44th Fighter Squadron

Growing up on Okinawa, I enjoyed papaya more often as a vegetable than as a fruit. Every once in a while, I would have some of the ripe orange fleshy fruit, but mostly it was ao papaya (blue papaya in Japanese) or green papaya we’d have at home.

Nothing says fast food in the south of Japan like “tako-raisu!” And 2021 marks the 37th birthday of this signature Okinawan dish, according to local lore.

Philip Troussier, the French coach who led Japan in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, blamed the weakness of young Japanese soccer players on convenience stores.

These pouches are a great way to add a little Japanese curry into your weeknight dinner menu repertoire.

Let’s take a coffee break and try this phrase – “Ko-hii wo ire mashoka?”

Located near Sunabe Seawall in Chatan Town, Tacos-ya is a small shop located on a backstreet. But what the taco joint lacks in size, it’s makes up in a generously-sized reputation that has made its way around the island.