Okinawa

Okinawa Bucket List: Northern Tip

Posted on by Greg

There’s a lot to do in Okinawa! If you’re only here for a few months, you won’t have time to do it all, but you can do a lot! I’m going to be here for a while, so I plan on doing everything. I’m breaking our bucket list into sections based on the specific area of Okinawa. Let’s start with the Northern Tip. I’m defining this as everything North-East of 331, between Taira Bay and Shioya Bay. There’s some cool stuff to do up here, but if your only here for a couple weeks, or even a few months, you probably won’t make it this far.


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Based on some extensive Googling, this is the Top 15 things to do in the Northern Tip. I’ll update the list as I complete my bucket list:

  1. Cape Hedo
  2. Kayauchi Cliffs
  3. Yambaru Discovery Forest
  4. Okinawa Rail Ecology Center Kuina-no-mori
  5. Hiji Great Falls
  6. Daisekirinzan
  7. Taminato Ugami Plant Community
  8. The Looking-Glass Mangrove Trees of Kawata
  9. Mt Yonahadake
  10. Ibudake
  11. Nekumachijidake
  12. Mt Nishimedake
  13. Onishidake
  14. Aha Damn
  15. Okuma Beach

Takushi Junk Yard

Posted on by Greg

A couple of weeks ago, while I was driving down 23, I saw a glistening Honda Beat rising above a heap of wrecked cars. I hadn’t been to any junk yards looking for a Honda Beat, but I knew Takushi had one! Takushi Junk Yard shows only as an Auto Body Shop on Google Maps and it doesn’t have any reviews, but once the issues in my Honda Beat became clear, I knew I had to check it out. When I pulled in it looked like they were fixing cars in makeshift stalls on the left, and there was a tire shed on the right. There weren’t any marked parking spaces so I went straight and parked at the top of the hill above the junk yard. A member of the staff immediately greeted me but didn’t speak English, and I still can only say hello and yes in Japanese. He directed me to a staff member who was busy under a car, but I assumed he could speak English. After a couple minutes of waiting, he came out from the car to grab a tool and saw me waiting with the other staff member. I try not to bother people who are under cars. I asked him about gauges for my Honda Beat. He took me into the junk yard and showed me his beautiful white Honda Beat that was sitting on top of a storage container. It had been thoroughly scavenged, but it still had it’s instrument cluster. I don’t think Takushi is a pick-n-pull type of junk yard. I don’t think the technician quite understood my question, but he told me he could have the parts removed and ready in two hours. It would be 6000 yen for the instrument cluster. That seemed reasonable. I paid him a small deposit and agreed to come back in two hours. I showed up right on time, and the instrument cluster was removed and ready. I paid the same technician the remainder of the 6000 yen, and he handed me the instrument cluster. Takushi didn’t seem to do receipts or invoices. That’s chill. I don’t need ’em. The cluster had some corrosion from being exposed to the Okinawa humidity. I think the Beat had been there a long time with missing doors. The gauges didn’t all work, but I only need the fuel gauge and the temperature gauge. After several hours of work, I realized I’m an idiot. The gauges weren’t the problem. When the dealer said the gauge didn’t work, they meant it was displaying incorrect information. Now I need to do some actual diagnosis and check the sending unit. Anyways, Takushi seems like an alright place. They have parts. They aren’t expensive. If you need parts and your favorite junk yard doesn’t have it, maybe Takushi does. Unless you need parts for a Honda Beat. They don’t have any more. I bought them all.

