Naha, Okinawa, Japan

Meandering through relaxed streets, we encounter cats and vending machines serving hot and cold drinks. Okinawa curry soba with ginger satiates a grizzly appetite. We seek new Kariyshi dress shirts and then pay our respects at Naminoue Shrine. Later, we are invited to join a large group of crew members for dinner and drinks. Making new friends all night, we consume unknown quantities of Awamori rice whisky, the oldest distilled spirit in Japan.

We rise early, but others didn’t sleep at all, and somehow are still going strong. A somber visit to Peace Memorial Park helps connect the stories from Ishigaki, Guam, and Saipan. A quarter million died in the battle of Okinawa but they are remembered most beautifully here. A high price for sure, but from it emerged a strong desire to maintain peace and harmony with all. War is a man-made disaster and thus can be prevented, if we choose.Read more