So this was my first time coming to Okinawa. It’s waaay down below mainland Japan, about a 2 hour flight from Osaka.

They call this the Hawaii of Japan, with beautiful beaches and resorts, and it’s also known as one of the Blue Zones, where people live the longest.

I spent half my time here in Okinawa and then the other half in Kyoto, and honestly it almost felt like I visited two different countries. Japan isn’t really somewhere you think of as a beachy place, but Okinawa was very much that, so going from one to the other was such a contrast.

Naha is the main city, which is where I spent my first few days. Then for the second half I rented a car and headed further north, staying at Moon Beach, which was amazing and I would definitely recommend. Such a beautiful beach.

I will say though, quite a few of the beaches I visited you had to pay to use, which was a little annoying haha. But maybe we are just spoilt here in NZ and this is the norm!

I drove right up to the top of Okinawa to Cape Hedo, which was beautiful to see. Then just a few minutes away I found this really cool place called Asmui Spiritual Hikes. There are all these amazing rock formations throughout the walk, and some of them look like animals. It was VERY hot that day too, about 34 degrees.

I also managed to fit in a Kintsugi Jewellery workshop, which was fun. Who would be keen for me to start offering something like this too? :)

Purple sweet potato EVERYTHING

Okinawa is known for its bright purple kumara/sweet potato, and you will see it everywhere, ice cream, sweets, drinks, chips... everything :)

Such a beautiful bright colour, so naturally I tried to have something purple every day :) :)

Oh and you must visit Kouri Island! It’s a little island connected by the famous Kouri Bridge, which goes right over the most beautiful blue water.

If you are wanting a beach holiday, Japanese style, then Okinawa is your place.

Furoshiki

(Turning fabric into carry bags, gift wrapping, document carriers and more)

This was SUCH a fun workshop.

We learnt all the different ways you can turn one plain, simple square piece of cloth into sooo many different things, bags, wrapping, carriers and more.

I’m hoping to bring you guys a workshop where you can learn all about Furoshiki and learn how to do it yourself too :)

Urushi Factory

It was really great to visit the Urushi Factory.

Urushi is what is used for the traditional Kintsugi technique, as well as lots of other Japanese wares.

And it turns out that the urushi I’ve already been buying through another company actually comes from this factory! So that was cool to find out, and also, what a small world.

I would really like to teach more about urushi, but it’s definitely not a quick process, which can make it hard. One project can need several classes because you have to wait for each layer to cure before moving onto the next.

While I was there I also did the first layer of urushi on a chopstick set.

That then needs to sit for a few days before I can do the next coat, and I would need to do a minimum of around three layers before it’s properly sealed and ready to use :)

A few helpful Japan tips

Rubbish:
You will notice there are basically no public rubbish bins in Japan, so hold onto your rubbish and take it back to your hotel. You’ll also often find bins inside convenience stores like 7-Eleven and FamilyMart, usually near the door.

ATMs:
ATMs are in most convenience stores, so it’s really easy to withdraw cash. Most places do take cards now, but some smaller food places don’t, so I always recommend carrying a bit of cash with you :)

Wi-Fi:
Normally when I’m staying for longer I order a pocket Wi-Fi, which is super easy to use. Before you leave you can just pop it into a post box using the self-addressed envelope they provide.

But this time I used an eSIM through Ubigi instead, which was super user-friendly and cost me less than $30 for a month.

Google Maps:
Google Maps is soooo helpful in Japan. It tells you exactly what train line to catch, which platform you need and where to change.

Catching trains:
If you are doing a longer-distance trip, for example Kyoto to Osaka, you can also pre-book tickets through Klook. It can sometimes work out a little cheaper and it’s really easy because you get your ticket digitally on your phone, so no lining up to buy one when you get there.