Keith Graff

  • Okinawa’s forgotten village!
    August 31st, 2009By Category: Uncategorized
    Higashi Son could easily be described as Okinawa’s forgotten village. It’s so remote that it is often left out of many peoples plans to go out and explore the northern half of the island. There isn’t even one convenience store from any of the major chains to speak of an ... » Continue Reading
  • Naha Ichiba, an experience for all five senses
    August 13th, 2009By Category: Travel
    Virtually every tourist who visits Okinawa will make the compulsory pilgrimage to Kokusai (international) Street just to walk around and browse all the tourist traps along the way. Many westerners will stop at one of several McDonald’s restaurants along the way just ... » Continue Reading
  • A Step Back in Time
    July 30th, 2009By Category: Travel
    Okinawa has many tourist attractions but I think that if you want to see the real Okinawa, some of the best places are the out of the way holes in the wall you just can't see from the main highway. Sure you'll have to do a little research and hunt a little bit to ... » Continue Reading
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    Eisa for the fun of it
    July 15th, 2009By Category: Uncategorized
    Those of us who live on Okinawa started to notice something going on back in early June. Perhaps it was the rhythmic beat of the drums in the cool evening air. On some occasions, maybe you heard the occasional sound of chanting or singing accompanying it. If you bra ... » Continue Reading
  • The King’s Road
    June 24th, 2009By Category: Culture, Travel
    It's been designated as one of the 100 most historic streets in all Japan and was built specifically for the personal use of the King of the Ryukyus. He, along with his family and entourage used it to travel to their second residence at the royal gardens. Over tim ... » Continue Reading
  • The Bridge under the River Koi!
    May 21st, 2009By Category: Culture
    For those unfamiliar with Japanese holidays, Golden week is a grouping of four national holidays within a seven day period that practically rivals Obon and the New Year celebration in importance to the Japanese people. With Japanese people working as hard as they ... » Continue Reading
  • Seimei, it’s like Obon on Steroids
    April 13th, 2009By Category: Culture, Travel
    The people of Okinawa don't celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter or many of the religious holidays many westerners are familiar with. But they do have plenty of their own special holidays and traditions to speak of. They even have one or two that are not c ... » Continue Reading
  • Te-Ge
    April 8th, 2009By Category: Culture, Travel
    One of the things that make a place like Okinawa so attractive to the many tourists who visit here is the carefree lifestyle of the inhabitants. While people up in mainland Japan hustle and bustle about at breakneck speed cramming themselves like sardines into ste ... » Continue Reading
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    Fresh Fish!
    April 1st, 2009By Category: Culture
    photo credit: knaakle We take a lot for granted these days. Just take the subject of fresh foods for instance. Meats, fish, produce, you name it, from the farmer or the fisherman to the wholesaler to the retailer to your refrigerator it's all harvested, transported, ... » Continue Reading
  • The Luck of the Okinawan Irish
    March 17th, 2009By Category: Culture, Travel
    Its spring here on Okinawa and everything as far as the eye can see is turning a bright fresh shade of green. That reminded me that St. Paddy's day is upon us once again. I'm not Irish but having lived in Okinawa these last few years, I couldn't help but notice th ... » Continue Reading

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