Kijoka Torii

Kijoka Falls

found about this site from my Okinawa Explorer Book. Since I was heading past this area, it was a good idea to check it out. It’s not as impressive as the other nearby falls, in fact, its a prayer site. Jumping in and taking a dip wouldn’t be a good idea at this one. Most people who do visit this site use it as a back drop for photography.

Most of the falls was hard to capture since it twists between rocks and trees, so the cascade at the bottom was all I could take pictures of besides the pool and prayer areas. The stream itself is very small, so I didnt even take any shots of it either.

Kijoka Road

Directions:  This sie is easily accessed from Highway 58 in Kijoka Village. At the fork (after Hentona High School’s intersection) veer right, then make the first right. Follow this road until reach another fork in the road with a two-story lavender building splitting them and veer right again. Follow the narrow road until you see an empty lot on the right and park there. Follow the road until you reach the Torii gate, which is the entrance.
 

Riding with our sponsors from Kadena Air Base to the West Pac Lodge on Camp Foster, I was too tired to absorb much of anything. I stared at the road ahead and tried not to flinch every time we turned left or right…driving on the left side of the road would take some getting used to! I was struck by how dense the area seemed--so many brightly lit signs, businesses, restaurants, and hotels lining Route 58. My mind was a blur. Thankfully, our check-in at the West Pac was a breeze and we were asleep in no time.

Newlywed Foster View

We woke up the next morning to pouring rain. The rainy season was just beginning and we were getting a good dose of it already. Our room was small but comfortable: full bed, desk, cable, internet, kitchenette, mini fridge, and bathroom. Our sponsors (the Meltons) had stocked our room with drinks and breakfast food, which is awesome when you wake up at 4 a.m. and realize you aren't going to fall back asleep! The room was a little on the warm side, about 78 degrees (we didn't have any control over the air conditioning in our room.) Later that morning, our first stop was the commissary. We picked up a few essentials and noted how expensive the produce was--almost six dollars for one carton of strawberries. But that's what the COLA's for, right? The Meltons drove us by the post office, PX, and other landmarks to familiarize us with Foster. Then we went to town -- our first look off base in daylight.

Newlywed Meal

We ate lunch at a noodle place on 58 between Kadena and Camp Lester, called Marugame Noodle.  I had no idea what I was ordering; I just pointed at a picture on the menu that looked like it was worth a shot. Kenny ordered something that looked totally different from mine. We always sample things off one another's plates, but we learned we had to be careful about our table manners here. The Meltons told us that you weren't supposed to pass food from one person's chopsticks to another person's. I later read that passing things from chopsticks to chopsticks is part of the funeral process in Okinawa. Instead, you are supposed to use your chopsticks to place food on a plate. Also, we learned never to insert our chopsticks into a rice bowl and leave them there (this is only for offering rice to the recently deceased.) I expected I would have to take off my shoes here, which we did beside our table. However, I was surprised to learn that it is not customary to tip off base. Having worked as a waitress in college, this felt awkward to me. The more I learned, the more I realized how little I knew about the way of life here. It was overwhelming, but I looked forward to the challenge of understanding it all.

The Meltons had planned to take us to American Village (sort of like New York City's Chinatown, but with Okinawan shop owners marketing to Americans and locals alike.) Mother Nature, however, had other plans. The rain here was intense and unpredictable; it was pouring one minute, drizzling the next, with a piercing ray of sunlight in between the bouts of rain. We stopped at an indoor mall whose name I couldn't read or pronounce, and whose location I forgot as soon as we left. I was hesitant to take pictures inside the stores for fear of being rude; I wasn't sure what was or wasn't socially acceptable yet. I was so awestruck with my new surroundings that I couldn't retain basic information.

Newlywed Sign

What I do remember were the colorful signs that seemed so daunting. Would I ever learn this new language? I remember the dresses and unique fashions that all seemed tailor-made for a petite woman like me (I'm a towering 5 foot 1 and a half.) Most of all I remember the smiles from strangers. They seemed to understand I was among the clueless island newbies, but they didn't seem to mind. They met my quizzical expressions with encouraging nods. I respected their patience.

