LIFE
Pick Up Stories
The ‘Ritou Fair’ puts Focus on the Outer… [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 Cit...Read More
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 ent...Read More
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 ‘...Read More
Anguish of the Coral Reefs and path towards solutions [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Super Typhoon Vongfong came and went proving to be one of the strongest storms yet. I welcome the participants to the International Coral Reef Initiative (IC...
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...
Yomitan’s ready for Yachimun and traditional craft market [Shopping]
Pottery and Ryukyu glass artisans of Yomitan Village are pooling their resources to host a super handicraft market this weekend at Gala Aoi-Umi in Takashiho, in Yomitan Village. Ne...
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...
TAJ Yomitan fetes first anniversary [Gourmet]
The popular Indian restaurant TAJ, Yomitan Branch, is celebrating its first anniversary during the month of October by offering a 15 percent discount on all of its dinners through ...
World’s largest volunteer beach cleanup continues [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez Okinawa International joins hundreds of thousands of people around world for the 29th annual International Coastal Cleanup. The cleanups as part of the I Lov...
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...
New Farmers’ Market to open in Haebaru in April [Shopping]
The tenth JA Farmers’ Market in Okinawa is scheduled to open in Haebaru Town next April. When it opens, the “Farmers’ Market Haebaru” will be the third largest store of its kind i...
Tax-free shopping for foreign visitors expands [Shopping]
Following the recent expansion of the list covering tax-free purchases of foreign visitors to include everyday goods, cosmetics and alcoholic beverages among other items, major ret...
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...
Don’t forget to brush THEIR teeth! [Family]
Pets are usually considered family members in the modern world. But the question that keeps coming back is: Are they, FOR REAL? Seeing is “disbelieving.” Very many pet ...
Vegetarianism – Is it possible on Okinawa? [Gourmet]
When most North Americans hear the words “Japanese diet”, the first thing that comes to mind is “sushi”. However, sushi is only one of the items in a varied diet consisting of sta...
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...
Ryubo brings culinary delights of Hokkaido to Okinawa [Gourmet]
Exhibitions and sales always attract and excite people, and the Hokkaido Exhibition and Sale running through next Monday at Ryubo Department Store is no exception. Ryubo has a long...
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...
You and I and The Big Blue is WE [Nature & Environment]
By E. Heinrich-Sanchez For anyone who uses the name of the Grand Blue, we do hope that your words, advertisements and marketing are backed up by actions that will help keep “...
Japan Burger King bringing wild, black burger to menu [Gourmet]
A burger bun that is black? Really? Burger King says ‘yes’ to the new burger being introduced Sep. 19th as part of its fifth anniversary celebration of the American burger chain’s...
AFCEA to host annual special TechNet Day [Education]
Camp Shields will be the setting for the 3rd Annual TechNet Day sponsored by the Okinawa Chapter of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association. The day-long event ...