All posts tagged: northern okinawa

Nago Haari – Dragon Boat Races

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 On August 2nd 2026 the Nago Haari (dragon boat races) took place in the Nago City port, northern Okinawa. I was part of the Yambaru DMO team, but instead of rowing, I spent the race crouched at the bow taking photos. Thankfully, my extra weight didn’t slow the team down; we still crossed the finish line first! These wide-angle shots were with the Sony A7RIV with the 14mm 1.8 lens, held about 20 cm from the surface of the water as I leaned out of the boat. It was great to see so many different boats competing, with teams of local Okinawans and Americans. These telephoto shots were with the 70-200mm lens.

Exploring the Yanbaru

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A couple of weeks ago I spent the day exploring the northern part of Okinawa known as Yanbaru. Here are a few snaps from a fun day out. I joined a guided walk that meets up at the Yanbaru Visitors Center and “Road Station” that opened in February 2020. There’s a mini supermarket packed with local produce if you need to stock up with snacks before your hike, or to buy ingredients for dinner after your adventure. A guided walk teaches you far more about the local flora and fauna than if you just treated the hike as a way to burn off calories. The guide was able to spot numerous critters, and explain the names and special features of the many plants along the trail. There was a good viewpoint from the summit on the trail looking out towards the Okuma Peninsular, and then we descended back down through the forest. We stopped for lunch at Maruhira restaurant while heading north on the west coast. If you contact the restaurant in advance they can …