Superstar, originally uploaded by taylorkoa22.
CONTRIBUTED BY PAUL
For those Oki mamas and papas out there interested in having kids participate in extra-curricular activities such as sports, Paul, dad of 2 young athletic boys, was kind enough to contribute some general information to get your little one started out on the field. Thanks, Paul!
Kadena Air Base offers youth sports for boys...
Yamauchi Park, originally uploaded by okinawa hai.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
There's a lot going on at this park. A basketball court with bleachers, a paved track around the periphery for bikes or strollers, bathrooms, a drop slide, a roller slide with a train-shaped staircase and a sizable pavilion for shade and snacks. Parts of this structure are well-used but no...
I had totally forgotten about these dancers. Every weekend, same place. If you're in Tokyo find them rocking out at Yoyogi Park.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
The sun is out. Soon enough you'll be able to hunker down with this good read while the waves lap at your toes.
My Year of Meats by Ruth Ozeki
At first glance, a novel that promises to expose the unethical practices of the American meat industry may not be at the top of your reading list, but...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
We started out with Skype and we loved Skype and we got all of our friends and family on board, bought a webcam and phoned happily for months.
And then we heard whisperings of Vonage which sounded better than Skype because the calls came through an actual phone and not the computer meaning we were mobile and...
Japander: n.,& v.t. 1. a western star who uses his or her fame to make large sums of money in a short time by advertising products in Japan that they would probably never use. ~er (see synecure, prostitute) 2. to make an ass of oneself in Japanese media.
www.japander.com
Grab a hot cup of cha and enjoy the transgressions of our...
EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to the many comments on this post we have closed comments. If you want to learn more about housing options on Okinawa please look through our On Base and Off Base housing posts. If you can't find the answers you're looking for, you may want to join one of our online communities. Thanks!
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
We...
onomatopoeia, originally uploaded by sekundo.
Let's find out!
HTML Quiz
FLASH Quiz
Thanks to wajo at www.funtrivia.com for bringing us our daily link. HERE are more quizzes about Japan should you care to let some time slip through your fingers. No promise that the truth is being represented in each and every Q & A.
originally uploaded by morningk.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
I so desperately want to be crafty and have marvelous creations effortlessly spring forth from fingertips. And because the effortlessly part of my dream is so important, I am not crafty.
And yet, this I could do. I could make SWATCH PORTRAITS! Easy. And it mostly requires buying fabric. The distance between buying that...
CONTRIBUTED BY KEELYERACE
What is it about scarcity that makes you want something all the more? I don’t know, but that’s the feeling that comes over me whenever thinking about the crusty, fresh-baked baguettes from BOULANGERIE COUQUES on Route 6 in Yomitan. On occasion I find myself fantasizing about their bread all day long…ummm…maybe using it for bruschetta or simply...
originally uploaded by jk..
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Eli starts preschool next month at O-Seibo kindergarten. Because I'm in denial I'm not totally sure that's the name of the place. It's a Japanese school and he'll be the only kid in the class who doesn't speak Japanese. His little girlfriend will be with him but everything else will be brand spanking...
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...
Futon 4, originally uploaded by kahoristori.
CONTRIBUTED BY KAHO
If you’re expecting multiple house guests at the same time, but do not have enough beds to offer, or you’re in the dog house and don’t get to sleep on your bed :), a Japanese “futon” will come in very handy! It is better for your back to sleep on a hard...
CONTRIBUTED BY JULIE
This Hawaiian restaurant is one of my favorites. My husband comes here once a week for lunch and it's one of the few places our two-yr- old will sit still because he's too busy shoving food into his mouth to wiggle! The atmosphere leaves something to be desired as it's not fancy. I like it however because...
Okashigoden 1, originally uploaded by kahoristori.
CONTRIBUTED BY KAHO
Looking for souvenirs from Okinawa to take home? Okinawan snacks might be an idea and there is a fun place to shop for them. Okashi Goden is an Okinawan confectionery production factory and shop found in different places in Okinawa. There is one on Highway 58 in Onnason (Onna Village). The store...
remioromen♪, originally uploaded by makkiii.
