these places. There are several legitimate massage facilities on Okinawa that offer wonderful massages. Personally, my husband and I only go to off-base massage facilities that cater to women and traditional couples—we strictly avoid places that massage unaccompanied men. We tried the on-base massage places and they are legitimate, but simply put, the off-base experience is much, much, much better!
Michelle- wow, thanks for that info. I have driven past one of those that said “men only” and couldn’t figure out why. I figured since we are military and majority of that stuff is outlawed in the US it would be here also. Guess I am just really naive or live in a huge bubble!
Natalie- At the secret garden do they press hard at certain times or no (I got an in room massage Friday night and the lady had me in tears because she was pressing so hard, but there was also a huge language barrier).
This post is about great massages, but it comes with a story so please be patient. First let me say that my husband and I are both calorically challenged–me more so than him. Up until about 7 weeks ago, my husband and I went out to dinner at various fancy steakhouses at least one night per week, and after we got home we both complained we had eaten too much YET AGAIN! And each time we swore we’d stop overeating, but the very next week ended up being a repeat of the previous. Over the previous months I gained some serious weight. I decided this had to change. In my quest to lose weight, everything I read contained two common themes: (1) stress causes people to overeat and (2) to lose weight you have to eat less or exercise more. So why am I writing about weight loss in a forum about massages? Well, I thought about how much my husband and I griped to each other about work, especially late in the week–I concluded our griping was one result of built-up stress. I had also heard coworkers and friends rave about how the massage therapists at Secret Garden whisked their stress away, how relaxed they were afterward, how soothing their massages were, etc. So, about seven weeks ago, instead spending our money to over-indulge at a fancy steakhouse each week, I started making reservations for my husband and me to get massages at Secret Garden (I am here to tell you Secret Garden’s massages are SSSSOOOOOOO RELAXING!) Then afterward, we still go out to eat, but now we look for small, out-of-the-way coffee houses to try. We have not yet been to any one coffee house twice, not because the food is bad or anything, but because we enjoy the adventure of finding/trying new places–it is kind of exciting really! Since we started this new routine, we have both noticed less stress in our lives, we eat less when we go out, and we snack less during the week. Moreover, between the two of us, we have shed over 30 pounds–that may not seem like much, but it is a lot considering that we haven’t had to exercise more. Our friends have noticed we’ve slimmed down! And to top it off, between the money that we used to spend at expensive steakhouses and the money we have saved by not snacking as much, paying for the massages at Secret Garden has not adversely affected our budget! Best of all, between the stress-reducing massages and the resulting weight loss, we feel so much healthier! All this, courtesy of the massage therapists at Secret Garden!!! Thank you so much ladies!!!
I also felt compelled to try the Secret Garden out for a prenatal massage. I had gone to “The Spa” at the BX on Kadena a couple of times, and it was okay, but they offered a max of 30 minutes for prenatal massage and I wanted more.
I went this afternoon to the Secret Garden and found it was exponentially better than my prior massage experiences! The environment is very relaxing and Ms. Miyuki was great. She speaks perfect English so understood me easily. I got the 60 minute, head to foot massage and loved it! I even made another appointment to go back in 2 weeks for a facial and upper body massage. She was very careful to choose oils and positions that were compatible with pregnancy (I’m in my 8th month) AND because it’s my birthday month, I even got 25% off! Hot dog, what a deal!
I went to visit my fiancee while he was deployed and I really wanted to check out the Okinawa spas and receive a treatment. I am an esthetician here in the states and I’ve received many facials and massages at many spas so I wanted a special experience. I talked my fiancee into to getting a massage with me and i researched for a month where to go. I finally decide on Shanbio and I’m so happy I did! Oh my gosh I loved everything about it! the location, atmosphere, therapists, and the service of course! Our room overlooked the ocean and it was so relaxing and healing to be there. The therapists were amazing and did a great job including some accupressure. I’ve never had such an experience in the states. Check out Shanbio for your massage. PS the price was very reasonable.
About a year ago some friends recommended we try this GREAT MASSAGE place, Secret Garden Aromatherapy Salon. This turned out to be some of the best advise we ever got! Going almost every week was SO RELAXING! As soon as I found out I was pregnant though, we had to stop going until after my 1st trimester–I read this is normal practice to protect the baby. It was hard taking such a long break! As soon as I was past my 3rd month, we started going back again. Gosh, what a relief it was to have Ms. Miyuki massage my tired, aching body–Miyuki knows how to give the best massages!
As we neared the birth of our child, my parents came to Okinawa to help out. We took them with us to Secret Garden so they could get massages while my husband and I got our weekly massages. My parents had the best time! They said it was unlike any massage they had EVER gotten (and they have been around the block a few times). They found it soothing and relaxing, and kind of romantic! I told them, “That’s why my husband and I go almost every week!” We recommend Secret Garden to everyone! They have a cute website with more information at http://www.aromatherapyokinawa.com
Anybody know the brand of hot orange tea they serve at Shanbio Spa? It was delicious!
Ok, I know everyone has great things to say about Secret Garden, and yes, the atmosphere was great along with the ladies working there! But here’s the thing, the massage I got was not very hard, even though I said I would like it hard, and the facial was pretty much a waste of time and money. They soap up your face, put some aromatherapy oil on it as well, rub a little,and your done. For me, I was expecting an actual facial, and this was a major dissapointment. My husband made me the appointment, otherwise I would not get that again. Honestly, the money wasn’t worth what I got. If anyone knows of a place that does really good facials, please let me know! I mean the ones were they work on your pores and use some steam treatments, all that good stuff!
Got a FABULOUS massage at Secret Garden this week, courtesy of my fiancé! We had heard great things about Secret Garden from some female coworkers and found them online at http://www.aromatherapyokinawa.com. Their salon was easy to find and quite nice, and the masseuses were obviously well-trained. I got the 120-minute full-body and facial massage and my fiancé got the 120-minute full-body massage. We thought it was pretty cool (and somewhat romantic) that we were able to get our massages together in the same room at the same time. We had never experienced that before. Until now, I never knew a massage could be so relaxing! And, since my birthday is this month, my massage was 25% off; that is a pretty nice discount special! I have no doubt we will be going back again and again!
Is Secret Garden really so good, or is someone spamming this thread? I am hunting for a real prenatal massage spa as a gift for my sponsor, but the old adage, “if it’s too good to be true” is ringing loudly in my ears right now…I don’t want to send her to a spa that’s going to complicate her pregnancy!
I went back in 2009, I think I was 4 or 5 months pregnant and having HORRIBLE neck pain that was giving me headaches everyday for about 2 weeks. I tried everything Tylenol, oils, hot towels, cold towels, and even the sympathy husband massages, haha. So I broke down and got a full body massage by the gal there, the main reason I went there is she was able to get me in the next day. When you inform her of your pregnancy she goes over information with you and you’re only allowed to select certain oils and she doesn’t do certain massages. I haven’t been since, but there hasn’t been a reason for me to go again.
I would definitely go through her again if I needed to. Hope this helps.
Both my husband and I LOVE Secret Garden. They are 100% pleasant, courteous and professional. We have gone for both prenatal massages and just for a good ol’ massage. They are one of the only places I have heard of on island that is certified in aromatherapy and accupressure. Plus we really love that you can go full nude if you’d like. We are PCS’ing in a few days and are really going to miss SG and their staff. They really were apart of our pregnancy and life afterwards on this island.
Does anyone know where I can get a chair massage here on Okinawa? Table massages are not comfortable for me & so I prefer chair massages to just concentrate on my upper back & shoulders. If anyone has any information I would really appreciate your help because I could really use a massage soon!
Thank You!