Relocating to Okinawa:
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Welcome to "The Hawaii of Japan"
By David Robinson

Konnichi-wa! Hello! Welcome to Okinawa. As the only area of Japan that's in the subtropics, you're about to pull duty on a piece of the world that few people ever get to see.

You'll meet very polite people here. The Japanese will add a respectful -san (rhymes with "on") to your name; it's like "sir" or "ma'am" in English. You'll hear English words sprinkled into their language, see many signs and ads in English, and find American music and movies and styles almost anywhere you turn.

You'll see sweatshirts and sportswear decorated with sayings and slogans in English - but when you read them, many won't make sense. "Selfish Style of Best High," says a woman's jacket. "Boys Feel!" proclaims a kid's T-shirt. No matter; it's in English. read more. .