CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI
Our garden is overflowing with lettuce, so I brought salad to a recent barbecue. People suspiciously eyed the flowers on top, but this salad was a hit! Expressions of doubt were replaced with delight, thanks to the edible nasturtium (ナスタチウム) flower.
Nasturtium imparts a spicy flavor to a dish, similar to watercress. It best complements a sweet...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
Editor's Note: Local author Robert Walker provided a complimentary copy of his book to Marie so that she could take a look inside and share the highlights with our readers. The opinions below are all hers. We hope you find the information helpful!
Having almost reached my two-year mark on Okinawa, I felt pretty satisfied that I'd...
CONTRIBUTED BY EMILY BUREK
Clearly marked with a sign in English before your turn off of 58, Nago Citizen Beach is a nice place to stop off and relax. Whether you are looking for an all-day experience or just a bathroom break, this beach is great for everything.
You do not need to arrive very early to get a spot on...
For those of you who are new(er) to the island and looking for some great outdoor activities to help you explore the island - alone OR with a group -geocaching might be a great activity to look into.
This 'Out of the Archives' post was originally published on Okinawa Hai on February 8, 2013.
CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS
Need an adventure? Want to discover...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
We have enjoyed our excursions throughout Okinawa and discovering finding the local parks. But I was amazed again when I was taken to Motobu Park. This park is sure to be an enriching experience for all of those that visit. The playgrounds are very multi-functional. From rock-walls, to walls with ropes to climb up, to a...
CONTRIBUTED BY KASSIE O'DRISCOLL
Yesterday, I went to dinner with Kacey. It's great because we're both trying to eat our way through our cool Okinawa Cafe Book ... don't judge! Kacey is one step ahead of me because she has the updated version, which is great because we are always finding and picking new places to try! Last night was no exception...
CONTRIBUTED BY IRWIN DULAN II
Recently while strolling through Urasoe Dai Koen I came across a friendly elderly gentleman. Dressed in a smart exercise jumper he greeted me cordially. He had been walking the park path for over fifteen years. “The sound of the stream’s rushing water is so relaxing,” he glowed. “Isn’t it,” I agreed. “But as for the...
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH BANCROFT
Do you need a new or duplicate key for your car? Well, we sure did when we purchased our new car once arriving on island. The key we received was in dire need of being replaced. When going about the process to get a new key, the first recommendation we received was to go to Makeman...
CONTRIBUTED BY TIFFANY WHEELER FOR KOREA YE!
Anytime you move, it helps to be organized. When you move once a year, it is essential.
Living the Army life, I knew it would come with its fair share of moving. For us, though, it has meant four moves in under four years and I think by now I’ve gotten pretty good at it.
The most...
CONTRIBUTED BY KASSIE O'DRISCOLL
There are quite a few good-looking restaurants down the street from our house and we finally found the time to try one! Ikesuno Ginji is a tempura, maki (a small segment cut from a long roll of cold rice and various other ingredients wrapped in a sheet of seaweed), and sumibi (grilled meats over charcoal) restaurant...
Living overseas has its challenges, and a commonly agreed upon one is finding that perfect place to live. To help those of us who are curious about the different options for living on Okinawa, readers have answered some of the most frequently asked questions about on-base housing. If you live in an on-base house that has not yet been...
The 2014 calendar was available for purchase in November and December of 2013., and for a limited time in the early months of 2014. Next year's calendar will be available for purchase in the final months of this year.
This was April’s page:
Sunabe Seawall
Photo Credit: Tamara Chapman
lightedpathphoto.com
"Ocean, Wind, Rain, Salt
Waves will break, time moves once more
Stories never cease" -Shell Burger
Sunabe Seawall
Photo...
For all you parents looking for a preschool that suits your kids, we’re hoping to add a little something to aid in your search. Parents of children who attend various preschools on island have filled out a series of questions about the schools for the benefit of the rest of us. We welcome more than one voice on each...
CONTRIBUTED BY IRINA
On a small subtropical island such as Okinawa, it is usually physically impossible to take a road less travelled. However, if you are up to the challenge, you may find a certain small karate dojo in Yomitan to be just that rarely available detour.