R12 A/C Service

Posted on by Greg

Most cars made after 1993 use R134a refrigerant. The production of R12 (Dichlorodifluoromethane) was banned in developed countries, Japan included, in 1996. That makes R12 refrigerant very hard to find, both in the United States, and in Japan. Unfortunately, that’s the refrigerant used in my recently acquired 1991 Honda Beat. While a convertible is meant to be driven with the top down, I found myself sweating if I put the top up even when I had the A/C set to max. It was clear the A/C system was working, but it wasn’t working well. I hoped recharging the system would rejuvenate it. I had two options, either convert the system to R134a, which would be expensive and would have reduced performance as my A/C system was designed to use R12, or find an auto shop that was still certified to handle R12 and had a supply of the gas they could purchase. I should note that R12 and R134a do not mix. One shop that I contacted told me they had a special hose that allowed them to recharge a R12 system with R134a. That’s not a thing. If I was being generous, I’d assume they meant they could convert R12 to R134a, but I’m not generous and I will never contact them again. Luckily, Toma’s Garage still has R12 equipment and gas on hand. When I spoke with them on the phone, they said they could perform the service immediately, but I should get there before 11:15 so they can recharge and test the A/C system before they take lunch at noon. Their good reviews are well deserved. I sat in the waiting room for about 30 minutes before my A/C was recharged and they’d verified the work with a test drive. When I got back in my car, it was an amazing difference. The A/C actually worked. The only downside was the cost. R12 cost 3500 yen per can through Toma’s It took two cans to recharge my system, plus labor. Worth it.

If you’re one of the other three Americans on Okinawa with a car that needs a R-12 recharge, I’d recommend Toma’s.

Buying a Car from Mainland Japan

Posted on by Greg

Kei cars are cramped, uncomfortable, under powered, and a blast to drive. Following untimely destruction of my Pajero Mini, I wanted to get something more exotic. Before I arrived at Okinawa, I read Ken Saito’s review of the new S660 and loved the idea of a Kei coupe convertible. I was struggling to decide between a hard top Suzuki Cappuccino or a mid-engined Honda Beat. I showed my wife pictures of both and she advised “I don’t care.” I decided to get the Beat.

You might not love Kei cars. You probably hate them. That’s okay. You’ll have a similar process to purchase your Okinawan dream car, maybe a classic Nissan Skyline GT-R or Diesel 4WD Toyota Land Cruiser, from mainland Japan. From start to finish, it took about two months. If you were more driven, you could get it done much quicker.

I looked at Japanese auction sites and Goo-net, but decided to work with a local dealer. I contacted Auto Shop Z. For $500, which they require as a deposit, they’ll do all of the translation, coordination, and paperwork to bring a car from mainland Japan to Okinawa. On April 29, I drove to Auto Shop Z with my $500 deposit. We talked about what kind of car I was looking for, any special requirements, and my budget. If we they could find the car on the island, we’d save the shipping cost and I’d have it quicker. Unfortunately, the local Honda Beats were in very poor shape. There were two listed on Goo-net, but both had close to 200K kilometers and had excessive body rust. I also preferred a Honda Beat with OEM parts and the ridiculous zebra patterened seats. And it couldn’t be teal. The Beat looks terrible in teal. I searched on Goo-net and found several Beats that appeared to be in good condition, not teal, and were in my price range. I sent the links to Auto Shop Z and they contacted all of the dealers.

On May 12, I picked up a loaner car from Auto Shop Z. They let me keep it until I picked up my Honda Beat. While I was in, we looked at the responses from the dealers. Regrettably, none of the four seemed interested in the hassle of shipping a car to Okinawa. Two of them said no and the other two quoted significantly increased prices over what was listed on goo-net. Shucks.

On May 22, Auto Shop Z contacted me to see if I was interested in another Beat listed on goo-net. A nice yellow beat with 84k kilometers. When I had searched goo-net, I had ignored the car since the listing hadn’t been updated in four months and I assumed it was no longer available. It was listed as goo-net certified with a 3 star interior and 3 star exterior. The dealer had been unable to sell the car for a while, which could have been a warning that it had some issues, but was interested and willing to ship the car to Okinawa.

On May 25, I paid 475,000 yen for the car and shipping costs. Two minor annoyances here — the shipping company misquoted to price, which I paid an additional 7,000 yen after the car arrived, and the dealer notified Auto Shop Z that the temperature gauge didn’t work after I paid and they were preparing to ship. Still, not enough to derail my multi-month dream of owning a Honda Beat!

On Jun 8, the car arrived on Okinawa. I agreed to have Auto Shop Z take care of the maintenance, JCI, road tax, and registration. They sent me a picture of the title which I used to change my insurance policy to cover the Honda Beat, instead of the Pajero Mini that I junked. I also got a Letter of Attorney from JSVRO at Camp Foster so that Auto Shop Z could register the car. I brought my insurance and Letter of Attorney to Auto Shop Z on 12 Jun.

