Wagyu steak restaurant and post office car on Kokusai Street

Lots of wonderful shades of red in this scene.

Entrance to Shijo Hondori shopping arcade on Kokusai Street

It wouldn't be Japan without a Pokemon billboard somewhere!

Purple motorcycle and gray scooter parked in front of graffiti in Naha

You don't see such detailed graffiti much in Japan. Paired with the purple body and wheels of this motorcycle, it makes a great scene. (Could lose the silver scooter, though.)

Blue and white taxi passes karaoke studio and Okinawan restaurant on Kokusai Street

One of my first impressions of Okinawa as we walked down International Street (Kokusai-dori) is that everything is more colorful, especially the signage. I love it! I was even impressed by the blue in the taxi's livery.

Mi-ja souvenir shop on Kokusai Street

I didn't notice at first, but the two adorable characters on the billboard appear to be kawaii versions shiisa, mythological Ryukyuan guardians that are a cross between a dog and a lion. The idea originally came from the guardian lions of Chinese Buddhism.

Fontano Gelato ice cream shop on Kokusai Street

Another colorful shopfront in Naha on International Street (Kokusai-dori). We need more designs like this in Kyoto.

Paikaji Okinawan restaurant on Kokusai Street

One pleasant surprise in Okinawa was the vibrant colors on signs like this. In terms of colors, the designs of buildings, advertisements, and so on are more subtle where I live in Kyoto.

Fancy jelly treat in a restaurant

A delicious treat, despite the inclusion of grapefruit.

Fancy jelly treat and shikuwasa juice in a restaurant

Shikuawasa, or Citrus depressa, is a citrus fruit native to the islands of East Asia that resembles a lemon. I'm not sure if the sourness is stronger or weaker than lemon's. But it certainly has a different character.

Late afternoon ocean view from hotel in Onna, Okinawa

I like how the lighting at the beginning of dusk starts to, but doesn't completely, create a silhouette of the building.

Deep blue ocean viewed from hotel in Onna, Okinawa

Fortunately, the weather was perfect in Okinawa. A bit on the warm side, but that's easy to fix by jumping into the water. August is also typhoon season, so it's certainly not unheard of for the weather to ruin a summer vacation in Japan.

Tourist boat docked at Tiger Beach

This boat takes resort guests and visitors out into the water for various activities.

Families play at a resort on Tiger Beach

With international travel still difficult due to the pandemic, Japanese families flocked to Okinawa on domestic flights this summer to enjoy a vacation in paradise at resorts like this.

Midday view of Tiger Beach in Onna, Okinawa

Tiger beach includes a long stretch of public land between the Hotel Monterey and the Sheraton. If you're there, I encourage you to walk along its stretch and check out the different perspectives of the ocean.

Man mooring a WaveRunner

Speeding over the water on a WaveRunner is so satisfying. It must be one of the best perks in this man's job at the resort.

Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort

One of my favorite landscape photos thus far. I took it with a telephoto zoom lens from our hotel room's balcony.

Paikaji Okinawan restaurant in Onna, Okinawa

I saw this same Okinawa restaurant chain in Naha. I checked their website after our trip, and now I wish we'd checked it out. Looks good!

Families by the water at sunset at an Okinawan beach resort

From dusk 'til dawn, the parents and children at the resort always have something fun to do.

Families by the water after sunset at an Okinawan beach resort

Experiencing extraordinary scenes like this is one reason why parents like me go through the hassle of bringing kids on summer trips.

Standup paddleboarders return to shore after sunset

I've never tried standup paddleboarding (SUP). It doesn't look very exciting, but I suppose that's not the point. Being out in the middle of the water to watch the sunset must be a magical experience. Perhaps I'll give it a try someday.

Dusk at Tiger Beach

The glow of dusk on the horizon with leading lines and the rule of thirds. My teacher taught me well.

Fireworks show at Sheraton Okinawa Sunmarina Resort

This was my first time to snap photos of fireworks. I took many photos, this being the first. I like it the most because you can't see much smoke, which I found to be too much of a distraction later in the show.

Rotating star trails and cloud over Okinawa

My first attempt at star trails turned out a little better than expected, despite the cloud photo bombing my shot. I'll try again next time I can get away from the big city.

Green two-person tube float at Okinawa beach resort

Nothing terribly exciting happening in this scene. I just like the vivid green on the float.