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Optimal Health Chiropractic. CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH MACCHIUSI After continued failed attempts at base medical (including Physical Therapy at the Naval Hospital), I explored off base options for my ongoing chronic back pain. This is when I stumbled upon Dr. Kathleen Burke of Optimal Health Chiropractic, located in her home on base by Camp Courtney. Kathleen is a licensed chiropractor who...
Prairie Custom Flower Shop. CONTRIBUTED BY ANTHONY CAMINA 30 years ago Yuriko Takayama began her professional career as a dentist in the mega-metropolis of Tokyo. After a 20-year career, she decided to transition to a less stressful medium which was her true love, flowers. Most westerners are familiar with florists or the art of Japanese flower arranging called Ikebana. What Yuriko...
Always Sunshine Co. Gallery. Best Place for Beach and Souvenirs in Yomitan. CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREA WOOD Always Sunshine Co. Gallery is a Hawaiian-based store here in Okinawa, located in Yomitan. It is a fine art gallery and select shop and definitely a must if you’re looking for that unique piece for your home or souvenirs to take home. It just opened...
Okinawa International Women’s Club CONTRIBUTED BY NAOMI KATO JOHNSON Okinawa International Women’s Club (OIWC) is a non-profit organization that has been around for 60 years. We are known for our generous donations to support local charitable organizations and for promoting cultural exchange and building international friendships between both Okinawan women and women from other countries. We learn about each other’s cultures through...
Editor's Note: A Danny was originally reviewed on Okinawa Hai on December 14, 2011; you can read a PDF copy of that original review HERE. The post below is an updated take on this attraction, published December 16, 2016. CONTRIBUTED BY LOUISE DUPUY   Indian food! Now that I have your attention, allow me to impart some spice-laden wisdom about a particular Indian restaurant, A...
Editor's Note: Coffee Casa was originally reviewed on Okinawa Hai on April 16, 2008; you can read a PDF copy of that original review HERE. The post below is an updated take on this attraction, published December 14, 2016. CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREA GRACE WOOD   This is my friend and me after having coffee and brunch outside of Coffee Casa. If you don’t live by Kadena Air...
Warren and JJ’s Place. Best fresh made food in Cajun, Okinawa. CONTRIBUTED BY JENNIFER GILES Warren and JJ’s Place is a fantastic Cajun restaurant… the best on Okinawa. You will not find a restaurant with more personality or a better story… just ask Warren when you meet him. Don’t be surprised if Warren sits down with you at the table, gives you...
Air BnB: Live Like A Local CONTRIBUTED BY LOUISE DUPUY   One of the most exciting things about going away is getting to know the locale. Exploring winding streets, eating the native specialties, and just really immersing yourself in the culture. Where you stay can play a key role in this, and I’m here to offer you an alternative to hotels: Air...
Restaurant Budonoki CONTRIBUTED BY NAOMI K. A local Okinawan took me to this special spot. Restaurant Budonoki is attached to a special group home formed in 1978 for adults with disabilities. To help raise money and give people jobs, they run this amazing little restaurant. The restaurant has a large open grass parking lot and a simple cafeteria style restaurant.    The lunch menu offers...
Yomitan Farmers Market CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREA GRACE WOOD   (NOTE: Official Okinawan name of Yomitan’s farmers market is J.A. YUNTA ICHIBA) Living off base allows me to discover our little village and most of all contribute to our local amenities and small businesses. One of my husband’s and my favorite weekend trips is to the neighborhood of Yomitans farmers market. The produce is fresh...
The 2016 calendar was available for purchase from November 2015 through March 2016. This was our final year creating and publishing this wall calendar; many thanks to all who contributed photos and haikus over the past few years, and to those of you who purchased these calendars to display in your homes. This photo on December's page was taken of the Feast of the...
Giorgio’s Custom Made, Perfectly Fitted Suits CONTRIBUTED BY KACEY A. Conveniently located on Gate 2 Street is another experienced tailor. A father and son run company, Nick and Sachin’s family business has been in operation since 1974. Originally located on Chuo Park Ave (BC Street), they relocated to Gate 2 Street in 1999. Giorgio’s focuses on creating high-end men’s business attire. The...
December 2016 Local Events Calendar CONTRIBUTED BY KACEY A. Here you’ll find a list of local events for the month of December. 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...
CONTRIBUTED BY ANDREA WOOD You would think the name Alice Cafe means you’re going to a place where you meet your friends for lunch in the afternoon. It’s not. It’s actually a store for dancers where you can buy dance shoes, leotards, skirts, dance bags, etc. I discovered it because I enrolled my 4-year-old daughter in ballet class on base...
CONTRIBUTED BY LOUISE DUPUY Have you had a chance to visit the beautiful Naminoue-gu shrine yet? If you are planning a visit, I’d like to draw your attention to its Buddhist cousin, Gokoku-ji temple. Situated right next to the first torii (gate) of Naminoue, sits Gokoku-ji temple. It may get overlooked, due to its simplicity in comparison to its opulent Shinto neighbor....
CONTRIBUTED BY MARISSA MATSUZAKI “Let’s go to a new beach today!” Our wee one was napping and we were contemplating what to do with our family time when she woke. “Alright, which one?” “I don’t know, but I saw it from the steps.” There was a spot on the sea wall near Sunabe we called “the steps.” One day we looked out...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH BARBER The first time our family prepared for a PCS it was 2008. My first child had just been born and I had joined Facebook 6 months prior. While there was no shortage of website resources for things like housing or information on traveling in Germany, there was a lack of intimacy and everyday details for the...
repost via @instarepost20 from @srochellephotography washed ashore rope. toguchi beach, okinawa, japan. #instarepost20 Sharing some pictures people have tagged us in! #OkinawaHai #DailyOki #IslandLife#Toguchi #Beach #Okinawa #Japan #Yomitan A photo posted by Okinawa Hai (@okinawa_hai) on Sep 14, 2016 at 4:42pm PDT Follow us on Instagram: @Okinawa_Hai
CONTRIBUTED BY LOUISE DUPUY Have any of you visited Futenma shrine caves? For those who have, you may or may not have noticed, a short walk up the road from the highway is a gateway. This is the entrance to Jingu-ji temple, a Buddhist place of worship that compliments Futenma shrine. Intrigued? Read on!   If like me, you are fond of...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARI FRAZIER Those who have relocated to Okinawa with food sensitivities know first-hand how difficult the transition can be and how hard it is to find safe food! They also realize quickly that they must plan meals and events ahead of time since it takes upwards of a week or two to receive food shipments from online grocers...
#DreamLife #IslandLife Thanks for sharing! #Okinawa #DailyOki #BlueSkies repost via @instarepost20 from @seachangeokinawablog On the blog today! A morning a Moon Beach pool! You don't need to stay at the resort to use the facilities. The gentle Hawaiian music playing in the background while you float adds to the experience! Link in profile ??☀️ #instarepost20 A photo posted by Okinawa Hai...
This post was originally published on this site on November 16, 2009. We're pulling it out of the archives for those of you who haven't seen it before. Happy Veterans Day to all our readers who have served, and those who continue to do so! CONTRIBUTED BY JANNINE MYERS The other morning, when I was nosing about on Facebook, I noticed...