The biggest thing thing we accomplished this first day was getting cell phones. There are two local carriers with stores at Camp Foster: AU and SoftBank. Both offered free phones with a 2-year contract (basic phones, not smart phones.) Both offered similar plans, but AU seemed to have more reliable coverage. It was tough to make this decision so quickly, but I'm glad we had local phone numbers right away. For us, it simplified the check-in process (i.e. providing phone numbers in paperwork.)

We fell asleep early that night, but my eyes didn't stay shut for long. I was suddenly wide awake, expecting daylight any moment. Then I rolled over and saw the clock: 2 a.m. It would be a long night. I laid there and stared at the dark ceiling for the next three hours, then gave up. Kenny couldn't sleep either, so we had another early start to the day.

The Meltons offered to take us to their church that Sunday morning. We happily obliged. They drove us to New Beginnings International Christian Center. What an experience! Almost all of the families there had some connection to the U.S. military, and they were incredibly welcoming. It felt great to be in an atmosphere like that on our first Sunday in Okinawa. As far as I was from my family in the states, I didn't feel so alone. Everyone there treated us like their own family. Although Kenny and I like to explore several churches before we settle on one, this was an exceptional place to start.

That evening the Meltons hosted us for dinner. They showed us around their multiplex home, giving us a rough idea of what we could expect if we were offered similar living quarters. (More about our housing experience is yet to come!) It was a relaxing evening, and the perfect way to unwind from a whirlwind of a weekend. Great food, wonderful company. We ended the night with a little taste of home, stopping by Baskin Robbins on base. I'm a sucker for vanilla soft serve with rainbow sprinkles. It reminds me of my childhood summer nights after a fishing trip with my dad. I missed the people back home, and I think in a strange way, that ice cream cone made me feel closer to them.

I know that I'll miss my family for as long as I'm here. But I also know they'd be the first to scold me if I didn't take advantage of all this island has to offer. And so far, it's been simply amazing.

Tsuboya Vill Map

Tsuboya Vill Street

After visiting the Tsuboya Pottery Museum, don’t miss taking a walk down Yachimun Alley. Plan on spending at least an hour discovering adorable little shops, cafes, and watch skilled artisans work their creations. You can even create some pottery of your own!

Naha’s Tsuboya District is the center of Okinawan pottery, and has been for many years. Even though WWII took its toll on Tsuboya’s craftsmen, they bounced back from the ravages of war and it is alive and thriving. Dozens of workshops are still operating after being passed down through generations. Two forms of pottery are produced here; Arayachi, which is unglazed pottery, and Joyachi, which is glazed pottery.

Arayachi was typically used for large storage vessels for awamori, water, or bean paste. Some smaller items were created for measuring devices. Joyachi is more colorful, and usually made into vases, teapots, bowls, plates, and flasks for carrying awamori.

This entire district flourished many years ago because of the Ryukyuan Empire’s increased trading with China and Southeast Asia. Then after WWII there was a shortage of necessary items for everyday life, so Tsuboya District produced many needed items.

As you travel along the main road, notice the street is made with limestone cobblestones. It’s a one-way street that you will find many people walking along. Several shops are on the main road, but the treasures we found were on the side roads that branch off of the main alley. At the museum you are given a map that shows where to find ancient wells, pagodas, and kilns. Some of the areas were under renovation when we were there, but they post many pictures along the fences so you can see what they are restoring. Also on the side streets were hidden cafes and workshops. Walking along the street is a treat in and of itself—you feel as though you’ve been transported to a beautiful village instead of in the middle of a large city!

Tsuboya Vill Workshop

At a few places you can actually create your own pottery. For around 3000 Yen you can create a Shisa, bowl, plate, or hanging Shisa. Plan on about one hour to spend creating—they have posted times for when the classes start.

