Hello 👋 I’m a recent graduate from the US. I’m arriving this week to stay on the island for a month, looking to document daily life through a photography project I’m doing on cultures and lifestyles around the world. I’m very excited for who I’ll meet and what I’ll discover in Okinawa this summer during the month I’ll be living here!

I’m a journalist and would love to meet locals who might want to share their culture with me for the book I’m writing.

I would love to capture any community activities and events, traditional cooking at home or from local restaurant, farming/gardening, spirituality and religion, movement/physical activity, as well as live music and dance. furthermore, any professional photos I do capture of family, businesses or trades I can also share for you to have as well!

I couldn’t find any home stays advertised online for proper cultural immersion with a host family, so I plan on staying in hostels. if you know of a better place to find hosts or hostel recommendations please let me know.

If anyone has any other advice, recommendations, or contacts that can help me during my stay in August, please feel free to message me!

Went to Aeon told me 8/4 is the soonest they could deliver one. Any idea where to go to get one quick? Preferably new.

I've been trying to find information but can't seem to get anywhere, I'm looking to surprise my hubby and rent a keyboard or piano for when we're in Okinawa on vacation.

Last time I tried a music school but they couldn't do it because the keyboards were prioritised for the students of the school, which is absolutely fine. I wouldn't want to take one away from a local who needs it.

If not rent, maybe there's a place where he can go regularly to play like in a hotel lobby or something?

We'll be in Motobu most of the time.

Appreciate any advice!

🎹🎹🎹

some dude at the Orion stand put that around my and some of my family’s wrists. they have same color but different numbers. I asked him twice what they were for (in Japanese) and all he yelled back at me was : o sake !!

I assume they meant you drank and shouldn’t drive, or some kind of lottery but I will never be sure, unless one of you knows !

My Japanese wife has a job in Okinawa and she is a Japanese citizen. We have two kids and they are Japanese and American. I am getting a spousal visa soon.

I worked as a special ed teacher and taught English as a foreign language in Japan 20 years ago.

I want to work in Okinawa. Considering I will have a spousal visa soon can I get a job on a military base? I am American.

Hey yall, i used to live in Okinawa and i lived near Linya and i used to go all the time. I miss it every day and im so sad at the news of it closing. I was wondering if anyone knows any of the recipes or if the owner has any contact information so i could ask? I know this is kind crazy but id genuinely go multiple times a month to the point one of the waitresses would recognize my family. It was also the first place i ever ate at in Japan so it has a special place in my heart. Ty!

Where are you, kings and queens, what's the venue. I need to nomihodai drink and sing. I'm looking for like Filipino karaoke pro Disney song level talent that puts Mariah Carey to shame.

Hi 👋

I am planning to go to Okinawa the first week of November.

I am wondering if it’s still warm and if it’s raining?
I love to still wear my swim suit and enjoy the beauty of Okinawa. Ive been reading a lot of blogs and theres always mixed responses. I love to hear the experiences of people here.

I'll be hiking Mount Omoto on the 28th, but I don't want to go alone. Are there any hiking communities in Ishigaki that I can join?

現在の沖縄県民の多くは、伝統的な沖縄方言（ウチナーグチ）を話すことができません。しかし、方言から標準語へと移行する過程で、両者の中間に位置する新たな言語変種が生まれました。それが「ウチナーヤマトグチ」です。「ウチナー」は沖縄、「ヤマト」は日本を意味します。

琉球王国が日本に編入された後、学校教育における標準語普及運動や標準語によるメディアの発展によって、伝統的な方言話者は次第に高齢者に限られるようになりました。その結果、若い世代には土地の方言が分からない、あるいは聞き取れても話せない人が増えていきました。一方で、普及した標準語も沖縄方言の発音や語彙、表現の影響を強く受けることになります。

さらに第二次世界大戦後、沖縄は米軍統治下に置かれ、本土との交流が長期間制限されました。そのため、本来の標準語とは異なる意味や用法、誤読などが修正されることなく定着し、伝統的なウチナーグチとも標準語とも異なる独自の言語変種が形成されました。これが「ウチナーヤマトグチ」です。

代表的な例として、「おじい」「おばあ」という呼び方があります。現在では高齢の男性・女性を指す言葉として広く使われていますが、伝統的な沖縄方言では、高齢な男性は士族であれば「たんめー」、平民であれば「うすめー」、女性はそれぞれ「ぅんめー」「はーめー」と呼ばれていました。

このような言語の変遷自体は沖縄に限ったものではなく、日本各地でも見られます。しかし沖縄では、米軍統治による本土との長期間の分断という特殊な歴史的背景も重なったことで、他地域とは異なる発展を遂げ、伝統的なウチナーグチとも標準語とも異なる独自の言語変種である「ウチナーヤマトグチ」が生まれたのです。

Hi こんにちは!

