In light of my Japan wasn’t awesome posts, I want to reiterate and tell you all why Okinawa was the shizz. Japan offers a great deal to many expats and these are also some reasons why I miss Japan. I made many friends who were so kind and warm hearted. I miss them a lot, and as the new year has come in, I smile fondly and remember the beautiful memories.
1. People are super polite
One of the things I miss about the Japanese is how polite they are. Even if they don’t mean it, the polite courtesy was awesome. I think many people around the world can learn from Japan’s example and be polite, decent humans each another. I loved how they always returned my belongings if I dropped them and the respect they have for one another is awesome. If you bump into someone, you will always hear suimasen (sorry). In addition, if you greet someone, you are never ignored. Their manners are so on point. There won’t be any ajhumma or ajhussi cutting in line or pushing you for a seat on the train. The Japanese often give up their seats for the elderly if they see them.
Related: Alluring Sakura Spots in Okinawa
2. Okinawa is very clean
In comparison to Korea, I think the air quality and environment was a lot cleaner. The streets are clean, no one spits or pukes in public, and trash is always taken to the convenience store bins. In Korea, I have to wear masks because of the pollution and yellow dust. In Japan, I never experienced a day where it was foggy because of pollution. The air was always clean and fresh and the rain would always get rid of the dust. Even the air smelled cleaner (and salty because of the awesome sea breeze).
Related: How to Prepare for Typhoons
3. Eisa and Sanshin
In a previous life, I must have been Okinawan because I love the traditional dance and insturment of Okinawa so much. Every year I lived on Okinawa, I always attended the Orion Beer (Okinawa’s traditional beer) and Eisa (Okinawa’s traditional dance) Matsuri (festival). I loved the many festivals during the summer where I could wear yukata and have fun. I enjoyed practicing sanshin with my teacher who had an amazing sense of humor. I loved how everyone would get up and dance, whistle and be merry. The sanshin is an insturment that helped many Okinawans get through the terrible times after World War II wrecked their homeland. It brings joy and fills the heart with pride. It’s a feeling that can’t be described and only felt.
Related: Things I Miss About Okinawa Japan
4. The Scenery is Incredible
Whenever I got off mainland Okinawa, I always traveled to amazingly beautiful beaches, mountains, cities, and temples. The scenery was just so breathtaking and I felt like places like this only existed in magazines. Japan takes a lot of pride in their history and national treasures. Their temples are well cared for and a lot of money is poured into preserving and restoring many historical monuments. My top favorite spots include Tokashiki, Hiroshima, and Nara.
Related: Tokashiki Guide
5. The Culture is Unique
Okinawa was once called the Ryukyu Kingdom and recognized as a country by China. I loved the different culture of Okinawa as compared to mainland Japan. Traces of Uchinaguchi (Okinawa’s indigenous language), eisa, and sanshin still exist today. Okinawa was definitely more relaxed and people were much warmer. Your neighbors are more inclined to take care of you, people extend helping hands when you need it, and they will give you fresh vegetables. Everything from the bowing to my favorite foods like sashimi (raw fish) and shikwasa (Okinawan bitter lemon) were my favorite parts of living there.
7. The Food is Fresh
Some fruits like strawberries and mango can be absurdly expensive, but when you do buy it, it is a fresh and sweet treat. Unlike in America where we can always get whatever fruit we wish year round, the flavor is a hit or miss. When I bought fruit in Okinawa, I could always expect it to be perfectly presented and beautiful with an amazing taste to accompany it. If you’re a fan of apples, they’re always sweet and bigger than your fist. The food is always in season and always a delight to eat.
Related: The Southeast Botanical Gardens
Okinawa will forever have a special place in my heart. No place on Earth has ever captured my heart the way the outer islands and the sound of the eisa did. Has anyone been to Japan or Okinawa and experienced these amazing things? I hope you all get a chance to enjoy some of the amazing experiences I did!
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14 Comments on Okinawa Japan is an Awesome Place to Live
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We really want to explore Japan more and Okinawa will be a stop when we go! We only have visited Fukuoka on our visa run, but we were blown away and loved the little that we saw of Japan. Like you said, Japan is noticeably clean, quiet, and people are very polite. I love the quality of food in general and can’t wait to eat our way around the country. I just wish it wasn’t so much more expensive to travel there 🙁
Japan is super expensive no matter where you go. I was living on Okinawa, which is the poorest and cheapest prefecture to live in, but it was still expensive. I think I’m going to make a guide of things you should know, do, and see about Okinawa in my next blog post.
Nice article. I really need to go myself 🙂
But where are you now? You write as if you moved from this beautiful place?
Best,
Lena 🙂
I live in South Korea now! 🙂
Great post! I think anywhere can get frustrating to live as an expat, so it’s good that you’ve also highlighted the positives.
No pollution sounds like a dream! Unfortunately the smog in Korea will most likely not go away, as a lot of the PM 2.5 particles are generated within the country due to Korea’s (gasp) coal problem. While I agree that China’s pollution problem is OUT OF CONTROL, Korea has made plans to build at least a dozen more COAL plants over the course of the years leading to 2021 which is absolutely terrifying and backwards. There are currently about 50 coal plants in this tiny country, which is running counter to the rest of the developed world (most countries are opting out because it’s coal/2016.) I’m hoping it doesn’t get as bad as China does, but who knows! It’s important to bear this information in mind though when people here irresponsibly blame China. Introspection can be hard to come by in this country, though that’s for sure!
I love that the apples in Okinawa were wonderful as I often have said that about the strawberries in Korea. To me, there was life before eating a Korean strawberry and then there’s life after the Korean strawberry. Too cool that you learned to play the Okinawan banjo! Love the crowd joining along with you. You’ve got some pipes, girl!
I had no idea that a lot of the pollution was attributed to the coal mines! That’s pretty ancient especially since the rest of the world is trying to make efforts to conserve energy and be eco-friendly. China does have a pretty terrible yellow dust pollution problem. I remember my coworkers telling me to wear a mask when I lived there on high yellow dust days. I assume since we’re closer to China, it was worse. Now I know!
There’s definitely no life after apples and mangos in Japan. Everything has been permanently ruined for me. The only place that comes close would be Mexico’s mangos. I love the Okinawan banjo and I brought it with me to Korea. I hope to play it again for an audience. I really miss it and playing the sanshin brings back the beautiful memories I have of Okinawa.
I’ve only been to Tokyo but I would love to check Okinawa. I’ve heard good things from friends who went there last summer. Thanks for sharing this post.
You’re missing out if you don’t go to Okinawa! Definitely go there before you die!
I’ve never been to Okinawa, but I think I really need to go. I was really impressed with the Kansai area of Japan for a lot of the reasons you talked about here: the clean streets and air, the politeness and courtesy of people, and the amazing food. But it sounds like Okinawa is its own experience. Thanks for the post! I’ll be sure to get in touch for tips if I ever get back over there and make it to Okinawa.
Okinawa was one of the most beautiful and most difficult place I have ever lived in my life. Okinawa was once its own Kingdom which is why its culture is so unique and different. Okinawa still has many traces of its own Ryukyuan culture, China, mainland Japan, and Korea– as all of these were trading partners when it was a country.
I really want to go to Okinawa some day! It seems to be such a wonderful place to explore!
Linda, let’s go together! 😉
Fresh fruit and beautiful scenery, what more do you need right? I think the people in Korea are pretty polite too..how do they compare to Japanese people?
Japanese are much more polite than Koreans. I have never met any people in the world with manners so on point.