Hahaha so true! I left that for a surprise 😂 until they arrive

That’s very true! And Okinawa for me is like the 90’s Hawaii lol less people and seems like it’s still catching up on todays era lol but in a good way

Time to visit!

@@Livingwithken Definitely! 👍

Yeah I totally agree on taxis for sure it’s cheaper than most places in Japan, I would say yes to the cheaper rest if you know your way around some basic Japanese and a residency card. I actually say at Sukiya that they are paying around 750yen per hour haha 😂

just my personal experience but I was able to make and save a lot more in Tokyo than in Okinawa (As a baito worker and student). Okinawa has high costs for electricity and water and even rent compared to a lot of places in mainland Japan. There is also the issue of transportation, in Okinawa you need a car if you want reliable transportation as there is no train.

Time to make a trip back!

That’s how I described it to everyone before as well but also it’s like Hawaii back in the 90’s lol

both are tropical tourist destinations for their countries, and both were independent kingdom islands that were colonized!

They say OKINAWA is like how OAHU was in the 50's ...as in less concrete more nature...

It what Hawaii used to be in my opinion before it became expensive and overly touristy

Haha that’s true and I don’t like the city life anyways LoL

Hey my man Charlie! What’s good? I’ll message you. Thank you 🙏

Thank you for watching! But overall Okinawa is great!

@@Livingwithken agreed !!

I love the coastal roads! Some of the best I’ve seen personally. Those are quite the memorable experiences you had! Definitely sentimental!

Thank you for this tip. My husband and I are retiring to Okinawa and he loves to bike.

@@Ckawauchi35 I am so jealous! But be aware to register your bike with the local police Koban. If you buy a bike there it may be automatic with the sale but I am not sure. The bikepaths are not used as much as they should be and in particular after a typhoon debris removal is not a high priority on bike paths. Please note the heavy duty way that even seemingly minor structures are tied down. If you construct your own home listen to the contractors. Even bike sheds should be tethered to the ground or weighted with heavy blocks at each corner. Whilst the classic "mamchari" is the most ubiquitous bike, other bikes may be had. I have a "papachari" which is heavy duty, made in Oregon, and breaks in half for transport in a suitxase. If I am lucky, complete all the paperwork, I will visit this September. Yes, during typhoon season.

@@markmoreno7295 Oh, ok. More great tips. Thank you. We may be purchasing his bike Fr the military exchange bc my husband is 6’3”. Too tall compared w the typical Okinawan consumer. I didn’t know anything about it bc I never biked in Okinawa in my 17yr residency there 30 yrs ago. Haha. But I think my husband and I will be biking as something we can do together.

You could just give them your passport. they can keep it if you try to do anything stupid. this could show trust don't you think so?

Being half Okinawan w US citizenship, I am presently doing my research on purchasing a property over there where my husband and I will retire later next year. Thank you for this interesting video. I do hope you could make another video on this topic so I can prepare the best I can prior to my visit in October.

@@ahabrawgaming1289 well they tend to not keep important documents of yours and normally people don’t like to give their ID to someone to hold onto unless it’s governments officials I mean you are brave to do so if you are lol

@@Ckawauchi35 I hope you found your place! Sorry for the very late reply, but feel free to ask me anything if you have additional concerns.

You’re very welcome! That sounds like an awesome adventure! I wish I was that brave to do that hahaha 😂

@@Livingwithken. Ha! I would love for people to think that I’m brave, etc but the truth is that Japan is the safest place to travel solo and without reservations. Of course it helps if you’re a guy who’s willing to sleep in the car if there’s no hotel & willing to get dinner from a Lawsons! 😅

@@Livingwithken I just thought of a question: I plan to use Google Maps & maybe Apple Maps. Are there other apps you think would be useful for traveling solo in Okinawa?

Acquiring a working, visa can be difficult and the process is much like the states. Either through a highly skilled profession or being sponsored by a company.

@@Livingwithken Yes. It is an uphill process. I have a BS in Business, but not a teaching license.

Hahaha 🤣 freezing rain is the worst. I almost want it to snow at that point lol

You can reunite with Okinawa anytime! We are still here waiting for your return one day.

❤

Thank you 🙏 appreciate it!

From Vancouver it will be from YVR to Narita Airport and from there you will have to fly to Ishigaki island, and from there you will fly or take a boat to Yonaguni. You can also fly to Okinawa main island to Naha city then go to Yonaguni by air as well.

Yeah the ohakas in Okinawa are no joke! Some are huge lol Yeah I don’t do well with humidity!

