CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
Have I mentioned how awesome Okinawa parks are?
Every once in a while, the kids and I find a park that doesn’t have much to it. Sometimes they aren’t overly excited about them (the kids have become park snobs!), while other times, one aspect of the park gets them more excited than anything.
I have no idea...
CONTRIBUTED BY SANDRA STAMOS
Looking for an easy-to-access swimming hole with a waterfall? No hiking skills or river fording is required to find this jewel near Nago.
I heard about this place from a friend as we were heading out on a dive trip. I hadn’t been to any of the falls yet and this seemed easy to find. This site is simpler and...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
Okinawa parks are amazing. Many times, the playground equipment is its own art form. I’ve seen Shisa Dogs, treehouses, elephants, dolphins, and this park has an octopus. Surprisingly, this isn’t the first such playground structure I’ve seen on-island.
The octopus is an orange-red color and full of nooks and crannies to explore. Kids can climb to...
CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE
I love going to the theater. My collection of ticket stubs bear witness to the plays, musicals, opera, traditional theater performances, monologue, dance performances, ballet, performance poetry sessions (well, you get the picture) I’ve been to over the years. So it was only natural that I sought out theatre performances while in Okinawa. I figured the National...
CONTRIBUTED BY HANNAH WILKES
I am very excited that within a month of our arrival, I have already found a favorite restaurant! Everything I could have asked for in a restaurant, Dechibica provides. As a vegetarian, dining out can be really difficult and I've been feeling like I miss out on some of the local flavor. However, neither of those...
CONTRIBUTED BY SANDRA STAMOS
Everyone loves to shop at outlet malls, right? We all know there is Ashibinaa Outlet Mall south of the Naha airport. But did you know, there is a Ryukyu Glass Outlet in the area?
We have been to the Ryukyu Glass Craft Village in the southern part of the island and love this art form unique to Okinawa. We...
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 September's page:
Makishi Market on Kokusai Street
Photo Credit: Sarah Fillman
See each of our 2013 calendar months HERE...
CONTRIBUTED BY COURTNEY FRY
Admittedly, I am a linguaphile -- I choose to study other languages for fun. In fact, learning Japanese was one of the things that most appealed to me about moving to Okinawa. However, my previous studies in Spanish and Portuguese did nothing to prepare me for immersion in Japanese; they don’t even use the same alphabet!...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
The kids and I like to go for walks around our neighborhood. We are always looking for new places to explore. Luckily, we found the Kuroshio Park in Awase.
I really don’t know how one could miss this park, except that it’s not on a main street.
The park takes up an entire block. The playground is...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
The upside to my husband's participation in so many golf tournaments is that sometimes, he wins something really cool. This time it was a free night's stay at Moon Ocean Ginowan for us and two of our friends in a two-bedroom suite. The room was exceptional, and since our accommodations were free, we thought it would...
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CONTRIBUTED BY MARLOW TOWNES
I’ve only been on the island for seven weeks, and already one of my children’s (ages 6 and 8) favorite activities is shopping at 100 Yen stores. I must admit, I’m generally not a huge fan of American consumerism, but with only a set of loaner furniture, a dish pack, and the clothing from four suitcases to...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
Editor's Note: This is a follow-up to Shell's step-by-step guide to moving from one off-base home to another. To read that article, click HERE.
When we decided to move from one off-base house this summer to another off-base house, the only thing we dreaded was the actual moving process. The thought of trying to carry large appliances...
CONTRIBUTED BY SANDRA STAMOS
Looking to buy some fresh flowers? Want to make your own arrangements? Where do you get flowers here in Okinawa?
We moved here from New Mexico and I was thrilled with how lush and green this island is. It re-kindled my desire to do some flower arrangements. I learned English flower arranging at a prior assignment...
CONTRIBUTED BY LEAH MAGID/PHOTOS BY MOTOYUKI NISIMURA, JEFF MAGID, LEAH MAGID
When we first moved down to the Araha Beach area from out in the country by the bull farms, we were a little wary of the “beach bar" community. We hadn’t really ventured off the main “beach street” much, and one night walked into Daisy's Café and decided to...
