Hello all! My husband recently got orders from the military to go to Okinawa in Early March 2024, and since I am his wife I will have to relocate with him. It is a very huge step for me personally since I never lived so far away from home before espesically across the world… Though I know I will have moments of homesickness, and possible culture shock.. I was just wondering if there is any advice out there or moving preparations I should do before reaching Japan or while living in Japan? Anything will be appreciated! Or if anyone lives down there, let me know how it is!
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**Moving to Okinawa, Any Advice/Moving tips?**
Hello all! My husband recently got orders from the military to go to Okinawa in Early March 2024, and since I am his wife I will have to relocate with him. It is a very huge step for me personally since I never lived so far away from home before espesically across the world… Though I know I will have moments of homesickness, and possible culture shock.. I was just wondering if there is any advice out there or moving preparations I should do before reaching Japan or while living in Japan? Anything will be appreciated! Or if anyone lives down there, let me know how it is!
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The vast majority of this subreddit is populated by civilians and their support. Unfortunately you’re not going to get much from military/dependents. I’d recommend reaching out to military-specific groups who better understand your challenges.
For starters, your access to housing and a bank account differ vastly than civilians.
There are several great and active Facebook Okinawa groups with military personal. I would start there.
I’m a milspouse in Japan, but not Oki.
What branch is he in? (Only asking because the support organizations have different names for different branches)
From my time just visiting Okinawa, any of the high-traffic areas or foreign-driven spots in the cities will be able to cater to English speakers just fine. That, and there will definitely be a lot of options on base and close by to keep you not feeling too homesick. I suggest reaching out to other military spouses and see if anyone is participating in language classes or cultural exchange, and see if you could tag along. If you can’t perhaps you could go to the city hall where you’re located and see if there are any groups. Since you’ll be in Japan, might as well make the most of the time and try to learn the language and culture!
Get your Japanese driver’s license real quick (conversion from U.S. license), and make sure to check out all the cool spots on Okinawa. We had a great time staying at the Renaissance Resort in Onna – you could go on some short excursions to resorts and stuff, or I know that you can use the beach there for like 2,000 yen. It’s a pretty nice beach!