On Jun 18, the car was ready for pickup! I paid 48,160 yen for the cost of maintenance, JCI, road tax, and registration, plus the additional 7,000 yen for the shipping misquote. My car had A-plates and was ready to drive. I smiled gleefully as I shifted gears with the revving loudly behind me attempting to muster all 63-hp to merge onto the expressway.

My joy was only tempered slightly by the many issues the car had. The car was dirty. It wasn’t the end of the world, but I would have thought the dealership would clean it more thoroughly before shipping it. Of course, it was a well used, 27 year old car. It was a given that the body had dents, there were chips in the paint, and the convertible top was a little discolored and some of the threads were worn. However, the clear coat was falling off fo the trunk and rear bumper. The paint had looked to be in much better condition in the photos. The A/C was weak. It wasn’t just the temperature gauge that didn’t work, the fuel gauge was also erroneously displaying full. I decided to fill the car up when I got home, only to discover that the fuel door was stuck. The radio didn’t get any FM signal. I didn’t mind the radio issues on the drive home, because the engine was screaming at 6,000 rpm in 5th gear just to maintain 80 kph, and that was music to my ears. I didn’t realized that there was no power steering in the Honda Beat, which made me love the car even more. The Check Engine light was burnt out, but the car does have a good engine and transmission. The clutch is fantastic and the gears shifted smoothly.

The car had more issues than I expected but I’m still pleased with my purchase. The car is absurd and impractical. The many issues will provide projects for weekends to come. If I was going to do it over, I’d probably increase my budget to look for a car in better condition, or wait indefinitely until I found a great deal. However, I was without a car and I didn’t want to go through the hassle of buying another car while I waited. I also didn’t want to deal with the paperwork to own to cars at once. It’s probably not hard, I just don’t like paperwork.

Auto Shop Z was a great dealer to partner with and made the whole process easy. If you’re buying a more expensive car, you’ll find likely many more dealerships from mainland Japan that are willing to work with you.

Getting Car Parts from the Typhoon Motors Junk Yard

Posted on by Greg

While backing her car out of its tiny parking space, my wife severly miscalculated the position of a giant concrete pole that never moves. While the side mirror was made of Suzuki’s finest materials, it was no match for a giant pillar of unmoving concrete. I wouldn’t feel comfortable on the streets of Okinawa without a side mirror to see the scooters speeding down the middle of the lane so I wanted to replace the mirror as quickly as possible.

The Typhoon Motors Junk Yard at Camp Foster is open 7 days a week and has very reasonable prices if you can find what you need. Wear clothes toed shoes and check-in at the customer service counter when you arrive. You’re not allowed to remove any parts that will leak fluids yourself. If you have a common car such as a Mazda Altenza or a Nissan Cube you’ll find 3-4 suitable donor cars. If you have a less common car, cross your fingers. There were probably about 60 cars in the junkyard and I walked past them all. I even saw my old Pajero Mini as I was looking for parts.

Poor little chap.

Fortunately, in the back corner, there was a Suzuki Lapin of a similar age as my wife’s. Okay, so was a different shade of blue, and the mirror was square instead of round, but it fit. It was $15 and I could have it today. You can bring your own tools, or borrow some from the tool shed in the Auto Hobby Shop. I’d recommend bringing your own tools. The tool shed didn’t have complete metric socket sets available. If you’re like me and did no prior research to have the slightest idea what size bolts hold the mirror in, you could find yourself carrying a lot of loose sockets and constantly walking back and forth to the tool shed.

If you need a bit of inspiration, my 2003 Suzuki Lapin Driver Side Mirror Replacement instructional video is very informative.

Buying a Car from a Person

Posted on by Greg

You found a car you like like that is currently owned by another Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) qualified person. The road tax is current and the JCI doesn’t expire next month. It is already registered with Joint Service Vehicle Registration Office (JSVRO) as in, it has “A” or “Y” plates. What’s next? I’m assuming you’re new on the island and don’t have any vehicles currently registered in your name, but you did go to newcomers orientation and receive your SOFA license. You’ll need agree on the price with the seller, payment method, and a time to complete the purchase transfer the title. JSVRO is only open Monday to Friday. The whole process is very inefficient and you should expect it to take several hours.

