Latest news with #Ryukyu
Hans India
2 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Scoot Enhances Connectivity with New Routes to Chiang Rai, Okinawa and Tokyo (Haneda)
INDIA - Scoot, the low-cost subsidiary of Singapore Airlines (SIA), today announced the launch of new flight services to Chiang Rai in Thailand, and Okinawa and Tokyo (Haneda) in Japan. These flights will commence progressively between December 2025 and March 2026, offering more options for holidaymakers planning their year-end and new year travels. Located in the northernmost part of Thailand, Chiang Rai is known for its mountainous grandeur and serene atmosphere. Deeply rooted in Lanna heritage, its ethnic population is diverse with different hill tribes. Its multiculturalism is further reflected in the province's architecture, cuisine and art. Scoot will begin five times weekly flights to Chiang Rai on 1 January 2026 on the Embraer E190-E2 aircraft. Okinawa, Japan's subtropical paradise, is an archipelago of islands known for its pristine beaches, clear waters, and unique Ryukyu heritage. Home to cultural and natural UNESCO World Heritage sites, Okinawa offers an immersion into the rich history and natural beauty of the land. Scoot will also launch services to Tokyo (Haneda), providing travellers an alternative and convenient way to access the bustling capital of Japan. Three times weekly flights to Okinawa will begin on 15 December 2025 on the Airbus A320 family aircraft, while daily flights to Tokyo (Haneda) will begin on 1 March 2026 on the Boeing 787 Dreamliners. One-way economy class fares start from INR 17,500 to Tokyo (Haneda) and Okinawa, and from INR 10,500 to Chiang Rai. With seamless connections via. Singapore, Indian travellers can now explore these destinations with Scoot. The new flights will be available for booking from today via Scoot's website, mobile application, and progressively through other channels. With the launch of services to Chiang Rai, Okinawa and Tokyo (Haneda), Scoot will operate 111 weekly flights to Thailand and 45 weekly flights to Japan. With the new additions to its network, the airline will operate to 76 destinations (including Singapore) across 18 countries and territories in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Europe. Aside from the new destinations, Scoot will be increasing flight frequencies within its network to support anticipated demand for air travel during the upcoming holiday periods. In Southeast Asia, flights to Bangkok increased from 35 to 39 times weekly from August 2025. Ipoh will see increased services from 17 to 21 times weekly from November 2025. Chiang Mai will also see progressive increase in frequencies to 14 times weekly by December 2025, up from seven times weekly. In North Asia, services to Tokyo (Narita) (via Taipei) will progressively increase to 14 times weekly from October 2025, up from 12 times weekly. Services to Sapporo (Hokkaido) (via Taipei) will also increase from four to seven times weekly from December 2025. Correspondingly, services between Singapore and Taipei will gradually increase from 23 to 25 times from October 2025 and 25 to 28 times from December 2025. Additionally, flights to Jeju will increase from five to seven times weekly from January 2026. In Europe, frequencies to Vienna will increase from three to four times weekly from March 2026. Mr Leslie Thng, Chief Executive Officer of Scoot, shared, "We are thrilled to expand Scoot's network in Asia with new routes to Chiang Rai, Okinawa and Tokyo (Haneda), offering our customers even more travel options. In addition, the upcoming increase in services to some cities will support stronger demand for air travel during the year-end and new year holiday periods. We will continue to look for opportunities to connect our customers to new travel experiences and memorable journeys with Scoot.'
