This is typical of what most neighborhoods on Okinawa would look like, narrow roads, concrete houses packed tightly together with mortared stone or concrete block fences. The fences help to define property, provide privacy and also protect the houses during typhoons. Often there would be deep narrow concert ditches to either side that would make it very difficult or impossible to get by another car, many times requiring one person to stop and let you pass before they turn onto the road, back up until you could go around one anther or or turn onto anther road to let them pass. This neighborhood was a farming community on Ikei Island and so was very small and easy to get around.

Many of the homes had this style of clay roof, they are durable and heavy so as to resist the typhoon winds. Notice the super mini car; they make driving around the island much easier especially on those narrow streets.

More of the same neighborhood, just to give you a feel of what it is like, as far as fences go, I'm fairly partial to the stone ones, they would also use chunks of coral if the were short stone.

One of the many dirt roads that intersected the jungle on Ikei Island.

1999 New Years Festival near Kadina Air Base.

Another snap shot of the 1999 New Years Festival.

Katsuren Castle Ruins, by far one of my most favorite spots on Okinawa. On many an occasion when I would visit the castle I would be one of only a few if not the only person there. It was one of my favorite places to watch the sun set, and just get away from everything. From this castle you can see both sides of the Island. Here is a a little history on the castle from the OkinawaIndex web site.

Located on top of a hill with a spectacular view, Katsuren Castle is believed to be one of the oldest in Okinawa; however, nobody is sure who built the castle or when. The castle reached its heyday through trade with Yamato (Japan), China, Korea and other countries in the 14th and early 15th centuries, when Lord Amawari was ruler. Amawari was known as a clever leader who gained popular support when he seized power by pushing the current ruler off the castle wall. He proceeded to make Katsuren rich through agriculture and trade. Amawari and Katsuren were ruined in 1458 in a war against King Shotaikyu of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

View From atop the Katsuren Castle looking out toward the East China Sea. Notice the red in the trees, I guess it must have been fall or winter, though the island never got cold it did have seasons.

Okinawa is a mix of farmland and tightly nit towns or cities. Here you can see what is so typical of the island, the neighborhood all tightly bound together will very little room between the building and right outside the town are large areas of farmland sectioned into squares.

Sitting atop the the uppermost level of the Katsuren Castle as the sun sets in the foreground. 

Sunset at Katsuren Castle.