Côte D’or Wine Selection Store

 
If you’re a wine lover, head down to Côte D’or Wine Selection Store.  Open for just over a year, Côte D’or offers wines from Australia, California, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, and Japan.
This Japanese wine called Sai Sai koshu is produced using a thousand year recipe.

 

There are also several wines from the Nagano area.  If you are looking for a specific flavor, ask one of the expert sommeliers.
Côte D’or carries an extensive selection of champagne for that special occasion.  There is a chiller offering sake and awamori, and even some fine cheeses.  Côte D’or also has a small variety of Port, Sherry, and liquors.

 
Best of all, Côte D’or hosts wine tastings every Sunday between 2 and 7 pm - no reservation necessary.  Prices vary according to the wine tasted.

If you make a purchase, Côte D’or will give you a point card where you earn ¥1,000 discount for every ¥10,000 purchased.  Wines start at ¥800, although most seemed to be in the ¥2,000 to ¥3,000 price range.

Directions: Route 58 heading south towards Naha. From Camp Kinser's main gate/gate one, go 1.5km and turn left at light (Ameku intersection). Turn right at the fourth stop light just after the Shoe Plaza, approximately 1.5km from 58.  Go approximately .1km and turn right into the parking lot.  Côte D’or is on the left side of this strip mall.  If you pass the Okinawa Kaiho, you've gone too far.

Phone: 098-869-2047

Hours: Daily 1100 - 2100 except Japanese holidays

Website: www.cotedor-okinawa.net

Payment: Yen, credit card

PhotOkinawa - Photography meet up

Love photography? Like to Mingle? Then you will want to know about the PhotOkinawa Ning group.

Back when I lived I San Diego, I joined a photography meet up group. My first meeting that I RSVPed to with them was a carpooling trip to the Anza Borrego Desert. Yes, I was a little nervous. Will they be friendly, snobby or just plain weird? It all ran through my mind. We met up in some car park near downtown San Diego, allocated cars and off we went. I do realize that I could have been taking a trip to the middle of nowhere with 20+ virtual strangers who could have been serial killers, but you have to take some risks in this life! I will never forget that trip, I was on a photography high for days, it was so much fun. All meetups with that group after that were very easy! I am actually still a member so when/if I go back, I am all set to go!

When I got here, I missed that group, so I decided to start one here.

Shannon, another local photographer (see below!) had also started a monthly photographer meeting, so we sort of cross message the 2 groups.Photo By Pamela Oliveras.
So far we have been a a few outings and had models to photograph. Last year we went up to the Haunted Hotel a number of times with models in tow...

Photo by Pamela Oliveras.

Photo by Deni Marlene.

Yeah, yeah, I know it's 'off limits' now. Boo hoo. We have been down to Kokusai and Gate 2 to 'photograph the photographer'. Here's a few of us posing!

Photo by Anya Schmidt.
Oh, and men are welcome too! Here's proof! 3 monkeys after hanging photos at Sushi Zen last month.

Photo By Shannon Entwistle

Street photography your thing? You might even like to turn around and photograph some of the locals...Many people are happy to be photographed...

Photo by Pamela Oliveras.

There a twice monthly meetings on the 1st (Lester Starbucks @ 9am) and 3rd Thursdays (walkabout) of the month.

Have a photography related question? You can bet someone will answer it on the forum. Gear to sell? Start here, I sold a lens in a day and others have had success too. Did you wake up and feel like some company to go and shoot? Then post it on the groups forum and someone may want to join you!

All are welcome, whether you are an amateur or a pro, new or old to the art or if this is a mild hobby or some kind of obsession (ahem)! In answer to a question about not having the 'best/latest' equipment: "if it makes photos bring it! No-one cares what equipment you have. At the end of the day, it's your art and there's more to it that the equipment. It's composition, a feeling, what you like, a passion. Most of all, it's about getting together with people who like to photograph a lot!"

In the works for 2010: more walkabouts, photograph the photographer, a night shoot, Ryuku Mura, Yomitan, what else? This is everyone's group so join in and bring your ideas to the table. You never know, you might even make a friend or two.

To See - Cloud

Get an eyeful of all the past Okinawa Hai TO SEE submissions HERE...and check out our PhotOkinawa group feed (left hand side, scroll down...)

