CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
When we found out last January we were moving to Okinawa in June, we were very excited; then came the daunting task of preparing. Luckily, when we got word we quickly googled moving pets to Okinawa. WOW. There was a LOT we had to do to bring our dogs with us. Since they are part of...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
When I found out that Borders, one of my favorite stateside hangouts, was closing its doors in the summer of 2011, I was heartbroken. I have such good memories of going there for study groups, browsing the travel section whenever I was planning one of my complex trips, sitting and listening to live music whenever someone...
CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE
If you grew up on Calbee snacks like I did, you’d probably be as excited as I was to see the brightly-colored and chirpy-looking Calbee Plus store along Kokusai Street in Naha.
The store has a wide selection of special Calbee products which I don’t usually get to see, ranging from potato chips to Jagarico and...
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...
Editor's Note: Registration for the April 25, 2015 Bushido Mud Run is open and more information is available on the MCCS Okinawa website. The post below was written about the Mud Run's first year on Camp Hansen, in 2013.
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS/PHOTOS COURTESY OF SINGLE MARINE PROGRAM
They called it history-making. They called it epic. They called it: The Bushido Mud Run...
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 May's page:
Dragon Boat Race
Photo Credit: Tony Castellani; www.flickr.com/people/t_castellani/
See each of our 2013 calendar months HERE (each...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAKESHA COLE
New to the island, learning how to make sushi rolls from a connoisseur of all things sushi was definitely at the top of my list. Last weekend, a couple of friends joined us for a rolled sushi class and lunch at Waryu Sushi Shuna at the Tokyo Dai-ichi Hotel Okinawa Grand Mer Resort. It was the most relaxing...
CONTRIBUTED BY COURTNEY PLOTZ
Editor’s note: Courtney PCS’d from San Diego to Okinawa with a dog, traveling on the military flight commonly referred to as the “Patriot Express.” She has some helpful hints for those who will be attempting to do the same this season.
We started our process about nine months before we left the US. The first thing I...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
When we moved away from the Camp McTureous area, I immediately knew I would be missing out on the Okinawan homestyle cooking of the wonderful neighborhood restaurants down the street.
But when we stopped by the area one day, I was surprised to see a new one—or maybe it was an old one that we just never...
Editor’s Note: This is a new review about OMSI. To read our review from 2007 & its update from 2010, along with all the associated comments, please see THIS POST.
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...
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 off-base house that has not yet been...
CONTRIBUTED BY MELISSA RUISZ NAZARIO
Throughout college, ramen meant a brick of hard, cardboard-like noodles and a silver packet of powder “seasoning.” Thanks to living in Okinawa, I’ve since discovered “real,” authentic ramen, with freshly made noodles,tasty broth, veggies (that haven’t been dehydrated) and meat. From there, it was pretty easy to graduate to the many yummy variations on island....
CONTRIBUTED BY LEAH WILLIAMS
Editor's note: Leah recently PCSed to Okinawa with her 13-pound dog, who was small enough to fly in-cabin on a commercial flight to Seattle and then on the Patriot Express to Okinawa. We hope her experience with gathering documentation and preparing for the flights will help those of you on your way here!
One of my main...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
Wafu-Tei is a Japanese restaurant chain found all over Okinawa. Sometimes, they are located inside San-A stores and sometimes, they are located near San-A buildings. They offer a huge variety of delicious Japanese food at reasonable prices. With some meals, you can order a set which comes with a type of noodle and soup dish.
Their...
CONTRIBUTED BY MUNEERAH BEE
Housed in the same building as the Okinawa Prefectural Museum, the Okinawa Art Museum truly exceeded my expectations of an art museum on the island. I went there not sure of what to expect, but I left the place impressed.
Although it is not as big as the prefectural museum, the art museum has a wide...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
You know that book titled, “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt?” Well, that’s what our family felt like doing on a recent lazy Sunday afternoon. We saw a bridge and decided to drive over it and see where it led us. Well, this particular bridge led us to Ojima Island. It is a very small island,...
