LIFE
Pick Up Stories
Shimenawa, sacred New Year rice straw fe… [Living]
“Shimenawa,” literally a “closing rope” is a decoration mostly seen at Shinto shrines to mark holy places where spirits reside. A variation ...Read More
What do you do on Okinawa during the New… [CULTURE LIFE]
It’s finally the end of the year 2025, and so it’s time to ask how was your year 2026? Good memories, bad memories, each person has their ow...Read More
Okinawa Expressway Renewal Work Starts J… [CURRENT ISSUE LIFE Living]
NEXCO, the company operating the Okinawa Expressway announces that Expressway renewal works start from January 6th to April 28th in 2026 bet...Read More
2015.12.21
Gurukuma no Nanban-zuke – Marinated Indian mackerel, Nanban-style [Cooking Recipe]
I went to Toya port in Yomitan the other day and bought a few Indian mackerels. There are so many ways to cook fish but Nanban-style is one of my favorites. This time I used Guruku...
2015.12.13
Maguro to Daikon no Nimono – Braised tuna and daikon radish [Cooking Recipe]
Nimono is one of the most popular daily dishes among Japanese people. “Nimono” means “braised something”. It could be vegetables, fish, meat or a combination of them. The reason ni...
2015.12.13
The holiday season is shining bright on Okinawa [Living]
As Santa is getting ready to check his list, on Okinawa the holiday spirit is starting to shine brightly with spectacular LED-light illumination displays popping up at different pa...
2015.12.13
This gift giving season say it with jewelry [Shopping]
As the ‘jingle bell, jingle bell’ sounds are ringing throughout the cities, towns and villages from just about every shop, small and large alike, and people are getting excited abo...
2015.12.13
To eat less and healthier, consider Japanese ‘washoku’ restaurants [Gourmet]
By David Higgins Have you ever wondered how Japanese people stay so slim and trim? I often find it baffling how slim most Japanese waistlines are while most North American waistlin...
2015.12.13
Momogami combines all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu with kuhsu [Gourmet]
Momogami is an Izakaya-type restaurant located on Kokusai Street in Naha that is directly managed by Helios Co., a local brewer of craft beers and distiller of well-known popular a...
2015.12.10
Ryukyu Lantern Festival 2015 adds to charms of Murasaki Mura [Living]
Lanterns are a ubiquitous part of any fast-eastern cityscape, especially those made of paper. They have been used to decorate buildings and parks for so long time that many people ...
2015.12.08
Nakami jiru – clear pork gut soup [Cooking Recipe]
“Nakami” means guts or giblets of pig, and “jiru (shiru)” means soup. This soup is very common in Okinawa but I wasn’t sure if this soup is something Japan ...
2015.11.30
Kabocha no Nimono – Braised pumpkin with sweet soy sauce [Cooking Recipe]
This recipe is ridiculously easy, and first I thought, ‘No, this is too easy for this column.’ But I realized this kind of dish could be a really good entry dish for those starting...
2015.11.30
Hello Kitty fetes 40 years in limelight at Tomiton exhibition [LIFE]
Sanrio Co.’s Hello Kitty character, a Japanese white bobtail cat with a red bow, is one of Japan’s most loved and admired characters. Hello Kitty celebrated its 40th anniversary la...
2015.11.30
Reopened Uchina Farm brings farm life close to visitors [Living]
Itoman City Tourist Farm was reopened as ‘Uchina Farm’ on Oct. 30 after having been closed since June 2014. The farm opened originally in 2005, and was best known for Acerola Wine ...
2015.11.24
Okinawa Food Flea grows to largest food event on Okinawa [Gourmet]
Everyone loves rummaging through flea markets, and even more people like visiting food related events. So why not combine the two? That might have been the thinking of people behin...
2015.11.24
Ginoza Strawberry Farm offers strawberry potting experience [Nature & Environment]
Ginoza Strawberry Farm is known for its strawberry picking event that takes place from March through early May, but now the farm has started offering a novelty variation of the ser...
2015.11.24
Okinawa air front changes cause allergic reactions [Health & Beauty]
By David Higgins As the month of November unfolds, my nose becomes itchy and runny and I’ve started to spontaneously sneeze. Initially, I thought it was just me but from outs...
2015.11.24
Love Nail Okinawa treats your hands and feet right [Health & Beauty]
Thanksgiving Day is the beginning of the year-end holiday season, and that also means that it’s a time to pay attention to your nails. And if you decide you should do something abo...
2015.11.23
Kinoko gohan – Steamed rice with chicken and mushrooms [Cooking Recipe]
Although you can purchase mushrooms throughout the year, the actual season for mushrooms is autumn. Japanese cuisine places a strong emphasis on the seasonality of ingredien...
Rare beetle from Yambaru added to endangered list [Nature & Environment]
IUCN, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, announced Nov. 19th the new ‘Red List’ of threatened species. The Yanbaru long-armed scarab beetle (...
2015.11.20
Tsuboya pottery artisans fete their art at four-day Pottery Fair [Living]
Tsuboya pottery is known as one of the unique pottery styles, and it’s the focus of a four-day fair that is held at Tsuboya Elementary School in Naha. The fair runs from Friday thr...
2015.11.17
GODAC Open House and Kube Techno Festa 2015 [Education]
GODAC, Japan’s Global Oceanographic Data Center is one of the most active government organizations on Okinawa when it comes to educating the public on what the institution is all a...
2015.11.16
Gyu-don – Sweet and salty beef with rice [Cooking Recipe]
In Japan, there are a lot of donburi dishes. Donburi means a bowl of rice with food on top. Popular and famous ones are oyako-don (eggs and chicken), ten-don (tempura on top...
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