The 2015 calendar was available for purchase in November and December of 2014. This was April's page.
American Village
Photo credit: Sharon Fisher
"Metallic beetle
Shining vibrant in the sun
Soaring through the breeze" --Shannon Kroemer
American Village
Photo credit: Leandros Rubio
Leandros Rubio Photography
American Village
Photo credit: Pamela Oliveras
Pamela Oliveras Photography
CONTRIBUTED BY MICHELLE CAMINA
Perched high within the Ogimi mountainside is a lovely overlook area once belonging to a defunct resort hotel (Shah Bay) which closed in the mid-nineties. Shah Bay’s Mutabaru Observatory is a leftover remnant of the resort’s better days, and peers out onto the East China Sea, Motobu, Yagaji-jima, Kouri-jima Bridge, Kouri-jima, Route 58, Miyagi-shima, Shioya Bay,...
We will be publishing base reviews of all US Military Installations on Okinawa over the course of the rest of this year. Many thanks to Anthony for taking on this time-intensive and incredibly helpful series for our readers!
CONTRIBUTED BY ANTHONY CAMINA
Camp Foster, Ginowan City
Overview
Camp Foster is one of the central camps on Okinawa in both location and function. Regardless...
Editor’s Note: This park was originally reviewed on Okinawa Hai on April 16,2007. The post below is an updated take on the park with more details and photos.
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
While enjoying a family run this morning, the boys shrieked with excitement at the site of a new park. "Mom! Look! Stop!! We see a park!" Needless to say, we...
CONTRIBUTED BY CAROLYN SCHAAB
Buying milk in a Japanese grocery store can be intimidating if you have never done it before. Many of you may have noticed already that Google translate does not always translate in a meaningful way or can be confusing. You may have also noticed that milk is labeled and categorized a bit differently than in the...
CONTRIBUTED BY BOB ROBERTS
I recently went to K's Town Cafe Restaurant and Bar in Yaese-cho and wanted to pass on what a nice little restaurant it is. Inside and out, the restaurant is immaculate in its cleanliness, and the wait staff were very helpful and friendly. The inside is bright with two walls of the building being made entirely...
CONTRIBUTED BY MICHELLE CAMINA
A neat little scenic spot to visit the next time you are in the northern Okinawa area is Igimihakinzo Observatory Park. Igimihakinzo Park is located in the mountains of Ogimi and offers visitors a lovely view of the surrounding countryside and a handful of islands (e.g. Ie, Kouri, Izema, and Iheya) off the East China Sea...
CONTRIBUTED BY HANNAH CURTIS
With Peach Air’s new route, Naha - Hong Kong, having just started in February 2015, I suspect a lot more people will be visiting the already popular destination of Hong Kong.
While researching for our trip, I turned to the many fabulous and informative articles already on Okinawa Hai, however, one thing I did notice was the lack...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
While I love to explore everything as much as I can on Okinawa, my main driving force to do so is to discover new playgrounds. Senaga Island has a playground in the shape of a giant crab! My boys loved climbing up the back and sliding down the other side. While the playground and island are...
CONTRIBUTED BY MICHELLE CAMINA
High in the mountains of Ogimi there is a wonderful lookout area that offers visitors a near 360̊ panoramic view of northern Okinawa. Some of the things one can expect to spy with his or her little eye at the Ishiyama Observatory are views of the East China Sea, Pacific Ocean, Okuma Beach, Higashi, the unique...
CONTRIBUTED BY GRAZIA SANNA
Many foreigners would agree with me if I said that Japanese cuisine is a very tasty and special one – definitely one that lots of people from several parts of Europe would be willing to pay a pretty penny (or yen) for - once in a while. When I tell my European friends that the sushi,...
Editor's Note: Years ago, when Okinawa Hai had just a few readers and was getting its footing, we took an introspective look at the things we love about this tiny island, especially the details that might go unnoticed - or unappreciated - by many.
We'd like to remind ourselves about what we have always loved about our island paradise... even that which may,...
CONTRIBUTED BY ELIZA GROFF
Have you ever wondered how celebrities get that flawless, no makeup look in beachy photos? I can’t promise that you will look like Kim Kardashian, but I can promise you a luscious set of long lashes. At Wink Lash in American Village, they have three certified lash ladies who specialize in this beauty discipline.
You lay down...
CONTRIBUTED BY KASSIE O'DRISCOLL
A new, feel-good restaurant just opened on the Sunabe Seawall and you're not going to want to miss out on the delicious eats! CC's Chicken & Waffles is owned by Cody, an American who relocated to Okinawa to be with his wife and start a fresh, new life together.
The new start, eventually, led to the delicious...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
Having been to Cocok's, Dulce, and Bella Nails a number of times, I was ready to try someplace new. I heard that a former employee of Cocok's had opened her own place closer to Camp Foster, which was perfect for me! So I went to Salon Tida for a pedicure. The service did not disappoint.
They had...
The 2015 calendar was available for purchase in November and December of 2014. This was March's page.
