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 the 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...
My stay at the Loisir Resort Hotel, Naha
Contributed by Capitol58
Okinawa has changed so much in the last 10 years since I’ve been living here with so many new and rebranded resort hotels. It’s literally become the perfect “staycation” zone. So, this year for my anniversary I decided to take advantage of this and spend the night in the city...
CONTRIBUTED BY KATHRYN CALAGUI
Tacorice Plate
One sunny Sunday, a friend (Hi Rebekah!) and I had decided to have a Girls Day Out at Depot Island. We’ve already tried a few restaurants in the area and decided that we should try something new. We glanced over the Depot Island map and saw “Tacorice Cafe.” Sounds good! And who doesn’t like taco...
Ryukyu BBQ Blue at Kafuu Resort Fuchaku
by Jam Kirby
Delicious food. Top-notch services. Amazing view. You are treated to these and so much more when you dine at Ryukyu BBQ Blue in Kafuu Resort Fuchaku.
The restaurant is located on the 12th floor of the new annex building of the resort. The moment you arrive at the top floor, you will...
April 29th – May 7th
All of Japan – Golden Week
This week is marked with holidays to be celebrated across all japan. It is a time when many Japanese people get a much-needed vacation for several days in a row. Expect congestion on the roads and busier-than-usual flights/ferries/public transportation during this time as well as more crowds in tourist attractions...
Pizza Sun, American style Pizza, By Meredith Barber
Although it was a rainy day in Okinawa and the sun was not out on the day we visited Pizza Sun, our dinner there was most definitely the bright spot in our day.
Pizza Sun is located in American Village and offers a wide variety of pizza, calzones, appetizers and salads. Their pizzas...
Ana Intercontinental Manza Beach is on pretty much everyone’s radar because of the beautiful beach and the fun obstacle course that they offer during the summer season. It is also a well known 4 Star resort, that is located in the beautiful area of Onna. But, did you know that they offer many different family-friendly activities?
Recently my family and...
iI Gastro Sara, contributed by Jenifer Giles.
iI Gastro Sara, in Onna, Okinawa Japan, is excellent for a date night, girls’ night out, visiting friends, special occasion or for a foodie. There are so many good restaurants in Okinawa, but when I come across one that really distinguish itself, I have to rave about it.
I went to il Gastro Sara...
WaGyu-Café Kapuka, Japanese beef in American Viliage, Chatan, Okinawa
by Jam Kirby Rimando
WaGyu-Café Kapuka in Chatan is located on the island of Okinawa and we stumbled on it, something I am quite happy with. We always dine at a new place as I and my husband make it a habit visiting new dining places here on the island in Okinawa,...
April has a list of events in place for fun seekers and they all promise to be fun, engaging and riveting. We have compiled a list to ensure easy access and booking. Below is a list of these events:
April 1st – April 2nd
Southeast Botanical Gardens – Okinawa Bougain Fair
The first couple of days in April will mark the end of the bougainvillea...
Feliz Coffee
Contributed by Charity L.
There is no shortage of great places to eat in the American Village. However, when it comes to early mornings, choices are limited. Thankfully, there is a new place that just opened last month, that is the answer to your morning breakfast dilemma. Feliz Coffee is your stop for great coffee, delicious breakfast, and a...
Contributed by Semibalancedmama.blogspot.com
Since moving to Okinawa we have really enjoyed finding new restaurants, especially those that are kid friendly and this is something Kozy's pizza has aplenty. Although, our discovery of Kozy’s Pizza was recent, reliving the experience on our subsequent visits remains thrilling. It is located in Kitanagusuku, which is easy
to get to from both Foster and Kadena....
February 25th – March 26th
Okinawa Children's World Zoo and Museum - 8th Okinawa Children's Flower Festival 2017
In this fun, family-friendly event, the park will be decorated with flowers with- as the website put it- a theme of “magic and adventure.” The hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and admission fee is 500 yen for adults, 200 yen for...
Contributed By: Charity L.
When my husband and I have a morning off together, we like to get out and see what new café we can find that day. Well, today we found this great coffee shop down near the seawall. It’s called Chocolate Jesus Coffee. The name alone is intriguing, so we knew we had to check it out.
Decor
When...
