love for country, corps and each other · gashi-son is quiet. when march comes around, it’s time...

INSIDE INFO Pages 4-6

HAVE A HOOTIN NAHA

PAGE 8

MOVE OVER SAKURA, IT’S AZALEA TIME

PAGE 3

CAMP COURTNEY – “I report-ed in and as soon as I walked in, I saw her sitting on the left side of the office,” said then Lance Cpl. Craig Johnson. “I looked at her and said to myself ‘at some point, you have to get to know her.’”

Now Master Gunnery Sgt. Craig Johnson, a native of Lex-ington, Kentucky and intelli-gence chief with III Marine Ex-peditionary Force, and Master Gunnery Sgt. Veronica Johnson,

The Johnsons started their re-lationship as lance corporals and have been chasing each other through the ranks since.

“We began our relationship as lance corporals and then picked up corporal together,” said Ve-ronica Johnson, a native of New-berry, South Carolina. ”He did pick up sergeant and staff ser-geant before me, but I picked up gunnery sergeant, master ser-geant and master gunnery ser-geant before him.”

Growing up in the Marine and Mrs. Johnson have been in the Marine Corps for a total of 52 years.

a supply chief with III Marine Expeditionary Force, have been married for over 23 years. Mr.

STORY AND PHOTO BYLANCE CPL. HANNAH HALL,

III MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Love for country, Corps and each other

Kick-off timefor J. League

It’s time for family fun, abounding appetite,

and echoing excitement

Business cards, flyers, invitations and more!

Contactprintshop.stripes.com

042-552-2510 (extension77315)227-7315

d M J h h b il hi f ith III M i

Master Gunnery Sergeants Craig and Veronica Johnson at Camp Courtney on Feb. 7.

PAGE 7

VOLUME 13 NO. 10 FEBRUARY 28 − MARCH 6, 2019 FREESTRIPESOKINAWA.COM SUBMIT STORIES TO: [email protected] FACEBOOK.COM/STRIPESPACIFIC

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SEE MARINES ON PAGE 2

A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION FEBRUARY 28 − MARCH 6, 20192 STRIPES OKINAWA

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For feedback and inquiries,contact [email protected]

Max D. Lederer Jr.Publisher

Lt. Col. Richard E. McClinticCommander

Joshua M LashbrookChief of Staff

Michael DavidsonRevenue Director

Chris VeriganEngagement Director

Marie WoodsPublishing and Media Design Director

Chris CarlsonPublishing and Media Design Manager

Kentaro ShimuraProduction Manager

Rie MiyoshiEngagement Manager

Scott WheelerOkinawa Area Manager

Denisse RaudaPublishing and Media Design Editor

Publishing and Media Design WritersChiHon KimShoji Kudaka

Takahiro Takiguchi

Layout DesignersAyako KamioYukiyo Oda

Yuko OkazakiKayoko Shimoda

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Sales Support Kazumi Hasegawa Hiromi Isa Ichiro Katayanagi Yoko Noro Yoichi Okazaki Yusuke Sato Chae Yon Son Saori Tamanaha

Corps together encouraged the Johnsons to aim higher and reach for every goal they set.

“We ask each other, ‘What did you get on your [Physical Fit-ness Test]?’ and ‘What did you shoot on the range?’ always chal-lenging each other to be better and aim higher,” said Veronica Johnson. “We’re very competi-tive, but it has only helped us as Marines”

According to Craig Johnson, finding a form of balance be-tween being a Marine and hav-ing a family is all about keeping a schedule and stepping into each other’s shoes to give one another a different perspective.

“She has definitely helped me mature to be a better father, hus-band, friend and Marine,” said Craig Johnson. “She opens my eyes to different perspectives and helps me see the bigger pic-ture.”

This couple has been master-ing the art of balance since the moment they became a family. With five kids varying from ages 25 to three years old, ensuring their children’s health, and well-being has been their priority since day one.

