Okinawa - Post Report Question and Answers
What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
I think it is hard to socialize with Japanese because of the language barrier. I was lucky and socialized a lot because I put my kids in Japanese public school so a lot of their friends were Japanese. I also put them in a local Japanese club so that helped a lot. I volunteered in the school and got to meet a lot of the mothers and fathers which I loved even when I had to use google translate. I love Japanese people so if you have a chance to mingle do it. Japanese are private but i have made amazing friends there. It is easy to socialize with other ex-pats if you have kids or you have some hobbies. People meet at church or through kids. Some people do sports together such as biking clubs and so on. You do need to come out of your shell and try new things. - Jul 2021
