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Time to vote for the Best of the Pacific 2019

The holidays are behind us and it’s time once again to turn your attention to the yearly tradition unlike any other – Best of the Pacific voting season!
For the past 18 years, our annual Best of the Pacific magazine has been the authority on the best places YOU need to go in the Pacific. How do we know? Because you told us so!
Photos by Shoji Kudaka
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Baseball is back: NPB hits Okinawa to prep for regular season

All 12 Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) teams have kicked off practice, with nine of them here on Okinawa for the warm weather. The island is to the NPB what Arizona and Florida are to the MLB.
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Here's some great Okinawan events to check out

Editor's note: There's some great events coming up, so get off base and check them out! (This was updated Feb. 18)
Photos by Shoji Kudaka
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Matayoshi Coffee Farm serves the coffee and the fun

If you’re a coffee lover always looking for the best and freshest coffee around, Matayoshi Coffee Farm is here for you.
Photos by Nano Betts
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Perfect Weekend in Kanazawa

A brisk shinkansen ride from Tokyo through the bamboo-covered hills and rice paddies will bring you to Kanazawa, a charming coastal town often compared to Kyoto and referred to as the hidden pearl of the Japan Sea.
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See what's happening on your base!

Check out all the great things happening on your base. Events are as accurate as possible at press time. Since times or event schedules can change, please verify events before attending. (This was updated Feb. 14)
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Commentary: Hiroshima’s Peace Park is emotional trip of a lifetime

YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE – As an American stepping into the Peace Museum in the heart of Hiroshima’s Peace Park, I have never felt more like a stranger to this foreign land.
 
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My Paradise: Being a ‘gardener’ in Thailand

I have family in Thailand. Not blood relatives, but close enough. I first met my Thai brother when he was studying in the U.S. and we have been tight for over 25 years.
 
The coastal area of Shinagawa as seen from the Tokyo monorail. Photos by Takahiro Takiguchi
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Shinagawa: An old – and new – gate town of Tokyo

With attractions that include a horse track, shrine, aquarium and waterfront brewery, Shinagawa makes for a great one-day trip for anyone looking to get off base and explore part of Japan.
A child walks through a sunflower field during the 11th annual Sunflower in Kitanakagusuku Festival, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 10. While much of the world takes cover from the harsh winter, the festival is held to welcome the coming of spring in Okinawa with the growth of bright yellow sunflowers. Visitors were able to enter a few sunflower plots to be completely surrounded by the tall flowers. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Nicole Rogge)
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Sunflower in Kitanakagusuku Festival welcomes the coming of spring

Cool rain drizzled from the morning sky and gave way to sun as members of the local and military communities came together for the 11th annual Sunflower in Kitanakagusuku Festival Feb. 9-10.
Photos courtesy of Guam Visitors Bureau
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#instaGuam: Exchanging snow for sand - fun on a budget

While many might think that traveling to paradise is a costly affair, living out your tropical dream doesn’t require you to completely empty out your pockets. There are countless activities on Guam that are free or cost-efficient. Here are just a few!
Sefa Utaki is the Okinawan way of acknowledging the "ultimate ancestor"
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The sacred shrine of Sefa Utaki on Okinawa

Sefa Utaki is the Okinawan way of acknowledging the “ultimate ancestor”, the creator of the Ryukyu Islands. It is a place of respect, reflection and thanksgiving, much like the shrines in other parts of the world where we pay respect for those who have gone before us.
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Tokyo’s top 6 towns Metropolis chooses its favorite neighborhoods in the city

Tokyo’s a big old town. 23 wards, numerous special wards and cities and a shedload of islands. Many publications have posited their coolest, under-the-radar areas, often coming up with ludicrous locations such as Shimokitazawa or Akihabara (neither cool nor under-the-radar).
Photos by Shoji Kudaka
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Okinawa's Kin Town offers look into the past

Kin Town, the host municipality of Camp Hansen, is sometimes talked about in the past tense. It is true that the town’s prosperity as a “military town” peaked in the 60s and 70s, during the time of the Vietnam War. Now, the shine of the town may no longer be what it once was.
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Off-road adventure on Okinawa full of thrills

Off-roading is fun, but may not be easy to come by if you are not the owner of a nice SUV or ATV. But here on Okinawa there is a place where a thrill seeker, or amateur like me, can experience speeding through nature on four, very fast wheels.
 
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Blast off on a Flyboard off Okinawa coast

When instructor Keiko Sasamoto cued me by saying, “Start!” I straightened my body upright under the water, putting strength into my legs, ready to be launched by a big thrash coming from underneath. The moment I felt the impact on my soles, my body became tight, trying to stay on top of the great force.