“My oldest daughter is not from my husband,” said Ve-ronica Johnson. “When I met him she was very young, but

best out of her.”Veronica Johnson paralleled

the feeling that they were des-tined to be together.

“We were walking down the hallway and I turned around and then he turned around.” said Ve-ronica Johnson. “A couple days later he asked me to a movie, and the rest is history.”

the beginning they were going to be a strong, family focused, and motivated team.

“I knew from early on that she was the one,” said Craig Johnson. “With our personali-ties, we have the perfect mix. We worked so well together, I knew she could bring the best out of me, and I could bring the

whenever anybody asked about her, he’d look at them and say, ‘she’s not mine, but she is mine’. The fact that he cared for my daughter like she was his, be-fore we were even married, won me over.”

Despite their competitive na-ture, the Johnsons knew from

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

MARINES: In love and in leadership

Lance Cpl. Craig Johnson and Lance Cpl. Veronica Johnson on their wedding day 23 years ago. Photo provided by The Johnsons

With our personalities, we have the perfect mix. We

worked so well together, I knew she could bring the

best out of me, and I could bring the best out of her.

– Master Gunnery Sgt. Craig Johnson

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWhh“

”

STRIPES OKINAWA 3FEBRUARY 28 − MARCH 6, 2019 A STARS AND STRIPES COMMUNITY PUBLICATION

O nly a few weeks after the cherry blossoms reached full bloom on Okinawa,

village is about a 40-minute drive from Camp Schwab and 90 minutes from Camp Foster.

Spring in full swingAccording to the village of-

fice, about 50,000 azaleas draw around 40,000 people every year.

The flower park in Higashi Village provides a superb view with the colorful flowers set against deep green forests or the blue sky and ocean.

Dance and music performanc-es are scheduled to be presented at the venue, and playground equipment is expected to be set up during the festival.

Explore eastWhile you’re visiting the flow-

er park, don’t forget to explore other sites which make this “vil-lage of the east” a great place for some nature hiking and flower-gazing.

At Tsutsuji (Azalea) Eco Park adjacent to the Villagers’ Aza-lea Park, a boat tour on a dam offered only on the weekend, showcases the location’s lush surrounding forest.

For some great strolling, try Hirugi Park, a mere 10-min-ute drive away from the aza-lea parks, which offers a boardwalk through a forest of

Rhizophoraceae mangrove trees. Compared to Okinawa’s busy,

resort-scattered west coast, Hi-gashi-son is quiet. When March comes around, it’s time for the east side of Okinawa to shine. Although it may still be too ear-ly for pineapples, there is more than enough to see in the “Village of flower, water and pineapple.”

Tsutsuji En (Villagers’ Forest and Azalea Park) in Higashi-son, for its 37th installment. Known as a village of pineapples, water and flowers, this northeastern

azaleas are up next in the spring flower lineup.

From March 1 - 24, Tsut-suji Matsuri, or Azalea Festival, will return to Sonmin no Mori

BY SHOJI KUDAKASTARS AND STRIPES OKINAWA

ill i b 40 iT ji E (Vill ’ Fl i h iBY SHOJI KUDAKA

50,000 azaleas to bloom in the northeast Higashison Tsutsuji

Matsuri(Higashi Village Azalea Festival)

LOCATION: Higashison Min no Mori Tsutsuji en (Azalea Park in Higashi villagers’ Forest) GPS: N 26°38’17.6” E128°09’33.0”DATES: Mar. 1 - 24ADMISSION: 300 yen for high school students and above; free for middle school students and belowSPECIAL FEATURE: Azalea flowers will be lit up at night on March 9 and 16 from 6 - 9 p.m.; Entertain-ment such as live music, dance, sketch-comedy shows are scheduled for March 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 23, 24; Many food stands are expected to open during the festival.

* Free Parking*Boat ride costs 500 yen per person (Sat-

urdays and Sundays)

Photos courtesy of Higashi Village Azalea Festival

+81 (3) 5441-9800


Another familiar sight will be the passionate fans

Although the J.League sthis doesn’t mean the leagufrom openly expressing ament at the game.