@@YuuY-pz7px thank you for watching the video. End of October is still okay to swim! You can actually swim year round and doesn’t get freezing cold during winter. It’s definitely bearable. Although summers are significantly warmer.

@@Livingwithken last time I went to Okinawa and Tokashiki in May 2015, and sea water was a bit cold ahahaha. Around noon or afternoon time, it’s warm enough for me to swim. 😅😅

@@YuuY-pz7px yeah, I mean I do cold plunges so anything above 55F or 12C is warm to me haha 🤣

@@Livingwithken btw, May I also ask there are no sharks near the coastal line of Okinawa right? And why are there so many sharks in the sea around America. A lot of news recently reported about the shark attack in America, terrible. 🙏

@@YuuY-pz7px there are sharks near the cliffs in Okinawa depending on the times. But usually when the Mahi Mahi season is at its peak since they eat them right off your line. But other than that there hasn’t been any reports of attacks especially because the beaches are protected by coral. So it’s rare for them to come along the beach side. But there are areas on the island that the corals don’t protect it. Still not many to consider dangerous. There are more people in the states that swim in the oceans and plus sharks are curious animals and if they feel threatened they will attack. Wrong place wrong time is mostly the case.

Let’s go!! Might take you up on that!

Gosh. My dream. Living in Okinawa… Fellow Canadian here. Know that there’s someone in Calgary who is very very envious of you.

@bethn6613 haha it's nice here my tattoo lady is from Calgary. I have family there. No more -45 C for me I'm from PEI . 27 years in japan was the smartest thing I did and not to many to pick from....

Thank you for watching the video! So I’m my own personal opinion, I think it would be great to move to Okinawa if having western friends as your main goal. Although Shizuoka has some bases as well. But of course for summer like weather all year round like SolCal then I would say Okinawa for sure. The downside that I didn’t mention in the video about Okinawa is actually buying a house there is significantly expensive unless you want either an empty land or you want a old fixer upper with no ocean view. But it would depend on your budget. But all in all I did find that I felt more like I was back home in Canada, living in Okinawa because of the mix of people their. But for myself I moved from Okinawa to mainland because I wanted to immerse myself in the culture more so I’m going in the opposite direction from you lol. I hope I helped a little bit in your decision making, if you have any other questions feel free to reply here.

For what it’s worth… I’m a longtime Japan resident from the US. I’m also considering moving to Okinawa. Like you, I’m damn old, or at least getting there😅 Also, my spouse is Japanese. She’s been to Okinawa and I’ve been researching it. If you actually need to work, considering your skills, your best bet may be self-employment, with a native speaker handling the phone, paperwork, customer relations, etc. Even then, it may be slow going. I don’t know anything about the availability of jobs on military bases. As for not having friends that you can have a proper conversation with, I feel your pain. But I gather that most of the Americans you’re likely to meet will be considerably younger and only temporary residents. Long time expats are also likely ex-military, and few and far between. If you don’t drive, public transport is mainly by bus. That’s something to consider if you increasingly need to visit medical facilities. If you have kids or extended family, that’s a whole other set of considerations. For me, living in Japan has been an exercise in lowering expectations. Simply as a consumer, it has a lot of advantages because of the work ethic and customer service. If that’s not enough, but you’re not in a position to leave, then it can be useful to focus on something else you like about the place, like the weather, or something you enjoy, like a hobby that doesn’t require other people. Again, I haven’t spent any time on Okinawa. Culturally, it’s sort of a subset of Japan. But I have no reason to suspect that in most ways living there as an expat-and an expat who clearly doesn’t look Japanese-would be essentially all that different from living elsewhere in Japan. Your mileage may vary. Best of luck.

It is possible but you need to pay cash if you are not a resident upfront

Don’t count your partner now 😂 joking 🙃 but yeah it really more focused on the places around the bases and nightclub areas.

Celsius

Thank you so much! Will improve as I go along!

$4000 would be enough for you and your wife, so long as you are not looking for premium view apartments or living spaces but something still modest. It’s also best if your wife can find a local agent and get the apartments that are still around the $500-$1200 mark.

It’s a beautiful choice!

Do you have SOFA status? Or do you have work visa or residency?

I miss it for sure! But also new adventures in Japan will begin and one day I will miss Japan all together. 😢

Haha 😂 some would also say being in Okinawa is spoiling them lol

Who do you think is putting a lot of money in to the Okinawa economy? Hint the military.

Crazy to say that after the US military caused the most traumatic devastation to the Ryukyus since ever during WWII