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY
Today I went to Lawson's to pay some bills. Inspired by the "kittu katsu" post, I went to search out the Kit-Kat section of the candy aisle, eager to see what new flavors I might discover. Hmm...let's see...Peach, Cherry... Regrettably, in my Lawson's that was the extent of the Kit-Kat selection. (Besides plain,...
Ufuya, originally uploaded by okimamas&papas.
CONTRIBUTED BY KAHO (March 2007)
Ufuya means a “big house” in the Okinawan dialect. This is a great restaurant to go if you’re in the Nago area or to stop by before or after visiting the Chura Umi Aquarium in the north. We always go there after our aquarium visit. They do not take reservations on...
Editor’s Note: Pet Box was originally reviewed on Okinawa Hai on March 7, 2007. The post below is an updated take on this business, published February 20, 2015.
CONTRIBUTED BY ELIZA GROFF
A giant turtle roams the floor. Kids huddle to pet it. An employee at the cash register wears a bird on her shoulder. A thoroughly entertaining place on a Sunday,...
Studio Alice brochure
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Here is a photography studio like one you might find in a mall but with racks and racks of costumes from the likes of Snow White to samurais that beckon the kid in you to come out and play. Don't resist.
This is a chain however I am only aware of the one at the...
DO YOU KARAOKE?, originally uploaded by okimamas&papas.
CONTRIBUTED BY JULIE
At a recent girl's night out, a bunch of us ladies decided to try karaoke. After all, it is Japan and when else will you get the chance to do this? We went to a place near American Village called Big Echo. The karaoke places here are wonderfully private because for...
Editor’s Note: We published a new post about OMSI in April 2013, and that can be read HERE for a more recent perspective. We have closed comments on this post but welcome your comments on our newer post. Thanks!
For all you parents looking for a preschool that suits your kids, we’re hoping to add a little something to aid in your...
Furniture, shelves, kitchenware, organizational items and the like.
Do tell.
Comments include information on O!K Furniture Store in Awase (1, 2, 3, 4, 5), Nitori in Gushikawa Mall and some 100 yen favorites.
Lester Hills Park, originally uploaded by okimamas&papas.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Some call it Sunset Park. Some call it Lester Hills Park.
PoTAYto, PoTAHto.
I like to call it Lester Hills because it's near Lester and that is easy for me. Either way you get a stunning view of the west coast and the ocean on a clear day. And some space to...
Contributed by Caroline
I’ve always had these funny little “aHA!” moments that seem to come later than they should. I remember the time I found out that the saying, “eavesdropping” was not “ease dropping”. I thought you’d ease around the corner and listen in on people’s conversations! Made sense to me. And then there was the discovery of the “old...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
I went to pay a bill at Lawson's last night and treated myself to a Kit Kat. A PEACH Kit Kat. There is absolutely no limit to the flavors the Japanese are willing to turn into a Kit Kat. Who do I thank for that?
Craving green tea, a banana, a cafe latte, azuki beans or chestnuts?...
CONTRIBUTED BY JULIE
A little while ago I ordered the apple sauce from Burger King in an effort to get my son to eat healthier when we do fast food. Noticed that the expiration date was Oct 05, 2005!! Almost had a heart attack as I had fed him most of it. Luckily, he was fine. I complained to the...
They might not arrive here in a timely fashion - we might have to wait a few weeks or months to get them here - but we've got movie theaters on most of the military installations here on Okinawa. Wanna know what's coming up? Check it out HERE.
CONTRIBUTED BY JULIA
I've only tried a couple of their burgers but I was pleasantly surprised. It's not often that you find a pineapple burger with avocado sauce on it! I also tried the Spicy Chicken Cheeseburger. Not to mention their garlic french fries...I'm a HUGE fan of garlic so this hit the spot for me.
A burger and fries can...
Kabi Killer, originally uploaded by okimamas&papas.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
I have it on good authority that this is the magic potion in the never-ending fight against mold in my bathroom and yours. Or wherever your mold grows.
I was going to go all out for you. I took some before shots of the mold in my bathroom and anxiously awaited the...
this is neri goma which is also tahini, originally uploaded by okimamas&papas.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Victory at 298 yen!
Tahini lives under a different name in these parts.
Neri-goma. It comes in white (shiro) and black (kuro). You bet I'll be rocking some black hummus as soon as I give the white jar a spin.
The container is much smaller than what I...