For those of us serving in the military, one of the benefits of our frequent PCS schedule is the chance to meet a lot of new and/or strange people. Some of those people you'll one day call friends. Some you just won't call. But some, if you are very lucky, you'll even choose to call family.
A few years ago, Meredith...
As promised, here is the second installment of Shannan's favorite kid's books related to Japan, Okinawa and its cultures. If you missed the first, it's HERE. Take it away, Shannan...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHANNAN LEWELLEN
My Japan by Etsuko Watanabe is fairly new to our collection, and by far the most informative. The book details every aspect of daily life here in Japan....
CONTRIBUTED BY KATHERINE MOORE
Although I just arrived here on the island in January this year, it's already time for me to renew my JCI. I have heard so many horror stories about JCI renewal, and was not sure exactly what the best thing to do. I read Shannan’s very helpful and detailed post “The dreaded JCI” and thought, that’s...
CONTRIBUTED BY BRYAN WINZER
As Okinawa’s rainy season enters full force, I often find drizzly weekends nix beach and hiking plans, leaving me stuck indoors. The grey sky and pitter-patter of rain often calls for a cup of tea or coffee, a good pastry, and, if lucky, a conversation with a good friend. Okinawa has several secret cafés that...
CONTRIBUTED BY SHANNAN LEWELLEN
“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go.” ~Dr. Seuss
Our home is filled with books. Books about bugs and volcanoes, how to books, books on parenting, and in the last few years we have acquired many Japanese books. When we first came to this island...
CONTRIBUTED BY WALTER MEIER
As a stop on the way to the Onna resort area or as a means to survey your domain, Café Do Ka Do Ka is an excellent place to appreciate some of the best things about Okinawa -- namely the food and countryside.
Nestled on earth and pillars, Café Do Ka Do Ka offers a place to...
CONTRIBUTED BY ANALICIA MCCLELLAN
We went to Primo Kitchen for dinner the other night and ended up having a little bit of a wait, so we decided to walk around. Right across the parking lot was a cute little bakery called Petite Fours that had some wonderful smells emitting from it. I love the smell of fresh bread. So, of course...
CONTRIBUTED BY ELIZABETH DE JESUS
Koalas, kangaroos, boomerangs and didgeridoos -- this is what you can expect to see on a visit to Brisbane, Australia. Nature and animal lovers will be enchanted by what this part of Australia has to offer. If you don’t really consider yourself much of an animal lover, you will after this trip! Best of all,...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER GELORMINE
Unless you've spent your entire life in a region where there's no such thing as Daylight Savings Time, you know that adapting to a time change quickly and effectively can play a major role in how well you begin adjusting to a new duty station, or even just while on vacation. As adults this is a...
CONTRIBUTED BY ANALICIA MCCLELLAN
This post is for all the computer junkies out there! Is your computer in need of a repair? Do you want to build your own super computer? Do you need to upgrade parts on your computer? This is the store for you!
Have you ever driven past the big yellow sign that says GoodWill and gotten excited,...
Editor's Note: According to the original post author, while Matsumoto Daycare and Preschool is still operating, as of November 2012 they will no longer be enrolling new English speaking students, due to a reorganization of staff at this facility.
For all you parents looking for a preschool that suits your kids, we’re hoping to add a little something to aid...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER SHAFER
Parenting is not always a bowl of cherries, especially when you have an energetic, in-your-face, rambunctious, and all around difficult five year old son. Don’t get me wrong, I love my children, but they can be quite the handful.
Recently, I stumbled upon the new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class at the Courtney gym -- Fredson Paixao Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE
There’s a new pizzeria on the island - Bella Napoli! I’m not sure which is better, the pizza or the view, but both are hard to beat!
Bella Napoli is located right on the seawall outside Kadena’s Gate One. If you’ve been to Cocok’s Ocean View or Transit Cafe, you know the area. Bella Napoli just opened...
CONTRIBUTED BY TONI BRADBURY
Since I was a little girl, it has been my dream to become a massage therapist, so I had searched the web looking for places in Oki where I could learn. I found ALA Relaxation and gave them a call. The owner’s name is Kaz and he has a place right by the seawall in the Sunabe...
