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Typhoon Samba in September last year brought sustained winds of 194 kph and gusting up to 241 kph, but caused very little actual damage, although the storm's ferocity was impressive.

2013.05.19

Forecasters Predict ‘normal’ Typhoon Sea… [Nature & Environment]

By Bill Charles The 2013 typhoon season officially kicks off two weeks from now, onJune 1st, and thus far there’s nothing on the ocean horiz...Read More

2013.05.19

Forecasters Predict ‘normal’ Typhoon Season [Nature & Environment]

By Bill Charles The 2013 typhoon season officially kicks off two weeks from now, onJune 1st, and thus far there’s nothing on the ocean horizons to suggest any storms before then. P...

The Kodomo-no Kuni panel exhibition show birds and other wild animals in their natural environments, and also explains the birds' breeding seasons and habits.

2013.05.17

Wild Bird Panel Exhibition on at Kodomo no Kuni [Nature & Environment]

It’s spring, the season when wild birds breed, and the Okinawa Zoo, Okinawa Kodomo no Kuni, is now featuring a panel exhibition on not only birds, but also 200 kinds of animals inc...

Fossilized remains of ammonites, and other animals and plants are on display in Nago Museum through May 20.

2013.05.11

Fossil Exhibition big draw at Nago Museum [Nature & Environment]

Nago Museum, Okinawa Stone Association, Ryukyu University Hujukan and Okinawa Prefectural Museum have teamed up to offer a special Fossil Exhibition through Sunday, May 20th, at th...

Hills at Higashi Village Azalea Park are now at their most colorful.

2013.03.10

Azaleas are in full bloom at Higashi Village [Nature & Environment]

This week’s sunshine has been perfect for the island’s azaleas, which are now in bloom in Higashi Village where the 31st Azalea Festival is under way. The flower festival is runnin...

Hedo Point is the northernmost tip of Okinawa Island and a place known of its rugged beauty.

2013.03.04

Venture into adventure in northern Okinawa [Nature & Environment]

By Bill Charles Cape Hedo is the northernmost point on Okinawa Island. It is also one of the island’s most famous landmarks, attracting visitors both for its sheer beauty and for i...

The flowers at Kodomo-no Kuni are arranged to create unique backgrounds for commemoration photos.

2013.02.26

‘Tropical’ defines flower show at Okinawa Zoo [Nature & Environment]

The theme of this year’s 4th Okinawa Kodomo-no-Kuni Flower Festival is “tropical”, which may seem a bit strange with this being a sub-tropical island. It is what it is, though, and...

2013.02.10

Free trees offered at 4th Camellia Festival in Kunigami [Nature & Environment]

Natural beauty meets a beautiful natural scent as the 4th Camellia Festival takes place beginning Saturday in Kunigami Village Forest Park. The festival and exhibition focus on cam...

The Whale Watching photo exhibition is held in Tembus Gallery.

2013.02.03

Whale watching season produces photo exhibition [Nature & Environment]

The humpback whales are migrating in Okinawa waters, and whale watching season’s in full swing with tours running daily to watchers known to attract the lumbering behemoths. For th...

Exotic tropical plants and flowers grow in their natural habitat along the roads and pathways of Bios Hill natural botanical garden.

2013.01.27

Botanical garden encourages back-to-nature visits [Nature & Environment]

Peace and tranquility, walks along pathways through woods filled with plants, flowers, birds and insects, are all in the spotlight through February 11th at the Bios on the Hill nat...

A field of sunflowers in Kitanakagusuku is ready to put a smile on people's faces.

2013.01.27

Himawari Festival brings forth golden sunflowers [Nature & Environment]

At first mention of a flower with a smiling face, everyone thinks of a sunflower, and the Himawari Festival pays homage to Japan’s “earliest sunflower”. About 40,000 sunflowers beg...

A humpback whale breaches the surface as whale watchers on boats look on. Photo courtesy of Cerulean Blue Co. that arranges whale watching tours from Hamagawa Fishing Port in Sunabe, and has a policy of guaranteeing the sight of whales.

2013.01.27

Humpback whales take limelight [Nature & Environment]

By Bill Charles They are big and slow, but they love to play and have fun. Humpback whales are making their annual migration to Okinawa waters, and now it’s easy for people to watc...

Local residents created the Cosmos flower field after a landslide destroyed the slope in 2006.

2013.01.20

Cosmos in full bloom at Asato in Nakagusuku [Nature & Environment]

Central Okinawa is alive with the vibrant colors of flowers in bloom, with more than 100,000 cosmos now in full bloom in Nakagusuku’s Asato district. The flowers are in bloom throu...

Flowers and plants of all varieties will fill Nago Fishing Port Jan. 25 through 27.

2013.01.20

Nago Fishing Port salutes sakura with its own festival [Nature & Environment]

The colorful pink sakura, the cherry blossom, is in full bloom across northern Oknawa, and Nago Fishing Port is taking the occasion to have its own 13th Village of Flowers, Hana no...

Children's play area is prepared with toy snakes and other items related to the reptiles.

2012.12.01

Wonder Museum wants visitors to ‘meet snake’ [Nature & Environment]

The Wonder Museum at Okinawa Kodomo no Kuni is venturing down a somewhat different path from now through January 27th, wanting to introduce visitors to snakes from both a cultural...

2012.09.21

Sanba blasts Okinawa, Kyushu en route to Korea [Nature & Environment]

A man fell off his roof in Kagoshima Sunday and was killed, and a snorkeler drowned in Ishigaki some 200 meters off the coastline after being carried away by high waves as Typhoon ...

2012.08.17

Okinawa Kodomono-Kuni offers Saturzoo Nights [Nature & Environment]

It’s a different perspective on a zoo’s animal inhabitants, but that’s what the zoo of Okinawa Kodomono-kuni is offering through September 1st. SaturZoo Night is a time for the zoo...