Everybody loves Okinawa. Japan's southernmost prefecture boasts sun-kissed beaches, coral reefs, an easy-going lifestyle and a culture unlike anywhere else in the country. These days, the islands and their distinctive cuisine enjoy a certain hip cachet; this has not always been the case.
No longer regarded merely as an exotic honeymoon destination with a tragic wartime history, there is now a wider appreciation of the vibrant traditions of the former Ryukyu Kingdom. This has been mirrored by the growing popularity of the distinct food and drink and the proliferation of Okinawan restaurants and bars on the mainland.
One of the new wave of casual watering holes in Tokyo is Taketomijima. Named after one of the most beautiful of the prefecture's islands, this basement dining-bar in the backstreets of Ginza manages to marry the simple feel of rural Okinawa with a sense of big-city style. It's a blend that proves most seductive.