CONTRIBUTED BY MANUEL CARNERO
I am from Peru and I have used Okinawa Hai to help me locate restaurants when I yearn for Peruvian food. Being in Okinawa for two years now, I have been able to eat at La Cabana, Titicaca, & Bomba Latina which do satisfy my hunger for Peruvian food. To my knowledge I thought that was...
This is our second post on this school; the original was published in 2008 and was in need of an update. We have closed comments on this school in order to continue to conversation on that updated post.
For all you parents looking for a preschool that suits your kids, we’re hoping to add a little something to aid in...
CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON
Zamami Kaminohama Lookout
Editor's note: Steve wrote THIS post a few years back about Zamami Island, Michelle wrote THIS about whale watching from Zamami, but Quentin is revisiting the topic for us. I suggest you check out ALL THREE!
For those of us living on Kadena, Futenma, Foster or Kinser, looking west we get an awesome view of...
CONTRIBUTED BY STACY ROSE
Adventist Med Center
I recently gave birth at Adventist Medical Center and wanted to share my experience for anyone considering this option.
At my first appointment, they gave me a plastic card (like a credit card) with my name on it, and at each subsequent appointment I had to give the card to the receptionist upon arriving. It's...
The 2012 calendar was only available for a couple short months at the end of 2011 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...
CONTRIBUTED BY QUENTIN RICHARDSON
Nago Mt View 1
After reading about it and finally having a day nice enough for it, I decided to take a trip up Nago Mountain. What’s really cool about this mountain besides the view and the satisfaction of a good workout, is that is has more than one way to climb to the top.
Nago Mt Marker
However...
CONTRIBUTED BY JANNEL KETTENRING
Yonbaru The Rope
Yonbaru Parade
Almost all of us have heard of the amazing tug of war that happens each October in Naha, but did you know there are many other tug of war festivals? They happen in several smaller towns and villages. The one that takes place in Yonabaru, I've had the pleasure of attending two years...
CONTRIBUTED BY MELANIE HAMMONS
SUP Logo
Snorkeling? SCUBA diving? Surfing? What about Stand Up Paddle boarding? The water activities on Okinawa are pretty much endless.
My husband and I had our mind set to try Stand-Up Paddle board (SUP) before leaving Okinawa.
I did some research and ended up coming across Okinawa Surf & Stand Up Paddle.
Kazu is an Okinawan local, but speaks...
CONTRIBUTED BY CHRISTOPHER DONG
Bacar Front
I’m reeling. Knocked back, about to fall off my stool. Wafts of crackling wood, stewed tomatoes, shaved garlic, minty basil, and fresh-risen dough swirl around in my skull. It should be illegal for pizza to BE this good. Taste, texture, aroma, presentation, to “be” is the only way to express what an experience this has...
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...
JOIN OUR OKINAWA HAI ONLINE COMMUNITIES
Okinawa Hai has been steadily growing bigger and stronger over the past five years, and it's all thanks to YOU - our readers. For the past two years we've run solely on Submission Power, but from the start our posts have been greatly enriched through your comments and questions. The sense of community is...
CONTRIBUTED BY AARON LANDIS
Remember the days back home fishing in the local watering hole or lake? Want to tango with larger game, reel in a fish half your size or possibly even bigger than you? There is one great thing about being on an island surrounded by nothing but water: the fish inhabit the waters year round. From mahi...
CONTRIBUTED BY TINA FONACIER-FLORES
Palma Sign
There is a new massage place at the Mihama American Village and it is pleasantly clean and affordable with a courteous staff. Their prices are very affordable compared to other massage places that charge almost double. Palma Relaxation Room just recently opened and I tried their acupressure massage. The rates are a great deal. I...
Follow Sarah's OCONUS to OCONUS journey here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE
Have you ever returned to your childhood home or hometown? Seeing this familiar place through your mature eyes can change your perspective. In some ways that is what it was like coming back to the States after living in Okinawa for three years. We visited family...
CONTRIBUTED LEEANN STEVENS
Mahaina Exterior
My husband and I wanted to take a break from work and home. We decided to take a 4 days trip up north to Nago. We booked 3 nights at the Hotel Mahaina Wellness Resort. I found this resort through www.agoda.com. They have some pretty cheap hotels. But we decided to spend a little more and...