  1. Buyer and Seller go to JSVRO. The easiest way to get to JSVRO is to use Camp Foster Gate 5 from HW 58. Coming from Gate 5, make the first right then take the fourth driveway on the left. You’ll probably have your sponsor drive you here, or possibly even the seller. Here’s the link on Google Maps (keep in mind Apple Maps and Google Maps do not provide on base directions)
  2. Document Verification. JSVRO will make sure the car is eligible to be sold and the buyer is eligible to buy. You will need your ID, SOFA license, and orders. After all of the documents are verified, JSVRO will provide you with a Letter of Attorney. This is required to have your insurance company perform the actual title transfer.
  3. Title Transfer and Insurance. The seller probably has an annual insurance policy that has several months of coverage left that they no longer need. For convenience, they’ll probably want to go to their insurance office to transfer the title. This will let you purchase insurance, pay the $40 fee for the title transfer, and allow them to get a rebate for their policy. The closest insurance office to JSVRO is GEA insurance located inside the Exchange Gas Station behind JSVRO. Here’s the link on Google Maps, but you’ll also see it on your way to JSVRO. You should also get a Bill of Sale.
  4. Provide Bill of Sale to JSVRO. Yes. You’re going back. Drop of the Bill of Sale. You’re pretty much done now. You can drive your car around. If you drove with the seller, it’d be great to drop the off now that you own the car.
  5. Pick Up Title. You’ll have a temporary title which will awesome, but at some point you’ll want to pick up the original title. Your insurance company will contact you when its ready. If you used GEA insurance, can deliver the title to one of their offices closer to the base you work at.

Total Loss: Good Bye Mitsubishi Pajero Mini

Posted on by Greg

If you get in an automobile accident on or off base, make sure the scene is safe, then contact Security Forces or the Military Police. They will help you complete an accident report which the insurance companies will need. Security Forces will also check all of your documentation. Property Damage Insurance (PDI) needs to be renewed annually in person. After an accident the worst time to remember that you forgot to renew your insurance. Japan has shared liability. If your vehicle was moving, you are partially at fault.

As I was driving home on Kadena AB from physical training on a wet, rainy morning, a car darted out in front of me from a parking lot on my left. It was attempting to make a right hand turn. It didn’t have time. I slammed my foot on my brakes. There wasn’t enough distance. I hit the car. Fortunately, the accident was at very low speeds and now one was injured. I drove my car into the parking lot, which much protest from the plastic panel that was now bent against my front tire, and waited for Security Forces. When they arrived, they took a statement from both of us and the other driver received a citation. I took photos of the damage and called my wife to ask for a ride. Later that day, I had to drive to my insurance office to file a detailed paper claim with them. Later that day, an adjuster called me to ask more questions. I emailed him all of the photos I took of the damage.

It doesn’t look that bad.

After three weeks, the insurance companies finally had it all sorted out. I was 10% at fault, what I understand to be the minimum if you’re in a moving vehicle, which meant the other insurance company would pay 90% of my repair cost. Unfortunately, the repair was estimated to be $2200 and my little Kei car was only valued at $1700. I suppose Kei cars don’t hold up well in accidents. It was a total loss. The insurance company gave me the chose of either repairing the car and they would pay the difference, or $1700 cash. While I liked the car, the JCI was due the next month and I opted for the cash. I would have preferred to just have some money transferred to my bank account. Instead, 175000 yen was delivered from the insurance company to an auto garage in Okinawa-City. I drove the the garage and provided very loose proof of identity — I was the American that wanted 175000 yen — and received my pile of cash.

Where to Find a Car in Okinawa

Posted on by Greg

You’ll probably buy your car from a private party, normally another American preparing to leave, or one of the many car dealerships surrounding the U.S. military bases in Okinawa.

