With its laid-back seafaring culture and unique wildlife, the Yaeyama archipelago in Japan’s far southern Okinawa prefecture reveals a different side to Japan.

Okinawa is Japan’s southernmost prefecture and is made up of a chain of over 160 islands located in the East China Sea between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland. Sometimes called the “Hawaii of Japan”, the ...

Lydia Mansel is a writer with more than eight years of experience editing and writing for both brands and online publications—with a particular focus on travel, fashion, and lifestyle. She’s also the ...