Recycle Store Exterior
CONTRIBUTED BY STEPHANIE MONROE
I’ve been on Okinawa about a year now, and since our arrival I’ve been lamenting the loss of one of my favorite activities: shopping the neighborhood thrift stores. Back in the states thrift stores are one of my regular stops to find unique, antique, or bargain priced items. I have eclectic taste and I...
CONTRIBUTED BY LAURA WALKER
Ofukuro Exterior
Craving that Italian bistro from back home? I’ve found the perfect fit in Yomitan. Ofukuro is a chic restaurant that is full of metropolitan charm. I drove by this place so many times staring at the big window wondering what kind of cuisine might await me.
When I stepped inside, I was not disappointed. The décor...
CONTRIBUTED BY TINA FONACIER-FLORES
Moon Lobby
Having spent the last few weeks exploring the island and driving to faraway beaches and resorts, my husband and I decided to stay “local” last weekend. By “ local” we meant a place that was not more than half an hour away from Kadena. The perfect choice was the Moon Ocean Hotel and Residences located next...
For those of you planning a move to Okinawa soon, we hope Marie's descriptions of the process of their travel and first months of settling in can help you with a few of the "unknowns." To read more of their story see links at the bottom of the post.
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
It's been a few weeks since my...
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...
CONTRIBUTED BY REIKO MOTOBU
Dos Manos Burrito
My friend and I were talking about food back home and she said she missed her mom's Mexican cooking so much but she knew a place where the food was pretty close to what she would get back home. This place is called DOS MANOS.
Dos Manos Interior
Dos Manos Tables
I was very excited to know...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIE LEWIS
Here's a little somethin' somethin' to email to your parents/friends who wanted to know what Bolaven was like. And a good reminder to all of us of the experience. Maybe once in a lifetime!
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
Before I visited Kouri Island, I never really understood the idea of stay-cations. How can you have a vacation at home? So when I started feeling a little antsy I didn’t think that a stay-cation would take care of my travel itch. I knew that I needed a little road trip that would take us to...
Follow Sarah's OCONUS to OCONUS journey here: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE
We started our time in Okinawa with twin cars: two silver Funcargos. Sadly, they came to different fates by the time we needed to leave Okinawa. One car was the protagonist of this post about selling a car. The other Funcargo was in an accident so she...
CONTRIBUTED BY CHRISTOPHER DONG
We walked through the small streets of South Sunabe on a sunny weekend afternoon. It was that odd hour of day where we were feeling peckish, energy enough to think about doing something, too hungry to actually accomplish anything. “Tea-time” menus infuriate me, lazily turned out dishes while chefs busy themselves prepping for dinner. And we...
The 2012 calendar was only available for a couple short months at the end of 2011 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...
CONTRIBUTED BY CALYN PAQUIN
Just how many of you crave for a bowl of hot soba noodle soup in the middle of Okinawa’s hot summer weather? As much as I like them, unless I’ve been in a building with cold AC, that won’t be my first choice. Recently, the caterer for the school I worked at brought Hiyashi Cyuka for...
CONTRIBUTED BY ANGI BRZYCKI
Charm Exterior
This is slightly embarrassing to admit -but one of the first things I noticed about the friends I made within the JET Programme community of Assistant Language Teachers here in Okinawa was how cute everyone's hair was. I thought it was sweet too when I asked everyone where they cut their hair and they would all...
CONTRIBUTED BY MCKAY KINGRY
Kouwa Exterior
Kouwa Weekly Specials
If you ask me, one of the best parts of living on our gorgeous little island is FRESH SUSHI, and there certainly is no shortage of restaurants in which to enjoy it. However, I’m here to tell you all about the newest (and in my four years of experience, the best) sushi bar:...
CONTRIBUTED BY NATALIA TSOI
Every day I take the bus to my Japanese language school from Onna village, I see a shiny red banner on a street corner along Route 58. One day, I went to see what it was. It turned out it was a coffee beans shop, called the Sansui Coffee Bean Shop.
Sansui Front
Sansui Coffee provides different type...