Tsuboya Vill DIY

We were lucky enough to come upon a craftsman working on creating a Shisa. He smiled and waved at us, and we realized he had been featured in the movie they show at the museum down the street! Watching him work was fascinating. Another thing we noticed was how friendly everyone was. Not much English was spoken, but everybody went out of their way to try and explain things, and almost everyone on the street stopped to say “Konnichiwa!” as they passed on by. We were truly overwhelmed with the kindness and positive atmosphere all around us as we continued to discover a treasure around every corner. You will, too!

Tsuboya Vill Shop

Tsuboya Vill Cafe

April 3rd each year marks the start of a festival paying homage to the Shisa. April is “shi” in Japanese and 3 is “san” which makes the 3rd the anniversary day of Shisa. The festival at Tsuboya Village includes Taiko drum performances, exhibitions, tours of factories, and discounts on pottery at different shops. There is a great article here that tells more about the festival and surrounding area. I realize this article is too late for this year, but put it on your calendar for next year!

Advice: Go to the Tsuboya Pottery Museum first! It is well worth your time and you learn about everything going on in the village. The museum charges a small fee, but touring the village is free.

Directions: Parking is very limited, and you must pay to park. It’s easiest to park at the museum, or park along Kokusai Street and walk to the village. Travel south on 58 to Naha City and follow the signs for Kokusai Street. Parking is cheaper if you park a block or two off of the main street. Then, walk to the north end of the street until you see the Heiwadori Arcade. Walk through the arcade and you’ll see the museum and district at the end of the street. To park at the museum, we took 58 heading south, then took the Ginowan By-pass to the 330. When the route changed to 330, after about 4 kilometers start looking for a McDonalds on your left. Take a right at the first light after this (not the one right next to McDonalds—it’s a one way street). Follow that road until it splits and go right. At the end of this street is the Museum.

CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS

Naha’s Tsuboya District has been the center of Okinawan pottery since 1682, but they say the earthenware first began being made about 6,600 years ago. The most famous Okinawan pottery is tsuboya-yaki, and it is still being made after being passed down from generation to generation. These are just a sampling of the facts and information to be found at the Tsuboya Pottery Museum.

Okinawans, as we learned at the museum, have cultivated a unique culture of pottery through their interaction with nature and exchanging with neighboring countries. The main purpose of the museum is to display Tsuboya-yaki (Tsuboya ware) and to show the background of Tsuboya, which also played a significant role in the development of all Okinawan pottery.

We learned all about the different forms of pottery, both glazed and non-glazed. We also learned how WWII took its toll on Tsuboya’s craftsmen. After the war, kilns were deemed an annoyance in the Naha area and most were destroyed. Others resisted, and Tsuboya district is thriving today (although they now use electric kilns that don’t pollute the air with smoke).

Tsuboya Hall

The museum has three levels: the first floor shows pottery displayed in chronological order, and includes a replica of a traditional Okinawan home and how pottery was used all throughout.

Tsuboya Traditional Home

It also has a screening room that shows a twenty minute video showing local artists working at their trade. Even though we didn’t understand the language of the movie, it was worth watching how they create their pieces of art!

Tsuboya Theater Room

The second floor displays the process of pottery making, showcasing more pottery and the different tools used. The third floor is a temporary exhibition room that has projects open to the public as a rental gallery. The pieces here were our favorite, as they were unique and creative.

Tsuboya S Kiln Entrance

Right next to the museum are the remains of Fenu Kama (south kiln) and Nishinume Pagoda. We would not have noticed all there was to see if it wasn’t for the security guard in the museum. He spoke a little English and helped us discover all there was to see. He even offered to take pictures of us throughout the museum, and made sure we saw the displays outside that are harder to locate.

Tsuboya Nishinume Pagoda

The museum is a beautiful sight to behold, and even my husband (who cringes when I say “museum”) enjoyed his visit. I ended up having to drag him out after two hours of exploring! The entire place is family friendly, and the people working there went out of their way to guide us and make us comfortable. We were even given a free gift—a poster showing pottery and the Japanese calendar. I also felt like they didn’t see Americans very often (I could be wrong about this). We felt slightly like a novelty and didn’t see another American the entire time we were there. I hope this isn’t true, as this is truly one museum on Okinawa you don’t want to miss!