The Guardian
04-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Cramps, fatigue and hallucinations: paddling 200km in a Paleolithic canoe from Taiwan to Japan
Dr Yousuke Kaifu was working at an archaeological site on the Japanese islands of Okinawa when a question started to bubble in his mind. The pieces unearthed in the excavation, laid out before him, revealed evidence of humans living there 30,000 years ago, arriving from the north and the south. But how did they get there? 'There are stone tools and archaeological remains at the site but they don't answer those questions,' Kaifu, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Tokyo, says. In the Paleolithic era, or the old stone age, technology was rudimentary, he says. 'I thought it was great they reached those islands with such simple technology. I wanted to experience it.' So Kaifu devised an adventurous plan that would see a team of researchers take to the sea in a 225km canoe trip from Taiwan to Japan's Yonaguni island. Yonaguni is the closest of the Ryukyu islands – a chain stretching south-west from Kyushu to Taiwan – but it lies across one of the world's strongest currents. The voyage was reminiscent of the famed 1947 Kontiki crossing by Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl, which proved it was possible that peoples from South Americas paddled to Polynesia. But first, Kaifu's team needed a boat. Any vessel used by the original Paleolithic travellers had long since disintegrated. The team used traditional techniques to build rafts made of bamboo and reed, but ocean tests found they were too slow to battle the Kuroshio current, which was even stronger at the time of the Paleolithic crossing. 'Through those failed experiments we gradually learned the difficulty of the crossing, but at the same time we knew the Palaeolithic people were on the island. They had succeeded, so there must be a resolution which we just hadn't found,' Kaifu says. Eventually, the team built a heavy, unstable but workable dugout canoe out of Japanese cedar, and identified Wushibi bay on Taiwan's east coast from which to launch the 'Sugime'. Crucially, Yonaguni is not visible from Taiwan's shore but can be seen on a clear day from its mountains, near Taroko. The researchers believed it likely that the early migrants had seen it, and that they were well aware of the strength and behaviour of the Kuroshio current from fishing ventures. The team of five included professional paddlers as well as the scientists, but no one who had made such a journey, let alone without modern navigation. The day they set out, the weather was not good, Kaifu recalls, with choppy seas and clouds obscuring the stars they needed to find their way. Instead, they had to rely on another ancient technique, monitoring the direction of the swell to keep their own direction stable. 'Polynesian and Micronesian people did it, and we learned the technique,' says Kaifu, who travelled on the crew's escort vessel, 'the safe place', he laughs. For 45 hours they paddled, suffering muscle aches, fatigue, cramps and even hallucinations. 'Surrounded only by the sea, clouds, and sky, they were uncertain about their position,' the report's journey log notes. But their arrival on the second night was anti-climactically untraditional. Still almost 40km away, 'they found the island by the lighthouse, which was unfortunate', Kaifu said. 'But the beautiful moment for me was the time of [the previous day's] dawn, the sun was coming up and the sky became gradually light, and we saw the clouds on the horizon. But at one point on the horizon the clouds were different, so there must be something under the clouds. That was the moment we were sure the island was there. Just like the ancient people, the ancestors, it was good to capture the island from the natural signature.' The team made the journey in 2019, with support from Japan's National Museum of Science and Nature, Taiwan's National Museum of Prehistory, and crowdfunding donors. Last week they published two papers and a 90-minute documentary on their findings, on the journey itself and on the ocean modelling of the route's treacherous currents and unpredictable weather. 'Paleolithic people are often regarded as 'inferior' among the general public, primarily due to their 'primitive' culture and technology,' the report said. 'In sharp contrast, our experiment highlighted that they accomplished something extraordinary with the rudimentary technology available to them at the time.' There is much unknown about the early migration of humans. Homo sapiens are believed to have spread across the world with large-scale maritime expansion occurring at least 50,000 years ago. A 2017 study in northern Australia found it could have been 15,000 to 30,000 years earlier than that. The team's report noted growing consensus in the scientific community that the maritime migrations were driven by intentional seafaring more than accidental drifting, but without really knowing much about how. Kaifu's team found that while the journey from Taiwan to an unseen island was treacherous and required skill, strength and a lot of luck, it was possible. Almost six years to the day since his team paddled away from Wushibi, Kaifu is excited recalling the details of their 'imperfect' journey. 'We anthropologist and archeologists who have studied human migration in the past, we draw a line on a map,' Kaifu said. 'But behind each of those lines there must be a great story. Crossing the ocean can't be represented by a simple line. I wanted to know the real story behind those migrations.'