I am featuring the three images posted for cloud this week. If you haven't arrived in/on Okinawa yet, you are in for a wonderful treat when it comes to clouds. There are some absolutely amazing cloud formations out here.

Thriveoutdoors is back after a long day of paddling near Onna point...

BijoD captured this image on their way to the hidden cave over on Hamahiga Island (one of Okinawa's outer islands)...

and Louisadestreza brought the day to an end with this view in Yomitan...

February 12th THEME : Minimalism

• Submissions due on Friday, February 12th before midnight in Okinawa.
• Remember to title and tag your submissions with the theme.

For the week after next, let us try 'Black and White' as a theme. Please don't post any 'B&W' photos up on Flickr until it is that weeks theme, but this will give people some more time to think about some photos they might want to take and submit.

PS: If anyone has some cool ideas for future themes, just email me (address at bottom!)

HOW TO JOIN THE PHOTOGRAPHY FUN

1. If you are not already a member, create a free Flickr account.
2. Join the PhotOkinawa group.
3. Upload your photo to the group.
4. The title, content and tag of your photo need to match the weekly theme.
5. Your photo must be submitted by Fridays at midnight Okinawa time.

Every Monday, the photo of the week chosen by myself and the previous week's photographer will be posted here alongside the theme for the following week. It’s not a straight up competition but rather a playful way to exercise our photographic eye while sharing our take on Okinawa with each other.

And onwards it goes.

RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

1. One photo per person, per week, please.
2. Watermarked images are fine, but please keep them from distracting from the image.
3. Go out there and get your best shot of the theme!

 Any questions? You can email me at p_oliveras@yahoo.com

Out of the Archives: Miyagi Minshuku

This post was originally published on Okinawa Hai on May 5, 2007. We're pulling it out of the archives for our newer readers to experience. Enjoy!

Miyagi Minshuku rainy day dining room, originally uploaded by okinawa hai.

CONTRIBUTED BY ICHIYO IWATA

If you are up for an adventure, I highly recommend THIS Minshuku. A Minshuku is a Japanese Bed & Breakfast. It is located in Kunigami Village in the northern tip of Okinawa island, about 65 km from the Kyoda highway exit. The name of this Minshuku is MI YA GI - it uses the Chinese characters for Ocean, Mountain and Tree. They have been in business for about 15 years. One of the buildings has a thatched roof, which was used in traditional Okinawan houses. Nowadays you see these roofs only at special theme parks such as Okinawa World and Okinawa Kyoudo Village at the Ocean Expo park. The B&B owner told me that the roof was built by old men in the village as they were the only ones who knew how to make this type of roof. Miyagi only has 4 or 5 guest rooms. Although I saw one room with beds, most rooms are tatami mats and you will sleep on futon.

The cost of this Minshuku (5,000 yen/person) includes dinner and breakfast. What we enjoyed most was the dinner that we had together with all the guests and the conversation at the dinner table. It was such a warm environment which made it easy for strangers to get to know each other over a meal. It was interesting to find out people come from all over Japan . Even without much Japanese, my mother-in-law from Minnesota had a great time at dinner. The dinner served had many natural ingredients including some organic vegetables the owners grew in their GARDENS and seafood caught from the nearby ocean.

Another nice feature of this B&B was the bath. The TUB is made with rocks and they boil the bath water with firewood. Being one of the most  technologically advanced nations, you will never see this type of bath in Japanese houses today. Not too long ago, this was the way people used to warm up bath water in Japan . This brought back the memories of stories I heard from my grandparents when they were young. Because they use firewood to warm up the bath water at night, the water will not be hot in the morning. I highly suggest taking a bath at night (Japanese way) rather than in the morning. There is a shower as well, which you use to clean yourself before entering the bath. Remember to bring your own towel as they do not have one.  They have soap and shampoo.   

The easiest direction to this Minshuku Miyagi is to drive Rt 58 all the way up to its origin. There’s a monument of the Rt. 58 Origin. From this monument, you can see the thatch roof on your left. There is a sign written in Japanese (Chinese characters)  海山木where you should turn to get to the Minshuku.

