Why Okinawa Isn’t Like the Rest of Japan

When Courtney first told me she was applying for a job in Okinawa, I immediately constructed a mental image of my new life. Thoughts of Shibuya Crossing, Tsukiji Fish Market, micro hotels, packed subway cars, and izakayas full of salary men raced through my mind. Like most Americans, my primary reference point for Japan is the hustle and bustle of Tokyo shown on TV and in movies. As I’d soon find out, though, Okinawa is very much its own place.