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Okinawa (Page 7)

We examine the footage, decide Coming of Age Day in Okinawa is actually pretty badass【Video】

Fran W
Jan 14, 2015
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Japan’s Coming of Age Day, held in January to celebrate young people who have turned 20 in the last year, involves dressing up in fancy kimono to attend an official ceremony, followed by a trip to the shrine or (more likely) an afterparty.

Or, to put it another way, every 20-year-old in the country is invited to a party to celebrate the fact they’re old enough to drink alcohol. Perhaps it’s no surprise then that in recent years, each Coming of Age Day has brought with it a small number of arrests, as rowdy enjoyment spills over into reckless driving and alcohol-related incidents.

Okinawa in particular boasts some of the wildest Coming of Age celebrations in Japan. This year, filmmaker and Okinawa native Hisashi Hamamoto headed to some of the busiest spots to film the partygoers. Join us after the jump for kids blocking traffic, shaking champagne about and generally having a riot, Japan-style.

Japan
(Coming of Age Day • crime • Okinawa • young people)

Taco Rice: Yummy Tex-Mex cuisine, Okinawan style!

Evie Nyan
Dec 26, 2014

Hands up everyone who loves Japanese food. Now, hands up everyone who loves Tex-Mex. Okay, you can put both of your hands down now. If you’ve never had the pleasure of chowing down on a bowl of delicious “Taco Rice”, then you’re seriously missing out! This Okinawan dish is a staple of the islands, being both tasty and filling while at the same time satisfying many a US military serviceperson’s hankering for a taste of home. We recently picked up a “Taco Rice bento box” from one of the best Taco Rice establishments on Okinawa. Read on for our thoughts!

Japan, USA
(cooking • food • Okinawa • okinawan cuisine • taco rice)

Our Japanese reporter visits an American sushi restaurant in Japan

Master Blaster
Nov 23, 2014

In this era of increasing globalization we see more and more cases of foods jumping across cultural boundaries and changing in the process. Japan is no different with foods like pizza topped with scallops, curry which tastes sweet as pudding, and ramen burgers.

And of course this culinary door swings both ways such as the United States’ take on sushi in creations like the California roll. However, now we are seeing an interesting twist in the migration of sushi with New Port Sushi located in Okinawa. Here American style sushi can be enjoyed in Japan. After our reporter Nakano was finished vomiting up his glass of root beer, we sent him in to check it out.

Japan, USA
(New Port Sushi • Okinawa • sushi)

Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki opposes relocation of military base in Okinawa

Krista Rogers
Nov 17, 2014

Locals, citizens, and politicians continue to clash regarding the proposed relocation of a U.S. military base to the Henoko (辺野古) district of Nago City, Okinawa. A recent movement to oppose the base sought to gain support from famous Japanese people, including (sort-of) retired Studio Ghibli Director, Hayao Miyazaki.

Japan
(Hayao Miyazaki • Henoko • military base • Okinawa • opposition)

【TBT】The five Japanese streets that people of Japan most want to visit

ロケットニュース24
Sep 11, 2014

If you’ve ever longed to go back to an old Japan, where samurai stayed at old ramshackle inns and merchants filled the air with the scent of food, then some of these traditional streets will be right up your alley. We take you to five of Japan’s most-loved streets, from well-worn paths in secluded valleys to bustling pilgrimage routes in scenic villages, all with an amazing history and atmosphere. Let’s take a stroll together and see what they have to offer.

Japan
(Edo • Ise • Kiso Valley • Okinawa • tourism • travel)

Sparkles! Hearts!! Personal loans? Okinawan bank’s approach to advertising is a little different

Casey Baseel
Aug 12, 2014

With the greater acceptance among adults that animation has in Japan, it’s not unusual to see anime characters pop up in advertisements and other endorsements. Usually, though, there’s at least some sort of connection linking the message and the characters, though, either in tone, back story, or demographic appeal.

For instance, convenience stores get a lot of young customers who’d rather be spending their time watching anime than cooking, so a tie-up with Attack on Titan makes sense. Likewise, hanging in my local train station is a public safety poster from the Kanagawa Prefectural Police asking citizens to be on the lookout and report crimes, which also feature the giant law enforcement robot from Patlabor.