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Cramps, fatigue and hallucinations: paddling 200km in a Paleolithic canoe from Taiwan to Japan
Dr Yousuke Kaifu was working at an archaeological site on the Japanese islands of Okinawa when a question started to bubble in his mind. The pieces unearthed in the excavation, laid out before him, revealed evidence of humans living there 30,000 years ago, arriving from the north and the south. But how did they get there? 'There are stone tools and archaeological remains at the site but they don't answer those questions,' Kaifu, an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of Tokyo, says. In the Paleolithic era, or the old stone age, technology was rudimentary, he says. 'I thought it was great they reached those islands with such simple technology. I wanted to experience it.' So Kaifu devised an adventurous plan that would see a team of researchers take to the sea in a 225km canoe trip from Taiwan to Japan's Yonaguni island. Yonaguni is the closest of the Ryukyu islands – a chain stretching south-west from Kyushu to Taiwan – but it lies across one of the world's strongest currents. The voyage was reminiscent of the famed 1947 Kontiki crossing by Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl, which proved it was possible that peoples from South Americas paddled to Polynesia. But first, Kaifu's team needed a boat. Any vessel used by the original Paleolithic travellers had long since disintegrated. The team used traditional techniques to build rafts made of bamboo and reed, but ocean tests found they were too slow to battle the Kuroshio current, which was even stronger at the time of the Paleolithic crossing. 'Through those failed experiments we gradually learned the difficulty of the crossing, but at the same time we knew the Palaeolithic people were on the island. They had succeeded, so there must be a resolution which we just hadn't found,' Kaifu says. Eventually, the team built a heavy, unstable but workable dugout canoe out of Japanese cedar, and identified Wushibi bay on Taiwan's east coast from which to launch the 'Sugime'. Crucially, Yonaguni is not visible from Taiwan's shore but can be seen on a clear day from its mountains, near Taroko. The researchers believed it likely that the early migrants had seen it, and that they were well aware of the strength and behaviour of the Kuroshio current from fishing ventures. The team of five included professional paddlers as well as the scientists, but no one who had made such a journey, let alone without modern navigation. The day they set out, the weather was not good, Kaifu recalls, with choppy seas and clouds obscuring the stars they needed to find their way. Instead, they had to rely on another ancient technique, monitoring the direction of the swell to keep their own direction stable. 'Polynesian and Micronesian people did it, and we learned the technique,' says Kaifu, who travelled on the crew's escort vessel, 'the safe place', he laughs. For 45 hours they paddled, suffering muscle aches, fatigue, cramps and even hallucinations. 'Surrounded only by the sea, clouds, and sky, they were uncertain about their position,' the report's journey log notes. But their arrival on the second night was anti-climactically untraditional. Still almost 40km away, 'they found the island by the lighthouse, which was unfortunate', Kaifu said. 'But the beautiful moment for me was the time of [the previous day's] dawn, the sun was coming up and the sky became gradually light, and we saw the clouds on the horizon. But at one point on the horizon the clouds were different, so there must be something under the clouds. That was the moment we were sure the island was there. Just like the ancient people, the ancestors, it was good to capture the island from the natural signature.' The team made the journey in 2019, with support from Japan's National Museum of Science and Nature, Taiwan's National Museum of Prehistory, and crowdfunding donors. Last week they published two papers and a 90-minute documentary on their findings, on the journey itself and on the ocean modelling of the route's treacherous currents and unpredictable weather. 'Paleolithic people are often regarded as 'inferior' among the general public, primarily due to their 'primitive' culture and technology,' the report said. 'In sharp contrast, our experiment highlighted that they accomplished something extraordinary with the rudimentary technology available to them at the time.' There is much unknown about the early migration of humans. Homo sapiens are believed to have spread across the world with large-scale maritime expansion occurring at least 50,000 years ago. A 2017 study in northern Australia found it could have been 15,000 to 30,000 years earlier than that. The team's report noted growing consensus in the scientific community that the maritime migrations were driven by intentional seafaring more than accidental drifting, but without really knowing much about how. Kaifu's team found that while the journey from Taiwan to an unseen island was treacherous and required skill, strength and a lot of luck, it was possible. Almost six years to the day since his team paddled away from Wushibi, Kaifu is excited recalling the details of their 'imperfect' journey. 'We anthropologist and archeologists who have studied human migration in the past, we draw a line on a map,' Kaifu said. 'But behind each of those lines there must be a great story. Crossing the ocean can't be represented by a simple line. I wanted to know the real story behind those migrations.'