Bones BBQ Restaurant

CONTRIBUTED BY NAOMI K.   When I saw this delicious BBQ featured at the Okinawa Food flea in downtown Naha, I had to check out the restaurant. It’s a bit hidden from the 73 which connects Ishikawa to Onna. They have a big lot with some outdoor space that seems great for hosting large events and makes for easy parking. There...

KOI Cafe

CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH BANCROFT Last time I was down on Kokusai Street was in the beginning of August 2016 with a friend, and as anyone who has lived on Okinawa for some time knows, it was hot. A cool and refreshing beverage was much needed. We were in the mood to try something new; we found a fun shop called...
CONTRIBUTED BY KERI C. Here you’ll find a list of local events for the month of November. 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...
The 2016 calendar was available for purchase from November 2015 through March 2016. This was our final year creating and publishing this wall calendar; many thanks to all who contributed photos and haikus over the past few years, and to those of you who purchased these calendars to display in your homes. This photo on November page was taken at Toguchi Beach. Photo Credit: Melanie...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARI FRAZIER     click photo for source Moving to a new country can be daunting for even the most adventurous of spirits, but when you have food allergies or sensitivities, it can cause the feeling of excitement to turn to dread. While celiac disease and gluten sensitivity are more related to auto-immune disorders than to true food allergies, the strict...
repost via @instarepost20 from @justine.rod A few days off and we get this gorgeous sunset....I'll take it! Thanks for the share! #TyphoonChaba #IslandLife #DailyOki #Japan Post typhoon #sunset❤️ #okinawahai #okinawa #japan #omg #sopretty #instarepost20 A photo posted by Okinawa Hai (@okinawa_hai) on Oct 4, 2016 at 3:19am PDT Follow us on Instagram: @Okinawa_Hai
    CONTRIBUTED BY LOUISE DUPUY If you’ve ever driven out of Camp Foster's Legion Gate and taken a right, you’ll have passed by Futenma Shrine Caves. You may or may not have spotted it; it sits just off Highway 330, slightly obscured by modern architecture. If you have noticed it, you may have thought to yourself “Oooh, I’d love to go...
CONTRIBUTED BY CASEY ANNIS I recently discovered “US Land” Indoor Play Park in the Urasoe Shopping Center (USC) building just outside Camp Kinser’s gate 3 “tower’s gate” today. Apparently, I’m a little slow on the uptake because it’s been around for a few years and I’ve walked by it a few times and never paid attention to what it was...