So the fact that two anime-style magical girls have been created for a series of TV ads isn’t so surprising. What is weird, though, is the product they’re pushing: bank loans.

Japan
(anime • business • magical girls • Okinawa • weird)

How many have you seen? 18 must-visit sites in Japan 【World Heritage】

Amy Chavez
Aug 11, 2014

Visiting World Heritage Sites is a great way to see Japan. Since the sites are scattered all around the archipelago, you’re bound to be close to at least one of them no matter where you are in the country, and having gained the prestigious status by UNESCO, you can be sure you’re seeing the very best of Japan. After all**, World Heritage status** is not easily obtained and competition is stiff.

Join our peripatetic reporter as she takes you to each site and gives you the lowdown on what to see, how to avoid the crowds, and how to enjoy the sites on your own terms. Ready? Let’s go!

Japan
(Hiroshima • Ogasawara • Okinawa • shiretoko • travel • Yakushima)

Nago mayor says US bases “a legacy of misery” in Okinawa

Japan Culture NYC
May 24, 2014

Nago is located in northern Okinawa, a tourist town with beautiful beaches and a pineapple park. Its waters are home to gorgeous coral and seagrass beds that serve as the feeding grounds to Japan’s last remaining population of dugong, an endangered sea mammal related to the manatee. Nago is also the site of the proposed relocation of Futenma airbase, the US Marine complex that is at the core of a controversy between the Okinawan, Japanese, and US governments.

The mayor of Nago, Susumu Inamine, was in New York last weekend to deliver speeches and have informative discussions regarding the issue.

Japan, USA
(Japan Culture NYC • military bases • Okinawa • WWII)

Enjoy the ambiance of Okinawa’s aptly named Cave Cafe (plus “chest hair of the ancients”!)

Krista Rogers
Apr 23, 2014

The folks at popular Japanese travel site Another Tokyo have given us the itch to go traveling again. We’ve gotten used to drooling over their cool photos of off the beaten track places around Tokyo, but this time they’ve branched out a bit — all the way to tropical, sunny Okinawa!

Although we have to give the Tokyo area credit for its share of unconventional cafes, you’ll be blown away by the photos from this “Cave Cafe” in Okinawa, which is located inside – you guessed it – an actual cave! If you’re traveling to Okinawa soon and looking to do something a bit extraordinary, be sure to add this spot to your sightseeing list. After all, how many people can claim to have sipped coffee in a cave?

Japan
(cafe • cave • cool • Okinawa)

Okinawa restaurant’s amazing shaved ice belongs in a (sufficiently air-conditioned) museum

Mike
Apr 22, 2014

Of all the art-you-can-eat creations that seem to be trending in Japan these days, most use easily manipulated and relatively sturdy substances such as rice and grated daikon radish, plus obvious stuff like cake and marzipan. So if these trendy edible canvases rank an eight or a nine on a 1-to-10 food art skill rating, we’d have to wager that ice-based food art is cranking it up to 11. And with ice melting in a matter of minutes, you’d think somebody would have to be crazy to try and make an edible sculpture out of it.

We can picture it now: The poor, young shaved ice art prodigy ridiculed and shunned by the food art community, forced to take his craft to far-off Okinawa and a decrepit-looking shop on an unassuming corner to carry out his trade in relative anonymity.

Japan
(art • cool • food • kakigori • Okinawa • travel)

Multiple witness reports of mysterious lights over Okinawa 【Video】

Master Blaster
Jan 26, 2014

At approximately 9:00pm on 23 January, reports started coming into the Okinawa Times about a strange array of lights over their capital city Naha. Japan’s Self Defense Force and astronomical experts are without answer, yet witness accounts and videos claim a dozen or so bright orange lights appearing to hang and shift around in the sky could be see in the area.

Japan
(Naha • Okinawa • UFO • video)

Fly in a pink whale shark to Okinawa!

