SUN

Let me just say "DUDE!"  The sun in okinawa is BRUTAL.  Anything less than SPF 50 only buys me like 30 minutes outside.  Last time I went scuba diving I got burned in the 5 minutes it took me to take off my clothes and put on a wet suit.  This place is no joke (and I am also extremely white).

I've noticed Japan has a kind of love hate relationship with the sun.  On one hand, they have it on their flag and they use it's kanji, 日,　about a thousand times in Japanese.  On the other hand, anyone over 30 seems to spend every ounce of energy trying to avoid contact with said sun.  

It really does seem to be an age thing.  (Thankfully) the teenage and 20 year olds love to bare skin, and lots of it!  In the summer however, little kids and the 30 and up crowd are covered head to toe in clothes.  Seriously, no skin exposed.  Parasol, hat, mask or bandana around the face, long sleeves, towel around the neck, the occasional sweat shirt, pants, the whole nine.  For a while I wondered if there was even a Japanese word for sunscreen because these folks don't seem to have heard of it. 

That being said, I've started adopting the towel around the neck or head look because Okinawa is the most humid and gross location on the planet.  

I'm smiling to hide the searing pain

Okinawa is lacking in the fashion department but I totally get it now.  Any sexy shoes  or make-up you put on will be disgusting within minutes.  Damn I miss the mainland and winter...