This post was originally published on August 1, 2008. We're pulling it out of the archives for all of you - especially our newer readers - to enjoy. This year's parade will be held on Sunday, August 7th (rain date: August 14th). Hopefully you'll all get the chance to see Eisa in person this summer!
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER NORDELL
We chose to...
CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON
This place is so good, I had to try it more than once. The massive menu of Japanese food will have you craving more! My best advice is to try a few things at a time with a large group of people, very similar to what the local patrons are doing along with a few rounds...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNELL
(photo courtesy of Cristina Garcia)
Looking for a unique souvenir to take home from Okinawa? Or perhaps you’re looking for a special gift for the lady in your life. Grace Anniversary Design has exactly that!
I was so happy to find this beautiful local jewelry shop (thanks to a friend telling me about it) the day before I...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
While driving around one day, my daughter pointed out a sign with a T-Rex on it. We followed the arrow on the sign to check it out. I was just expecting it to be a drive by find, but to our surprise, it was a playground! The T-Rex was the main attraction and the main piece...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARISSA MATSUZAKI
What would life on an island be like without a surf shop? Having the beach in your backyard, watching the waves, and having no decent place to buy dry shirts, wetsuits, surf boards, or body boards? That would be truly awful!
Even if you’re not a surfer, surf shops provide a great assortment of shoes, clothes,...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
Last weekend while adventuring with a friend and her daughter, we decided to finally stop in the large American Space store that is just on 58 close to American Village. Both of us have gone past it many times, but never stopped. Since it was just us girls, we decided stopping in could be fun. We both have adventure pants...
CONTRIBUTED BY JAMES PARKER
Editor's Note: James knows where to find a LOT of Korean restaurants on Okinawa. Here he shares a few of his favorites, and he's also been kind enough to include a directory of others around the island. See where it takes you! (And if you have one to add, let us know!)
My wife is from Korea, and I lived in...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARISSA MATSUZAKI
One great benefit to island life is island style. Anyone who has ever been to Hawaii can attest to the style and Spirit of Aloha—friendly people, “Shaka” hand signs, Hawaiian T-Shirts, flip-flops, and the sound of gentle strums on the Ukulele. I recently wandered away from my comfort zone (also known as Route 58) and stumbled...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNELL
Had a long week? Need a little “me” time to rejuvenate? This is definitely the place to do that! Coran is a gorgeous relaxation salon/spa right on 58 (in very close proximity to Blue Seal). I received a gift certificate for my birthday from a very dear friend, and couldn’t wait to get in for the...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
A friend of mine told me about this really neat restaurant that she went to with co-workers and suggested we all try it out. Since the staff only speaks Japanese and you need a reservation, she was able to get one of her co-workers to call for us.
Walking into Anzuya you are hit with a very calming and...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
Whenever I see an Okinawan park that is called an Athletic Park, I know it’s going to be a good one. The Nishizaki Athletic Park in Itoman was no different!
The park has a baseball field, gymnasium, multipurpose areas, a track, tennis courts, a pool, and a playground.
The pool has an indoor area for lap...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
Editor's Note: Marie enjoyed a complimentary meal at Co-Lab, but the opinions below are all hers.
I'm the kind of wife who tries to cook healthy--albeit bland--meals (read: grilled chicken or fish with veggies) on a regular basis. When I presented my husband with the option of going out for ribs, well, you know where this is going.
We...
CONTRIBUTED BY DAPHNE SHAFER-REPASS
My new favorite taco place is Hungry, right off the 6 from 329. It’s a little enclosed kitchen-shack in front of the owners’ home, complete with picnic tables, counter-bench area, and drink machine! The taco shells are made to order, but you won’t wait long. And after you taste them, you’ll gladly wait longer the next...
CONTRIBUTED BY MERMEE
I love food. Being raised in a half-Greek family has given me the reflexes to offer people food, to talk about food, to cook food, and of course, to eat food! However, due to my severe shellfish allergy, eating out in Okinawa can be a bit like Russian roulette. Having only been here a month, my husband...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
When my husband deployed, I vowed to keep my kids busy. Finding Okinawa’s fun parks was one of the ways we managed to keep our minds off of things. We found so many great parks, that I hate not to share them all!
