Which brings us to our core coping strategy for your initial days on Okinawa, remember, all Americans are not experts.  (Certainly this include me!) There is plenty of misinformation out there.  Now okay, if they've been "on island" for two decades and they live, work, shop or at least occasionally stray off base, jot down notes on their advice. Then go find out for yourself.
 

GOJ - Government of Japan - You must have a GOJ inspection and to get that inspection you will need to provide proof of JCI.  That's why sometimes people refer to the bi-annual requirement as getting JCIed.  The GOJ inspection can cost you anywhere from $200 to $l,000 depending on what it takes to get your vehicle road worthy according to fairly strict Japanese standards.  The JCI is good for two years.
 

Ikura desu ka? "How much is it'?"  This is a handy phrase when your loved one has picked up that pretty glass/pot/doll three times and looked at you a little less hesitantly each time.  And hold up your fingers as you ask because an answer of "hachi hyaku go-ju en" will probably not mean a whole lot to you at first.

Sumimasen gomen nasai. "Excuse me, sorry, oops, dear me, how terrible, my mistake, pardon me, I'll just be going now." This is an all-purpose phrase for when you bump into a person, a car, a cow, or a produce stand .
 

Find the cheapest car that still runs and when you shake the owner's hand, don't let go until he/she shows you the registration process step-by-step.  Private (American) insurance can be bought.  JCI insurance purchased, and the vehicle title transferred in the offices above the Car Care Center on Camp Foster.  This is just behind the Foster Field Rouse.  They will also register the car for you during this process.  If you need to get your GOJ inspection right away, just go downstairs to the AAFES Car Care Center.  But, get an estimate first: then get an estimate from an off-base shop.  Sometimes the difference can be startling. Better yet, get a car that has a JCI of at least six months.  This buys you time.

Immediate mobility is crucial.  You can't get to work without transportation.  You can't find that apartment without transportation.  And, you can't get your stir-crazy family out to see Okinawa without a vehicle.

Lesson Number Two. Don't take the first apartment you see.  You could be camped on that lavender linoleum for half a year.  Feeding your family tiny Handi Cakes and rubbing your sore  knees while you take the state quiz on AFN, the only free English-speaking channel you will be able to tune into while living off base.

Instead, develop a rapport with the people who do your housing briefing.  Ask them where THEY lived when they first arrived and if THEY were happy there.  Then ask your off base housing agent to see a lot of apartments.  Look around the area near your camp and question local shop owners about apartments.  As long as the apartment can pass inspection, you can live there.  Don't immediately go for the "Sunny Sky Mansion" just because they have an empty unit on the fourth floor.

Your first off-base apartment may well be the only chance you get on this tour to discover what living in a foreign country is all about.  Don't sentence yourself and your family to a miserable memory.  And don't accept, the verdict of that guy who sat on lavender linoleum his first six months here and tells you.  "It's the best you can do: we all get used to it".   He probably never found any of the great off-base restaurants either.

Lesson Number Three.  The amount of fun you will have off base is directly proportional to your knowledge of the people here. Now we're not suggesting that you become fluent in Japanese.  But the more little standard phrases you can learn, the more smiles you will light up and the more enjoyable will be your excursions to island hot spots.

This small island is littered with beaches, parks, zoos, playgrounds, potteries, breweries, museums, galleries, restaurants, and opportunities to learn about the culture.  Stop by the bookstore in the PX on your camp or the USO and look for guide books to the island.  There are books with maps (IN ENGLISH) that tell you about all kinds of attractions.  Directions are usually written by Americans who have lived here a while so they're pretty reliable.  Okinawans, as a whole, are the kindest, friendliest, most helpful people you will ever encounter.  The earliest documented accounts of British and French sailors arriving in Okinawa are full of anecdotes about the generosity of these warm and gifted people.

Don't let political issues or historical tragedies color the way you see the Okinawans. Usually you will be met with graciousness and curiosity.  The nearly genetic predisposition to help anyone lost or in trouble has made the Okinawans heroes of the shipwrecked or stranded traveler for centuries.  Now, it's your turn!

Oh, just one more phrase: Nehay day bee rue.  This is a terrible misspelling but a pretty good pronunciation of a standard Okinawan hogan (dialect) phrase meaning.  "Thank you very much!"

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