okinawa paradise 🌺 beaches, snorkeling 🐠 & blue zone village

In this episode of my Japan travel series, we slow down and explore the tropical side of Japan: Okinawa.

We stay in a cozy house in Motobu with a sweet house cat, rent a Suzuki Alto, and road trip to beautiful beaches like Sesoko Beach, Emerald Beach, and Gorilla Chop Beach. We go snorkeling, visit local supermarkets like Big Express, and try Okinawan tofu, mochi, takoyaki, and more.

A highlight of the trip is a visit to Ōgimi Village, one of the world's five Blue Zones known for longevity. There, we eat a traditional lunch at Emi no Mise, a restaurant run by Okinawan grandmothers.

The trip ends with a day on Tokashiki Island in the Kerama Islands, where we swim in clear blue waters and relax on white sand beaches.

Subscribe for more from my Japan series: Tokyo, Mt. Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka, Okinawa.

Chapters:
00:00 Preview
00:18 Flight and bus to Motobu, Okinawa
00:40 House tour Churaumi Village
02:26 Exploring Motobu, lunch & dinner
03:05 Snorkeling at Sesoko beach
04:38 Suzuki Alto rental car
04:56 Big Express supermarket run
05:55 Lunchtime with takoyaki and spam onigiri
06:49 Visiting Emerald beach
07:16 Dinner with Okinawa tofu
08:01 Breakfast at Lawson
09:42 Driving to Ogimi Village & roadside station
11:09 Exploring Ogimi Village
12:37 Lunch at Emi no Mise
14:02 Beach and skincare
15:11 Snorkeling at Gorilla Chop beach
16:03 Ice cream and our house cate
16:50 Another beach in Okinawa
17:25 Sushi Dinner
17:51 Tokoshiki Island (Kerama Islands
18:40 Next destination: Tokyo