While trying to find the Urasoe Dai Park one weekend, we passed another park...
CONTRIBUTED BY DAPHNE SHAFER-REPASS
Finding the great playground at the corner of 329 and 6 was pure kismet. While driving home from Kadena to pick up tacos at Hungry Tacos, I took the western split of 329 when my husband and I caught a glimpse of the long red slide just before turning right onto route 6. We kept catching hints of...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
On my way home from work almost every day I pass by a building that has a sign out front mostly in kanji, but stating they are a “café.” I have mentioned to my husband several times that we should try it sometime to see what they have, but we never seemed to remember it when...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
While driving up 330 one day, I happened to glance to my left and see a large playground. My kids know that I love a good playground as much as they do, so we pulled in to check it out. We were more than pleasantly surprised. This park was big! How had we never heard of...
CONTRIBUTED BY IVAN
I was cruising down the street in my '64—actually it’s my '98, but the year of my whip is not what I wish to share with you—when I spotted a plant nursery. Not just any nursery—a Bonsai nursery. When I see Hiragana, Katakana, or any other form of Japanese writing it makes perfect nonsense to me, but...
CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE
The Sakima Art Museum lies literally inches away from the Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan. In fact, the land it is on used to be a part of the Air Station before it was returned. The museum opened in 1994, with the main focus of bringing a message of peace.
The permanent exhibition there is...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNELL
If you’re in the market for a body piercing, then Truth is definitely the place to go! You can’t miss it when you’re driving on 23, it’s the light purpled colored building. They have parking on the side. There’s a big sign on the front that says “TRUTH” in large letters and “Body Decoration Studio” in...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
I have driven past Ringer Hut on several occasions and always wondered what they served there. I always saw the parking lot full of cars and Japanese people going in and out. Well today I decided to give them a try, so I convinced my husband and friends to go adventuring with me.
The food is honestly...
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 July's page:
Kouri Island Bridge
Photo Credit: Chris Rose; okinawaphotographytours.com
"Must be the water
All become photographers
In stunning Oki" -...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNELL
If you’re looking for an exceptional dental clinic then this is definitely the place to go! I was blown away by the service, attention to detail, friendly atmosphere, I could go on forever!
It was very easy to get an appointment; most of the staff speaks English very well. The first appointment is a very thorough exam;...
CONTRIBUTED BY CALYN PAQUIN
I am writing this to provide the information I have, and also to say I wish I had looked into this much earlier because it has been so good for my son.
P-com stands for pool communication. It is conveniently located just down the road from Foster’s Legion gate on 330/81.
Before my son started taking swim lessons,...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA PIERACCINI
So many times when going to the park, the equipment is geared towards younger kids. My oldest is fine with this; he’s only 7, so he’s not that big, but he sometimes needs more of a challenge.
Enter the Mashiki Rocket Park.
For a neighborhood park, this place is pretty big. There are large, open areas...
CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE
Not too long ago, I randomly chanced upon an interesting legend about a place in Ginowan city. And the next day, just as randomly, I ended up at that place without realizing it until I wrote this post.
My friend often saw the signs to the Morinokawa Spring when he drove around the area and had wanted...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
So I drive past a store that names is completely in kanji (トーエイ泡瀬店) almost every day and have always wanted to know what they sell. I mainly see only Japanese people going in there, but the parking lot is normally pretty full. So this past weekend I put on my adventure pants and decided to stop...
CONTRIBUTED BY CYNTHIA WALKER
After years of studying karate, it finally occurred to me that I should share my experience with others. I was teaching English at a local community center and I heard these loud shouts, "Osu! Osu!" I asked my Okinawan friend what was going on next door, and she told me it was just some karate group...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
Living off base, I pass a lot of buildings where all the signage is in kanji, so I am normally at a loss as to what they sell or provide. One of the things that I struggled with when I first arrived on island was having co-workers mention San-A and the “Bird store” as places where they shopped. I got...