Back in 2017, we spent two months exploring Japan’s mainland, hopping between its iconic cities: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Takayama, Kanazawa and Kamakura. Zipping around on the Shinkansen, Japan’s legendary high-speed trains, was half the fun. Japan quickly became one of our favorite countries on our round-the-world journey, thanks to its amazing food, calm and incredibly polite people, and a pace of life that somehow feels relaxed, even in the controlled chaos of Tokyo.
This time, we decided to switch things up and went tropical. No bullet trains. No neon lit megacities. No selfie sticks in Shibuya. Instead of revisiting the big-name cities, we slowed the pace and headed to Japan’s far south—its tropical islands. Before our first trip, I had no idea Japan even had white-sand beaches. Most travelers stick to the mainland (and understandably so, given limited vacation time), but the southern islands offer a completely different side of the country. We decided to trade skyscrapers for sand and sushi for……well, more sushi.
Barbie and I both love the beach and the Japanese lifestyle. By visiting these southern islands we were able to experience much of the cool stuff many of the large Japanese cities have on tap all while enjoying a more relaxed beach island life.
There are many highly rated islands to choose from, including: Okinawa, Amani Oshima, Miyako-jima, Ishigaki and Taketomi. Summer was in full swing—perfect for beach days—so we set our sights on Okinawa and Ishigaki. These two islands that are technically Japan but geographically closer to Taiwan than mainland Japan. For us, it was the perfect blend: island life with a dose of Japanese quirkiness.
The Japanese people remain some of the kindest and most respectful in the world—calm, quiet, organized, and always on time. But Japan can also feel insular. Even as a tourist, you sense a subtle “members-only“ vibe. You’re either Japanese or you’re not . It’s never unwelcoming, but you quickly realize you’re firmly in the “foreigner” category.
Renting a car was absolutely essential to navigate around the islands, and having driven on the left side of the road in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and Ireland, I was comfortable with the switch. My brain only raced for the first 5 minutes before I was once again became comfortable with the steering wheel being on the wrong side of the car.
When visiting Okinawa and Ishigaki, you best be on top of your travel game and sharpen up your travel navigating skills as you will be constantly trying to figure things out by yourself. That said, if you’re lost or confused, locals will drop what they’re doing to help you with such kindness, ready to assist and lend a helping hand.
Getting around on Okinawa and Ishigaki was a puzzle. English signage? Basically nonexistent. Most storefronts gave no clue what they sold, and restaurant menus—when you found them—rarely had pictures or English descriptions. You could end up with a perfectly cooked ramen or accidentally order a bowl of raw jellyfish. You walk into a ramen shop and there’s a hundred broth variations, none of which you understand. It’s basically Fear Factor without Joe Rogan explaining what’s in your bowl.
Sushi was the same: sure, tuna, salmon, and yellowtail were easy enough to identify, but the rest? You will be playing sashimi roulette. There were dozens of mysterious raw fish varieties with no translation in sight. Good luck trying to figure it out. Google Translate helped, but sometimes we just pointed to whatever had the most “thumbs up” icons.
Japan has a surprising love affair with American culture. Hip hop is huge and tacos are the rage. One of Okinawa’s specialties is “taco rice,” which is exactly what it sounds like: deconstructed taco ingredients served over rice. And it works!
We also stumbled across giant arcade halls filled with claw machines. Playing not just for stuffed animals, you can win prizes like toilet paper, dish soap, ramen packets and tons of other stuff. Watching both teenagers, retirees and probably a couple of CEO’s going all-in for prizes was oddly mesmerizing. I played a few times. One time, I had a kick ass samurai doll with a kung-fu grip firmly in the claw. Ready to claim my prize, the claw machine did a herky jerky and dropped my shit before my big win. After that episode, I was resigned to the fact the claw game is rigged.
The island of Ishigaki felt like a truly remote escape. Quiet streets, a laid-back pace, and almost exclusively Japanese locals going about their day. The island itself is small and intimate, a stark contrast to Okinawa’s larger, busier vibe. At times in Okinawa, Barbie and I would forget we were even on an island in the middle of the East China Sea.
While there were plenty of enticing nearby tropical islands we could have reached, we decided to keep things simple. Instead of hopping from place to place, we settled in and fully explored everything Okinawa and Ishigaki had to offer by letting each day unfold without the rush of catching the next ferry or flight.
We enjoyed our stay on the southern Japanese islands. We are now heading back to Thailand to contemplate our next leg of our journey which will take us thru the summer months.
Big Doug & Barbie Drop Out of Society 