[Weekly yasu June 14th Issue] Three things I realized in Okinawa... The second week, shifting from sightseeing to 'living' [Beyond organizing]

My long-term stay in Okinawa has already entered its second week.

This week was not about rushing through tourist spots, but rather spending time slowly in one place, visiting local supermarkets and farmers' markets, and cooking at home... it was a week filled with such moments.

Eating out costs two to three times as much. The joy of eating at home. Such simple truths are sinking in all over again.

And because I spent my time in such a relaxed way, I realized three things. I would like to share those realizations with you this week.

Looking back on this week

I found a place that suits me

The parking lot was empty, and I only passed two or three groups of people.

My heart began to unwind at the luxury of having this silence all to myself for 700 yen. I took my time looking at each plant, sat in a chair, and leisurely watched a video introducing the nature of Yanbaru. My wife was staring intently at the flowers.

That place was the Tropical Dream Center. After visiting the Churaumi Aquarium for the third time, we stopped by this botanical garden nearby.

The aquarium was bustling with overseas visitors and school trip students, who made up 70 or 80 percent of the crowd even on a weekday afternoon. Many people were glued to the tanks taking pictures... that is a lovely sight in its own way, but to be honest, it was a bit exhausting for my wife and me.

Perhaps that is why the silence of the Dream Center felt even more profound.

At that moment, I suddenly realized something.

'A popular place isn't necessarily a place that suits you.'

Places trending on social media, spots with long lines, tourist destinations everyone knows. It's not that they lack value. But knowing what suits you might be much more important.

'We might not come back to Churaumi. But we definitely want to come back to the Tropical Dream Center.'

My wife and I naturally exchanged those words.

I feel this isn't just about choosing a place. The same could be said for work, relationships, and how we live our lives, couldn't it?

Something beyond words was conveyed

Everyone in the venue was applauding at the exact same time.

Visitors from Korea, Taiwan, and the West. Children on school trips. At a dolphin show with commentary only in Japanese, everyone was cheering at the same moment. The children's eyes were sparkling, and the family from the West was laughing from the bottom of their hearts.

It happened during the dolphin show I watched at the Oki-chan Theater next to the Churaumi Aquarium on a Tuesday afternoon.
It was a place I had given up on during my last visit because it was too hot.

Before the show started, I was a little worried, wondering, 'Will I be able to enjoy this if I don't understand the language?'
But that worry vanished as soon as it began.
The trainer's gestures, the dolphins' graceful movements, and their perfectly synchronized performance.
By the climax, the entire audience had become one, transcending borders and generations.

'It's not about whether you can speak the language or not.'

We live in an era where AI translation is evolving and the language barriers around the world are lowering.
Even so... or rather, precisely because of that... I feel I have rediscovered the value of things that are conveyed beyond words.

Heartfelt movements, careful work, the atmosphere of the place.
Such things reach people's hearts without relying on language. With the addition of live Okinawan music, it became an unforgettable time in a spectacular setting with the blue sea and the silhouette of the island right in front of me.

The more technology advances, the more important human warmth and expressive power become. It was an afternoon that made me think about such things.

A profound sense of time flows within the silence

The moment I stood in front of the climbing kiln, I felt an urge to put my hands together in prayer.

A place where craftsmen have been facing earth and fire for hundreds of years.
Even though it is a tourist spot, it felt like a space that harbored a sense of holiness.

In the latter half of the week, I traveled a bit further to visit Yachimun no Sato (Pottery Village).
There was a sense that the earth, the fire, and the accumulation of human hands were changing the very air itself.

I also felt the depth of time in a different sense when I stopped by Aeon Mall Okinawa Rycom that afternoon.
Despite its scale as the largest in the prefecture, it felt strangely relaxed.
To borrow my wife's words, 'The sense of spaciousness is calculated even when many people come,' and 'The displays and shops have breathing room.'

I was struck by how the philosophy of 'breathing room' (yohaku), which we have valued at WAY, is alive even in such a commercial space.

Moreover, this place has a history of being a former U.S. military golf course.
Beneath the bright and bustling shopping mall, a complex history flows quietly.

While driving, I also saw signs for facilities gathering IT-related companies many times.
Okinawa may look like it has a relaxed flow of time, but deep down, it has a surprisingly deep history and movements toward the future layered on top of each other.

It would be a waste to only enjoy the comfort on the surface.
Behind every place and every landscape, there are stories I still don't know.
Unraveling them little by little might be the real thrill of a long-term stay.

Articles published this week

I published an article documenting my ferry trip to Okinawa.
From booking using AI to the actual sea voyage, I wrote about the richness of time that the choice of a long-distance ferry brought me.

It starts with the realistic theme of booking a hotel for a long-term stay and goes on to describe the tactile sense of daily life I found at a local supermarket.
I intended to carefully depict the moment when my perspective shifts from 'traveling' to 'living'.

Both articles are records of the entrance to my Okinawa stay, part of the 'Organizing Adult Time: AI Life Design Techniques' series.
If you haven't read them yet, please take a look.

This week's 'Addition Method' review

This week was less about the flashiness of visiting tourist spots and more about the quiet work of setting up the foundation for daily life.
Even so, looking back, there were many small good things.

