woke up at 3am and got a flight to okinawa because i needed a break from my film school nonsense. not that i’m desperate for inspiration or anything. just needed a change of scenery before i start crying over edits again. okinawa? sure. why not. landed at 6am,grounds were dry but the air smelled like a damp sponge. 17.95c out there, but it felt like 25. that humidity thing is a vibe killer. or maybe a director killer?

quick answers

q: is this place worth visiting?
a: if you’re into hidden cinemas and eating random street food, yeah. but don’t come for beaches. the ones here are just wet rocks.

q: is it expensive?
a: mid-range. street food is cheap, taxis are crypto-hoarders. avoid both unless you wanna cry about prices.

q: who would hate it here?
a: remote workers. no fast WiFi, no cafes open 24/7. this is a place for people who like siestas and ignoring their inbox.

q: best time to visit?
a: april to june. less rain, more film crews leaving. also, the sun doesn’t hate you as much.

ok, enough q&a. let’s talk about the weirdness here.

i heard from a local that this bar has the best film screenings on a thursday night. not because they play obscure movies, but because people show up with camcorders to film themselves. it’s chaotic. chaotic in the best way. i tried to get a clip of it but the bar owner said i was ‘distracting the artists.’ whatever. i’m a film scout, not a participant.

another thing: this place is a time capsule. you’ll find a 1980s karaoke bar next to a tattoo studio that does body art for phantoms. it’s weird. but it’s also where i met a guy who films documentaries about slugs. slugs! he’d been walking around with a camera and a bucket, trying to film a rare slug species. i asked for a slug photo. he said, ‘you’re not in the mood for that, are you?’

now, the weather. it’s not just hot. it’s humid. 82% humidity. it’s like if a sauna and a swamp had a baby. i wore shorts and a tank top for three days and emerged smelling like a wet gym sock. but then again, if you’re here to film, you’ll get used to it. or you’ll film someone sweating into a paper cup. either way, the light is weird. golden hour here is like a neon sign. harsh. but it works if you want drama.

food is another story. i heard from someone that this restaurant serves the best okonomiyaki here. okonomiyaki. that’s a savory pancake with cabbage. sounds boring, right? but the locals swear by it. i tried it. it was okay. not mind-blowing. but then again, i also tried a dish called ‘tentacle sushi’ and it tasted like regret. so maybe don’t take my word. or do. either way.

safety vibe? it’s okay. low crime. but don’t walk alone at night. or maybe do? i walked alone at night and found a hidden karaoke spot with a balcony. the view was of a construction site. but then again, okinawa is always building. or rebuilding. or whatever. it’s a city that moves fast. just not in the way you expect.

someone told me that this area is a no-go for filming without permits. which is fair. but then again, some locals let you film for free if you promise to share it on instagram. which is... questionable. but hey, it’s a scam or a gift? i don’t know. i filmed a street dancer there. she spun so fast the wind blew her hair into an eddy. it was beautiful. or maybe it was a hallucination. i don’t remember.

here’s the thing about okinawa: it’s not a place. it’s a feeling. a mix of old and new, wet and dry, quiet and loud. you’ll hear a frog croaking in the middle of a market. a man playing a violin on a street corner. a drone flying over a temple. it’s all over the place. but that’s the point. if you’re here looking for a structured experience, you’ll be disappointed. unless you’re a film scout. then you’ll find chaos. and maybe a story.

now, let’s talk about the maps.

this is where i’m staying. or where i pretend to be. the coordinates are 33.3119,130.3714. not sure if that’s a real place or if i just typed it into google. probably the latter.

i saw this image of a small asian restaurant on a city street at night. it looked like a snack stand run by ghosts. i didn’t go. i’m not that brave. or maybe i am. i’ll take a shot at it. but if I die, blame the humidity.

here’s another image of a green field with a mountain in the background. it’s fake. or maybe not. okinawa has mountains. or hills. whatever. they’re not tall. but they’re there. i drove past one this morning. it looked like a giant pile of dirt someone forgot to bury.

here’s a third image of a snow covered mountain. ok, what? no snow here. unless you’re talking about the ice cream. which is a thing. they have really good melon soda ice cream. it’s like eating a cloud. but again, don’t take my word. i might be high from that cedar tea drink.

links are important. tripAdvisor says this hotel is ‘cozy but not cozy enough.’ yelp says the sushi place is ‘questionable but cheap.’ reddit has a thread about filming in okinawa. spoiler: it’s a nightmare. but also, maybe worth it. i posted a query about permits and someone replied with a link to a guy who’ll film for you if you promise not to ask questions. classic.

so, is this place worth it? depends. if you want a place that makes no sense but feels real, yeah. if you want to film something profound, maybe. if you just want to relax? probably not. the stress of humidity and bad WiFi will win.

in the end, okinawa taught me that chaos can be beautiful. it taught me that humidity is a character. it taught me that people here will let you film if you offer them a slice of pizza. it’s a weird trade, but it worked. i left with a blurred clip of a street dancer and a stomach ache. but hey, that’s filmmaking, right?

p.s. if you come here, bring extra batteries. and a raincoat. and a blanket. you never know when the weather will turn into a metaphor.

naha, okinawa: where indie films find their lost reels (or maybe just a good pad Thai)

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