Category: Nature

It’s lovely, this name. It’s called just the way it … Continued

February 23rd 1995, Amami rabbits, Amami jay, and others—both special … Continued

As you drive down Yanbaru or the southern part of … Continued

It’s not only birds and flowers which hail the coming … Continued

A type of textile typical to Okinawa. Tough, stiff, and … Continued

Beniimo is a type of sweet potato that is popular … Continued

“Chi” is “yellow”, and “dēkuni” is “radish” in the Okinawan … Continued

Coastal hog fennel. Also called button siler in Japanese, given … Continued

When I first visited Okinawa, the thing that made me … Continued

The crystal clear waters surrounding Okinawa, home to an abundance … Continued

A dugong is a marine animal in Okinawa that suddenly … Continued

The first time anyone sees any member of the giant … Continued

There has long been a widespread and heavily biased perspective, … Continued

Habu is one of the five most poisonous snakes in … Continued

On the Fourth Month of the Fifth day1 by the … Continued

You’ll find the spice hihachi, which is not unlike black … Continued

The song of kukkaru (ruddy kingfisher) brings the nagashi (rainy … Continued

At the time of this writing (1998), it’ll be twenty … Continued

The Iriomote yamaneko is a small wild cat found only … Continued

In Okinawa, there is a well-known folk song about fireflies … Continued

Come to think of it, I did come quite far … Continued

My father's home island is a small island called Geruma. … Continued

Kibinago, the silver-stripe round herring, is called sururu in Okinawa. … Continued

A kind of trickster believed to be found in every … Continued

An island situated 6 km to the east of the … Continued

People think of “Lequios” as the name of a weekly … Continued

In Okinawa, mango means summer. It grows on an evergreen … Continued

I once flew over Iriomote Island by helicopter.  … Continued

A multi-purpose forestry road located in the northern part of … Continued

In Okinawa, typhoon and drought are two natural phenomena that … Continued

Soil found on the main island – up north from … Continued

In Kijoka—known as the village of bashōfu fabric—in Ogimi there … Continued

Rock created by the coral reefs that rose from the … Continued

Countless varieties of butterflies can be found on Okinawa Island … Continued

An outstanding beast among the land animals of Okinawa—Ryukyu wild … Continued

They say that long ago bandits and highwaymen began to … Continued

The Senkaku Islands is a group of islands located north-northwest … Continued

“Hello,” “Nice to meet you” and hand your business card—a … Continued

A dialect for winter melon, probably deriving from shibu-uri (渋瓜) … Continued

“Have you ever seen a star sand walk?” … Continued

Generally speaking, the Ryukyu Archipelago is considered to be subtropical—anettai. … Continued

Tachigan, Tonbara, Twungan, Tachise—called by various names on various islands, … Continued

Twunji-bīsa (winter solstice chill) is the seasonal wind that blows … Continued

Okinawa has incredible typhoons. According to Japanese records, the worst … Continued

It can be quite difficult to describe what urizun actually … Continued

Yaebishi, or Yabiji. Shallows where a vast coral reef that … Continued

“About yamakunibū…” … Continued

Yanbaru, as in the name of the bird, yanbarukuina. It … Continued

Yonagunisan (Attacus atlas ryukyuensis) is one of the biggest moths … Continued