It’s a bright afternoon in Okinawa, and Athens E. Pellegrino, the CEO and founder of Military Family Life Publishing LLC, greets me with a warm smile.
We asked our staff to weigh in on their tattoos and the meaning behind their masterpieces.
U.S Air Force Senior Airman Christopher Vang, right, 18th Security Forces Squadron response force leader and Suguru Arakaki, 18th Security Forces Squadron civilian installation entry controller participate in a gate runner exercise as part of a base-wide routine readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base, Jan. 15, 2025.
In February 2018, we almost lost my father. He had colon cancer and he was having some complications.
The rhythmic hum of sublimation machines fills the air in a cozy workspace nestled in Okinawa, Japan. Jessica Lewis, owner of Craft Junkie, greets me with a warm smile and an infectious enthusiasm that speaks to her love for crafting.
A new year is upon us, and it’s time once again to turn your attention to the yearly tradition unlike any other – Best of the Pacific voting season!
It wasn’t until I graduated tech school that I got my first tattoo and now, 12 years later, I have covered most of my left thigh.
U.S Air Force Senior Airman Devin Bahn 18th Security Forces Squadron law enforcement patrolmen conduct a gate runner exercise as part of a base-wide routine readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base, Jan. 15, 2025.
Hiroshi Nishimura is a tattoo artist based out of Kobe, Japan, who also travels overseas to share his craft with others. Nishimura, who says he joined the profession because he thought being a tattoo artist would be “cool,” shared his thoughts on the tattoo culture in Japan.
My favorite tattoo is hands-down my left sleeve. It’s comprised of the four animals for the four cardinal directions from Korea’s version of yin and yang.
I think my tattoos have mostly impacted my life in a positive way. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes I’ve gotten bad looks.
U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Gio Varano, Explosive Ordnance Disposal technician with the 18th Civil Engineer Squadron, conducts a removal of a simulated unexploded ordnance during a routine readiness exercise at Kadena Air Base, Japan, Jan. 14, 2025.
My mom got tattoos when I was young, and she got a dragonfly tattoo for my 18th birthday because when I was born, she had painted my room with dragonflies.
My tattoos are mainly just art. There’s no inherent meaning, but I love the way they look.
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Taste of Okinawa
Best of Pacific
Destination Paradise
Welcome to the Pacific