When I’m vacationing on Okinawa, I love grabbing acai bowls for a late breakfast or early lunch. My usual spot is in Chatan, but I heard about Hawaiian Bowls and wanted to give it a try.

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.

If you go to Gate 2 Street near Kadena AB regularly, Tesio may already be on your radar.

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.

In Japan, Tsuribori refers to ponds where you can enjoy fishing without even going to sea.

Though Okinawa is home to beautiful beaches to enjoy the crystal waters surrounding the island, you can also enjoy an adventure while kayaking in some of the area’s rivers.

Cafe Gallery Doka Doka is an Okinawan Yachimun (pottery) gallery and cafe restaurant in Onna. There are quite a few seaside cafes in Okinawa, but Doka Doka is unique in its combination of handmade pottery, tasty food and a magnificent view of the Onna coast.

For many Japanese pro-baseball players, Feb. 1 marks Day One of training. And many teams of the Nippon Professional Baseball Organization (NPB) head to the sub-tropical islands of Okinawa to kick off the team warm-up

Last year I visited Kissa Gitano, an eatery in the Sunabe Seawall known for their tasty Cuban sandwiches, a go-to when I lived in South Florida almost 10 years ago.

The First Sergeants Council and volunteer spouses with the 18th Wing collected, sorted, packed and distributed 1,778 bags of cookies to Kadena dorm residents Dec. 12-13, 2024.