“You will see hard-corea goal post, holding a gianmood. When a ‘Kanagawa against teams like KawasaBellmare, the rivalry wisame goes for matches agUrawa Red Diamonds,” th

The F.Marino’s home stkosuka Naval Base(osuka)easy.

With 58 clubs in the leagmood unique to each team’in their stadiums.

At the F.C. Ryukyu stadgame, fans can get some“Ryukyu Haisai Market,”

for families also help fill up the stadium bleachers.For the F. Marinos in Yokohama, family fun in-

volves pre-game bouncy inflatables and kicking games for the kids, among other activities.

“Before kickoff, we have Toricorooru lando (Tri-color Land) by the Nissan Stadium where bouncies and kicking games for kids are set up. During sum-mer time, we hand out colored-cellophane and let audience paste them on their cellphones. At some point, the light of the stadium is put out, and their cellphones light up the stadium in tricolor,” an F. Marinos spokesperson said.

Foreigner fans might also recognize familiar sights and sounds from the soccer stadiums back home in Japan.

You’ll still find your favorite game-day eats like hamburgers and hot dogs at Japanese stadiums, but there are some great traditional Japanese foods you might not find at any U.S. or European stadi-um. Follow the locals’ lead and try some takoyaki, yakisoba or curry rice for an authentic game day experience.

J.League, the professional men’s soccer league in Japan, just kicked off the 2019 season.

A long road is ahead for the league’s 58 teams, which will compete in three di-

visions until the season concludes in early December. Divisions 1 and 3 have 18 teams re-

spectively, with each team playing 34 games while Division 2 has 22 teams, and 42 games for each. The long season means there will be plenty of op-portunity for fans and J.League newbs to catch a game or two.

In Japan, soccer has quickly become a major pro-sport, a candidate who could possibly even de-throne baseball as the country’s number one favor-ite pastime. The popularity of English football is

gaining steam as the rising number of pro-teams suggests.

Behind the rise in attention, is the national team’s suc-

cess in recent World Cups and Japanese players like Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa getting recruited into Europe-an clubs like A.C. Milan and Manchester United.

The thrill of the game and plethora of activities

BY SHOJI KUDAKA,STRIPES OKINAWA

GET A KICK OJ.LEAGUE

WEBSITE: https://www.f-marinos.com/en/TICKET: https://www.f-marinos.com/en/tickets/* Tricolor Land opens 3 hours prior to kick-off

time. (3.5 hours for food vendors)

YOKOHAMA F. MARINOS F.C. RYUKYU

WEBSITE: http://fcryukyu.


for overseas spectators s. says safety is its priority, ue discourages those fans and sharing their excite-

fans in the stand behind nt jersey, pumping up the derby match’ takes place aki Frontale and Shonan ll fuel excitement. The

gainst popular teams like he spokesman added.adium’s proximity to Yo-) makes catching a game

gue, the local culture and ’s home turf are reflected

dium, aside from a good e shopping done at the featuring local vendors

selling bento meals and Orion Beer –a local brand and local favorite, among other items.

“You can feel a friendly mood at our home games,” a staff member of the F.C. Ryukyu, an Oki-nawa team, said.

F.C. Ryukyu just won Division 3 last year and is now heading to its first season in Division 2. De-spite some changes during the off-season, includ-ing a new coach and new players, the team’s tradi-tion of entertaining its fans continues.

“Our players enjoy interacting with fans espe-cially after games. Such accessibility of players is often talked about in the media,” he said.

Many of the J.League team stadiums are close to island and mainland bases, so catching a game won’t be difficult. The atmosphere, food and local culture in the country’s many soccer stadiums are only a part of why the sport is taking off and all of these might just be enough to make a soccer fan out of you, [email protected]

Some teams of J.League have internationally acclaimed players on their rosters. Andrés Iniesta, Lukas Podolski, David Villa (Vissel Kobe), and Fernando Torres (Sagan Tosu) are expected to play this season. In the past, legend-ary players such as Zico, Leonardo, Lineker, and Buchwald played in the Japanese league.

