Okinawa Trip
Meal Blessings for a Healthier, Happier Okinawan, Japanese Meal
When we made our big trip to Okinawa, Japan, we learned some beautiful, important cultural traditions regarding meal blessings.
Read MoreOkinawa Shuri Castle Photo a Favorite
This photo at Shuri Castle is one of my favorite group photos and general karate pictures. For me it symbolizes Ryukyu no shin – the heart of the Ryukyu Kingdom, or the heart of karate from Okinawa in current times.
Read MoreSymbol for Ryukyu on Karate Book Cover
The name for this symbol for Ryukyu is the mitsudomoe. Mitsudomoe has a literal meaning of “three comma-looking shapes.” The Ryukyu island chain makes up what used to be an independent country called the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Read MoreThe Okinawan Sweet Potato
The Okinawan sweet potato was one of the few things that I missed out on when we visited Okinawa. There, purple sweet potatoes are a part of the culture in the cooler months of autumn and winter. Small trucks with ovens on the back go around selling fresh roasted sweet potatoes. I hear they are…
Read MoreGoya Bitter Melon: Eat and Enjoy
Their traditional diet contributes to the Okinawan elders’ robust health. And goya is a superstar ingredient in their traditional diet. Goya, also known as bitter melon, has many health benefits. It is definitely bitter and said to be an acquired taste. But some of us easily acquire it. Especially when prepared in a delicious chanpuru…
Read More3 Tips on Japanese for English-Speakers
In traditional Okinawan karate, we promote the culture that created our art. Language is an influential part of culture. The Japanese language remains the most enduringly difficult part of my martial arts training. Like a thorn in my side, it occasionally causes agonizing discomfort. Yet it’s survivable. And I don’t even notice it or think…
Read MoreOKINAWA TRIP 21: GRAND FINALE
By Jenifer Tull-Gauger On the first leg of our Okinawa trip, we stopped overnight in Hawaii, and got to witness a beautiful sunset along with a rainbow. That night inspired this haiku: Waikiki sunset! tourists clamor in the street soba in bellies Here are two highlights of our trip on video, as promised. These kata…
Read MoreOKINAWA TRIP 20: HAWAII OKINAWAN CULTURAL CENTER
By Jenifer Tull-Gauger We were able to stop over in Hawaii for two full days, plus a little longer, before we landed on the mainland (U. S. A.). Several years prior, I had come across the Hawaii United Okinawa Association online while researching Okinawa. I had determined then that if I ever went to Hawaii,…
Read MoreOKINAWA TRIP 19: GOODBYE OKINAWA
By Jenifer Tull-Gauger We left Okinawa on one of the first flights Sunday morning, but this was not the end of our trip. It was not even the end of my visit to things Okinawan. It was a nice drive to the airport in Naha, with fluffy clouds in the sky. We actually got to…
Read MoreOKINAWA TRIP 18: ON THE ROAD FROM NAHA
By Jenifer Tull-Gauger I enjoyed comparing and contrasting the everyday things like road workers and signs. Naha: the city’s road sites adjacent to Shuri Castle: I found this interesting: the center high-rise is completely covered in tarps as they do construction on it: This elf sign adorned several locations that we saw on the road. …
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