Since they have limited rooms, I suggest you make reservations. Their number is 0980-41-8383. Check in is 4:00 p.m. and check out is 10:00 a.m.  They do not take credit cards. 

Enjoy experiencing Okinawa !

For continuity's sake, comments have been closed on this post.  We still want your feedback, though, so please head here to comment on the original post.  Thanks!

Japanese Corner - How to say "I love you"

While holidaying in New Zealand recently, I was visiting with a friend whose daughter is currently studying Japanese in high school, and her daughter began asking me how to say certain Japanese phrases including, “I love you.” I had to think about it for a moment, because although it would seem to be a fairly easy phrase to translate, it’s not something that typically comes up in everyday conversation. I eventually recalled something along the lines of “ai-shi-something-or-rather,” and was able to later learn from my daughter that “ai-shi-teru” is the phrase I was looking for

There are other ways of saying “I love you,” although I can’t help notice that none of the phrases include a subject. In other words, the person to whom the affection is being directed towards is not mentioned in the expression, for example “ai-shi-teru” literally means “I love.” The other common expressions used to tell someone you love them are “suki desu” (I like), and “dai-suki-desu” (I really like). It’s more or less assumed that the context of the conversation makes it obvious who or what is loved.

But getting back to how you would tell someone you love them in Japanese, there is it seems, a general reluctance to use such words. I’m not saying that Japanese people don’t tell their spouses and significant others that they love them, but they certainly don’t do it as freely as Westerners do. Culturally speaking, they are different to us in that they tend to express their love with feelings and actions rather than with words.

Based on the above premise, it’s probably safe to presume that the use of “ai-shi-teru” (or even “dai-suki” and “suki desu” ) may be a bit risqué for those in new relationships; a guy who wants to tell his Japanese girlfriend that he really likes her might be better off showing her, through the use of affectionate gestures and mannerisms. Coming right out and saying it might be too forward in the early stages of a relationship.

And if being forward and direct is somewhat off-putting, consider how one might go about initiating a relationship. A friend of mine told me that one of his Japanese colleagues advised against being too direct when asking a Japanese girl out on a date. He suggested engaging instead in casual conversation that deliberately but gradually, hinted at the idea of doing something or going somewhere together. Of course this wouldn't hold true in each and every case, as not everyone adheres to cultural norms, but it might be something to consider if you're a single guy here looking to date. 

Speaking the “language of love” in Japan isn’t complicated; it’s just different. We’re used to showing our love with words and actions; the Japanese believe that love can be felt without the need for verbal affirmation. Neither way is right or wrong, and given that both ways seem to work equally well, I would say that love is indeed a universal language that can be shown with, or without words.

Photo by Pamela Oliveras

　

　

　

　

　

　

 

Pick Your Own Strawberry Fields

It's strawberry season in Okinawa!

Sure, you could go to the store and buy a package of the sweet red fruit that may have been shipped over from somewhere else, OR you could seek out the local Blue Sky & Green Field Farm. Located in the northern part of the island, this strawberry farm lets you pick your own. 

We went last weekend, and sampled the offerings. We planned to make strawberry shortcake with them, but let me tell you, the delicious perfectly ripe berries didn't even last the ride home!

The farm charges 1,300 yen for each adult and 800 yen for each child (500 yen for little kids) to pick and eat for 20 minutes. They hand you a basket and scissors, expecting you to eat all your berries within that time frame. I thought they'd let us take home free of charge whatever we didn't manage to eat, but I guess they figured that we'd clean out their supply completely. 

In any case, for 350 yen, you can buy a small container for your overflow strawberries to take home. If you decide not to pick, but you still want to buy the berries for take away, a person will go and pick the berries for you while you wait for about 10 minutes.

The Blue Sky and Green Field Farm also sells other kinds of fresh vegetables and they appear to offer horseback riding nearby.

Getting to the farm takes about an hour and a half and is a bit of a journey. Rather than driving up there for the sole purpose of strawberries, you might combine this excursion with Hiro's Coffee Farm for a fun day outing.

When we arrived, they asked us if we made a reservation to pick berries (we did not), but they seemed happy to let us go ahead and pick anyway. In any case, the number to reserve your time is 0980-43-2542. They didn't speak a lot of English at the front desk, but they did round up one of the farmers who happened to have a lovely British English accent!