Hachinohe City (near Misawa AB)Vanraure Hachinohe HOME: Daihatsu Stadium (Hachinohe City, Aomori Pref.) DIVISION: J3 CLUB COLOR: green FOUNDATION: 2006 URL: http://www.vanraure.net

Tokyo (near Yokota AB)FC Tokyo HOME: Ajinomoto Stadium (Chofu City, Tokyo) DIVISION: J1 CLUB COLOR: blue FOUNDATION: 1935 URL: www.fctokyo.co.jp

Yokohama City (near Yokosuka Naval Base)Shonan Bellmare HOME: Shonan BMW Stadium Hiratsuka (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Pref.) DIVISION: J1 CLUB COLOR: light green, blue and white FOUNDATION: 1968 URL: www.bellmare.co.jp

Sagamihara City (near Camp Zama and NAF Atsugi)SC Sagamihara HOME: Sagamihara Gion Stadium (Sagamihara City, Kanagawa Pref.) DIVISION: J3 CLUB COLOR: green FOUNDATION: 2008 URL: www.scsagamihara.com

Shizuoka City (near Camp Fuji)Shimizu S-Pulse HOME: IAI Stadium Nihondaira (Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Pref.) DIVISION: J1 CLUB COLOR: orange FOUNDATION: 1991 URL: www.s-pulse.co.jp

Hiroshima City (near MCAS Iwakuni)Sanfrecce Hiroshima HOME: Edion Stadium Hiroshima (Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Pref.) DIVISION: J1 CLUB COLOR: violet FOUNDATION: 1938 URL: www.sanfrecce.co.jp

Nagasaki City (near Sasebo Naval Base)V Varen Nagasaki HOME: transcosmos Stadium Nagasaki (Isahaya City, Nagasaki Pref.) DIVISION: J2 CLUB COLOR: blue, orange FOUNDATION: 2004 URL: www.v-varen.com

OkinawaFC Ryukyu HOME:Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium (Okinawa City, Okinawa) DIVISION: J2 CLUB COLOR: crimson FOUNDATION: 2003 URL: fcryukyu.com

soccer teams nearmilitary bases

According to Japan Football Association (JFA), J.League held its first regular season in 1993 as the

first ever professional soccer league in Japan. The league’s success boosted the popularity and quality of the game. It started with 10 teams and one division. But Division 2 was in-troduced in 1999, followed by Division 3 in 2014. At the end of each season, two teams from the bottom of the Division 1 will be demoted to Division 2. Top two teams of the Divi-sion 2 will be promoted to Division 1. Plus, a team

at the 3rd from the bottom of Division 1 will join teams at the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th

places of Division 2 to have play-offs for a spot in Division 1. Likewise, the top two teams of Division 3 will be promoted to Divi-

sion 2 in the following sea-son, to replace of the bottom two teams of Division 2.

OUT OF E

J.League

Notableplayers

SEE J.League on page 6

.com


Cameras Usually cameras are generally allowed, but

some team stadiums prohibit them. Check with the ticket counter for this.

Tickets and Yen Tickets are available at: https://www.jleague.jp/en/ticket/ (credit card payment)

If you would like to buy tickets at the stadium, bring yen. Some game tickets sell out quickly, so buying early is recommended.

Also, bring yen if you plan on buying some snacks at the game.

What to bring J.League recommends sunscreen, hats, spf

clothing, and sunglasses to protect from the sun. Using parasols or sunshades are prohibited when a match is in progress. A raincoat is also a good item to bring as soccer games take place rain or shine.

Parking Plan ahead if you’re thinking of driving to a

game. Nissan Stadium in Yokohama has three

hours, and 100 yen per 30 minutes beyond that.) Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium, the home sta-

dium of F.C. Ryukyu has a free parking lot. When the parking lot is fully occupied, another free parking space at (N 26.314771, E 127.824082) can be utilized.

