CONTRIBUTED BY AMY MADDOCKS
When’s the last time you saw a random road in Oki and wondered where it led? That happens to us almost daily. When we have time on the weekends, we follow them. One rainy weekend while traveling up north, we discovered just such a road, followed it, and found what is now one of our most favorite villages...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
Izumi Sho Park is definitely a place for kids of all ages. It has a slow-moving roller slide for the little ones, a cement slide, a hill with many different paths all over it (perfect for water balloon fights), a field for sports, and a water fall with a balcony above it. My boys especially liked that...
CONTRIBUTED BY KASSIE O'DRISCOLL
My husband and I continue to try new restaurants, which I love! What we've done differently, as of recently, is venture to Ishikawa. It's not too far from our house, but it's a little bit of a no-mans-land around here. We are happy to report that there are a lot of restaurants and we look forward...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI
Gobo (ゴボウ) is the Japanese name for burdock. It’s a root vegetable that has a very pleasant and earthy taste. Kinpira (きんぴら) is a Japanese cooking style that employs two cooking methods in one pot: sauté and simmer. Hurray, for one less dish to wash!
When we arrived on island I saw lots of fresh burdock; I...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARLOW TOWNES
Editor's Note: This park was originally featured on our site back in 2007. Click here to read the original Tobaru Koen Park post.
When word came that Okinawa was a possible duty station for our next transfer, I began reading Okinawa Hai to gain as much knowledge as I could. This would be our first overseas assignment and...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
It has been said that the best way to explore is by getting lost. That is exactly what happened to me one afternoon. In the narrow alleyways of Okinawa, I discovered the Ganeko Irei no Tou. “Ganeko” is a name of a place, and “Irei no Tou” means “a war memorial."
There were 399 civilian casualties in...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
When we left the Camp McTureous/Courtney area, I was a bit sad about leaving all the little restaurants, one being the 100 Yen Sushi-go-round. It’s been more than two years since we moved, and we have still made the trek to get some sushi. However, it hasn’t been the same. We don’t know what has changed, but we were completely surprised...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER/VIDEO BY RYAN BURGER
When I put my name into the Discover Okinawa Paragliding Facebook contest run by the Schilling Community Center on Kadena Air Base, I never imagined I would actually win. When I found out I was, in fact, a winner, I was both terrified and excited. I had not read the “glider” part until after I won and...
This post was originally published on February 3, 2008. We're pulling it out of the archives for you to enjoy. The Naha Tug Of War event will take place on October 9th, 2016 at 3pm; the grand parade kicks off the event at 11:00am. If you go, let us know what you think!
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER NORDELL
I want you to close...
CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE
Sometimes I think that my curiosity and interest about the world had humble beginnings from my hobbies of collecting stamps and postcards as a kid and a teen. Even now, I still have a soft spot for philately and deltiology. (those are just fancy ways of saying "the collection and study of stamps and postcards.") This personal passion explains...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
While running one day, I noticed a tree-lined pathway that led to a park. Upon returning with my kids we discovered Miyagi Park.
This is such a beautiful park! It is spacious and has many trails for exploring. It also has some modern art pieces throughout the park as well as a small amphitheater at the...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
I have eaten sushi at several places on island and kept hearing about sushi-go-rounds or conveyor belt sushi places. With the help of friends I finally tried Gourmet Kaiten Sushi Ichiba located just outside American Village and found one of my new favorite spots. The atmosphere is very clean and inviting and the sushi offered is amazing. The...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI
I made some steamed beni imo (ベニイモ) and was feeling ho-hum about mashed beni imo or a soup. I wanted something crunchy, like roasted beni imo or beni imo chips, but I don’t have a real oven. We only have a fish grill, which works great for… um... fish, and nothing else, so I made sweet...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
Driving around Okinawa, you’ll start to see the large cut outs to put your face in for a photo op. They can be found everywhere from tourist attractions to restaurants to Gate 2 street. These quickly became a hit at our house. Anytime we saw one, we stopped, even if we just happened to be driving...
The 2013 calendar was only available for a couple of short months at the end of 2012 and the beginning of this year. In case you missed the opportunity to purchase one for yourself, we'd like to show you what you're missing.