Toguchi Beach
Photo credit: Andrew Mercado
Chatan Seawall
Photo credit: Stephanie Gonzalez
"Storm clouds in the sky
With dragons drifting on by
Some rumble, some cry" --Bill Enyart
East China Sea
Photo credit: Pamela Oliveras
Pamela Oliveras Photography
Shark Rocks
Photo credit: Pamela Oliveras
Pamela Oliveras Photography
The 2016 azalea festival on Okinawa runs from March 1st through the 21st. Find out more below!
CONTRIBUTED BY ANTHONY CAMINA
Annually in March Higashi Village hosts a flower carnival like no other on the island. This special event is centered on the seasonal blooming of the area's azalea flowers. The festival takes place in a park specifically designed for the enjoyment of...
CONTRIBUTED BY ELIZA GROFF
This herb and tea shop is the only Turkish spice store that I know of on the island, and is one of the most comprehensive in terms of essential oils, organic teas, and spices. Arifoglu offers a fantastic selection of healthy food, honey, jam, aromatherapy oil (both cold pressed and distilled), perfume oil, organic herbal teas...
CONTRIBUTED BY KACEY A.
Finding a hair salon and a stylist you love can be difficult no matter where you live. Below is a compilation of local salons I’ve gathered from friends and searching through old Okinawa Hai posts/comments. I’ve also included a list of helpful terms, phrases, and tips.
Helpful Terms
hair - kami
cut - katto
shampoo - shampu
blow-dry - buro
perm - pama
short -...
CONTRIBUTED BY KACEY A.
Tucked away on Mibaru Beach, on the southern coast of Okinawa, you’ll find a lovely Nepalese curry stand that’s open ALL YEAR ROUND!
If you need to work up an appetite, there is plenty of room to lounge in the sand, swim in the crystal clear waters, or participate in watersports and glass bottom boat rides from...
CONTRIBUTED BY BRONSON ROBINSON
Have you ever eaten at a new restaurant and enjoyed it so much that you wanted to tell everyone about it, and then immediately you decided that this was a bad idea and you didn’t want to tell anyone so as to keep it all to yourself? Well, this is exactly what I experienced after eating...
Years ago, when Okinawa Hai had just a few readers and was getting its footing, we took an introspective look at the things we love about this tiny island, especially the details that might go unnoticed - or unappreciated - by many.
We'd like to remind ourselves about that which we have always loved about our island paradise... even the things which may, at first glance,...
Editor's Note: In addition to the vespa tours in Vietnam and Cambodia described below, Marie wrote about various places she stayed in those countries. Click here to see her 17-day itinerary.
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
We learned about the Vietnam Vespa Adventures tour company while staying at the Rex Hotel in Saigon, and we decided to take a chance on them after browsing...
CONTRIBUTED BY MINDY MORRIS
Hoi An doesn’t have a checklist. The guidebook won’t provide you with a detailed itinerary with places to go and things to see. I think this is a huge reason that it became one of my favorite spots in Southeast Asia. After a pretty quick pace for about a month and a half, this deliciously low-key stop...
We will be publishing base reviews of all US Military Installations on Okinawa over the course of the rest of this year. Many thanks to Anthony for taking on this time-intensive and incredibly helpful series for our readers!
CONTRIBUTED BY ANTHONY CAMINA
Camp Kinser, Urasoe City
click photo for source
Overview
Camp Kinser is one of the southernmost bases on Okinawa and is near...
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH BANCROFT
We all fear the dreaded ‘death’ of a car. The battery is dead, the starter is shot, you have a flat tire and cannot change it on your own, among other problems. Well, if you have your supplemental Japanese Insurance you’re in luck! Both ACE and AIU Insurance companies offer free towing. The limit is three...
Years ago, when Okinawa Hai had just a few readers and was getting its footing, we took an introspective look at the things we love about this tiny island, especially the details that might go unnoticed - or unappreciated - by many.
We'd like to remind ourselves about that which we have always loved about our island paradise... even the things which may, at first glance,...
CONTRIBUTED BY ELIZA GROFF
Bacchus: Greek God of wine and revelry; the Roman name for Dionysus, god of wine and lively social gatherings. It's also the name of my favorite local flower shop.
Rare and beautiful flowers from Bacchus add sparkle to my home. If you are looking for a specialty flower shop to try your hand at ikebana, or for any...
CONTRIBUTED BY KASSIE O'DRISCOLL
Okinawa Food Flea is a festival held about every other month in Chatan that had me hooked from the very beginning. Back in July 2014, I heard about the very first Okinawa Food Flea via Facebook that was approaching in August. It looked like a fun event full of local cafes and artisan shops, which basically...
CONTRIBUTED BY ALLI M.
If you find yourself down in Naha and don’t have an idea of where to stop and eat, you can try Akebono Ramen. I think this is a place where the local businessmen come to grab a bite to eat. It reminds me of an American sub shop during lunch hour – filled with businessmen and...