Okinawa Hai!

This post was originally published on September 6, 2012. We’re pulling it out of the archives for you to enjoy. The Naha Boat races are held on May 5th of each year, which is tomorrow.  Given that Okinawa Hai’s Content Editor, Heather, raced with the Army women’s team in 2010, we *highly* recommend taking the [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE Mieko is a feisty, determined and opinionated little girl who is on a quest to meet a Kijimuna. Although she initially dismissed the rumors about its existence, the elementary school girl is now determined to look for one after she experienced a sleep paralysis (because, you know, playful Kijimunas sometimes sit [...]

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This post was originally published on February 26, 2010. We’re pulling it out of the archives so that maybe this year you can help cheer on our runners.  This year’s marathon will be held tomorrow, February 17th.  The full marathon begins at 9am and ends at 3:15pm; the 10k road race begins at 9:30am and [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER HOFFMAN Tired of turkey leftovers, my friends and I had the opportunity to do some sightseeing on our little lovely island. We ventured out to the neighboring islands of Ikei, Henza & Miyagi, all accessible by bridge (no ferry required) in search of the famous Okinawian sea salt factory. After a few [...]

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Follow Sarah’s OCONUS to OCONUS journey here:  1, 2, 3, 4, 5 CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE In 2008, Staci Hawley wrote a “You Know You Lived in Okinawa When” post for OkinawaHai. I read that post before I even stepped foot on Okinawa for the first time. Part of me couldn’t wait for some of [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY JESSICA YANKEY Turtle Crate Recently, my family and I attended the annual turtle release by Churaumi Aquarium. We were invited by the local Boy Scout Executive, Karen Meier, from the Far East Council. Each year, there is a lottery and island residents have the opportunity to enter to try to win one of [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS Urasoe Art Building Want to see some of the most amazing cultural treasures of the Ryukyu kingdom? Head on over to the Urasoe Art Museum. This museum mainly focuses on laquerware and the cultural exchanges with neighboring countries that heavily influenced the development of Ryukyuan laquerware. There are both temporary and [...]

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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. CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS “The Constitution [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS Kokusai Shisa We talk about “Kokusai Street” all the time here on this beautiful rock we call home, but some of us only really know is that it’s in Naha and is a fun street on which to shop. And, of course, where they hold the famous Naha Tug-of-War each year. [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS 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 [...]

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