Iso Park, originally uploaded by juliamagnolia.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Iso Park has a great wooden play structure for older children and is okay for toddlers as well with some supervision. There are a couple of slides and swings, a log bridge and rope bridge, a zip line, and lots of places to climb for your little monkeys. HERE is another...
Thoughts, opinions, tips, information, phone numbers and such are all welcome. I know not a thing on the topic.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Hark! A kid's pool. It used to be free, and although you have to pay as of 2014, it's still pretty cheap (¥200 per adult and ¥300 per child).
I'm not sure when exactly it opens for the year but I'm guessing the beginning of May during Golden Week. Click on the picture above for more flattering images.
Kaneku...
Editor’s Note: Ichiban Tei was originally reviewed on Okinawa Hai on May 14, 2007. The post below is an updated take on this restaurant, published June 24, 2015.
CONTRIBUTED BY MARISSA MATSUZAKI
Did you know that one of Japan’s answers to “fast food” is the sushi-go-round? Kaiten-Zushi is a Japanese phrase that is translated literally as "rotation sushi", and in such a restaurant, the...
CONTRIUBTED BY KELLY GARCIA; UPDATE BY HEATHER GELORMINE
As many of you know, we have a park here in Okinawa called Comprehensive Park. Despite the promise of a wide range of park activities that its name suggests, my husband, Joe, and I have never felt compelled to visit. Until yesterday.
Why oh why did we wait a year and a half...
I got this e-mail from a woman who is not yet on island. She asks:
Are there walking, jogging, biking paths? If you live off-base, are there lots of pedestrian friendly (double jogging stroller, two dog friendly) areas, or are the streets and sidewalks pretty narrow?
What say you?
KARIYUSHI, originally uploaded by u*yam.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
The kariyushi are aloha-light or aloha-with-a-touch-of-class-and-funk shirts traditional on this here Okinawa. You've seen them out and about. ALSO, these shirts are or were part of a national initiative to tweak the Japanese business dress code. Operation Cool Biz. Seriously. Yes. I kid not.
THIS is from 2005 when Cool Biz debuted. Fascinating...
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 MEREDITH NOVARIO
I so wish I had thought of this question myself. I did not. It came from a woman who hasn't arrived in Okinawa yet. But don't you wish you could have asked this before getting here. Yes, yes, you wished that. I know that on-base folks face the same question so join the conversation with your...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
If you or someone you know would like to receive, via email, weekly family devotions that address issues you and your family are facing during deployment, send an email to militarydevotions@yahoo.com
It’s amazing how facing a year of family separation can catapult us into the 21st Century, sending us on quests for the latest technology to keep...
Miyagi Minshuku rainy day dining room, originally uploaded by okinawa hai.
CONTRIBUTED BY ICHIYO IWATA
If you are up for an adventure, I highly recommend THIS Minshuku. A Minshuku is a Japanese Bed & Breakfast. It is located in Kunigami Village in the northern tip of Okinawa island, about 65 km from the Kyoda highway exit. The name of this...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
I recently asked you about who cleaned your house and you gave me tips and I took action and now I'm back to report. Grab a seat.
Last Friday at noon, Nae-san was on our doorstep with all her own cleaning products and tools and magic wands. I pretty much fell in love despite what turned out...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY
So, I don't have any kids, but if I were a kid, especially a kid who was about to move all the way around the world to Japan, I bet something from www.asiaforkids.com would go a long way to taking the edge off! I mean, Big Bird even goes there for goodness sake! And you can watch...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
That's easy.
No one really cleans at my house. We do basic maintenance but to call it cleaning is a stretch. So I sent out a plea for help recently and got some great leads.
Initially, I hesitated to post this on the blog because I didn't want to put out individual names and numbers which I assumed...
What happens when you combine chinsukou (a traditional Okinawan cookie made from flour and lots of lard) with chinko (slang for male genitalia)? You get chinkosukou, a phallus-shaped fertility cookie, of course.
If you see these cookies for sale out and about town get back to your computer INSTANTLY and let us know where.
Promise?
