Okinawa Hai!

CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS While Geocaching the other day on Ikei Island, we came across a really cool historical site called Nakabaru Ruins.  There are many things to see on this little island, so put this on the “to-do” list next time you are out there!  The first thing you’ll notice is the amazingly large [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS While driving south last weekend to enjoy the lovely weather, in the middle of a busy street in Itoman we came across a beautiful shrine and just had to stop to learn more.  We discovered that the people of Itoman believe the God of the Sea (Shirogane-no-oibe) to be enshrined here.  [...]

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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 It’s been [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS Hamagawa Trail The randomness of this island never ceases to amaze me. I love that little parks, shrines, or random historical sites are sometimes located in the middle of a busy street or surrounded by modern buildings. We came upon one such little beauty the other day called Hamagawa Ugan. Hamagawa [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS Tomb The tomb of the first king of the Ryukyu Kingdom is located in Yomitan, a fact not known by many. It was moved from Shuri when the first Sho Dynasty was taken over and the second Sho Dynasty began. During a coup d’etat, survivors of the royal family were forced [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY KRISTY WELLS An errand trip out to the McT area motivated me to make the drive more than just a chore. We are GeoCachers, though a bit inactive due to the birth of our daughter last May, and the entire family has been itching for some adventure. After opening the GeoCaching website, I [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON I was heading to check out Nirai Kanai Bridge in Nanjo-shi (the end of Pref. Route 86), and was detoured off the route due to construction. I wasn’t very pleased since the twists and turns led me off Route 86 a LONG distance away. Fontunely, I stumbled upon the famous “white [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON Tamagusuku Arch I found this place driving north from Peace Memorial Park. It’s a bit off the beaten path, but a simple visit for sightseeing. It rests atop a hill and has a unique arch entrance that is a bit run down. This castle, and others in the area are not [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON Kyan View These two sites provide fantastic views of the southern coast as well as secluded snorkeling opportunites (given the sea condtions). Both sites are amazing places to take a loved one; however, kids need to be closely watched if present. Both sites can be visited en route to other places, [...]

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CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON Urasoe Pano 1 Urasoe City Park & Castle Site is a massive network of observatories, walking paths and a large playground at its lower level. The park sits on a high hill on the border of Ginowan & Urasoe. It branches out in several directions and also includes nearby neighborhoods, cemetaries [...]

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