There are two “big” websites to check online:

  1. Facebook: This is a pretty active Buy/Sell/Trade group for Okinawa that frequently has cars for sale. You’ve got the advantage of real profiles, a messenger app that you actually use, an active community, and it’s open on Sundays! Dealers generally won’t post their cars here so you will likely see private party sellers only.
  2. Bookoo: Bookoo is very popular in Okinawa. Car dealers and private party sellers will both list here. Private party sellers are generally less responsive on Bookoo, and the site shuts down on Sunday, which is weird, but you’ll have far better selection and better search options than the facebook group.

While several of the dealers post on Bookoo, you can check their websites as well if there is a specific dealer that you’re comfortable shopping at. Most people end up buying a car wherever their sponsor recommends which generally happens to be the same place where the sponsor bought their car.

  1. Car Man: I bought one of my cars here and had  great experience. Car Man is a smaller dealer that sells mostly Kei cars. Their Kei cars have a shorter warranty than some of the other dealers.
  2. BC Used Cars: Most people that buy a car from a dealer will buy from BC Motors. They sell a lot of cars. Some people have horror stories. Most people don’t.
  3. U.S. Auto Sales: As you might have guessed from the name, this dealer also caters to Americans. Lot’s of people also buy their cars here.
  4. Johhy’s Cars: The prices are very high. The cars are on sale for huge discounts. After the huge discount, they’re still more expensive than Car Man. Maybe the premium is worth it.
  5. Payless Motors: They have a lot of cars in the $3,000 to $4,500 range.
  6. Ride Over: Their english website is  limited. They sell more expensive cars. If you’re not looking for a practical car, this might be an okay place to start. I’d go through their main web page using google translate.
  7. Pit Stop: Several comments on OkinawaHai suggest not buying a car here. These comments are from 2011. I haven’t heard anything positive or negative about this dealer that is more recent.
  8. Auto Shop Z: This dealer is active on Facebook and Bookoo. Their location is further north that the other dealers but they do have a shuttle service. They are the lowest priced dealer, but they sell their cars without a warranty.

Whale Watching in Okinawa

Posted on by Greg

Every December, Humpback whales migrate to the warm waters off the coast of Okinawa. Many humpback whales can be found near Kerama Islands and Naha. The whales will hang around until April-ish. That’s it. January to March is peak Whale Watching Season in Okinawa.

We booked our whale watching adventure through ITT, but there are several companies in Naha that offer whale watching services. We boarded the ITT tour bus at Kadena at 7am and had a peaceful ride down to Miegusuku port near Naha. It was a nice, calm day. I popped a couple of dramamine tablets and spritzed my exposed skin with some sunscreen before we boarded our whale watching vessel.

At the beginning of the day, it seems as though all of the different charter companies zip off to different sectors around the Kerama islands to search for Humpback whales. 30 minutes into our cruise our guide found a solitary humpback whale in an empty section of the South China Sea. I climbed up to the second story of the boat to get a better view and to ensure I could really feel the boat rocking back and forth. We remained stationary and rocking for a while as the guide tried to figure out where the whale was going. Every few minutes we’d see a new spout off in the distance as he swam around. He wasn’t really headed in any particular direction.

Fun fact: The Humpback whales don’t eat anything the entire time they’re visiting Okinawa. Normally, the migrate to procreate. I guess they’d rather start a family in a tropical paradise than in frigid Alaska.

The boat operator got a call from another guide that had found a family of three whales. We changed course and sailed away from our solitary friend. When we arrived at the new location, it was already quite crowded. There were four other charter boats in the area. This must have been the best find.

There were a lot of different boats.

All of the boat operators were very professional and executed a seamless dance, constantly shifting position to ensure every boat’s passengers had equal opportunity to see the massive whales. The two parents swam about like reasonable adults and would surface at regular intervals to breath. They already had a calf, so I’m not sure what they were doing fasting in Okinawa, but the young calf seemed to be having a blast. He didn’t so much swim as he did jump, spin, and fall. We probably followed the family for a full hour and he jumped the entire time. I’m sure his parents were just waiting for him to fall asleep.

It’s a little guy!

After 2 hours at sea, and very successful whale sightings, we headed back in to the port. I’ll not that it’s possible that you won’t see any whales at all. There is a lot of water in the ocean. But since I saw whales and had a good time, it was definitely worth the trip.