When I got to Okinawa, I didn’t know a lot about martial arts, though...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
Being an owner of two schnauzers, I am used to getting them groomed every six to eight weeks. I have tried a couple of different groomers on-island since we moved here in June of 2012, and I have even gone so far as to home-groom them a couple of times. Since home-grooming is back breaking and...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
I wear a watch every day and honestly I feel naked when I don’t have it on. So when my watch’s battery died a couple of weeks ago, I started looking for a place to get the battery replaced. I checked on base, but was told they don’t do anything like that. I even tried going...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELSEY FEENEY
I’d like to introduce you to Vanilla Essence, another one of my favorite shopping spots located conveniently in American Village! Vanilla Essence is a small store located in the heart of American Village that offers trendy and affordable clothing and accessories for all different tastes. If you are a fan of Charlotte Russe, then Vanilla Essence...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARLOW TOWNES
Driving to the Japanese post office one day I noticed a small parking lot, map, and nice stairway up the hillside.
Upon further investigation I found this hidden gem and wanted to share, as it is very convenient for those of us near Foster and Lester. It is built into the hillside along route 24 with stairs...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARLOW TOWNES
As a girl from Oregon (home to nearly 200 craft brewing facilities), I do enjoy a good beer. Imagine my delight when I saw a small sign in my new neighborhood that read “Beer Rize, Craft Brew Pub, 200 meters!”
When you walk into this warm, inviting pub you will be greeted by one, if not two...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARLOW TOWNES
Are you stationed on Okinawa and don’t have room for your visitors? Are you stationed elsewhere in the Pacific and want to catch a Space-A flight to Okinawa for a vacation?
My parents recently visited for three weeks, and although we all love each other and get along quite nicely, everyone needs their own space (especially after...
CONTRIBUTED BY ELIZABETH McKENZIE
One of the first things I heard from other military wives about being stationed in Okinawa is that every family leaves with at least one more child. “There must be something in the water!” was a sentence I heard a lot. Great, I thought! My husband and I had been trying for a couple years without...
CONTRIBUTED BY KASSIE O'DRISCOLL
Today, Mark was able to take a day off from work to celebrate my birthday (a day early). My only "requirement" was that we ate lunch and dinner at places that we'd never been before. So, I picked up my Okinawa Cafe 2013-14 Book and found a restaurant that was only listed in Japanese. I called to...
This post was originally published on March 14, 2009. We're pulling it out of the archives for you to enjoy. White Day is always celebrated on March 14th, the month after Valentine's Day; that's this upcoming Friday.
Take note, gentlemen, and don't forget - even though your turn for some lovin' was last month, this is your chance to...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI
I frequently walk past a charming ramen vendor near Araha Beach. I love ramen, and it always smells delicious, but it seems that we are destined to enjoy life on a different schedule. They target a niche of patrons who require authentic ramen during insane hours of the night. That fact intrigued me, as well as...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELSEY FEENEY
Being on Okinawa has its ups and downs; one of the downs being the small selection of clothing options. Like many others, I got bored with the BX’s clothing section quite quickly and ventured off into the world of Japanese fashion. One of my favorite go to places for some stylish pieces is Misty, located conveniently in American Village.
Misty...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
Soon after my son started attending a Japanese preschool, we discovered this playground right around the corner. The Omiya Park is a lot of fun for the kiddos. I really like this park because there are many different things to keep the children occupied. Starting from the south end of the park is a half-court basketball...
The 2014 calendar was available for purchase in November and December of 2013; we have a limited amount of calendars left for on-island delivery. If you'd like to purchase one for yourself, please visit our 2014 Calendar Purchase page for information.
This was March's page:
Farm near Okuma
Photo credit: Michelle Delaney
www.madbananaphotography.com
"Sandals for walking
Coins for a can of coffee
A beach for dreaming" --Emily Stiles
Yagaji...
This post was originally published on March 14, 2008. Because it's azalea season again, we're pulling it out of the archives for our newer readers to enjoy... with updated information from one of our readers! The festival runs throughout the month of March.
CONTRIBUTED BY JOELLE YAMADA, March 2008
So, they aren't my favorite flower. They're too bushy for me and...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI Linya Ramen is my favorite noodle house on island. It certainly doesn’t hurt that they’re located near my apartment and offer rewards point cards. I like to try new restaurants, but when I want comfort food, I go to Linya Ramen. They’re always welcoming and I actually feel like they appreciate my business. They offer Kyoto style...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
After driving past this many times on my way through gate one of Futenma, I finally decided to check it out. This is the Reisen no Tou, or Oyama War Memorial.
Before the start of the Battle of Okinawa, in World War II, Oyama village had approximately 1,300 people from 290 families. Even though the Japanese military...