Chapter A - Naha 那霸

[Naha Memory-A] On my first night in Okinawa, I made a new friend—Max, a 23-year-old boy from UK. When I noticed his well-worn backpack, I felt an instant connection. Max has already traveled to many countries and has explored most of Japan by biking and camping (unbelievable)! We had an amazing time together, went to a bar to chat over drinks, and even sang karaoke. Later, we moved to a lawn to keep talking over beers, finally calling it a night sometime after one in the morning.

[Left] The moment I arrived Okinawa. [Right] Karaoke! Me and Max.

[Naha Memory-B] On my first day in Naha (the south city of Okinawa), I missed the last bus back to my hostel, so I decided to try hitchhiking for the first time in my life! That’s how I met Satoru-san, a photographer from Okinawa. We ended up having a nice dinner together—I treated him to Chinese food as a thank-you. Before I left Naha, I visited Satoru’s camera shop and had the chance to meet his family. They are incredibly kind people, and it was such a memorable way to wrap up my trip.

[Left] Hitchhiking! Satoru-san drove me to the hostel. [Right] Me with Satoru-san's family.

[Naha Memory-C] Next, I visited Kudakajima Island (久高島)—known as the “Island of the Rising Sun.” The coastline was stunning, with rich biodiversity. I spotted all kinds of little creatures: hermit crabs, crabs, colorful lizards, starfish, and fish. On the way back, I almost missed the boat but ended up meeting a couple of “celebrities” there for a photoshoot. We had a great chat, and they were really friendly, always saying “arigato.” We even took a group photo and followed each other on Instagram. Meeting Yuki and Megua-san was such a memorable moment.

[Upper Left] Me with Yuki and Megua-san. [Bottom] The beautiful Kudakajima Island.

Chapter B - Nago 名護

[Nago Memory-A] Departed from Naha to Nago! It was an amazing experience, and I got to know Moe-san and Adachi-san, who worked as staff at Sumire. They were super nice and even took me swimming in a nearby river (源河) in the afternoon, which was very refreshing. In the evening, I joined other guests for a BBQ and had some great conversations. This is definitely a highlight of my Okinawa trip so far!

[Upper Left] On the way to Nago. [Upper Right] Me. [Right] Swimming in the 源河 with Moe-san and Adachi-san.

[Nago Memory-B] On the second day at Sumire, I woke up very early in the morning and went snorkeling! Although it was raining, the experience was fantastic. I also had a flare-up of tonsillitis (扁桃炎), so I took medicine beforehand, but still felt a little uncomfortable after going into the water. Thankfully, the experience was amazing. After that, Yoshiki took me to a nearby beach, which was very beautiful.

Ps. as I was not comfortable at that time, I didn’t take any photos underwater :|

[Upper] BBQ at Sumire! [Upper Right] Me with Yoshiki-san. [Lower Right] Snorkeling with Yoshiki-san and his mom!.


[Nago Memory-C] In the afternoon, I took a short break and then went insect hunting with Miki san. He also took me to Cape Hedo, the northernmost point of Okinawa’s coastline. It was really nice, though a bit tiring.

[Left] Catching insects ! with Miki-san! [Right] Miki-san's achievements.
Have to say goodbye with Miki-san, Adachi-san, and Moe-san (from left to right).

To memorize every person, I wrote down their stories into my diary:

  • Moe-san: She’s from Tokyo, and used to work at a bicycle shop. Last year, she cycled around Japan for six months! Now, she works at Sumire to save up for a trip to Europe. She also has her own store selling stickers and clothes based on her own designs—very cool! She is a very kind person and helped me a lot during my stay at Sumire. I was really grateful for her help.

  • Eva-san: A girl from Canada who taught English in Korea for a few years. She’s now at Sumire for some free diving before flying back to Canada tomorrow. She’s friendly, well-read, and loves movies. I heard from Guang-san that she’s an amazing swimmer. Unfortunately, we only spent one night together, so I didn’t get to know her better.

  • Guang-san(板倉光): He even has a Chinese name and has been to Sichuan Province (where I was born). He’s a vegetarian with very healthy habits and a disciplined lifestyle. He’s here for free diving and works at a Japanese pharmaceutical company, handling documentation and advertising. He struck me as calm and kind, and I was surprised to learn he’s 42 with a 21-year-old son. After the tsunami, he went through a tough time and later met a girlfriend online from Sichuan. He went all the way to meet her family, but they didn’t end up together due to family opposition. I was inspired by his rich life experiences.

  • Yoshiki-san is a 23-year-old boy who works at a hotel in Disneyland and is good at the guitar. He spoke English well and took me snorkeling on the second day, guiding me underwater and even covering my meal because I didn’t have cash at that time. His mom is a professional surfer, and he’s here to study surfing. I appreciate his kindness and hope he can achieve his dreams.

  • Adachi-san: He owns this guesthouse, and “Sumire” is actually his daughter’s name. She’s now in the sixth grade and loves playing Splatoon. He’s very fond of his daughter and is incredibly nice, organizing all the guesthouse activities. I remember when I lost my glasses while swimming in the river, and he said, “Liu-san, please take the glasses. Your view would be better. If you lose the glasses, I will always find it out!” I felt such kindness—it was really touching.

  • Miki-san: He’s an architect from Osaka who travels around Japan every year to specific mountains and forests to collect insects. He especially loves the longhorn beetle and even speaks a bit of Chinese. Over the past two days, he drove me to various tourist attractions and took me to cache insects —a rare experience for me. He also recommended a hostel in Hokkaido (where I will stay for four days) and was incredibly kind, even offering to make calls if I needed any help!


Chapter C - Motobu 本部

[Motobu Memory-A] My tonsillitis got worse, so I started taking medicine and rested at the hostel. The below is the photo I rested on the bus terminal, as I had to take 2.5 hours to get to the next hostel.

[Left] On the way to Motobu. [Right] Resting at the bus terminal.

[Motobu Memory-B] In Motobu, I met the new host, Niku san, who has worked here for almost 20 years. At first, I felt he was a bit distant, but later I found that he was actually a nice person. He drove me to the supermarket and also took me to a local restaurant for a meal. He also often goes to restaurants to help friends he knows. In the end, he even drove me to the port in the morning to catch the ferry. I was really grateful for his help.

I met Koichiro san here, who was from Tokyo and was a third-year high school student. He came here to participate in an event at the University of Ryukyu. I went with him to the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. He said, “Chinese people always have strong connections,” which really broke my stereotypical impression of the Japanese. He usually works part-time at a supermarket in Tokyo on weekends and enjoys playing basketball. He mentioned that his studies were very busy (I told him it is impossible as Japanese high school students finish classes at 3 PM. But he said he has a lot of homework to do haha, and also has to write many reports).

[Left] Two cute Japanese girls were amazed when I told them I came here from Todai. [Right] Me with Koichiro-san.

[Motobu Memory-C] Leaving Okinawa, I took a ferry to Kyushu Prefecture! The sea around Okinawa is truly unique—so blue, pure, and filled with a variety of vibrant marine life. I will be back again.