Izakaya Ya-Yas

Another neat item on the list ...

Can you think of a greater idea than cheap beer, barbecued meat and rowdy strangers? Queue the izakaya, one of Japan's greatest achievements. In contrast to your typical Western bar, you sit at a long row of tables with people you don't know, and when you are being seated the entire staff holler something that sounds part welcoming and part threatening at your party. General ridiculous behaviour is not just tolerated, but expected. Sure, warble Asia Top 40 hits while falling off your stool. Kanpai until you break your mug! Eat unreasonable varieties and volumes of grilled animals. We sat down beside these guys who looked like mobsters but ended up being about the nicest people ever. Canada needs to look into this.

The monorail. Even transit reflects the neat, tidy and pleasant Okinawan culture. Not only does the conductor wear a spiffy sky-blue getup, but a cheery jingle is played between each station (all above ground). It was the most damn pleasant experience I have had with public transit in my life.

Its hard to find much to dislike about Okinawa, and really, the only thing I could really take issue with was the Americans.

At present time there are 50,000 American military employees on the island of Okinawa. There are massive technical and tactical development sites as well as numerous camps. Obviously, everyone wants them gone, and for good reason. While I was there a news story surfaced about a GI on break in Naha who, upon drunkenly realizing that his friends were not in the taxi he'd gotten into, assaulted and strangled the driver. This is only one example out of many. The abrasiveness of these foreigners is at painfully odd ends with the locals. Coincidentally, at the beginning of June Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama stepped down and aside from funding scandals the point of contention was the military bases on Okinawa. He'd promised to have them moved and following news from the US that the proposed replacement site in Guam would not be ready for several more years he broke his promise. It appears that since being annexed by Japan Okinawa, formerly Ryukyu, has been a dumping ground for Japanese and American political fallout. Raw deal. The “American Village” is a gaudy reminder of the population who sustain it and is complete with a giant Coca-Cola ferris wheel. If you are lucky enough, you can have your suntanning disrupted by an intimidating group of jogging marines.

Anyway. I would highly recommend Okinawa for anyone looking for a beach vacation involving cheap beer, grilled meat, and hot chicks. Which is pretty much everybody.