Okinawa Hai has been steadily growing bigger and stronger over the past five years, and it's all thanks to YOU - our readers.  For the past two years we've run solely on Submission Power, but from the start our posts have been greatly enriched through your comments and questions.  The sense of community is varied and rich... just the way we like it.

We know this blog is a great way to get information quickly and easily, which is why we've created it for you.  But we also understand the need for a community to interact with each other IMMEDIATELY. Right now!

That's why we created our Facebook Page, where we bring you our new posts and links to current events that may be pertinent to you.

But it's not enough.  Due to the new setup of our Facebook page - which is out of our hands - our readers' questions often get buried, hidden among our own posts and left unanswered.  It's a problem we're aware of, and we've been wracking our brains trying to solve it.  This week, we finally did.

We also have the Okinawa Hai (Facebook) Society where you can ask and answer questions from other Americans who are in the same boat (and country).

So please, if you already read this blog but have been wanting to reach out and meet others who are in the same boat - even if it's just virtually - we hope to help you fulfill that need in any or all of these three ways:

Okinawa Hai Facebook Fan Page - to get all the latest posts, answer our polls, and pass along pertinent Okinawa and military-related information - Powered by your OkiHai managers.

Okinawa Hai (Facebook) Society - for those who are usually on Facebook anyway and don't want to create a separate account to join our groups - Powered by YOU.

(But please don't forget to continue reading this blog and leaving your two cents in the comments!)

And once again, thank you.  Thank you ALL for helping to make Okinawa Hai into the community it is today.  We truly would be nothing without all your support and wisdom.

As many of you know, we hosted a Ning Forum, called Okinawa Hai Society, from 2008 to 2012.  At the end of October 2012 we closed this site, and while the above mentioned Facebook sites have taken the place of the general community, we lost our Groups feature.  We understand that many of you have niche interests, which is why we're happy to feature those groups here.

Please note, these groups are not affiliated with or endorsed by Okinawa Hai and its managers. We have found that it may take a try or three to find the right community where you really fit, so please don't give up if you don't find the best group for you right away.

OKINAWA-BASED GROUPS:

PhotOkinawa: A group of shutterbugs (novices to professionals) who meet up monthly in various Okinawan venues to travel and shoot together.  This group requires a Facebook account.