Japan Forward
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Japan Forward
The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawa History
A new book by historian Kurayoshi Takara explores the history and resilience of the Ryukyu people and region with insights into today's Okinawa. The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawa History (March 2025) is essential reading for anyone interested in East Asian history, maritime diplomacy, and indigenous identity. Available in both English and Japanese, Kurayoshi Takara's work is both a tribute to the resilience of the Ryukyuan people and a reminder of the enduring legacies of cultural encounter and adaptation. It is a vital contribution to the growing body of literature that seeks to restore Ryukyu to its rightful place in regional and global history. I first met the author, Kurayoshi Takara, in 2000. It was around the time Okinawa Prefecture was preparing to help host that year's G8 Summit, as it was then called. It was the fourth time for Japan to host the annual gathering of leaders of the major democratic industrial nations. However, it was the first time the summit was held outside the capital city of Tokyo. As a regular visitor to Okinawa and playing a minor role in some of the events, I vividly recall the excitement. Shuri Castle, Naha, Okinawa. Takara, then a professor at the University of the Ryukyus, was closely involved with the local preparations. One event was a dinner at Shuri Castle. He had played a major role in its reconstruction in the late 1980s and early 1990s, after its destruction in the Battle of Okinawa. The summit was widely seen as a success, despite the passing of Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi, who had chosen Okinawa as the main site shortly before. I next met Takara in 2013, after he had retired from the university. He was serving as vice governor of the prefecture, and I was oneral Une of sevited States Marine Corps officials briefing him on an issue of mutual concern. We sat directly across from one another, two scholars-turned-public officials seeking to bridge the gap. Whether as a scholar or an appointed official, I always found Takara, who has authored more than 20 books and countless reports, to be fair, knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful. His love for Okinawan history and culture is sincere and deep. And so is his ability to penetrate to the heart of the matter while respecting other opinions. A native of Izena Island, Takara has always been an independent thinker when it comes to his studies of Okinawan ー or Ryukyuan ー history. He asks questions, not knowing where the answers and documents will take him. This takes enormous courage and confidence. As a result, he has been able to develop his own theories on the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom and its tributary and semi-suzerainty relationship under Japan. He makes clear that Okinawa was never a part of China. "Pines and Waves at Ryudo" from the series, "Eight Views of the Ryukyu Islands" by Hokusai (Urasoe Art Museum via Wikimedia Commons) Previously, Takara was a specialist at the Okinawa Historical Materials Editorial Office. He was also director of the Urasoe City Library, chief examiner at Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum, and executive director of the Okinawa History Research Society. In his new book, he examines the formation of Ryukyuan identity over the course of nearly 200 pages. The book was originally published in 1993, after the opening of Shuri Castle and the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Okinawa's reversion to Japan following 27 years of US occupation and administration. It is divided into seven chapters, including an Introduction and Conclusion, accompanied by a number of smaller essays. (Book cover) ForewordPreface to the English EditionIntroductionI Discovering the KingdomII Ancient RyukyuIII Ryukyu in AsiaIV The Kingdom of WritsV The Organization of the KingdomConclusion Postscript Takara also includes a helpful 10-page historical timeline, which compares events in Okinawa to those of mainland Japan and the rest of the region, including China, Korea, and Southeast Asia. In the meantime, he has been busy at work on the restoration of Shuri Castle after a tragic fire destroyed most of it in 2019. The book offers a sweeping yet accessible chronicle of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which thrived from the 15th to the 19th century before its annexation by Japan in 1879. Takara traces the kingdom's development from its early formation under King Shō Hashi to its role as a tributary state to both Ming/Qing China and Tokugawa Japan. One of the central themes is the kingdom's unique position as a maritime hub. It is a small island polity that skillfully navigated the regional power dynamics of East Asia. This history is particularly accessible because Takara and his colleagues carefully gathered documents throughout Okinawa and other parts of the world over the years. Takara personally visited homes in remote locations to uncover writs of appointment to analyze how the Ryukyuan Kingdom was administered. He also traveled to Southeast Asia starting in 1974, and China beginning in 1981, to see how overseas trade developed. As a