*Congestion is expected on game days. Some stadium recommends the use of public transportation.

Is outside food Okay? Check with the stadium. Some allow outside

food and drinks (including alcohol) but prohibit glass bottles and cans.

MATCH-UP VENUE KICK-OFF

Week 2, March 1st (Fri)

Kawasaki Frontale vs. Kashima Antlers Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium 1900

Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs. Jubilo Iwata Edion Stadium Hiroshima 1900

Week 2, March 2nd (Sat)

Yokohama F-Marinos vs. Vegalta Sendai Nissan Stadium 1300

Shimizu S-Pulse vs. Gamba Osaka IAI Stadium Nihondaira 1400

Nagoya Grampus vs. Cerezo Osaka Paloma Mizuho Stadium 1400

Vissel Kobe vs. Sagan Tosu Noevir Stadium Kobe 1500

Urawa Red Diamonds vs. Consadole Sapporo Saitama Stadium 1600

Shonan Bellmare vs. F.C. Tokyo BMW Stadium Hiratsuka 1600

Oita Trinita vs. Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. Oita Bank Dome 1600

Week 3, March 9th (Sat)

Consadole Sapporo vs. Shimizu S-Pulse Sapporo Dome 1400

Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. vs. Urawa Red Diamonds Sunpro Alwin 1400

Jubilo Iwata vs. Oita Trinita Yamaha Stadium 1500

Gamba Osaka vs. Nagoya Grampus Panasonic Stadium Suita 1500

Kashima Antlers vs. Shonan Bellmare Kashima Stadium 1600

Cerezo Osaka vs. Sanfrecce Hiroshima Yanmar Stadium 1600

Week 3, March 10th (Sun)

Vegalta Sendai vs. Vissel Kobe Yurtec Stadium 1400

F.C. Tokyo vs. Sagan Tosu Ajinomoto Stadium 1400

Yokohama F-Marinos vs. Kawasaki Frontale Nissan Stadium 1400


Sagan Tosu vs. Jubilo Iwata Ekimae Real Estate Stadium 1300

F.C. Tokyo vs. Nagoya Grampus Ajinomoto Stadium 1330

Consadole Sapporo vs. Kashima Antlers Sapporo Dome 1400

Vissel Kobe vs. Shimizu S-Pulse Noevir Stadium Kobe 1400

Kawasaki Frontale vs. Gamba Osaka Kawasaki Todoroki Stadium 1500

Cerezo Osaka vs. Urawa Red Diamonds Yanmar Stadium 1500

Sanfrecce Hiroshima vs. Matsumoto Yamaga F.C. Edion Stadium Hiroshima 1500

Oita Trinita vs. Yokohama F-Marinos Oita Bank Dome 1600

Shonan Bellmare vs. Vegalta Sendai BMW Stadium Hiratsuka 1700

MATCH-UP VENUE KICK-OFF


F.C. Ryukyu vs. Ehime F.C. Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium 1600


F.C. Ryukyu vs. Tokushima Vortis Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium 1800


F.C. Ryukyu vs. Renofa Yamaguchi F.C. Tapic Kenso Hiyagon Stadium 1800

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

UARY 28 − MARCH 6, 2

J.LEAGUE: Get ready for some soccer

Stripes Okinawa is A Stars and Stripes Community Publication. This newspaper is authorized for publication by the Department of Defense for members of the military services overseas. However, the contents of Stripes Okinawa are unofficial, and are not to be considered as the official views of, or endorsed by, the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense or the U.S. Pacific Command. As a DOD newspaper, Stripes Okinawa may be distributed through official channels and use appropriated funds for distribution to remote and isolated

locations where overseas DOD personnel are located. The appearance of advertising in this publication, including inserts or supplements, does not constitute endorsement of those products by the Department of Defense or Stars and Stripes. Products or services advertised in this publication shall be made available for purchase, use, or patronage without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, physical handicap, political affiliation, or any other nonmerit factor of the purchaser, user, or patron.