CONTRIBUTED BY Your Okinawa Hai Managers
Okinawa Hai is a community fed site. What does that mean? We don’t have staff writers. We never have, and we’d like to keep it that way. The entire site is contributed by people like you and freelance writers, who have gone out, explored, found new parks, beaches, cafes, and decided to share those...
CONTRIBUTED BY: semibalancedmama.blogspot.com
The Awase area is a little-known gem, just minutes from both Kadena and Camp Foster,
it is jam packed with little eateries, restaurants, the Awase Fish Market, parks and BB coffee. BB coffee
opened just a few short months ago and it is quickly becoming a popular stop in Awase.
With its location close to the popular Comprehensive Park, it...
CONTRIBUTED BY Julia O.
photo contributed by editor
I recently had the pleasure of walking around my neighborhood on a beautiful January day and stumbled upon this café, Front man's café. It is now one of my favorites! What drew me in was the welcoming exterior. They have a few parking spots outside of this house turned into a café, with a...
CONTRIBUTED BY JULIA O.
Blue House Okinawa is an up and coming venue for a variety of events on island. I had the pleasure of taking a beginners Japanese class and meet plenty of amazing locals. This is the place to go to learn, have fun, and get some culture. Blue House has a variety of classes and schedules to choose...
The Todds
As a part of our OkiLife, we watch so many people come and go, through military rotations during PCS season. It has become an implicit fact of our lives that we learn to cope with on yearly bases. This time it's gonna be tough...The Todds.
Such a great family that came into our lives and brought us friendship and...
CONTRIBUTED BY THERESA BUYCO
I take bread pretty seriously. French bread, sourdough, ciabatta, croissants -- you name it; I love them all. My eyes almost roll back into my head every time I break apart a warm, crusty baguette. "Where am I going to get my fix?" I wondered before coming to Japan. Little did I know, bread and other...
CONTRIBUTED BY KACEY A.
Here you’ll find a list of local events for the month of February. Events on the island are constantly being created and changed, so please make sure to use the contact info provided on each event to verify information. If you know of an additional event that you’d like to share with our readers, please add...
CONTRIBUTED BY Andrea Wood
My husband and I love our date nights and most of all love when we can walk to our destination without having to worry about a daiko or a taxi. It’s even better when I can get a little fancy with my outfit in a swanky place. We discovered Regalia Resort Dining when we were at...
CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREA WOOD
The name sounds like it would be a massage parlor or a spa, but it’s actually a boutique. Every day I drive by this cute little shop that catches my eye amongst everything else around because of its bright teal color and the contrasting oak wood decor.
They sell handmade jewelry made of gemstones gathered from India. The...
Pizzeria da Enzo, The best Pizzeria in Yomitan, Japan, Okinawa-Hai. Contributed by ANDREA WOOD
I found a taste of Italy at Pizzeria da Enzo, Yomitan, Japan, Okinawa-Hai! Ok, I've never been to Italy, but my husband lived in Rome for two years and he says it's the closest tasting pizza to Italy he's had since he's lived there. Pizzeria da Enzo...
It all started about 6 years ago, at an American Chamber of Commerce general membership meeting in Okinawa. I was looking for anyone around my age since almost all men that own some of the biggest, foreign owned business in Okinawa were 3x my age.
He looked like a cool dude and he actually introduced himself to me. That was...
Clean your A/C
Air conditioners work almost 24 hours daily in most of houses. During this time they filter and cool your air and accumulate dust inside the AC. This dust produces bad odors, mold and bacteria which is then circulated in your home.
Air conditioners need a deep cleaning at least once a year. Performing this cleaning is not only...
It's going to be a new year soon and as usual, every place in the world have their own way of celebrating the new year. These celebrations and events usually span through the whole of January entering February too sometimes.on the Island of Okinawa-Hai, January comes with a whole lot of colorful events. However, these events are even better...
Ten years ago - in the earliest months of 2007 - a military spouse and some of her friends took a look around our beautiful Okinawa Hai island and thought to themselves, "There is so much to see, so many places to visit, so much exploring to do... so many restaurants to try here on Okinawa Hai. Let's share...
Ringing In The New Year, Okinawa Style. CONTRIBUTED BY KARI F.
Most cultures have annual customs and celebrations revolving around the new year, and I thought I'd touch on some of the many traditions surrounding the new year in Okinawa, Japan, also known as Shogatsu!
Before the New Year in Okinawa, Japan
While most of the celebrations and traditions take place on New...