Shisa Dogs

I signed up to make my very own Shisa. It was surprisingly not as stressful as I thought since most of you know about my artistic abilities. I'm happy with the Shisa and can't wait for them the dry so I can display them proudly. Another only in Japan experience.
Shisa is a traditional Ryukyuan decoration, often found in pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawa mythology. Many people put a pair of shisa on their rooftops or flanking the gates to their houses. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from various evils. When found in pairs, the shisa on the left traditionally has a closed mouth, and the one on the right an open mouth.

Higashi Azalea Festival

I went to the Azalea Festival in the Higashi Village. The flowers were pretty. We walked around the grounds for a few hours. Another thing to see on Okinawa before we leave in Nov.

Battle of Okinawa

This morning Liz and I went on the ITT tour Battle of Okinawa. The tour guide is a lady who survived the battle. She gave alot of insight and information about the Okinawan people during the battle. She has been battling the Japanese Government over the details of the war on Okinawa. We first went to a cave where her family hid during the war. After her family left the cave became a death trap. Mothers were killing their child since the Japanese told the Okinawan people that the Americans were going to kill or enslave them. Next stop on the tour we headed to one of the hills near Naha, where some of the heaviest fighting took place. The next stop was the Underground Naval Headquarters. Finally we ended our tour at the Peace Prayer Park.

Taste of Asia

Alex and I went to a dinner show at the Butler O'Club called the Taste of Asia. The food was all kinds of Asian dishes so Alex was not too happy with the food selection but the open bar made up for the food. The entertainment was a local group. We enjoyed the dancing and drumming.