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jan 5, 2014

The Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa is renown for its massive whale sharks. Now tourists can enjoy riding inside a whale shark on their way to seeing a whale shark thanks to the decorated JAL planes. What’s more, the company has just announced the addition of a pink plane featuring the huge fish. Let’s take a closer look!

Japan
(airplane • JAL • Okinawa • whale shark)

Serving an Okinawan bitter melon and spam dish to New Yorkers

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Nov 22, 2013

Goya champuru, unlike its name, is extremely simple. The dish consists of only a few main ingredients: goya (bitter melon), tofu, egg and spam. It’s a homey comfort food from Okinawa, Japan that highlights the island prefecture’s long history with the United States. Susan Hamaker, writer and editor over at JapanCulture•NYC, an online resource for “all things Japanese in New York City,” let us know about a wonderful booth they ran at Japan Block Fair showcasing this down home dish. Let’s take a look!

Internet, Japan
(bitter melon • food • goya • goya champuru • JapanCultureNYC • Okinawa)

【Cool find!】Special edition Coca Cola made with Okinawan water

Michelle Lynn Dinh
Jul 8, 2013

Our reporter was strolling through Ginza one afternoon and found herself in an Okinawa specialty goods store. As she was browsing through the aisles, she couldn’t help but notice a brightly colored can of Coca Cola with a red shisa (lion dog) printed on the front. Upon further inspection of the can, she realized that she had stumbled upon Okinawa Coca Cola, made with the waters of Okinawa. How would this special Coke taste? She just had to buy one and find out.

Japan
(Coca-Cola • cool • Okinawa • special edition)

Okinawa Man in Bizarre Death, Power Tool and Fishing Equipment Found Nearby

Master Blaster
Mar 13, 2013

It’s time to put on your detective pants and try to figure out what happened in this strange death of a man in his 70s in Okinawa. Details are sketchy but police are leaning towards an accidental death.

Japan
(mystery • Okinawa • saw)

Okinawa Prefecture Cancels Plan to Use Young Women’s Thighs as Advertising Space

John Stuart Translations
Jan 31, 2013

The Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau (OCVB) along with the prefectural government have cancelled their plans to use space on women’s bare thighs for marketing the islands as a graduation trip destination to students outside the prefecture. Citing criticism, the two bodies stated January 24, “Placing temporary tattoo-like stickers on the thighs of young women to advertise Okinawa is not in line with prefecture’s brand image.”
Read More

Japan
(absolute territory • advertising • Okinawa • school girl)

This Starbucks T-shirt Will Ward Off Bad Spirits

Steven
Nov 10, 2012

On a recent trip to Naha, Okinawa, our correspondent spotted a Starbucks t-shirt which, at first glance, looked like a factory reject, but turned out to be a clever tip of the hat to traditional Okinawan culture.

Japan
(Okinawa • Starbucks)

American Soldier Suspected of Trespassing and Assaulting Okinawan Middle School Student After Curfew

Master Blaster
Nov 4, 2012

Since 16 October a curfew has been in place on all US soldiers stationed in Japan restricting them from leaving their bases from 11pm to 5am. This was in response to an incident where two soldiers allegedly raped a young Japanese woman in Okinawa.

However, on 2 November what appeared to have been a drunk American soldier trespassed into a room and struck a young boy. The police investigation is ongoing.

Japan, USA
(assault • curfew • drunk • Okinawa • soldier)

High Ranking Chinese Officer Demands “Japan Should Leave Okinawa”

Master Blaster
Jul 15, 2012

According to South Korea’s Far East Daily newspaper*,* China’s public radio broadcast an interview with a currently active Major General who spoke like many Generals do, with much aplomb and sabre rattling to be heard. Let’s see what he has to say.

China, Japan, Korea
(general • Okinawa • senkaku islands)

Another new cola to hit Japanese market – “brown sugar cola” from Okinawa!

Kay
May 17, 2012

Yes, people all over the world love cola, and once again, we can look forward to a new cola beverage coming onto the market in Japan. We’ve already told you about the fat-busting cola which came out in April. This time, the new cola has an exotic twist with ingredients from the tropical islands of Okinawa Prefecture. Read More