1. I was able to solve my iPhone's malfunction on my own. The iPhone performance lag had been continuing since the beginning of June.
   The cause was the VPN on-demand connection setting.
   I identified the cause while brainstorming with Claude, and once I changed the settings, it was fixed instantly.
   I was able to handle my wife's device in the same way.
   It was a moment where the habit of 'consulting AI when in trouble' proved useful once again.
   

2. I was able to build a record base for my Okinawa stay in Notion. I created a workspace called 'Okinawa 2026' and organized three databases: visit records, daily notes, and note ideas.
   With this, the experiences of my Okinawa stay will be accumulated in a way that I can look back on later.
   I have taken another step forward in designing a life in the AI era.
   

3. I was finally able to taste the vegetable soba I had been longing for. Okinawa vegetable soba that I had wanted to eat for many years.
   At a local diner, my wife ordered the diner's original set meal, and we both enjoyed the taste of home-cooked Okinawan food.
   It was a fulfilling time where the feeling of 'finally' overlapped with the feeling of 'I can eat this more from now on'.
   

4. I was able to respond to an urgent consultation from a client. On Monday evening, I received an urgent consultation call.
   Even while spending time leisurely in Okinawa, I can provide the necessary response when needed.
   It was an event that made me realize the working style of the AI era, where one can have a long-term stay while working remotely.
   

5. The 'post-dinner reflection time' with my wife has become a habit. A time at the end of the day for us to talk about the places we visited and how we felt.
   If we save it in voice memos, we can also use it as material for note articles later.
   I feel that the habit of 'organizing' is also enriching our time as a couple.

Gratitude and Interaction

Special Thanks

(People who introduced me in their articles and recommended articles)

Yurari🌹🫧 🫶💕

RaM

Koichi Nishiyama, Artistic Director of Traditional Yoga Art Production / Supporting a life lived through YOGA

Nozomi*daisy | Messenger who expands the world without strain

Ai-san💗I Counseling Room Therapist / Clinical Psychologist x Certified Public Psychologist | 16 years of support experience, over 2,000 people

Magazine Thanks

(People who added me to their magazines and recommended articles)

Yurari🌹🫧 🫶💕

RaM

Nozomi*daisy | Messenger who expands the world without strain

Koichi Nishiyama, Artistic Director of Traditional Yoga Art Production / Supporting a life lived through YOGA

Ai-san💗I Counseling Room Therapist / Clinical Psychologist x Licensed Professional Psychologist | 16 years of support experience, over 2,000 people

Please see the linked article above for recommendations

Mikarin💐

Yasuhito Morimoto

Aya Nanami

Midori Donguri

Danke Hitsuji

Un-chan

Yuna | Someone who makes overthinking easier

JAU | Clinical Laboratory Technician x Medical Side Hustle

RIKA🌈Delivering HAPPY through cooking🎁Simple, delicious, healthy, reasonable divine recipes😇💖

Haruka Hoshino

Shukan Yumeno | Yumeno Yuito

Perin🍡

Hyu / Life Design Base Sapporo

Yoshihiro

AI College Student's Life Hack Notebook📖

YeKu@Turning 'knowing' into kindness.

Nao Tachibana

Shizuku Amano [Orange 120%]

Meguri-san

This week's photo gallery

Conclusion... Beyond 'organizing'

It was a week where I felt once again that beyond 'organizing' lies the accumulation of such realizations.

Instead of rushing to the next appointment, spending time slowly in one place. Reflecting deeply on a single experience later. Being able to use time in that way is a luxury unique to a long-term stay.

And I also feel that it is technology, including AI, that supports that 'slowness.' Solving iPhone issues, organizing records in Notion, and saving conversations with voice memos. Technology supports life, and upon that foundation, human warmth and realizations grow. Perhaps true 'organizing' is only achieved when both wheels are in place.

Next week, I have a reservation for the long-awaited Orion Beer factory tour. I look forward to encountering new realizations at the site of one of Okinawa's leading companies.

Thank you for reading to the end this week as well. I hope you all have a week filled with small realizations.

[422 yasu's Profile]

[Name] yasu | WAY Representative - I listen carefully, I convey

[Self-introduction]

'For the sake of precious children, I listen carefully and convey.' In April 2026, I established the web writing team 'WAY -Work Anywhere Yasu-' together with my wife. Leveraging my 33 years of experience facing children in educational settings, I write articles that resonate with readers' hearts and provide 'sounding board consultations' regarding parenting and education. I am also delivering AI life design techniques and mindsets to help organize the time of adults who are struggling.

For work requests and a detailed profile, click [here]

Words of gratitude

To you who read this

To you who clicked 'Like'

To you who left a comment

To you who followed me

To you who shared this article

To you who added this to your magazine

To everyone managing note

Thank you very much!

I look forward to your continued support!

To you who read until the end

Thank you.
If you liked this,
I would be overjoyed
if you could 'Like' or 'Follow'.
If you leave a comment, I'll dance with joy.
Please feel free to drop by again.

#Weeklyyasu #BeyondOrganizing #Okinawa #LongTermStay #AILifeDesignTechniques #OrganizingAdultTime