CONTRIBUTED BY TRISH KAPRIELIAN
There used to be a really good izakaya by Pet Box that my husband and I wanted to go back to. Well, it was closed, but I noticed a new ramen place going in. I really love ramen, so we went opening day. They definitely did a great job remodeling the place!
It’s a vending machine-style ramen place with bright,...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER OLSEN
Spending the day in the sun while seeing the sights can be draining. If you are in the Naha area, head to the Mist Fountain to cool off. Behind the DFS galleria and next to the stairs of the Omoromachi Monorail station is located the Mist Fountain. The mist fountain consists of 566 special jets that...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
Editor's Note: So you've already settled into your home in Okinawa, but now you're itching to move to a better location/house/fill-in-the-blank. If this is you, Shell's step-by-step guide can help. Next week, she'll detail her experience with the local moving company her family used.
When we first arrived on island, we had no idea where any of...
Editor’s Note: The Southeast Botanical Gardens were originally reviewed on Okinawa Hai on March 29, 2007, August 27, 2007 and October 10, 2008; an additional review of its Christmas Lights Display was published on December 20, 2009; you can read a PDF copy of these original reviews HERE. This attraction closed for a couple of years while undergoing management restructuring. The...
CONTRIBUTED BY KATHRYN STRONG
After one very hot Sunday that I had spent running around in the sun for work, I rewarded myself with an afternoon spent at a café with a cup of coffee and a good book. In the spirit of adventure, I decided to try a new place that had just opened near my house – La...
CONTRIBUTED BY TRISH KAPRIELIAN
My husband’s coworker told us about this place, so we met him for lunch one Saturday. It’s my husband’s coworker’s favorite place for ramen and I love ramen! I asked my husband what’s the name- and he didn’t know. Once we got there, I noticed a flame around the entrance, so I call it "Flame Ramen."
We...
CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE
The Mega Don Quijote Ginowan store has everything you could possibly need. And I mean everything. If you’re looking for a Walmart in Okinawa, this might come close.
Tucked away in the edges of Ginowan, the store was opened in November 2012 and is a part of the Don Quijote chain of discount stores all over Japan...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
Editor's Note: Here's a small sample of Marie and Kenny's outings to White Beach, Nap's Southern Grill, and Awase Fish Market. Click the links to read the full posts on each!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8GXcn0O1so&feature=youtu.be
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
If you happen to be on the southern tip of the island, you probably have a reason for being there. There isn’t a whole lot down there. We were down there one day, going to the Peace Prayer Park. Imagine my surprise when I realized there was a huge playground right next to it! This is...
CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON
After enjoying an awesome movie at Q cinema inside Naha Main Place, my date and I wanted to eat a light dinner before heading home. Since it was a nice night out and we didn't want to lose an awesome free parking spot, we walked across the street to Booten restaurant.
I was in awe at the...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNELL
Have you seen high school kids walking around with these fancy decorated pictures all over their binders? Perhaps you’ve seen people tagged in them on Facebook and wondered what it was all about. Ever wondered how people got pictures taken and they looked like a doll with the big doe eyes?
Sticky pics is the answer! These...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
While driving around behind Kadena Gate 2 street one day to avoid traffic, I came across an interesting building with a large sign on it stating “Tacos & Coffee.”
My first reaction was, "What an odd combination." However, I was intrigued by the waterfall or water wall that covered the entire outside sign.
I decided to give it...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARISSA MATSUZAKI
Have you ever had that experience where in spite of all your planning and organization nothing seems to go right? You hit the point of being near tears as your frustration is bubbling over, when suddenly you realize that maybe things are not so bad after all. This was the type of day I was having...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
If you’ve ever visited the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters or even driven by on 7, you most likely saw this playground (although I'm not sure of its official name). To me, it’s the ultimate playground. There are two huge roller slides that twist and wind around each going down the side of a hill. Once...
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 August's page:
Motobu Wellness Center
Photo Credit: Irma Ibarra
See each of our 2013 calendar months HERE (each month's...