You can probably expect there to be strawberries until the end of February. 

Getting there: Take 329 north to Camp Schwab. Once you pass Schwab, continue on the 329 for 3.3 km. Take a right on the 331 towards Higashi Village and continue for 23.8 km. The road will be very curvy in parts and you'll pass some gorgeous ocean vistas on the way. As you get close to the destination, look for a pineapple factory on the left side. You'll go around a bend and you'll pass over a bridge. Slow down here and be prepared to take a right after the bridge. On the left side, you'll see a white building and a two story wooden observation deck and a sort of park. Right before you get to that, take the first Right after you pass over the bridge. You'll drive along the water for a bit and you'll pass some businesses and houses on the left side. The right side will be a shallow water area, where you'll see kayaks and small boats. Follow the road to the fields and look for banners leading to the strawberry farm. The banners are red and white and have strawberries on them. There seem to be different roads leading to the farm, so if you just head towards the greenhouses in the distance, you'll probably be okay. Continue to look for the red and white banners. Parking area is on the left side and the entrance is on the right. Good luck!

Look for this view when you enter the fields and head towards the greenhouses.

Entrance to the strawberry farm; parking is across this entrance on the left side.

Zen

There are many benefits to living on the island of Okinawa.  If you love the water this is a great place to dive.  If you love an excuse to wear flip flops at least 9 months out of the year than residing here is a plus.  Curbing your craving for almost any type of food is Okinawa's culinary specialty. 

   

I was recently having a huge craving for pasta and Zen does not disappoint in the pasta category.  Now just to set the record straight, I am not Italian and I am not an expert when it comes to Italian cuisine.  I just know what I like and for whatever reason several restaurateurs here can serve up some great Italian food. Is it authentic? I don’t know.  All I know is Zen knows how to serve up garlic with a little noodle on the side.

 
The hubs ordered the Tenderloin Steak for Y1,700 and added the a la carte menu (+Y600) to include soup, salad, dessert and your choice of hot/cold tea or hot/cold coffee.  We believe there are better steaks on the island so order one of the many other delicious options – like I did.

 

I got the Garlic, Bacon and Hot Pepper pasta, for Y800, and for Y600 more I got the soup, salad, dessert and drink “combo”.  I thought the hot pepper just added a nice kick – not hot enough to burn your mouth.  This is where Zen’s use of garlic keeps me coming back for more – I was using the leftover bread to capture every last bit of garlic yuminess.

 
One of our friends, who joined us for dinner, ordered the Crab on White Fish Fillet with the mushroom cream sauce and she was not disappointed.  For Y1,100 this plateful of fish is fabulous.      

 

I am a huge dessert fan and though I would always opt for a "death-by-chocolate" option in the states Okinawa serves up a wonderful dish of sherbet and fruit at many of their restaurants.   

Zen also serves dishes with shrimp, salmon, lamb chops, sirloin steak and chicken.  And, as if that wasn’t enough, you can enjoy a beautiful view of the East China Sea while dining above the Araha Beach area.  This is a great place to bring a group of up to 8 though I know the restaurant can hold more.  For larger groups and when arriving after 6p.m. I would call for reservations.  The menu is in English and the staff is very helpful!!!!  Zen is a great place to join friends for a fun evening out in the Araha Beach area or an intimate evening with the one you love!!

 

Happy Eating!!

Special Note:  This restaurant takes Yen and American Dollars only.

Hours:  Open 6 days of the week.  Closed on Tuesdays.  Open Wednesday – Monday for lunch from 11:30 a.m. until 3p.m. and then they reopen for dinner from 5p.m. until 10p.m. 

Location:   Araha Beach area 

Directions:  Leaving out of Foster’s Spot Gate, make a left onto 130.  Cross 58 and travel until the road comes to a T.  You will see the ETWS store straight ahead.  Make a left.  You will pass the Jetta restaurant and Jet City Burgers on your right along with the Night time Flea Market and the Araha Beach Ship.  You will then pass San A on your left, go through one signal, pass an Eneos gas station and a Family Mart.  Zen is about 1 kilometer from ETWS.  Once you pass the Family Mart on your right start looking for Zen, on the second floor, on your right.  A little ways past the Himaraya Sports store on the left.