Keep your eye out for different Commemorative stamping stations situated on the 1st and 2nd floor. They also give you a brochure in English along with a guide book showcasing all there is to see (the guidebook must be returned, but the brochure you get to keep).

Tsuboya Pottery Outside

Also, when you are finished with the museum plan on spending another hour or so touring the village, also called Yachimun Alley. In the brochure you will get a map of the village and the different wells and kilns you can explore.

Tsuboya SK Pottery

Hours: Tuesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (closed Monday’s and New Year holidays)

Fee: Adult-315 Yen, Students-210 Yen, Child-105 Yen (they also have group rates)

Directions: There are several ways to get there. We took 58 heading south, then took the Ginowan By-pass to the 330. When the route changed to 330, after about 4 kilometers start looking for a McDonalds on your left. Take a right at the first light after this (not the one right next to McDonalds—it’s a one way street). Follow that road until it splits and go right. At the end of this street is the Museum. Parking is limited and you must pay to park. Another way to get there is to park close to Kokusai Street. Toward the north end of Kokusai is the Heiwadori Arcade. Walk through the arcade and you’ll see the Museum. You could also take the expressway to downtown Naha and follow the signs to Kokusai Street.

Ever since we moved to Okinawa, ladies I met from a Bible Study class often talked about the Tee House on Kadena. I imagined a cute little tea house where we could have tea parties at High Noon, complete with finger sandwiches, scones, crumpets and different types of teas.

Not until I found an ad for the TEE House did I realize that it was TEE as in striking the ball from a tee in golf! So, there went my dreams of little ladies sharing a pot of tea discussing the warmth and joy of the Lord!

Tee House

We followed the signs to the golf course and found the Tee House waaaay up high on a hill. We trekked up the stairs—my kids racing, me taking my sweet old time. The view from up there was incredible!

They serve breakfast from 6 am to 10:30 a.m. All breakfast dishes come with coffee or tea and for only $5.95, you can get two eggs, hash browns, a choice of meat, pancakes, or french toast. The view of the sunrise must be spectacular here.

They have the kid’s menu for $4.50 and Daily Specials for only $6.95 which includes the dish and drink. There is a wide range of cuisines here that include things Asian, American, Greek, and Mexican. As we waited for our meals, we sat right by the windows and watched planes landing and taking off, cars moving along the 58, the stillness of the ocean. It was so peaceful.

Tee House Food

There are so many forgotten, hidden treasures in Kadena and the Tee House Restaurant at the Banyan Tree Golf Course is one of them. Situated at the very top of a hill overlooking the sea, Chatan, and the Kadena Airport runway, you can come up here and forget about the world below, even if only for a little while.

The only teas served here were hot tea and ice tea, but I was happy.

Phone: 959-7509

Hours: (Monday-Sunday) 6 a.m. - 6:30 p.m., Breakfast is served until 10:30 a.m., Closed every second Tuesday of the month from 6:00 am to 10:30 am

Payment: Dollars, Yen, Credit cards

Directions: When you’re on Douglas, follow signs to the Golf Course. You’ll see the Tee House at the very top of the hill.

Our children love lacrosse. I grew up with lacrosse, and while lacrosse is new to my husband, he embraces lax as a new sport to play with our kids. I thought being stationed in Okinawa was the end of organized youth lacrosse for a few years. In PCS prep mode, I purchased lacrosse sticks and balls, along with mini lacrosse sticks & tennis balls for my little guy - all to practice & play lacrosse with them. We’d return to Maryland one day, and I wanted our kids to be ready to play!

Lacrosse Logo

Then we heard of Island Youth Lacrosse on Okinawa (IYLO).

A handful of Marine Corps families are pulling together to bring youth lacrosse to Okinawa. They're lead by a USMC LtCol who played college lacrosse at Rutgers University, along with his wife and two spirited Marine Corps spouses are trying to bring lacrosse here for their sons & daughter.

