The island of Okinawa has a very different feel than Tokyo. More tropical. More green. Slower paced.
There are a wide variety of trees and shrubs. Some needle-y, some leafy, none too tall. The cherry blossoms are as beautiful as everyone says.
As we drive around the area, I recognize some words, a few stores and restuarants, the familiar chirping of the crosswalks, some of the same architecture of what I've come to think of as Japan; but it doesn't have the same "feel" that Tokyo and Yokohama have to me. My head understands that I'm in Japan, that we're on a small island, that we're not in a huge city like Tokyo, but it refuses to "feel right" to me. I'm beginning to think that Tokyo has become "Japan" to me. Silly, I know, but seemingly true nonetheless.
That said, the ocean and geography surrounding us is breathtaking. I love the abundance of trees and plants, and the rich colors of the water. Okinawa will create its own "feel" to me during our stay here, I'm sure, and I'm definitely looking forward to that.
---Arielle