WHAT TO BRING WITH YOU ON GAMEDAY

UPCOMING GAMES

Home Games for F.C. Ryukyu (Division 2)

f .

n dr


ACROSS1 Nut tree6 Hit hard

10 Battery contents14 Poetic ending15 Luxurious16 Be an omen of17 In regard to18 Bring up the rear19 Denver's co-star

on a 60's sitcom20 Litter's littlest21 Surrender22 Bellhop, often23 Put out of

commission25 Sudden gush27 Suspicious

happenings29 Ararat lander32 Film genre35 24 hours, for

Earth37 Edible tuber38 Cricket call40 "So what ___ is 3 Makes level 36 Bible division 52 Woodsy route

new?" 4 2011 Matt 39 Days before 53 For this reason41 Non-union Damon film Easter 54 Vegas attraction

workplace 5 Best seller 42 Organ knob 55 Priest of the East43 Rent payer 6 Ire 44 Compass 57 Field of 45 Soup veggie 7 Fuel for the fire direction expertise46 TV showing 8 Taxing job? 47 In a brusque 60 Prefix for claim48 Bedtime request 9 Bite-bullet link manner or cure50 Discover 10 Loathe 49 Market indicator 61 Ballet step54 Impolite dinner 11 Something to 51 Verso's opposite

sound ride (on)56 Witch's blemish 12 Motionless58 ___ mortals 13 Antelope's 59 Fabled racer playmate60 Flippant 21 Deciding factor61 Popular pie nut 22 Sandwich fish62 Doomsayer's 24 Recluse in a

sign Harper Lee 63 Film unit novel64 Bit of mischief 26 Grow house 65 Beaver's dad sight66 Rubber-stamp 28 Bellyache67 Mink, for one 30 Gift for a

sweetheartDOWN 31 "Trick" joint

1 Uncle Sam 32 Mounted onfeature 33 Hatteras, for one

2 Boredom 34 Money manager

The Weekly Crossword by Margie E. Burke

Copyright 2019 by The Puzzle Syndicate

Answers to Last Week’s Crossword:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

14 15 16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24 25 26

27 28 29 30 31

32 33 34 35 36

37 38 39 40

41 42 43 44

45 46 47

48 49 50 51 52 53

54 55 56 57 58

59 60 61

62 63 64

65 66 67

H A S H A P S E B A S I NO N C E B R I E A B O D EO G R E R A N K S H A L EH E A D L O C K S M O K E DA L P O A T D E A R

M I S D I R E C T B E DS P E C S C E N T I P E D EA U T O A G O A L G AG R A N D S L A M O I L E DE E L W I L L I N G L Y

T I N Y N I L D A BS T R O N G L A C E R A T EM O U N D V O T E A N T IO R I E L I D O L S C A GG E N R E A E R Y H E R E

DID YOUKNOW?

Language Lesson

Kanji of the week

E ver visited one of the many depart-ment store food basements around Japan? The first of its kind was in-

troduced about 80 years ago in Nagoya. A combination of “depato,” meaning department store, and “chika.” mean-ing basement, the word “depachika” was reportedly first used to describe these food basements in 2000 when To-kyu Department Store opened its own and some newspapers and TV programs used the name.

Ki/Moku/Boku(Tree)

Enjoy yourself.

Tanoshinde kudasai.

Stripes Sports Trivia

Answer

Who is this former LA Galaxy player who is also the all-time leading goal scorer in Major League Soccer (MLS) with 144 goals in 334 games played?

Landon DonovanAnswers to Last Week’s Sudoku:


You don’t need to be a wizard at Hogwarts to make friends with owls.

Owls Adventure Park in Naha offers a place where people can hang out with the birds of prey and other

animals in a nature-like environment. While there are “owl cafes” in places like Tokyo and Osa-

ka, this park, located next to the famous Makishi Market Place, surprises even those who have visited places on the mainland, according to Ayumi Suzuki, who runs the

owl park.“I visited places across the country where you can hang

out with owls. More often than I thought, I encountered aggressive owls,” Suzuki said. “The biggest appeal of

my shop is that our owls are very gentle as they share a sense of trust with humans. Many cus-

tomers of ours say they had never seen owls so friendly toward humans.”