Picking a Car for Okinawa

Posted on by Greg

The first step in your car buying experience is deciding what kind of car you want to buy. While there are a lot of cool cars in Japan, the biggest factor in your total cost of ownership is the size. To save money, and frustration on Okinawa’s narrow side streets, I’d recommend getting the smallest car you can that meets your bare minimum requirements, but let’s look at the different classes of cars available.

Privately owned vehicles in Japan will have either a White or a Yellow plate. The Yellow plate is reserved for “Kei”  or “K” cars. These cars are produced almost exclusively for the Japanese Domestic market and have strict size and weight limits. They can seat a maximum of four people, and will be powered by an engine sized 660cc or less and producing a maximum of 64 HP. In the United States, you can easily find motorcycles with a larger, more powerful engine, but Okinawa is a small, slow island. The top speed is 80 KPH on the expressway. Main thoroughfares will likely be 50-60 KPH. The rest of the island is 40 KPH or less (usually less). A mechanically sound kei car will handle these speeds just fine. Kei cars may also be referred to as “A” plates as the letter “A” will appear in the license plate number to easily identify the car as a Kei car owned by someone with a SOFA license and registered through a U.S. military base.

If a Kei car is too small for your, you’ll be looking for a white plate car. White plate cars that are registered to someone on SOFA status will feature a “Y” in the license plate number. I’ve been told that “Y” stands for “Yankee” and “A” presumably stands for “American”, but I really wish the “Y” plate cars were the yellow plate cars. The white plate, or “Y” plate, will likely be either 300 or 500 series. The series is again determined by the cars size and engine size. The 500 series will include traditional compact cars, like the Honda Civic, as well as some larger vehicles with smaller engines. The 300 series includes the cars you probably want: a Nissan Skyline GT-R, Toyota Supra, Toyota Hilux Surf, dope twin turbo Subaru, Honda Accord, or that sweet, sweet, Honda Odyssey Minivan. Sadly, these cars are impractical and expensive for island life. What’s a 700 HP GT-R with a speed limit of 80 KPH and no tracks? Sad.

Your major costs will be:

  1. The purchase price. 300 and 500 series plate cars in poor condition can easily be found for less than $1,000 in the lemon lot. Newer cars in good condition will sell for a fair price, though, generally less than you spend for a comparable car in the states. GT-Rs will be expensive and not in the lemon lot. Yellow plate cars generally are listed between $1,500 and $2,500, depending on condition and desirability of the car.
  2. Gas. Fortunately, if you have access to a military base, you will only spend about $2.50 per gallon as opposed to 110¥ per liter (about $4.60 per gallon). Yellow plate cars, with their minuscule engines, get the best gas milage.
  3. Japanese Road tax. This tax must be paid annually and will vary depending on the size of your vehicle.
  4. Shaken. Shaken, or Japanese Compliance Inspection (JCI) is a biennial inspection to ensure all cars on Japanese roads are safe, maintained, and do not have any illegal modifications. You will pay a vehicle weight tax, compulsory insurance, a processing fee, and pay for any repairs necessary to bring your car into compliance. The JCI is tied to the car, not the individual. If you purchase a car from the dealer, the JCI will generally be completed before you receive the vehicle. If you purchase from a private seller, the JCI expires 2 years from when they last completed a JCI inspection.
  5. Insurance. As an American, you will be required to purchase additional insurance on top of the insurance paid for as part of Shaken. 
Mitsubishi Pajero

Below is a rough estimate of how much you could expect to pay:

Car Gas (Annually) Road Tax (Annually) JCI (Bi-annually) PDI (Annually) 1 Year Cost 2 Year Cost 3 Year Cost
Kei (Yellow Plate) $500 $30 $200 $200 $730 $1460 $2390
500 Series $1000 $ 75 $300 $300 $1375 $2750 $4425
300 Series $1500 $180 $400 $400 $2080 $4160 $6640

If you have a family of five, you’d struggle to fit in a Kei car with a maximum seating capacity of four. Whatever your situation is, I’d recommend getting the smallest car that can accommodate your needs.