Island Youth Lacrosse’s LAX 101 Clinic was fantastic! Our kids were thrilled to play, and so were the twenty other future laxers and their families who were there. Okinawa's Island Youth Lacrosse LAX 101 Clinics have been so popular this spring that IYLO had to employ waitlists. IYLO is holding these clinics to introduce, to grow and build up island lacrosse players; it is also a fundraiser for the upcoming seasons. LAX 101 Clinic series introduce future laxers to lacrosse fundamentals, builds upon them, and culminates with play on the lacrosse field. And there are clinics coming up soon!

Lacrosse Group

Summer Season lacrosse registration starts in the spring. Their summer season will consist of U11 and U15 teams; playing in June through July with both boys and girls on the same teams, playing by US Lacrosse boys rules. These teams will have practices and games at Camp Foster, and Kadena or Camp McTureous (tbd). IYLO is looking for beginners to advanced lacrosse players to come out and play (ages 6-14). IYLO has experienced lacrosse coaches volunteering, and encourages teenagers to volunteer and share their lacrosse skills with the little lax players and beginners.

This youth lacrosse organization has high aspirations. In addition to offering competitive playing opportunities for young athletes in the upcoming Summer Season, and the Inaugural Spring Season (to include breaking it into girls & boys teams). IYLO has plans for more future clinics, and finding dynamic ways to introduce lacrosse to our school children. Indoor box lacrosse is potentially an option for 5-6 year olds in the near future, too. The end goal is to ramp up to a full league will four teams per age bracket:
Boys: U9, U11, U13, U15, and a Kadena HS & Kubasaki HS club team
Girls: U9, U11, U13, U15, and a Kadena HS & Kubasaki HS club team

Lacrosse Game

Island Youth Lacrosse Okinawa is looking for energized youth looking to join the fastest growing sport in the USA!

*Register now* for both the LAX 101 Clinics and the upcoming Season for lacrosse!

Facebook: "Island Youth Lacrosse"

Email: islandyouthlacrosse@gmail.com

Website: in progress

LAX 101 Clinics (Check FB for dates):  Only $20 per clinic. Sticks provided. These clinics will be seasonally run in the Fall & Spring.

Summer Lacrosse Season:  Mid-June to late-July.  Open registration begins in April for the summer season.  Email us at islandyouthlacrosse@gmail.com

Regular Season:  January - March

Games and practices will be held at Camp Foster & Kadena / Camps Courtney & McTureous.

Whether your child is interested in lacrosse, or you feel you could contribute to this growing program, please contact IYLO!

Hey Okinawa,
GOT LACROSSE? HAI!

For those of you planning a move to Okinawa soon, we hope Marie's descriptions of the process of their travel and first months of settling in can help you with a few of the "unknowns."  To read more of their story see links at the bottom of the post. 

Ah, jet lag. As many times as I'd flown back and forth from New York to California when Kenny and I were engaged, I was totally unprepared for the disorientation that hit me like a rock when we landed in Okinawa. It had been quite a trip.

We started out by flying into Seattle the day before the Patriot Express flight. We had planned on sightseeing the rest of the day, but in hindsight I think that plan was a little too ambitious for us. After traveling for one month straight, all we wanted to do was sleep. (My advice - if you want to do the tourist thing before you leave Seattle, give yourself a couple of extra days there.) Our checked bags flew for free with AirTran because we were traveling on orders (I believe Delta and US Air have similar baggage policies for active duty military.) Before we headed to the baggage claim in Seattle we looked for the AMC Terminal we would be checking into the next morning. It was easy to find, next to Hawaiian Air. We also looked for the USO, which was up one floor on the mezzanine level. The volunteers there were extremely friendly and offered to make extra copies of our orders (I've learned you can never have too many.)

Next we checked into the Red Lion Hotel across the street from the airport. I was so grateful we had booked it at the same time we bought our plane tickets from Atlanta (using Orbitz) We ended up saving $80 on our room. A free shuttle picked us up from the airport and drove us to the hotel, which was clean and comfortable. It felt wonderful to get a good night's sleep -- well, half a night's sleep. Our alarm went off at 2 a.m. It was go time!

