Living
Pick Up Stories

Cool eating with “hiyashi somen” chilled… [Living]
By Yuka Arata Hiyashi somen are thin wheat noodles served chilled with a tsuyu, a dipping sauce, especially during the hot and humid summer ...Read More

June 1st is day dedicated to Okinawa's K… [Living]
June 1st is the day of “Kariyushi” wear. “Kariyushi” is an Okinawan word meaning “harmony” or “happiness.” It has also come to m...Read More

Shisa get their day on Sunday [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

Trick art returns to Ashibinaa Mall [Living]
A Trick Art show by S.D. Space Design was a tremendous hit on Okinawa a year ago, and now is making a return with all new, different paintings. When seen through a camera lens, the...

Three Okinawa Classified Sites you should check out [Living]
By David Higgins If you are interested in buying or selling items such as furniture, electronics, clothing, etc. and are living in Okinawa, the best way to deal with these items is...

Custom Car Show aims to start fun trend among Okinawa drivers [Living]
Custom cars – classics, hip-hops, street machines old Japanese cars, 4 x 4, trucks and muscle cars — are going to be lined up at Naminoue Umisora Park on Sunday, sure to evoke hund...

Turkey trumps football this Thanksgiving [Living]
The Detroit Lions have less to worry about this Thanksgiving Day than ol’ tom turkey does. The tradition of granting a presidential pardon to the turkey sent to the White House con...

Vaping allows dose of nicotine without irritating others [Living]
By David Higgins For smokers that light up a traditional cigarette to get a nicotine fix, they are not only also inhaling the cigarette’s toxic chemicals but sharing this toxic smo...

Nakagusuku’s Hagoromo Farm bets on goats [Living]
Did you know you can get goat milk, cheese, yogurt and soap right here in Okinawa? True, and the heart of the goat herds is the Hagoromo Farm in Nakagusuku. It is a very unique go...

Three bags of Japanese chips you should eat [Living]
By David Higgins With the barrage of diet fads and guilt trips about what types of foods you should avoid eating, there sometimes comes an occasion – a payday, Friday, or a holiday...

Zakimi Castle Ruins light up Yomitan [Living]
Zakimi Castle Ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage site dating to the early 15th century, is now aglow to commemorate the holiday season. Zakimi Castle was built by Gosamaru, a famous mi...

The Day of the Dead, Bullying Awareness and Armistice Day [Living]
By Ed Heinrich-Sanchez The Days of the Dead are coming up on Oct. 31st Nov.1st and 2nd. Celebrated mainly in Mexico to honor those parted, it also coincides with ALL SOULS DAY on N...

Kanucha Resort jumpstarts holiday season with illumination [Living]
The extended holiday season is about to begin, as Kanucha Bay Resort prepares to launch its 15th annual Stardust Fantasia illumination. Approximately a million lights will showcase...

Veteran craftsman woodcuts exhibition now in progress [Living]
A 93-year-old American-born Okinawan, an Okinawa Nisei, is center stage at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum with his hand-carved woodblocks. Ansei Uchima is sharing hi...

Okinawan Taxi drivers are not called “Honcho” [Living]
By David Higgins If you don’t want to walk, drive your car, or maybe you just want to be good to the environment and car pool, taking a taxi in Okinawa is easy. You can walk along ...

Kiyoshi Yamashita exhibition honors gifted painter [Living]
A painter often referred to as ‘Van Gogh in Japan’ is being recognized at a special exhibition by the Urasoe Art Museum. The Kiyoshi Yamashita Exhibition pays homage to the man bor...

Painter’s expo demonstrates pastel crayons [Living]
Kohei Arikawa, an Okinawan specializing in pastel crayon painting, is showing off his cute, colorful paintings he says make people feel happy at Plaza House in Okinawa City. Althou...

Mass choir highlights Asian Gospel Festival [Living]
An Asian Gospel Mass Choir will perform at the National Theatre Okinawa as part of an October Asian Gospel Festival. More than 70 Americans will be in the mass choir, which is also...

Three-day Nakijin Fair starts tomorrow in Naha [Living]
A quaint northwest Okinawa village with a castle that served as the anchor point of the Hokuzan Kingdom, is being recognized beginning tomorrow in Naha for its tourism, products an...

Ceramics exhibition set for October at OIST [Living]
One of Okinawa’s most renowned artists will be showing his “Exhibition of Elemental Molded Pieces” on the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology campus throughout October. Jis...

What sea creatures can you legally take and eat from Okinawa? [Living]
For all of us on Okinawa that like to use the species of Mother Nature’s ocean as our source of protein, you may want to ensure that it is legal to catch let alone eat some of thes...

Ichiro Kikuta brings ink-wash paintings to Naha [Living]
A Kunigami Village artist is bringing his ink-wash painting show to Naha for a short exhibition at the Ryubo Art Salon. Ichiro Kikuta is one of the most famous ink-wash painters in...

American furniture still popular with Okinawans [Living]
Okinawans’ love affair with solid wood American furniture began in the aftermath of World War II, when American military personnel sold or gave away their furniture before departin...