Hey guys! It’s been a while since my last update. While I am traversing Japan exploring more new deep locales, there’s one place I certainly miss revisiting, and that’s Okinawa.

Being geographically the nearest prefecture of Japan from Singapore and Malaysia and given its subtropical climate, I am always fascinated with some of the surprising nuances we have in common including food culture, textile, the iconic hibiscus and even language!

I visited the main island, Naha, in both 2020 and 2021, first a solo trip to explore the city, and then I brought my kids there the subsequent year for a relaxing family trip.

Here are some of the reasons why I think Okinawa makes a perfect destination for family travel especially with younger kids:

1.Firstly, the subtropical climate of Okinawa makes winter travel much easier for Southeast Asians like me who are not too used to extreme cold weather. Even in mid winter it would be over 20°C, so you can pack light for the kiddos and don’t have to worry about a wardrobe mishap.

2.Most of the hotels and resorts in Okinawa are spacious unlike other big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka where most facilities could be pretty confined, so there are plenty of room for the little ones to freely roam about.

3. Okinawan atmosphere is very laid-back yet vibrant with lots of fun activities and craft for the kids to enjoy, which could be both stimulating and educational.

One of the activities which the kiddos enjoyed most during our trip last year was coral dyeing at Shuri Ryusen!

【Coral Dyeing】

Shuri Ryusen is a facility just a stone’s throw away from Shuri Castle, where you can experience coral dye. You can pick your favorite coral fossils and design the one and only original T-shirt. There are also other options available such as shawl, tote bag, mask, etc.

The fossils are corals that are washed up the beach, cut into half and you may use them to create different patterns on the fabric using color dye. You may be aware that corals in Okinawa are strictly protected, so these fossils at Shuri Ryusen are actually the ones they have been using since 40 years ago!

The kids had such great fun getting creative designing their own T shirts! We ordered larger size so hopefully they won’t outgrow their precious shirts so soon! Every time we wear the T shirts it brings back fond memories of Okinawa. ♡

Anyway, there are lots of other places on my bucket list so I’m sure I will be back soon, so wait for my future updates on Okinawa! Meanwhile, if you want to find out more about traveling in Okinawa especially if you are the type of travelers who cherish relaxing moments and prefer taking things slow, be sure to check out the website below for more attractions of Okinawa.

【Slow Travel Okinawa】

Click the banner below to find out more about things you could do in Okinawa!

Finally, I hope that soon, all of us who miss Okinawa can all visit (again)!

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