Newlywed Pat Exp Line

We took the free shuttle back to the airport and were at the AMC terminal at 2:30 a.m., as soon as they started checking people in at the ticketing counter. I was floored when I saw the line. It snaked around…and around…and around. I learned a lot of folks had flown into Seattle a few hours after us and just camped out at the airport instead of checking into a hotel. An airport employee told me they started lining up at midnight. It took us about two hours to get to the counter for our tickets. The deadline for checking in was 5:30 a.m. before they started opening up the flight to Space-A passengers, so make sure you've got your tickets by then! The fee for our extra bags (one for each of us -- two total) was $224.00! Yup. One hundred and twelve bucks for each extra bag. This fee applied even though our TOTAL weight allowed for ALL of our bags was UNDER the limit. So be prepared: pack light and fit your stuff into no more than two bags each. Otherwise you'll end up like us. (Note: the weight limit for each bag was 70 pounds. Each of ours was no more than 50. So I wish we had packed our things into larger bags that could carry more weight and save us the two extra bags.)

After that minor bump, we proceeded through security as you would at any other airport. We had plenty of time to kill at our gate, so we had breakfast and charged any electronics that could use some topping off. It was a good thing we remembered to bring a power strip in our carry-on. Everyone around us was thankful too -- there are not many outlets.

Our first flight was directly to Tokyo (Yokota Air Base, to be exact.) It lasted about ten hours. We were on an Atlas Airlines plane. There was more leg room than I expected and they played family-friendly movies throughout the flight (no individual TV monitors though.) We were served two meals plus one snack and non-alcoholic drinks. There was no shortage of food and it was decent, nothing gourmet. When we landed we had about a three hour layover at Yokota (no pictures allowed on flight lines.) Everyone got off the plane here and was free to hang out in the terminal while the plane re-fueled. They had a couple of computers with internet access but it was so slow that it was virtually useless to try to connect. I had better luck with wi-fi on my laptop. We re-boarded in the same seats. Next stop, Iwakuni.

Newlywed Iwakuni

This flight lasted about two hours. The views as we descended over Iwakuni were breathtaking. It reminded me of the scene in Jurassic Park when the helicopter is flying through the lush green hillsides of the island. Again, we de-boarded and spent another two hours at the base terminal. Kenny and I both slept on the floor for most of this stop.

Finally, we were on to Okinawa. This last flight was only an hour or so. It was dark by then, but the lights over Okinawa were spectacular. It looked like such a dense city! Not what I was expecting - much more urban. I remember flashes of neon and thinking, "I can't believe we made it." My foggy, sleepy mind was clear for a few moments as it finally hit me - we were not going back to San Diego. This was home now.

We stepped off the plane and breathed in the thickest air I've ever felt, like you could slice it with a knife. It's true what they say about the humidity. And it was only April! But the steamy air felt like a blanket to me - I actually liked it. That is, until we walked into the first building I saw. It must have been one hundred degrees in that room. The good news - the line moved quickly. We made it up to customs and a man stamped my passport. Just like that, we were on our way. We retrieved our bags (this can take a while - be patient) and walked through another set of doors. The sounds of cheering met us on the other side. It was all of our sponsors, welcoming us to the island. I couldn't wait to soak in this new paradise.  

Newlywed Sponsors

For previous posts -- Newlywed PCS -- Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

CONTRIBUTED BY STACI HAWLEY

If you see those lovely carp flying in the breeze, no doubt it's swimming closer to Kodomo-no-hi, or Children's Day in Japan. In the past, this holiday was referred to as "Boys Day", but in 1954 the festival became known as Children's Day. This holiday takes the day to reflect on the healthy growth of all children. According to a Chinese legend, the carp swam upstream to turn into a "strong and healthy" dragon.

Behold Calli and Sebastian proudly displaying their their handmade carp from school.

When we lived in Sasebo, Japan it was quite common to see most homes adorned with koinobori.  Nowadays more Japanese live in smaller homes or apartments, but you can still find small carp (either outdoors or indoors). The windsocks, actually called Koi noborubi represent carp swimming upstream. The parents hope that their sons will endure obstacles as they grow throughout their life, and become strong and confident. The number of carp on the pole are supposed to symbolize how many sons a family has.

