CONTRIBUTED BY MELISSA McDANIEL
On our way to Seifa Utaki World Heritage site on the Chinen Peninsula, we stumbled upon a terrific coffee shop/restaurant. JyoGoo Roaster Cafe is a little gem, offering spectacular ocean views out the front and a lovely garden in the back. We sat on the back porch and watched a hawk sailing overhead while we waited...
Many of you ordered the 2011 Okinawa Hai Calendar for yourself and friends and family. But for those who were not so lucky, we wanted to give you the chance to see the photographs and stories that currently grace our kitchen walls!
We'll feature these throughout this year, and as we get closer to the end of the summer, we'll...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
Ever have one of days when you don’t want to cook, but don’t really want to go out either? Well, I have those days once a week. With work, kids, and a husband travelling the world, there are days when I want to be served in a homey atmosphere where I can just eat, lounge and...
CONTRIBUTED BY MELISSA MCDANIEL
You’re probably aware that Okinawa is the home of nine sites designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and you’ve probably visited the biggies--Shuri-jo, Zakimi-jo, maybe Shikana-en Gardens. But what about that one on the map--the cave-like picture with the cryptic name? In our quest to see all of the nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites on Okinawa,...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
While looking for a place to eat around the Camp McTureous Area after a long day, we saw two guys dressed in their waiter uniforms handing out flyers to people passing by near Lawson’s. We immediately went to see what the flyers were and learned that a new izakaya was celebrating their grand opening.
We’re not drinkers,...
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE
Having grown up a thousand miles from the closest ocean, I’m still amazed by the beauty of Okinawa. People travel from around the world to visit the place we have the pleasure to call home for a few years. But life here doesn’t always feel like a vacation. Work, family duties, and the every day sometimes...
CONTRIBUTED BY JESS WHEELER
Hi, my name is Jess and when I was four I was diagnosed with Celiac's disease. This means that I have to follow a strict gluten free diet. While this disease is somewhat rare I am by no means the only person in this boat. Now at 31 I feel like I may be able to provide some help to others in the...
CONTRIBUTED BY AMBER PLATZ
Trying new restaurants here in Okinawa is not hard with so many choices. But I have to admit, when a new place popped up in my neighborhood that looked interesting, I got giddy with excitement to try it. I checked the place out really quick one day just to see what it was about. I walked...
CONTRIBUTED BY ALEXIS KNUTSON
When my parents told my husband and me they were coming to visit us in Okinawa, I immediately knew we had to take them to Onnaton. My husband and I had been there once before at the beginning of 2011 but only tried the appetizers since we weren’t very hungry. We knew that was a mistake...
CONTRIBUTED BY ERIN SCHALK
This is the last in a series on learning Japanese on your own. Click for Part I or Part II.
TextFugu.com:
Don’t panic! Just because there is “fugu” in the name, doesn’t mean consuming potentially poisonous fish is necessary for furthering your Japanese studies! TextFugu is actually a Japanese textbook – online. Is there really a significant difference between...
CONTRIBUTED BY LIZ SMITH
During the madness of trying to catch the latest report on television about the earthquake, and trying to get updated information about the possibility of a tsunami hitting the island, our beloved dog, Buckeye, decided to have a “quake” of his own. He was diagnosed with epilepsy a few years ago, while we were back in...
CONTRIBUTED BY KATHRYN CALAGUI
If you are familiar with Four Seasons or Sam's Anchor Inn and love it, I suggest you give Captain’s Inn a try. Their prices are similar, ranging from 1700 to 8800 yen per meal. I know it sounds expensive, but it’s one of those restaurants you should go to at least once before leaving the island.
The...
CONTRIBUTED BY ERIN SCHALK
We are continuing a series on self-taught Japanese. To read Part I, click HERE.
Rosetta Stone vs. Mango Languages:
We have all seen plenty of Rosetta Stone advertisements and know of its large price tag. As military families, we can (thankfully!) avoid that cost by registering for an account through the Kadena Library. But, is it the...
CONTRIBUTED BY JENNIFER SHUE
Tucked away along with all the other little gems in the Shintoshin area of Naha (the same area where you can find Cheers Cheese Shop, DFS Galleria, Naha Mainplace San-A, the Prefectural Museum, Shintoshin Park, Smokers Shop, Okinawa Beans, Import Foods, Cafe Cucina, En Okinawa, and so much more) is Jyo-gi.
I had driven by this...
