Japan Photo Guide

If you are in Japan, unless you wanna go skiing or snowboarding, the best place to take vacation in the winter is Okinawa. Okinawa is Japan’s southern most prefecture and is made up of hundreds of islands. When I went, I pretty much stay around Naha, the capital, which is on Okinawa Island. I lived in Miami for four years, so I am no stranger to beautiful beaches and the ocean, but as far as I am concerned, Okinawa is on a totally different sea level (sorry, bad pun). Part of what makes Okinawa so spectacular is that pretty much wherever you are (on the main island at least) as soon as you go up on one of the many hills, you can see the ocean. Pretty much any time you are driving, you will get great views of the sea.

Of course Okinawa also has great snorkeling, scuba diving and seafood. Not to mention it has been heavily influenced by a few different cultures to make for an interesting and diverse atmosphere. Oh and they have this dish called taco rice, which after eating everything imaginable from the ocean during my stay in Japan, was more delicious than it probably really should have been. Even though I probably saw a few too many castles and didn’t go to the beach as much as I would have wanted to, I was really glad that Okinawa was the last place I visited before leaving Japan.

Here is some more general information about Okinawa, from Japan Guide.com:

Okinawa’s climate is subtropical, with temperatures barely falling below 15 degrees in winter. The seas surrounding Okinawa’s islands are considered among the world’s most beautiful with coral reefs and abundant marine wildlife. Consequently, snorkeling and scuba diving are among Okinawa’s top attractions.

The islands making up Okinawa Prefecture, are also known as the Ryukyu Islands, named after the native culture, which is distinctly different from that of the rest of Japan in terms of language, cuisine, arts, etc.

An independent kingdom and tributary state to China for several centuries, the Ryukyu Islands came under control of the Satsuma feudal fief (today’s Kagoshima Prefecture) in the 17th century, and were made a Japanese prefecture in 1879, accompanied by efforts to assimilate the native population. But despite these past efforts, the Ryukyuan culture survived and is now Okinawa’s other main attraction.

More of Okinawa coming soon!