U.S. Marine Corp Maj. Jesse Schmitt, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit Collections Manager, center, reaffirms his oath during his promotion to major during a ceremony on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan...
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Joy Kitashima, III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Forces Japan sergeant major, answers questions provided by the Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, March 28, 2023.
U.S. Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 3 Joshua Dargis, the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit's Chemical Biological and Radiation officer in charge, attaches weight lifting straps during a bench press competition between U.S. Marines with the 31st MEU and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force soldiers as part of Iron Fist 23 in Hijudai, Japan, Feb. 19,...
The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) embarked amphibious assault carrier USS Tripoli (LHA 7) for tasking in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, July 25, 2022.
U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Holden Gilbert with Battalion Landing Team 2/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, provides security during a forward arming and refueling point exercise on Ie Shima, Okinawa, Japan Aug. 3, 2022.
U.S. Marine Col. Matthew Danner, the commanding officer of 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), speaks during a cake cutting ceremony for the 124th Corpsman Birthday at Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Jun. 17, 2022.
U.S. Marines with 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), and volunteers from Camp Courtney English School plant flowers during a town beautification at Kin, Okinawa, Japan, May 21, 2022.
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Dustin Lees, an explosive ordnance disposal technician with Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), pulls a wire to set up a controlled detonation of explosive charges during a tactical recovery of aircraft and personnel (TRAP) exercise on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, Feb. 9, 2022.
Commanding Officer of the amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20), Capt. James Robinson, right, presents the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal to Cpl. Simon Palacios, assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) .
U.S. Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), pose for a photo with presents to be donated to the Nagomi Home for Children at Camp Hansen, Japan, Dec. 21, 2021.
As a kid, every New Year I would look forward to a sweet jelly called kouhaku kanten. Kanten is a jelly made from boiled tengusa algae and seaweed. It is known for being low-calorie and rich in fiber, so it is often used as a healthy alternative to regular sweets.
Turmeric, or “ukon” in Japanese, is a kind of ginger, known as a spice for Indian curry, and in Japan, it is mostly recognized as a food that can help avoid hangover.
It has been said that food is the soul of a country. This couldn’t be truer for Okinawa. A mix of favorable natural conditions and diverse foreign influences produced unique eating habits and a cooking style that is now known as “Okinawan cuisine”.