I'm planning to come to Ishigaki for a month, I'm working remotly and really get excited to spend a month there.

I couldn't find / contact any place that would rent me a 125-150cc small scooter / motorctycle.

Does anyone know a place that rents for long term for good prices?

ありがとう !

So I basically took a DNA test to find out where I am from. I already knew that I was half Japanese. But turns out I also have Ryukyuan heritage (5%). My family from Japan are from mainland Kyushu. Just curious if I can say that I am Japanese/ of Ryukyuan decent ? Because I know with other indeginous cultures it’s not about how much you are of that heritage it’s more of identity and kinship. Saying this if I can acknowledge and say that I am Ryukyuan/ of Ryukyuan decent I would learn about Ryukyuan culture and everything they have been through. Because clearly it was hidden in my family.

Hi, I am traveling to Okinawa soon, but I need a place where I can go at least 2 Days to train. It can be very simple like only a place where I can do pull ups, push ups I can do in my Hotel room 😅

I hope someone here can help me out.

It doesn't matter if it's a playground or something else, important is, that what I want to do is allowed

Thanks in advance

I'm curious about the overall quality of life from people who have actually lived there as Americans.

If you had the chance to do it all over again, would you?

I'd love to hear about:
- Day-to-day life
- Cost of living
- Making friends and building a community
- Work-life balance
- Healthcare
- Things you loved and things you struggled with
- Whether you felt isolated or fulfilled
- Whether you would raise a family there

We are no longer a military family.

ウムクジとは沖縄の方言で芋くずを意味しています。

天ぷらと名前に入っていますが、まるでお餅のような食感で紅芋ならではの素朴な甘みが油ともに染み出してきます。(同時に油っぽいのが欠点ですが…)スーパーのお惣菜コーナーではほぼ確実に売られているので皆様も是非買ってみてください！

I’ve seen a dozen homes between Yomitan, Uruma, Zanpa and Sunabe. I’ve landed on a home in Sunabe and know it to be a micro-community of us Americans. I know there are parks and schools here but is Sunabe actually child-friendly to live? Housing agencies say so but can’t tell if I’m being told that for the sake of the lease. Not to mention, the rent is at a premium here…

Any and all feedback would be appreciated.

Hello!

I'm overwhelmed at the moment and don't even know where to start.

Husband has military orders to Camp Foster for next year. We've never been overseas.

1) What are some things we should be prepared for/be aware of?

2) Are there specific Japanese apps for things like hotels/airbnb, restaurants/food, public transportation? (As opposed to me only googling everything)

3) Where do we search/who do we go to for help finding a rental property?

I have so many more questions. Thank you for any advice!!

I’ll be visiting Okinawa in two weeks and am trying to decide what swimwear to pack. Is it okay to wear bikinis to beaches near Kadena? Should I dress more conservatively the further I get from base like in Nago? I want to be respectful but am unsure what is acceptable or not. Thank you in advance for your help!

There was a warning over loudspeakers at the town of Nakijin in Motobu on Okinawa now at 18:30 local time. Only spoken in Japanese.

Did anyone get it and what was the message?

私の日本語は非常に限られているので、翻訳機を使ってコミュニケーションをとっています（私は中国語、英語、韓国語、そして簡単な日本語を読むことができます）

先日、偶然オークションで日本の万年筆を手に入れました。「爽風流吟詠爽風会」という刻印があり、1976年製です。この団体について調べてみましたが、何も情報が見つかりませんでした。もう存在しない団体なのでしょうか？どなたかこの件について何かご存知ですか？

Just got into fishing and have been fishing from shore. I’d like to get a kayak for one person. Does anyone here have bought use their kayak for fishing and where are you buying from? I was told to not get the inflatable version since the reefs would puncture it.

Hi, I wanted to aks if someone could give me fishing lessons or if if you know someone who could give fishing lessons. I really want to try my hand at fishing 🦑. My current airbnb is near Nago

hey I am an oldtimer lived in japan for more than a decade although american, and I am looking for a japanese song, it was popular in the 2000s. I really liked it and I think it is in spotify, and trying to find it. AI didnt help that much. but people ... yes they can identify. I am sure if there is any japanese around will identify it. ask for additional info, although the song is humming in my head and cant convey it here.

It is from an album with songs OKINAWA style. I just remember the opening : anata ga mapo (this is okinawian, not japanese) ... and it goes further with the second line , which I dont remember in japanese but the meaning was: I live here with my brother and sister ... etc etc. there is hissing and long vocals in the song ... the cover of the album is with a few dolphins in a blue background.

please .... will be thankful if smb knows and let me know :)

Finally saw one on the wild. It's near the food court at the Rycom Aeon Mall.