CONTRIBUTED BY DANNY WILSON
Hello Okinawa Hai friends! I just wanted to take a minute to tell you all about this cool little place my wife found.
So there we were bored one Thursday night when my wife decided she would troll Okinawa Yard Sales. She came across some cell phone cases that were pretty nice looking and decided to check to see if the seller...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHELL BURGER
If you are searching for a truly amazing hamburger on island, look no farther than Ishigakijima Kitchen Bin. I just went there for the first time today for lunch, and I have to say their avocado burger is the best I have had on Okinawa. Not only is the meat cooked perfectly, but the wasabi mayonnaise...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
There’s a popular children’s story about giving a mouse a cookie, and the mouse needing additional things as a result of that cookie (i.e. a straw, a glass of milk, a nap.)
Similarly, if you give a military family a free flight to Singapore or somewhere else via Space A, that family might have to fly to...
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 April's page:
American Village
Photo credit: Danielle McIlroy
"Vending machine there
Vending machines everywhere
With yen, thirst is quenched" - Calyn...
CONTRIBUTED BY KRYSTA PRIVETTE
Lazy Sundays are my favorite. My family and I usually cuddle up in the living room and watch movies, shows, or play games. We're fortunate enough to have the life to allow this and we appreciate it every time. My second favorite day is Saturday. This is because my husband is off work and we have from...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
Stuck at Narita Airport for more than three hours? Head to the Naritasan Temple!
So we had about five hours before our flight from Narita to Naha. Everyone knows that there is no way our family with rambunctious kids and hubby would last five hours in any airport. After finding that we could store our luggage in...
CONTRIBUTED BY CARLA SHANK
American Kitchen is a recently opened fast food place for one-stop delicious meals. Ordering take-out here is easy - I called ahead and by the time I got there it was ready! Piping hot and oh, so tasty! From the menu you can select several kinds of pizza, including fresh sausage, pepperoni and four kinds of...
CONTRIBUTED BY JEANINE CZUBIK/UPDATED PHOTOS BY MARIE LEWIS
You've probably seen Demure on Gate 2 Street. But did you know there are now two additional Demure locations? This March 2013 update has all the details.
You probably already know this story: your spouse comes home and informs you there's a dinner. Tomorrow. And you must have a tea length dress. Your mind starts...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
For the past three years, my husband and I have been to the Butler Officer’s Club on Plaza for the Marine Corps Birthday Celebrations. Whenever I thought of the O’Club, all I thought of was the Marine Corps Birthday events. But recently, we have discovered another wonderful reason to visit the BOC—for their delicious Sunday Brunches! I’ve always loved...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
Once again, another New Year’s Eve while travelling, and another night of winding down for our family from whatever trip we’ve been on. It was so nice to find this little, homey place about a two-hour train ride from Tokyo. We had just returned from a trip to the Philippines and needed a place to rest our heads....
CONTRIBUTED BY DAPHNE SHAFER-REPASS
For a sweet treat, I took a quick trip up the road from Camp McTureous to Soleil. It opened just a few months ago, and it’s a sunny spot to pick up something special for the kiddos on the way home (whether they deserve it or not!)
The small bakery offers a delicious selection of pastries so gorgeous you...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNELL
In all of my years of coming to Okinawa as a contractor, I have avoided the haircut/color procedure. Quite frankly it scared me a little. I have blonde hair and let’s face it: there aren’t very many light-haired Japanese people, so the idea of getting my hair colored here was too much to deal with. That is,...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
This is Monette's third post about her family's adventures in Taiwan. Click HERE to read Part 1 and HERE to read Part 2.
For Part Three, let’s get a little cultural. As you travel through Taiwan, the unique culture surrounds you and is truly something to be enjoyed. Taiwan has a lot of very interesting, but often little-known history and it...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA SNELL
After a friend's recommendation, I finally decided to take the plunge into the world of permanent makeup. Ambrosia is a gorgeous little salon that is along the sea (with the treatment rooms looking out to the sea). The thought of having a tattoo needle so close to my eye was anything but comforting, but as soon as I...