Family
Pick Up Stories

Encounter the special moment of visiting… [Family LIFE]
Pets are eternal family members, why don’t you try to visit and have a very special encounter at the totally reestablished new Pet shop “Pup...Read More

OkiEvents this Week! [ENTERTAINMENT Family Festival]
・2/4 – 2/5 Itoman Fair @ Itoman Road Station 10:00 ~ 18:00 Free to enter https://www.city.itoman.lg.jp/docs/2021121700028/ PIN: https:...Read More

Pro-Baseball Spring Training 2023 [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, ma...Read More

File sharing and downloading laws in Japan [Family]
By David Higgins If you have been using the Internet since the mid 1990s, then you know that since the inception of the file-sharing company Napster that downloading copyrighted mu...

Pet owners beware of heatstroke! [Family]
Okinawa is a place where the summer season takes up majority of the year unlike mainland Japan where four seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter) are equally present. What pet owner...

Godzilla and friends celebrate at Tomarin exhibition [Family]
By Bill Charles Virtually everyone has encountered Godzilla, Ultraman, Evangelion or Hokuto-no-Ken, and now the company that created them is showing off their works at an Okinawa e...

Obon is largely spiritual experience [Family]
The three-day Obon celebration starts tomorrow, and with the exception of eisa, Obon is mostly concentrated inside homes and in front of home altars. For three days, from Friday th...

Spaying / neutering your pets [Family]
We would like to give you some pieces of advice on spaying and neutering your pet. As far as humans are concerned, spaying and neutering is not quite socially recognized as a good ...

Tips for keeping pets [Family]
We receive many questions from pet owners regarding matters other than treatments, especially those who just have started to own a pet. Because they have very little knowledge abou...

What are your options when facing divorce in Okinawa [Family]
By David Higgins If you and your spouse have irreconcilable differences, you may end up considering a divorce. Fortunately, you don’t have to feel out of place in Okinawa, because ...

Evolving Pet Environment [Family]
Ichiro Gushiken, a veterinarian and the owner of Animal Hospital 22 in Yogi, Okinawa City,will use this column, Pet Talk, to answer questions from pet-loving foreigners who often d...

Pay attention what your pet eats [Family]
Animal Hospital 22 Ichiro Gushiken, a veterinarian and the owner of Animal Hospital 22 in Yogi, Okinawa City,will use this column, Pet Talk, to answer questions from pet-loving for...

Papercraft is traditional way to entertain kids [Family]
Paper craft of various kinds are admired and valued forms of artistic traditions in Japan, the idea being to make objects of paper or cardboard by cutting, folding and joining pap...

Child daycare services on Okinawa [Family]
By David Higgins On Okinawa you have many options for childcare services, but not all childcare services are created equal, and you may be better off exploring your o...

Cat Exhibition showcases 50+ feline breeds [Family]
Ryubo Department Store’s come up with an unusual exhibition to start the new year; the downtown Naha department store is featuring a Cat Exhibition with more than 50 breeds of cats...

Animal Hospital 22 aids in pet adoption [Family]
Ichiro Gushiken, a veterinarian and the owner of Animal Hospital 22 in Yogi, Okinawa City,will use this column, Pet Talk, to answer questions from pet-loving foreigners who often d...

Celebrating 1st birthday is big deal in Okinawa [Family]
By Bill Charles The birth of a child is always special, yet local customs dictate an even more elaborate set of celebrations. In Okinawa, celebrate the first birthday of every chil...

A&W celebrates 50 years in Okinawa! [Family]
A&W was the first American-style hamburger shop chain to enter Okinawa. The brand is best known for its root beer and root beer floats. It was also the first successful food fr...

Getting Married on Okinawa is simple [Family]
For anyone thinking of tying the knot on Okinawa but are not sure how, look no further. Getting married in Japan is a little different than getting married in America. To become le...

Issaigassai Festival accents child abuse prevention [Family]
It’s a festival based on a theme of family bonding, promoting togetherness while drawing attention to prevention of child abuse. The 10th Issaigassai Festival’s cornerstone this we...

Traditional New Year rice cake pounding at Okinawa Zoo [Family]
Okinawa’s steeped in customs and traditions during the holidays, but one of the more fun traditions that allows everyone to get involved is the rice cake pounding at the Okinawa Zo...

Okinawa Kodomo No Kuni presents Christmas music [Family]
Old Saint Nick might not be present at the Okinawa Zoo, Okinawa Kodomo No Kuni, this weekend as the festive holiday season begins with two days of music, Christmas carols, picture ...

3rd Children’s Festa pulls kids together on Sunday [Family]
A variety of children’s groups will have the opportunity to interact Sunday at Ryukyu Shinpo Hall, the Palette Civic Theater and open place. The event is the 5th Children’s Festa i...