That’s probably one of the rea-sons why this place is not

a café. One step inside, visitors find themselves

in a dusky space that feels like a forest at night. People literally become guests in this “home” of the owls.

Perched on a tree branch close to the entrance were relatively small owls, like “Penta,” an Indian scops owl that welcomed visi-tors. Using the small owl, Suzuki showed how to touch the creatures, using the back of the hand or in-

dex finger. When Suzuki touched the

tiny head of Penta, the owl closed its eyes, seemingly content with the massage. I tried the same, and Penta didn’t close eyes, but curiously stared at the big smile my face.

“It’s hard to tell if stroking owl’s head really makes the bird feel good. But some owls of ours lower their heads to en-courage people to keep going,” said Suzuki.

I wasn’t sure if my massage made the little owl happy, but it made me feel great.

In the deep part of the room, bigger owls sat quietly along the wall. From a distance, they looked aloof with no emotions. But at a closer look, they were more animated. Some looked magnificent and showed fun-ny faces with their eyes when they were touched. Some looked as if they were dancing by turning its body left and right. And there was also a “Hed-wig,” who looked straight out of Harry Potter.

Each owl had its name and description on a card. Some respond by hooting or nod-ding, if addressed by their name, according to Suzuki.

In the latter part of the tour of the park, I had the opportunity to let some owls perch on my arm. I tried that with a little owl named “Kinta,” a barn owl named “Yuki,” and a northern white-faced owl named “Koume.” This is available with the standard admission (1,200 yen for adults) and premium admission (1,500 yen for adults).

According to its website, the park has 25 owls. Suzuki noted that the birds work every other day, with half of them working while the other half are at rest. The idea is to take good care of the birds, and staff members treat the owls as their family. The same goes

for other animals kept at the park. According to the park’s website, they have a hedgehog, an ar-

madillo, a chinchilla and a ball python there.“Many people from U.S. military bases

have come and seen our owls,” Suzuki said. “Many of them come back as repeat customers with friends and fami-

lies. It’s a good place for fami-lies with kids.” After

spending some time with the owls, I was already thinking about coming back and bring-ing my own [email protected]

STORY AND PHOTOS BY SHOJI KUDAKA,STRIPES OKINAWA

Enjoy the company of owls and more at

Naha attractionOwls Adventure ParkHOURS: 10 a.m. – 7:30 p.m.ADDRESS: 2F Nakaima Bldg. 2-10-10

Matsuo, Naha-shi, Okinawa 900-0014 (10-min walk from Yui Rail Makishi station)

TEL: 098-963-9889URL: owl-oka.jp/en/FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/

fukuronorakuen/ADMISSION

Premium: 1,500 yen (adult) and 1,200 yen (children ages 4-12). Under 3 is free. Special: 1,200 yen (adult) and 900 yen (children ages 4-12). Under 3 is free.Standard: 1,200 yen (adult) and 880 yen (children ages 4-12). Under 3 is free. Simple: 880 yen (adult) and 680 yen (children ages 4-12). Under 3 is free.

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the park, I hadls perch on my named “Kinta,” northern white-

s is available with en for adults) andor adults).

e park has 25 owls. ork every other day,e the other half are at e of the birds, and staff family. The same goes the park. According to

y have a hedgehog, an ar-la and a ball python there.

from U.S. military basesseen our owls,” Suzuki said.

em come back as repeatwith friends and fami-

good place for fami-with kids.” After

ending some time th the owls, I was ready thinking about ming back and bring-g my own [email protected]

arkkk

0-10 900-

Rail

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s

nd ).

and ).

680 yen 3 is free.

love for country, corps and each other · gashi-son is quiet. when march comes around, it’s time...

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