Tag - okinawa-beat

 
 

OKINAWA BEAT

Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Jan 12, 2018
Okinawa zoo's lion cubs proving too cute to pass up
Tokyo's Ueno Zoological Gardens may have the giant panda cub Xiang Xiang to adore, but a zoo in Okinawa has its own critters to be crazy about: lions.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Dec 13, 2017
Ishigaki package tour has couples scaling cliffs and diving into the sea before tying the knot
A unique package tour on Okinawa's Ishigaki Island for soon-to-be-married couples is creating a buzz.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Nov 10, 2017
Okinawa solar firm eyes new revenue by converting vacant house into lodging for overseas tourists
A solar power generation firm based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, is pursuing a new line of business, tapping into a renovated vacant house as an inn for foreign visitors, especially large families.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Oct 13, 2017
Okinawa innkeeper transforms 'love hotel' into castle with a floral view
Hotel Sha La La is one of Okinawa's newest hot spots, enticing tourists with its castle-like structure.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Sep 8, 2017
Okinawa bus tour services share staff with other firms in the off-season to tackle labor crunch
Twenty-one bus tour guides of Naha Bus Co. and Ryukyu Bus Kotsu are now working at a call center in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, to take customer orders for women's clothing.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Aug 11, 2017
Okinawa positions itself as hub for used rental-car exports
Okinawa plans to export more used cars, making use of vehicles retired from the prefecture's prospering car rental businesses.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Jun 9, 2017
Crowdfunding project kicks off to create manga promoting Okinawa history, culture
An Okinawa resident, originally from the U.S., is calling for donations to publish a manga book and an animated film through crowdfunding to promote the unique history and culture in the prefecture, which historically had been the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until the late 1800s.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
May 11, 2017
Okinawa grapples with mounting garbage, water supply dilemma amid record tourist numbers
As Okinawa continues to mark record high numbers of tourists in recent years, the prefecture is struggling to dispose of snowballing garbage and supplying sufficient amounts of water.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Apr 12, 2017
Naha firm to open miniature model theme park in Okinawa featuring tourist sites around the world
A company based in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, is aiming to open a theme park in the prefecture around 2022 featuring exhibitions of famous cities around the world using miniature models.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Mar 9, 2017
Taiwan auto parts firm leads way in Okinawa business push
The Taiwanese boss of an auto component-maker in the Okinawan city of Uruma is confident that his decision to come to the island prefecture was the right one.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Feb 9, 2017
Designated driver service seeks to prevent drunk driving by U.S. forces
Substitute drivers in Okinawa have started giving U.S. service members a ride home inside bases to reduce incidences of drunken driving in a first in Japan.
Japan Times
JAPAN / Politics / OKINAWA BEAT
Jan 13, 2017
Okinawa prepares for new effort to block Henoko base by rallying local opposition
Okinawa Prefecture is scrambling to plot its next move in the wake of a recent Supreme Court ruling siding with the central government's effort to relocate the operations of a U.S. military base within the prefecture despite fierce local opposition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / OKINAWA BEAT
Dec 9, 2016
Cruise liner influx overwhelming Miyakojima's economy
Amid rising hopes for economic growth, Japan's tourism boom has exposed the need for regional authorities to develop infrastructure and help secure the manpower needed to deal with the influx of foreign tourists.

Longform

High-end tourism is becoming more about the kinds of experiences that Japan's lesser-known places can provide.
Can Japan lure the jet-set class off the beaten path?