Okinawa « GaijinPot Blog Network: Japan’s best blogs

Okinawa

Okinawa’s forgotten village!: August 31st, 2009By Keith Graff; Higashi Son could easily be described as Okinawa’s forgotten village. It’s so remote that it is often left out of many peoples plans to go out and explore the northern half of the island. There isn’t even one convenience store from any of the major chains to speak of and very few gas stations should » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Naha Ichiba, an experience for all five senses: August 13th, 2009By Keith Graff; Virtually every tourist who visits Okinawa will make the compulsory pilgrimage to Kokusai (international) Street just to walk around and browse all the tourist traps along the way. Many westerners will stop at one of several McDonald’s restaurants along the way just to look for the subtle cultural differences in the menu. Still others will » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

A Step Back in Time: July 30th, 2009By Keith Graff; Okinawa has many tourist attractions but I think that if you want to see the real Okinawa, some of the best places are the out of the way holes in the wall you just can’t see from the main highway. Sure you’ll have to do a little research and hunt a » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Eisa for the fun of it: July 15th, 2009By Keith Graff; Those of us who live on Okinawa started to notice something going on back in early June. Perhaps it was the rhythmic beat of the drums in the cool evening air. On some occasions, maybe you heard the occasional sound of chanting or singing accompanying it. If you braved the heat » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

God’s Sacred Grove: June 30th, 2009By Keith Graff; What if God came down to Earth one day and told you that he would grant you just one wish? What would you wish for? Many cultures have myths and legends of God or some other spirit being coming down from on high and granting wishes to mere mortals such as » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

The King’s Road: June 24th, 2009By Keith Graff; It’s been designated as one of the 100 most historic streets in all Japan and was built specifically for the personal use of the King of the Ryukyus. He, along with his family and entourage used it to travel to their second residence at the royal gardens. Over time, it’s proximity » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Naha, Okinawa: A Place in the Sun: June 15th, 2009By Jamie Rockers; When arriving in Naha, Okinawa, you will immediately feel there is something different about the place and about the people from mainland Japan. In fact, Okinawa today is a mix of Chinese, Japanese, and a sprinkle of American culture all thrown in together. » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

The Legend of Kijimuna: June 4th, 2009By Keith Graff; Those of us who’ve been blessed with the opportunity to live and work in Japan find that it’s very often a magical experience. Usually this is because of the adventure of living in and experiencing another culture. It’s something that you want to explore and there are many ways to do » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

Uchinanchu… No, Shima-gaijin… Perhaps: May 28th, 2009By Maurice Dudley; In Okinawa, Japan and for many Okinawan descendants living abroad, the term “uchinanchu” refers to any person of Okinawan ancestry. The term is Ryukyuan dialect and its acknowledgment is a way for people to network with one another and to further promote a common heritage. This is important because significant numbers of » Continue Reading; CommentsComments

The Bridge under the River Koi!: May 21st, 2009By Keith Graff; For those unfamiliar with Japanese holidays, Golden week is a grouping of four national holidays within a seven day period that practically rivals Obon and the New Year celebration in importance to the Japanese people. With Japanese people working as hard as they do, it is often difficult as it for » Continue Reading; CommentsComments