Friends Abroad, originally uploaded by okinawa hai.
CONTRIBUTED BY CINDY CROSBY
One of our Okinawa hobbies is hosting students for a company called "Friends Abroad". Basically, they organize groups who come to Okinawa from the mainland for 3-4 day trips. On one of the days, students have the opportunity to have an "American Experience". We play the role of "culture teachers",...
Kokusai Street 001, originally uploaded by ginman.
CONTRIBUTED BY Kelly Garcia
Today I dropped off Joe for yet another exciting work expedition in a foreign land. It's such a downer, driving to the airport, mecca of travel adventure possibilities, depositing loved ones to go and have them (without you) and exiting the airport for continuation of mundane life routine.
But, this particular day...
浦添市仲西 「風雲」の「ねぎラーメン｣, originally uploaded by earthhopper.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Earthhopper takes some phenomenal shots of Okinawan soba and other foods found here on the island. Additionally, many of these pictures are geo-tagged which means something like if you click on the picture a map of the restaurant's location will appear.
It's pretty close to genius. I, however, am a long mile...
We started Daddy Dolls after witnessing first hand how hard military deployments were on our children. With both of our husbands being Marines and both having been deployed twice in less than two years, the absence of daddy was beginning to take its toll on our own children as well as those of dear friends. We wanted to find...
CONTRIBUTED BY KELLY
Well, it's that time of year again...geocaching time! Actually, it's always geocaching time, especially here in Okinawa. Many of you may be familiar with this past-time, but if not, I'd like to share some information with you that might inspire you to get out there and try it for yourself. It's really a lot of fun. Interested?...Read...
The world's oldest continuously operating family business ended its impressive run last year. Japanese temple builder Kongo Gumi, in operation under the founders' descendants since 578, succumbed to excess debt and an unfavorable business climate in 2006.
1400 plus years, people! The United States has only been a country for close to 231 years. Just can't bend my wee brain...
Quickly, originally uploaded by juliamagnolia.
CONTRIBUTED BY JULIA
It can be hard on the wallet but on a typical day I have to get my caffeine fix. Usually it's in the form of a grande iced cafe mocha that I conveniently snag from the window of a drive-thru.
If Quickly had a drive-thru though I'm sure that it would be a toss-up. ...
originally uploaded by half_broken_rabbit.
Cara wrote in to pitch the movie theater out in Mihama, American Village, across from Starbucks. Thanks, Cara!
I recommend going to the Japanese theater in American Village. Yes, it's expensive. That's the only drawback! Usually you will have 2-3 movie options (in English with Japanese subtitles) to choose from. Before Kyla was born, we frequented the...
Okinawa City Athletic Field 3, originally uploaded by juliamagnolia.
CONTRIBUTED BY JULIA
Okinawa City Athletic Field is a convenient place to take your kids to play if you're in the Kadena area. This park is located just outside of Gates 2 and 5.
There are a few distinctive things about the playground area here. There is a HUGE cement slide , a...
originally uploaded by gak.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
Once upon a time, my friend suggested doing "research" for the blog on the love hotels here in Okinawa. But then we didn't because we're busy and when exactly would we fit that in? Alas, I just enjoyed imagining us alone in a car sans kids with a checklist of love hotels...
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
David at The First Word Blog gives a room-by-room description of his apartment in Okinawa. I second his sentiment about Japanese bathrooms.
the whole bathroom is a shower room with a large drain in the centre. I really wonder why this is not more common in the UK as it is really convenient when you have kids...
originally uploaded by NinaMyers.
CONTRIBUTED BY MEREDITH NOVARIO
I have yet to ride this monorail despite how sleek and sexy it looks each time I drive underneath it and how much praise is lavished upon it. But I plan to, and while planning to I found great information in English about how to do the monorail. You must know what I...
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 CHUN
We recently went on a trip to Taiwan and parked at Naha Airport. The airport is south on 58 for about 40-50 minutes from Foster. I know, it was expensive and cost us 2200 yen per day and 1200 yen per additional day. As with most things, I blame my wife because we were running late and...
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
Packing...