Introducing Japan: Okinawa

The Wonderful Islands of Okinawa Dr. Prosper Mfilinge

The hospitality of the Okinawan people, with their beautiful nature and rich culture and history, are among the many things I find captivating about Okinawa.

Okinawa, the southernmost prefecture of Japan, is a subtropical paradise. Comprising an archipelago of more than 50 islands, the prefecture is engulfed in an emeraldgreen sheen sea, inhabited by the world's finest coral reefs. This island paradise is also home to the world's healthiest and longest-living people.

With its beautiful beaches, marine sports and spectacular natural scenery, Okinawa has it all when it comes to having fun in the water. The archipelago's natural attractions have given rise to world-class beach resorts on Okinawa, Yaeyama, Miyako and other islands. The vast evergreen subtropical forests of northern Okinawa and Iriomote Island, with its rich biodiversity of plants and animals, are ideal for trekking. The beautiful estuarine mangrove forests in those places and on Ishigaki Island are perfect for canoeing or kayaking, snorkeling and boat touring. Apart from alluring tourists, these natural environments attract researchers from both in and outside Japan.

There are also many interesting places to see. Located in the town of Motobu, Churaumi Aquarium features the world's largest fish observation window. Perhaps most fascinating are UNESCO's world cultural heritage sites: the Gusuku (castle ruins) Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. These castles were constructed sometime between the ends of the 14^th and 18^th centuries. The most famous is the restored Shurijo Castle, seat of the Ryukyu Dynasty kings, located in what's now the capital of the prefectural government, Naha city. Also in the vicinity is Gyokusendo Cave, offering the visitor the country's second longest subterranean walk, with footsteps that echo among about a million stalagmites and stalactites. First discovered in 1967, the cave is now safe and user friendly, equipped as it is with safety stairs and handrails throughout the walkway. Of course, there are a myriad of other fascinating places, but I'll leave them for you to discover and explore when you come to Okinawa.

Okinawan foods and cooking styles are simply fantastic! And, they give clues to the people's secret of longevity and healthy aging. On top of lifelong, regular physical exercise, they eat a mostly plant-based diet that includes fish and soy foods with a great variety of vegetables. Okinawa tofu, jasmine and oolong teas, seaweed (mozuku, asa and suna), and locally grown Okinawa soba (a favorite among foreigners) are just a few of the treats in store for you.

At entrance to Shurijo Castle	Inside Gyokusendo Cave	Eating Okinawa soba with his wife