This was October's page:
Sunabe Seawall
Photo Credit: Chris G. Rose; okinawaphotographytours.com
See each of our 2013 calendar months HERE (each...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
While driving on the 58 past Camp Foster’s commissary gate, I noticed an area that might be a park. Sure enough, we found the ultimate park for kids that love to climb. The park is next to the outlet for the river so you can watch the local fishermen work on their boats as well. There...
CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID HIGGINS
Okinawa City’s Koza Area outside Kadena Gate 2 is not the nicest place to take a stroll, in my opinion. However, despite its beaten down look, there are some really interesting shops and eateries to discover. Mahoney’s Gushikawa Boxing Gym and Bar is one of them. Hidden down one of the alleys is one of the...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
I kept hearing from friends about Shakey’s, a pizza buffet that offers a variety of strange pizzas and curry. With this kind of combination, I knew the place had to be a hit. Since several of us from the office had never been, we decided to take an adventure to the new location within the Plaza House...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI
Kabocha （カボチャ）is a type of winter squash, sometimes called a Japanese Pumpkin.
Even though it’s called a winter squash, it ripens during the summer. Due to the hard, waxy exterior, it will keep through the winter with proper storage. It’s at the farmers markets now and is very inexpensive.
It’s fairly sweet, which means less added...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
While driving south on the 330, I briefly noticed a temple-like structure tucked away between some buildings. “What was that?!” At the time we could not stop to check it out. Last weekend we finally did and it was one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had on Okinawa.
As soon as we walked into...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
Since moving to the Chatan area, I pass by the “American American” restaurant on a daily basis and have wondered what they serve. I know a lot of people use it as a landmark for giving directions, but I had yet to meet an American who has eaten there. Some adventurous co-workers and I decided to give it a...
CONTRIBUTED BY COURTNEY FRY
What’s that? You want to learn some Japanese but don’t have an iPhone, or want something more in-depth than the apps? Here are a few ways you can learn with your computer, for free!
Transparent Language (pictured above)
If you go to the Kadena Library, you can get a free subscription to this language-learning website. And you...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
On a day exploring a southern part of the island, we stumbled upon the Yaese Castle ruins. I felt like I was on a treasure hunt as we discovered old pathways, a cave and pieces of rubble throughout the area.
There is a large staircase that greatly resembles the one at the Nakajin ruins. Cherry blossom...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI
Beautiful, simple, and fresh, I always make this salad when I have dragon fruit (ドラゴンフルーツ). You might see these pretty fruits growing at the Southeast Botanical Gardens or in your Japanese neighbor’s garden.
It’s eye-popping and delicious. To me, dragon fruit tastes like a subtle mix of kiwi, pear, and chia seed. I like to...
CONTRIBUTED BY CORINA CARNEY
During our summer stay-cation up in Okuma, we managed to discover the most astonishing café we have ever visited in Okinawa. It combined an incredible view of the ocean ...
... a unique design ...
... great service with colorful décor ...
... and, last but not least, surprisingly excellent food and presentation.
They have a menu in English, silverware and chopsticks.
We have been there...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
About eight months ago a friend mentioned that her family visited some WWII sites. “What?!” I am a war history buff and was under the impression that the only thing on the island for WWII was at the Peace Memorial Park. I asked her to provide a pin for the locations and she told me...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
Not to be confused with the pirate ship at Araha Beach, this pirate ship is entirely different. I actually don’t know if you would call it a pirate ship, but that is what the kids say it is.
The park features a large wooden ship. There are lot of nets, stairs, a zip line, and other...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY GILLOTTI
Well, it’s blazing hot here in Okinawa. Pair the heat with the high humidity and it’s like a never-ending sauna. Wahhh! My husband REALLY enjoys this weather, but it makes me a lot bit cranky. I’ve been looking for ways to keep cool and nothing beats a refreshing summer salad made with local ingredients.
I went...
CONTRIBUTED BY SEAN MILLER
I first passed by Ken Blend while getting lost in Naha well over a year ago. It was about that time when traffic was going to get ridiculous, so I figured I would stop in and take a look.
If you're like me and you love coffee, it's a win-win for all! At the time I...
CONTRIBUTED BY IVAN
This one is for the ladies in need of evening wear, coming from a dude who knows very little about buying a dress. With my limited fashion knowledge, I can only provide you with facts via self-answered questions. I'll let you come to your own conclusions.
Name of the Store: AJ’s (Amerotica Japan) Women’s Apparel
What it is: A store...