CONTRIBUTED BY WENDELL JOHNSON
Though I had been on this wonderful island for a year and a half, I had little ability to speak in Japanese to make a conversation. I knew basic complimentary phrases but could not engage in some meaningful dialogue. Several Americans and Okinawians informed me that to speak Japanese fluently takes a long time. However I...
CONTRIBUTED BY ANNA BOOM
Okinawa City Marathon was on February 20th; were you there? If you weren’t running or cheering, you most likely enjoyed the traffic control outside and inside the gates of Kadena Air base and Camp Mctureous and all throughout Okinawa City.
The Okinawa City or OkiCity Marathon is the first marathon of the year on Okinawa Hontou, the...
CONTRIBUTED BY CALYN PAQUIN
One thing I like when it comes to eating out in Okinawa is that I can venture far on a road trip or in this case, so close I could walk there! I’ve driven past Gen many times considering I live at Camp Foster. For some reason, I thought it was only opened for dinner but...
CONTRIBUTED BY ERIN SCHALK
This is the first of a three part series provided by one of our readers. Stay tuned for Part II & III on the next couple of Thursdays!
I am avidly trying to learn Japanese. I think that my “hobby” may be verging on an obsession. I find myself desperately searching for yet another book or learning...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
Living in Okinawa, we’ve often read some awkward sounding phrases on shirts that made us go, “Huh!?” Sometimes it almost sounds like poetry in a way. Or sometimes, reading certain food descriptions on a menu made us wonder what really is in the food. Other times, we come across a store that has been given an...
Many of you ordered the 2011 Okinawa Hai Calendar for yourself and friends and family. But for those who were not so lucky, we wanted to give you the chance to see the photographs and stories that currently grace our kitchen walls!
We'll feature these throughout this year, and as we get closer to the end of the summer, we'll...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN PARKER
While venturing up north to Nago, I have often seen Restaurant Flipper and wondered about its sign boasting “Homemade Pie.” After all, who doesn’t enjoy homemade pie? Visions of mom’s apple pie have been dancing in my head for well over a year now, and I finally got the chance to try out this lovely little...
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304 pages
Fiction
CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN PARKER
The Roads to Sata chronicles the 2,000-mile journey of a man who walked from one end of Japan to the other. Author Alan Booth brings readers along on his journey while regaling tales of his days spent traversing the coastline, mountains and cities of Japan via its back roads. Booth, an...
CONTRIBUTED BY ROBIN LESIEUR
I know we’ve all been to American village and done the normal shops & eateries. But have you ever noticed the two story building right past the Makeman parking lot and wondered what’s up there? Well, today’s your chance to go check it out. We love a little newly renovated Sushi place on the 2nd floor...
CONTRIBUTED BY CALYN PAQUIN
If you live in the US, chances are by now you would have gone strawberry picking or your child might have gone on a field trip to do it. My oldest did 2 years ago and this year, my youngest got to do it on his field trip with his Okinawan school. There is a big...
CONTRIBUTED BY ANALICIA MCCLELLAN
I had my Mom and Grandma visiting from the States and it was their last full day there. After spending the day at Okinawa World, we wanted to take them to a Teppanyaki restaurant for dinner. My husband and I have been to Four Season and it’s a little harsh on the wallet and we...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARIA JONCKHEERE
Okinawa has no shortage of BBQ restaurants allowing diners to cook at their free will, and Barbecue House An An in Hamby Town is a wonderful example. Having tried a number of barbecue restaurants, my husband and I finally ventured to the one in our neighborhood taking our 2 year old daughter to our next dining...
CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES
I may have found my “Heaven on Earth” in the Camp McTureous/Courtney area amidst the cow farms, cabbage patches, and goya fields. There are some who never venture out this way, but this may be a reason to. I went to Essence today for a much needed massage.
I have been to many massages in my semi-long...
CONTRIBUTED BY KARA LESPERANCE
I keep reading the posts on all the great restaurants to eat at all over Okinawa, and I get very excited to try the new foods. But I keep seeing one reoccurring problem that I think may keep people from trying out a new place, the language barrier. Now, I have food allergies myself, very bad...
CONTRIBUTED BY NIKKI MULDER
One of the downsides to living on Okinawa is that embarking on a new adventure in uncharted waters can be a bit intimidating if not downright discouraging. Luckily, in today’s age of Social Media, we now have a wealth of information at our disposal with just a few clicks of a keyboard. A lot of things...