Benjamin Martin's Blog: More Things Writing, page 42

Two Summer Endings – The Last Sports Festivals

On Kume Island, the first semester of school is over and students are on summer vacation.  For two of those schools it is the very last summer they will be open.  Due to rural depopulation both schools will close, with … Continue reading →

Fu Chanpuru Recipe

After nearly five years living in Okinawa, my favorite food is still Fu Chanpuru. While it might sound like part of a martial art, Fu is actually wheat gluten (so steer clear gluten intolerant people… sorry! you’re missing out). In … Continue reading →

Easy Summer Salad Recipe with Goya

Summer is in full swing, so cool things down with a healthy summer salad featuring seasonal ingredients. Today’s recipe is a simple salad made from goya, onion, and cucumber. It is great as a side dish and can be scaled … Continue reading →

Daidoge Festival in To-gatta

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Zao Machi in Miyagi Prefecture with the local Tunnaha Daiko group while they performed at the Daidoge festival on June first and second in the To-gatta area. The festival was a street fair … Continue reading →

Okinawa OTEC Power Initialization Ceremony

June 16th marked the beginning of power generation at Kume Island‘s Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion Power Plant with a ceremony and visiting dignitaries from around Japan and the world. The newly completed OTEC power plant will be able to generate … Continue reading →

Zao Machi, Miyagi

One of the great things about Japan is the diversity in local culture. Japan’s long and isolated history due to geography and limited transportation technologies has led to one of the most unique and recognizable non-western cultures in the world. … Continue reading →

I Need your Help!

Hi all. I usually keep this blog mostly to Japanese food, pictures, and culture, but I’ve been playing with the cover for The Tanner’s Daughter, a shorter story that’s part of the Samurai Awakening world. Below are two covers. Which … Continue reading →

Kumejima Kuruma Prawns

It’s no secret that Japanese food is popular outside of Japan. Not only is the food in-country highly rated, but there are Japanese restaurants all over the world. A lot of people wonder,whyis Japanese food so good? It’s a complex … Continue reading →

Kume Island’s Lost Village

Last week, after filming an upcoming video post, I went exploring through Kume Island‘s lost village. I didn’t stay for very long because of the danger of poisonous snakes during this time of the year, but I did have my … Continue reading →

2013 Kume Island Firefly Festival

Most small communities throughout Japan have several festivals throughout the year to celebrate milestones along the way. The largest festivals are usually derivatives of the traditional harvest festival, while smaller festivals usually are tied to specific events. On Kume Island, … Continue reading →