Okinawa Hai blog was started by Meredith Novario. Here’s a brief excerpt from their about page:

This is a blog for all of you in or on your way to Okinawa, Japan.  Most of us are connected, in some capacity, to the United States military, though this website has no legal affiliation with such.  Because of this, we are short-term guests of the island. It is our aim to connect you with the people, places, and opportunities that allow you to embrace your best Okinawan life. This blog is for all of us here, by all of us here. I write, you write, he writes, and she writes. It is a community of folks in the same boat helping each other out.

The header for Okinawa Hai – click it to go to the site.

They welcome submissions that meet their requirements: submission page.

One of the stories that caught my attention is Heather Olsen’s “Makiminato Terabu Cave & Shrine” (1/3/14). She provides photos, directions on how to get there, and a brief history. The Makiminato Terabu Cave and Shrine is “in Urasoe, right next to a Pachinko and across the street from Arin Krin.” Here’s the story:

During the twelfth century, a Japanese samurai, Minamoto-no-Tametomo, was banished to an island called Izo Oshima and later washed ashore onto Okinawa. He married and had a son. Minatomo planned to return to mainland Japan with his wife and child, but was unable to leave with them. He set out on the voyage by himself, promising to return. The wife and child lived in a cave, called Terabu, as they waited for him to return.

The story has a sad yet heroic end:

The cave was located on a cliff near the ocean. His wife would often go to the edge of the cliff and watch the ocean for the return of her husband. He never would return.

The son’s name was Shunten, and it is believed that Shunten was the first king to unite the Ryukyu kingdom.

This site is invaluable for English speakers interested in Okinawa.