fellow "boots on the ground" type of writer, I also understand the time, work, and money involved in that kind of research. As such, it would not be an exaggeration to say that without Takara's efforts, much of what we know about Okinawan history would be unknown or long since forgotten. Or worse, it would be misrepresented and misappropriated by China. At the same time, Takara also does not shy away from the more painful aspects of Ryukyuan history. He critically examines the annexation by Meiji Japan and the subsequent erasure of Ryukyuan identity, language, and autonomy. This adds a further poignant layer to the book, inviting readers to reflect on the legacy of colonization and cultural survival in modern Okinawa. US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma reclamation work also continues in Oura Bay off the coast of Henoko, Nago City, in Okinawa. August, 2024. The writing is clear and elegant, with an outstanding translation by Lina J Terrell that retains the nuance of the original Japanese. The inclusion of historical documents, maps, and artwork enriches the text and also offers a more immersive reading experience. Readers will certainly enjoy and benefit from this book, which came out in 2025 on the 80th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Okinawa. Title: The Legacy of the Ryukyu Kingdom: An Okinawa History Author: Kurayoshi Takara Translator: Lina J Terrell Publisher: Japan Publishing Industry Foundation for Culture (JPIC International) Versions: Hardcover and E-book, English and Japanese ISBN: 9784866582580 For additional information: Visit the publisher's website or any online bookseller. Reviewed by: Robert D Eldridge, PhD Dr Eldridge is a former political advisor to the US Marine Corps in Japan and author of numerous books on Japanese political and diplomatic history. Previously, he was a 2024 Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fellow at Tamkang University and is a consultant on a broad spectrum of Japan-related matters.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
On Japan's Ryukyu Islands, ancient tradition meets tropical paradise
As the legend goes, Japan's Ryukyu Islands were created by the goddess Amamikyo, who is believed to have descended from the heavens and into the sea, just off the southern coast of what is now known as the main island of Okinawa. The Ryukyu Islands, located in the East China Sea, flourished for some 450-years as the semi-independent Ryukyu Kingdom. The islands served as a center of trade between Japan, China, and Southeast Asia until being officially designated a Japanese territory and renamed Okinawa Prefecture in 1879. While the islands have become better known for their beautiful beaches and balmy subtropical weather, the soul and spirit of the former Ryukyu Kingdom can still be found in everything from the islanders intrinsic and spiritual connection to nature to its unique cultural and culinary identity. The Ryukyu Islands are believed to be the birthplace of karate—a martial art that fuses the martial arts of China and Japan. Join a karate sensei at an Okinawan dojo or at the Okinawa Karate Kaikan. Spend some time to exploring the Shikinaen Royal Gardens, which was once the private residence of the Ryukyuan royal family and a beautiful place to spend a leisurely morning or afternoon. Sacred spaces, known as utakis, are tucked within the forests and nestled beneath banyan trees and sugar palms peppered across the archipelago, and while many of the island's utakis are not open to tourists, Sefa Utaki is an easy walk along stone path through the forest and is considered the most spiritual places to visit in the Ryukyu Islands. Shuri Kinjo-cho stone road is a historical cobblestone pathway that winds its way through residential neighborhoods and onto Shuri Castle. The castle is under renovation, but it's still worthwhile to explore the grounds. Ceramics and Ryukyu glass are two traditional crafts that you can find all across the islands. In downtown Naha, Tsuboya pottery district is a great place to shop, or head to Yachimun no Sato, an entire village dedicated to pottery. Of course scuba diving and snorkeling are two of the most popular pastimes in Okinawa. For hikers and adventure lovers, Yambaru National Park is not to be missed. Located on the northern end of Okinawa, this national park is designated as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site, and offers lush mangrove forests, and an incredible variety of rare, endemic flora and fauna that can't be found anywhere else in the world. (Unlock the secrets of the Blue Zones—how to master the art of living longer) Spring: Late March, April, and May brings warm days and breezy nights, making this one of the best times of year to visit. Late spring is ideal for both aquatic activities and on-land adventures; visitors will find an abundance of activities from dragon boat races in May to jungle river-trekking. Summer: June through August are the hottest and busiest months to visit the islands. June is the rainiest month of the year, and is also the start of typhoon season, which stretches into September, so be prepared for inclement weather. Fall: With the humidity at bay and typhoon season a thing of the past, October and November are an ideal time to visit. Every