Comments on: 5 reasons why Okinawa is so un-Japanese and why you have to go there

By: Mr Romance

Mr Romance — Mon, 01 May 2023 08:04:35 +0000

In reply to Phyllis.

Wow! It must have been so interesting seeing Okinawa like that back then. There’s still that almost mystical ‘olde worlde’ vibe to the place but it sounds like that was really dialled up when you were there. Your phone line comment made me chuckle though – I can imagine things still move just as slowly there now. There’s a real ‘island time’ sense to how things operate in beautiful Ryukyu. Thank you so much for sharing your memories, Phyllis.

By: Phyllis

Phyllis — Fri, 28 Apr 2023 02:58:34 +0000

As a military family, we lived on Okinawa for two and a half years 30 + years ago. I look at the pictures of Okinawa now and can’t believe the change. We lived in Okiyamaton (quiet sure the spelling is wrong) when we first arrived on the island. Spending time with the locals was quiet an experience, the older generation were very respectful and I was amazed at the amount of food they could raise on a 5 X 5 piece of land. Nothing prepared us for not having heat or air conditioning, and in order to have a phone you had to find a house with one already installed, otherwise it was a 5 year wait. The biggest joys were visiting a glass blowing family business and going to a toy store with the children. I am so glad we were living there before it became such a tourist island and was able to shop in the small mommasan and popasan shops and live in the small village.

By: Mr Romance

Mr Romance — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 05:15:38 +0000

In reply to MARTHA DOWNING.

I love that, Martha. What a life message. Definitely something to take into consideration with all the things going on in the world. And what a fascinating childhood you had. It seems to me that Japan is entirely a country and culture of contradictions, and that becomes ever clearer every time I’m there. It’s wonderful. Thank you for sharing your memories with us – and thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. I hope you enjoy it. 🙂

By: MARTHA DOWNING

MARTHA DOWNING — Wed, 20 Apr 2022 14:34:10 +0000

I lived in Sunabe as a military child. Memories of sunsets, Koi fish, parades and festivals, water rationing, seawall, typhoons, and lovely people are etched in my mind and heart. Garbage trucks that sound like US ice cream trucks and public bathrooms sans toilets with feet diagrams for squatting spots will forever standout as the biggest contradictions to life as I know it now. I learned that all people essentially strive for the same things in life; peace, prosperity, and preservation of their culture.