CONTRIBUTED BY KATHERINE MOORE
Do you miss going to a restaurant where you know exactly what you are ordering and/or getting? If so, Double Decker Café bar is perfect for you. They have a fun environment and have almost anything that you can think of.
I found out about Double Decker from a Japanese café guide. The restaurant is located in American...
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 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 each...
CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER GELORMINE
Confession: I don't really like soba. I've tried; really I have. I've gone to the purple flags restaurant and the purple hat restaurant, and to other locations that have come highly recommended, but with the exception of the taco soba (like taco rice but with soba instead of rice) that I've only ever found at BIOS...
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 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 each...
CONTRIBUTED BY MARY RICHARDSON
You may have seen this odd white igloo-like building while driving north on the 58.
Le Café Blanc is a great restaurant serving tasty lunch and dinner sets. I paid a visit with a friend a few weeks ago and was pleased with the food and atmosphere inside. The interior is light and airy, and all...
Having just gone through this process myself, I was delighted to receive this submission from Barbara. She nailed the details and the experience! We have a number of posts about bringing animals to Oki, but this will give you the in's & out's of getting them back home. I'll add in a few notes throughout... --Joelle
CONTRIBUTED BY BARBARA LUBKIN
In...
CONTRIBUTED BY JOY BARNES
I grew up as a “military brat” and from 1980-1983, my family was stationed at Anderson Air Force Base in Guam. This duty station was a fundamental milestone in my family’s life, setting the foundation for a love of new experiences and a love of travel. So, now, as a Marine Corps spouse with my own...
CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH FORTE
Once upon a time (about 2 ½ years ago), in a faraway land (Nebraska), a young man and a woman were on their second date. The man told of a land called Okinawa and a certain restaurant on his beloved island called Coco Ichibanya. His eyes shone with love. This love wasn’t for his date (yet),...
CONTRIBUTED BY CANDICE ONKEN
As our time draws to an end on this island, we begin thinking of all the places we loved best. Whether it is a restaurant, a location, or the great friends we made. As this has been one of our hot spots and is super close to base, I was amazed it had not been written...
CONTRIBUTED BY JOELLE YAMADA
In 24 hours, we’ll be headed to the airport to begin our journey... home. Home???
It’s been a whirlwind week of chasing down signatures, selling cars, packing boxes, cleaning cabinets and eating out as much as we can stand. My kids are exhausted, my husband is frazzled, and me? Well, I’ve said a lot of goodbyes and...
Editor's Note, from a comment below: "Sky Parking has changed their name to Honest Naha Airport Parking Service. Same great people running it. This Article is current as of 12/2017"
CONTRIBUTED BY MARY RICHARDSON
It’s always nice to have a friend drop you off and pick you up at the airport. But let’s face it, sometimes here in Okinawa, that’s just...
CONTRIBUTED BY LARISSA TRAQUAIR
Tee it up at Taiyo
“Never leave a birdie putt short” is the tagline on my Marine’s e-mail signature. Obviously, he is a golfer and he was on the new course at Taiyo as soon as they opened up tee times. I, on the other hand, do not golf, but am happy to share his experience with...
CONTRIBUTED BY KATHRYN CALAGUI
My husband and I are both Filipino-Americans and every now and then we miss the taste of a home-cooked Filipino meal. I only know a handful of recipes – but no matter what, it will never be the same as my mother's cooking.
I heard that Manila Bay on Gate 2 street cooks Filipino food, but they...
CONTRIBUTED BY LISA THOMPSON
Awww, the empty nest... what’s a person to do with it? Why, jump on the back of a royal blue Kawasaki Vulcan 900 (with pipes so loud they’ll rattle your teeth) and explore Okinawa of course.
We miss our little bird, but rather than sit around lamenting our sad state of affairs and how quiet the house...
CONTRIBUTED BY JESSICA ZENTENO
Sounds of reggae music, the smell of jerk chicken and a bright red awning make Bamboo Café hard to miss as you go down BC Street. My husband and I go there all the time because it is delicious and the prices are great!
The restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere and serves Caribbean/Jamaican food, along with many...
Editor's Note: As of July 2016, we have been informed that this establishment was closed and reopened as the "Chatan Dragon". We are leaving this post in our archives for those of you who may be looking for it. If anyone would like to write a new review of the new restaurant in its place, please see our Submissions Page...