October in Naha, the annual Tug-of-War Festival features two competing teams dressed in traditional Ryukyuan attire. Also in October, the Paantu Festival on Miyako-jima is a spiritual cleaning event; a supernatural spirit smears mud onto willing participants in an effort to bless them and bring them good luck in the year ahead. Winter: The low season falls between December and February when the temperatures drop and the northernly winds blow their way across the islands. December through February can be chilly, especially at night. There are 160 islands across the Okinawan Prefuncture, 49 of which are inhabited. The Ryukyu Islands are divided into three major island groups: Okinawa Islands, the Miyako Islands, and the Yaeyama Islands. Okinawa Islands: The largest island in the archipelago is Okinawa Island, also known as Okinawa Honto. The prefectural capital, Naha, is located on Okinawa's main island. Smaller islands surrounding Okinawa include the Kerama Islands, which are beloved for their pristine white sand beaches, crystal clear water, and abundance of marine life. This island is also home to Yanbaru National Park. Miyako Islands: The main island of Miyako is covered in sugarcane fields, and the islands here are surrounded by some of Okinawa's most expansive coral reefs. The consistency of the sand is akin to powder, and the water is such a distinct shade, it even has its own name: Miyako blue. These islands are particularly attractive for water sports like diving, snorkeling, and glass-bottom kayaking. Yaeyama Islands: Practically hugging the Tropic of Cancer, the Yaeyama Islands are geographically closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan. The southernmost inhabited islands in the Okinawa archipelago are the Ishigaki, Taketomi, Hateruma, and Iriomote islands. Rosewood Miyakojima: Surrounded by sugarcane fields, Rosewood Miyakojima opened on Miyako Island in March 2025. This boutique hotel has taken great care to incorporate the local traditions and Ryukyuan culture into everything from the bar program and the architecture to the healing rituals at its Asaya Spa. Halekulani Okinawa: A sprawling resort along one of Okinawa's best beaches, Halekulani Okinawa offers a wide range of excellent on-site eateries, bars, and a spa. Guests can participate in a variety of activities, from snorkeling and scuba diving to trips to Yambaru National Park that are guided by local naturalists. Treeful Treehouse: On the northern reaches of Nago on the main island of Okinawa, Treeful Treehouse is a small and sustainable treehouse resort. This nature-centric stay offers a waterfall sauna and forest bathing river trekking experiences with one of the hotel guides. Traditional Okinawan cuisine, like agu pork and homemade Okinawan purple yam bread, are served by a bonfire and often accompanied by the hotel's resident goat, Donna. (10 of the best new hotels in Japan, from traditional ryokans to tropical treehouses) Hoshinoya Okinawa: Japanese luxury hotel chain Hoshinoya Okinawa is a seaside Ryukyu-style retreat that offers 100 oceanfront villas spread out among lush landscapes. Ryukyu Karate classes, sanshin guitar by the beach, and meditation sessions are offered daily in the beachfront activity studio. From soba stalls to shikuwasa (a lime-like citrus), Okinawa boasts a wide range of regional dishes, roadside farmers markets, and restaurants bursting with local produce and dishes. Get your bearings at Makishi Public Market in Naha, where you'll find everything from fresh seafood to local delicacies like smoked irabu (snake) and a delicious drinkable peanut-based tofu called jimaji. Within walking distance is Naha Kokusai Dori shopping street, a great place to experience 'senbero,' which is the Japanese equivalent of snacking and bar-hopping. For traditional Ryukyuan cuisine, Touyadokoro Fuan offers authentic dishes like bitter melon (goya champuru) stir-fry and peanut tofu, served on locally made pottery. Sui Dunchi is a traditional Okinawan restaurant and great place to try Agu pork shabu shabu and Okinawan soba. Surrounded by waterfalls, Ufuya is set in a traditional villa and serves authentic hot pot and soba. All across the islands, roadside markets are great places to try locally grown produce and Okinawan delicacies like deep-fried donuts (sata andagi), and shop for local souvenirs, too. It's worth it to also try awamori, known as the "spirit of Okinawa." It dates back to the 15th century, and today there are about 48 distilleries you can visit across the islands. (Why the traditional Okinawa diet is the recipe for a long life) Unlike mainland Japan, you'll find the tourism infrastructure in Okinawa is still developing, and outside a few select hotels, you might not find English spoken widely. It's best to make reservations for hotels, restaurants, and tours in advance of your visit. While tipping is not expected on the islands, come prepared with plenty of Japanese yen, as some places do not accept credit cards. Michelle Gross is a Beaufort, South Carolina-based travel journalist and photographer covering the cross-section of sustainable and ethical travel. Passionate about telling stories about interesting people and places around the world, follow her adventures on Instagram or check out her newsletter on Substack.
