LIFE
Pick Up Stories

Yohena’s Ajisai-en, The Hydrangea Garden… [Nature & Environment]
As spring moves toward summer, the floral landscape of northern Okinawa is taking on new colors as hydrangea flowers, or ajisai’s in Japanes...Read More

"Day of Go-ya" [Cooking Recipe LIFE]
Today the May 8th (5/8) is the “Day of Go-ya”!! (Bitter melon) “5” is “Go”, and “8” is ...Read More

Shisa get their day on Thursday [History Living]
April 3 is the “Day of Shisa” in Okinawa. Four is SHI, and three is SAN in Japanese. This is why April 3rd is the Day of Shisa. The day was ...Read More

Yohena’s Ajisai-en, The Hydrangea Garden of Motobu [Nature & Environment]
As spring moves toward summer, the floral landscape of northern Okinawa is taking on new colors as hydrangea flowers, or ajisai’s in Japanese, are now bursting into full bloom. In ...

“Day of Go-ya” [Cooking Recipe LIFE]
Today the May 8th (5/8) is the “Day of Go-ya”!! (Bitter melon) “5” is “Go”, and “8” is “Ya” in Japanese. Let’s...

Shisa get their day on Thursday [History Living]
April 3 is the “Day of Shisa” in Okinawa. Four is SHI, and three is SAN in Japanese. This is why April 3rd is the Day of Shisa. The day was established in 2002 to expand Shisa from...

Okinawa Beach Opening Information 2025 [Nature & Environment News]
Okinawa Beach Opening Information 2025 Ginowan Tropical Beach (Apr. 26) Chatan Sunset Beach (Apr. 11) Chatan Araha Beach (Mid. Apr.) Nishihara Kira Kira Beach (Apr. 20) Yomitan ...

Pro-Baseball Spring Training 2025 [Family Sports]
Okinawa is the southernmost prefecture in Japan, and that means it’s the warmest place in the country in the wintertime. Because of that, many sports teams come here for training i...

“Tankan” is taste of Okinawan winter [Nature & Environment]
“Tankan” is an Okinawan tangerines. They’re relatively small, and their orange-colored skin looks a bit rough and hard to peel off. But once you try a taste of it, I be...

Find symbol of your year to visit the right temple [Living]
Happy New Year to all of OkinaWanderer readers!! How was your New Year holiday on Okinawa? This New Year was very unusual as the weather was sunny and warm enough to wear short sle...

Shimenawa, sacred New Year rice straw festoon brings good luck [Living]
“Shimenawa,” literally a “closing rope” is a decoration mostly seen at Shinto shrines to mark holy places where spirits reside. A variation of shimenawa is also known as a New Year...

The ‘Ritou Fair’ puts Focus on the Outer Islands [CURRENT ISSUE Shopping]
A three-day annual fair called the ‘Ritou Fair’ opens Friday, November 15th at the Okinawa Cellular Stadium Naha at Onoyama Park in Naha City. Its mission is to promote products, h...

October 17th, Okinawa Soba Day [CULTURE ENTERTAINMENT Gourmet LIFE]
A bowl of soba is to Okinawa what a hamburger is to America. Here on the island you can see Okinawa soba signs everywhere. It has become entrenched in the Okinawan psyche. Those wh...

Awamori “Ku-su” Day [CURRENT ISSUE LIFE]
September 4th is the “Ku-su Day”, with September = ‘9’ which is pronounced ‘kyu’ or ‘ku’ in Japanese, and ‘4’ being pronounced ‘shi’, but sounds nearly ‘su’. So ‘9-4’ i...

The special products fair of Toyama prefecture [Family Shopping]
OkiEvent! The special products fair of Toyama prefecture will happen at the Miaham boardwalk in Chatan town next weekend! Toyama prefecture is located in Hokuriku (mid-north part) ...
June 1st is day dedicated to Okinawa’s Kariyushi Wear [Living]
June 1st is the day of “Kariyushi” wear. “Kariyushi” is an Okinawan word meaning “harmony” or “happiness.” It has also come to mean a style of shirts, worn both men and...

Golden Week, Japan’s Mega Holiday [CULTURE Family Festival]
Spring is here. And in Japan that means warmer weather, cherry blossoms, and rainy season. But, before the rainy season takes hold and shrouds Japan in a blanket of gray clouds and...

Special Money Collection from all of the world [Family Living]
OkiEvent! The exhibition of the Special Money Collection all of the world! @ Ginowan city museum. You can watch and enjoy very rare and special money collection from all over the w...

International Orchid Show 2023 starts Nov. 18th [Living]
The Okinawa International Orchid Show is designed to gain attention for orchids, promoting the spread of floriculture, creation of art culture and sightseeing promotion, whi...

OkiEvents this Week! [ENTERTAINMENT Festival Gourmet]
・11/11 OIST Sicence Festival 2023 @OIST in Onna Village 10:00~16:00 Free to enter https://www.oist.jp/outreach/science-festival-2023 PIN: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3jyyqGwevD7rZpfv7 ...

Why don’t you try a special éclair that looks like gorgeous jewelry! [Gourmet Shopping]
It has been a long super-hot Okinawa summer and it looks like it will continue a while longer. So much so that it might make you feel exhausted. Then why don’t you try a visit to t...

OkiEvents this Week!! [ENTERTAINMENT Family Festival]
・9/8 – 9/10 All Okinawa Eisa Festival @ Okinawa city (9/8: Goya crossing, 9/9&9/10: Koza Athletic Field) For more information: https://www.okinawanderer.com/2023/09/all-o...

“Eisa”, Okinawa’s Famed Tradition [CULTURE CURRENT ISSUE ENTERTAINMENT LIFE]
These days, when people think of Okinawa, the first image that may spring to mind are dancers clad in ceremonious garb armed with taiko drums and folding hand fans. This is Eisa; a...