I priced the carp at Jusco, and they are rather expensive. They range from 7,000 yen up to 30,000 yen. Our local exchange has a nice version (photographed above) for about $13.00.

Other traditions for Children's Day are:

Gogatsu-ningyo - Families with boys put up a display of samurai helmets. You can purchase this one below at Jusco for about 400,000 yen.

If that's too much for your budget, you'll see a plethora of carp-covered greeting cards for around 400 yen.

Side note for the ladies: Don't worry - girls have their own special holiday called Hina Matsuri (Doll Festival), which is held on March the third.

Hinata Front

I am always on the lookout for cute cafes when I’m not confined within the school walls with my students. It’s probably because I’m such a huge foodie. I’m happy when I’m around food… and ever since we moved to Okinawa where they don’t just slap food together, presentation means a lot, too. So while on Spring Break, on our way to White Beach, we found yet another wooden sign that led us to Hinata Café. It’s funny how I’ve trained my eyes to find these little wooden signs which always lead us to somewhere unique and interesting!

Hinata Interior

Hinata means facing the sun or sunflower in Japanese. So when we got to the bright orange Hinata Café, I had to smile. The sun was shining brightly and it was as if the café was just beckoning us towards it in the middle of nowhere. The kids were excited to run up the path that led to the door. The garden terrace in front of the café was full of herbs and fresh vegetables. It was nice to see that what we would be eating possibly came from there.

Hinata Shop

We walked through the little shop then to the restaurant. The menu was all in Japanese, but our waitress told us in English what was on the lunch menu. We got the cream pasta and loco moco sets. They also had other types of pasta, a curry set, and fish set. All the sets came with drinks, salads, and pickled vegetables.

Hinata Pasta

Hinata Loco Moco

After we placed our orders, we got our drinks and salads. The chef must love vinaigrette here because that’s what the dressing was and the individual veggies were tossed in it, also. After a few minutes, our meals came and they were both very pleasant. My son who never touches brown rice ate his whole bowl—maybe because it was drizzled with some heavenly sauce—not the typical gravy for the loco-moco.

What a great find amidst the fields! We enjoyed our time here - such a beautiful place with delicious food.

Directions: From Camp McTureous, turn right and keep going straight, heading to White Beach. You’ll pass the 100Y store and Max Value on the right. Drive a little more and then turn left at the Family Mart. Take another left and drive until you see a bright orange building on the left.

Phone: 098 - 989 - 3896

Hours: Weekdays open from 11:30-19:30, Saturday, Sunday & Holiday 11:30~20:00 Close on Tuesdays

So roll call for your Space A flight is at four in the morning. You grab snacks for the kids on your way out of the house in hopes that you’ll make that one special flight and you won’t need any more food until you reach your destination. You get there to the terminal extremely early only to find that you will now be waiting there the whole day.

When you have kids in tow, they’ll get hungry—often. This is why I was so thankful for Andy’s at Kadena Space A Terminal. They are open at seven in the morning and are there for hungry people until three in the afternoon every single day, except Sundays. With a great view of the runway from the second floor dining area, you almost forget that you’ve been waiting forever to get a flight.

Andys Counter

They serve the classic breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon, sausage, and potatoes and an Okinawan breakfast which included rice, eggs, and Spam. They also had pancakes, french toasts, and omelets. The lunch menu included soba, fried rice, curry, chicken teriyaki, taco rice, pork spare ribs, burgers, and sandwiches.

Andys Menu

The prices are great (better than food court prices), the service is awesome, and the food is wonderful. Although the terminal was packed, Andy’s was like a haven for our family. Who would’ve thought there would be a budget-priced fast food Okinawan food joint on base anywhere here? We enjoyed our breakfast and lunch at Andy’s. So with our full tummies, we could face the blessings of waiting for Space-A.

Hours: 7:00-3:00 p.m. Daily except Sundays

Phone: 959-0485

Payment: Yen and dollars

Directions: Andy’s is located on the second floor of Kadena’s Passenger Terminal