Flying from Hiroshima to Okinawa was only about a 2 hour flight. The island reminded us of Kauai: green and humid. The Southern part of the island is populated and reminded us of San Francisco whereas the Northern part is all jungle. Upon arriving, we had tacos from an Okinawan that lived in Mexico for 3 years, they were pretty good and we danced to cumbias right in front of his food truck What a welcome we had!

It is a lovely island and it is the hometown and ancestral land of my mother-in-law Masako. Before we met the family from Okinawa, we took a trip up to the North where Mike blew the shofar at the Northern tip. The children also enjoyed the snacks that came from vending machines. We were always impressed by the cleanliness of Japan that even the public restrooms smelled clean and the streets did not have any cracks, meaning up to date infrastructure. Emily even met with her friend Chris, a childhood friend she is currently dating.

Meeting the family on Okinawa was such a wonderful time. We had fun exchanging our dialogue through google translate, it worked and we enjoyed the laughter, food, and great company. Touring the land that Masako, my mother-in-law grew up definitely was touching and warm and put an identity to the Okinawan ancestry.

Shopping at Kokusai was a lot of fun for things to take home. There we took pictures of Sofia as she turned 15 and did not have a quinceañera instead she wanted to go to Japan. Here, we went to Shuri castle built 500 years ago when China roamed these lands. A lot of history in Okinawa and there is so much to explore. Their beaches are spectacular and we can not wait to come back to this island.