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
2015.10.02
Short history of drug called ‘Spice’ [Health & Beauty]
By David Higgins In the USA and Japan, there has recently been a crackdown on a drug called ‘Spice’ or ‘K2.’ This innocuous sounding substance is actually a desig...
2015.10.02
Japan Update introduces smart phone browsing option [Technology]
Now it’s easier than ever to keep up with the news about Okinawa, as Japan Update web page has been powered up and optimized for smart phones and tablets. Current Okinawa news, art...
2015.10.01
Okinawa Food Flea rescheduled again, now to Oct. 4 [Gourmet]
Nature does not seem to be kind to organizers of Okinawa Food Flea, as Typhoon Goni forced the Aug. 23rd event to be postponed to this weekend, and now another storm, this one name...
2015.09.20
Shibui champuru – Fried winter melon and pork [Cooking Recipe]
Shibui in Okinawan, tougan in Japanese, winter melon has a long storage life. It is harvested in summer and you can actually store it until winter. The vegetable itself doesn’t hav...
2015.09.17
When you want to get away from everyday [Living]
There hardly is a person alive who, at least once in a while, would not dream of spending time at a place where he or she is surrounded by luxury, where one’s almost every whim is ...
2015.09.17
How magical are Japanese mushrooms? [Nature & Environment]
By David Higgins Mushrooms have been an integral ingredient in Asian cuisine, particularly Japanese, and traditional Asian medicine for thousands of years. Shiitake mushrooms (lent...
2015.09.17
Mofu Mofu Festival benefits stray animals [Living]
The sad fate of stray cats and dogs on Okinawa is that they end up killed by the thousands every year as the only means to control their numbers. Although there are many organizati...
2015.09.17
World’s largest volunteer beach cleanup and Okinawa’s 22nd Ryukyu Cleanup Challenge begins [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez NPO Okinawa O.C.E.A.N. and volunteers in Okinawa join hundreds of thousands of people around world for the 30th annual International Coastal Cleanup. Go to S...
2015.09.13
Ensai Itame – Fried water spinach with garlic [Cooking Recipe]
Water spinach, エンサイ, grows in tropical and subtropical countries, so we have it in Okinawa. The first time I ever tasted this vegetable was at a Thai restaurant in Tokyo. It was on...
2015.09.10
Naha event promotes Okinawan Rum [Gourmet]
Everyone who spends any time on Okinawa knows that Okinawa’s tipple is awamori, but far fewer are aware that there are a few distillers who produce rum, a liquor usually associated...
2015.09.09
World Education Games are awaiting [Education]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez The World Education Games (WEG) are just around the corner for October 2015, and the pre-registration is now OPEN at http://www.3plearning.com/worldeducation...
2015.09.07
Shikwasa syrup – Flat lemon syrup [Cooking Recipe]
Have you seen Shikwasa at a farmers market? Shikwasa, or flat lemon, is a small, green citrus fruit native to Okinawa and Taiwan. Sometimes people call it Taiwan tangerine. As Shik...
2015.09.07
V.K. is back to promote 5,000-year-old health food cuisine ideas [Gourmet]
This is the message that Kamath “V.K.” Vaman wanted to convey to his ma ny friends and fans here in Okinawa. At the time of this writing, V.K. has been back in Okinawa just four mo...
2015.08.31
Nasu no ohitashi – Steamed eggplant with broth [Cooking Recipe]
As eggplants are in season right now, I cook a lot of eggplant dishes. This is the dish I like to cook when I have really fresh eggplants (choose short and shiny ones when you shop...
2015.08.30
TAJ brings authentic Indian curry to Uruma area residents [Gourmet]
A well-known curry restaurant on Okinawa, TAJ, has opened yet another branch, this time at Tengan, Uruma City, near Camp Courtney. TAJ prides itself for its authentic India curries...
2015.08.30
Three supermarkets in Okinawa worth visiting [Shopping]
By David Higgins On Okinawa there are three top-notch supermarkets that you should definitely check out and shop at while you are here. Although each one is slightly different from...
2015.08.30
Bento is essential piece of daily life on Okinawa [Gourmet]
By Yuka Arata Bento, or a box lunch, is absolutely an imperative item in the life of every Japanese person, and lately, it’s also becoming famous throughout the world because UNESC...
2015.08.28
International party invites foreigners to share friendships without politics [Living]
One day, Hideaki Gushiken, better known as “Hide,” the host of the “International Party” series to be held for the 6th time on Aug. 29th, was working at a bar, and was ...
2015.08.25
What Okinawa souvenirs to take to friends overseas [Living]
By David Higgins Okinawa is great. Okinawa is so great that you want to share it with friends and family. Unfortunately, this is not always possible so the best you can do is to se...
2015.08.25
Sukugarasu is Okinawan summer snack [Gourmet]
‘Sukugarasu’ is a local Okinawan delicacy of salted fish called ‘Suku’ in Okinawan dialect. They are eaten as a side dish served on fresh cubes of tofu, and often as a snack to acc...
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