I spent most of my younger days growing up in Okinawa and I knew it was different compared to Japan. As I get older, I am noticing that I am more Okinawan than Japanese. Yes, I know the people are different looking and the food is different, but I thought I was more Japanese in just about all the things I do. I guess because I grew up speaking Japanese like most of my friends. I did attend a school on base, but over 90% were Half and we all spoke Japanese. Most were smart, they knew how to read and write, but I was one of the hard-headed kids that didn’t learn. On my last trip to Sendai (a city north of Tokyo), out of all the places in Japan, is where everything became clear – I am more Okinawan. My good friend loves Okinawa and when he nds an Okinawan restaurant in Sendai, he always checks it out and gives me a review. A new place recently opened and he said it’s one of the best, maybe better than most in Okinawa that he has been to. That’s a pretty bold claim, so on our most recent visit in June, we had dinner at this place. I must agree, it’s one of the better ones I’ve been to. The dishes come in large serving platters, served family style, with most of them being “yasai itame” (Vegetable Fry). I grew up on this stuff and my wife, Keiko said – “No wonder you’re always asking for Yasai Itame.” That’s when the conversation about how Okinawa and Japan are different began. The chef chimed in and we started talking about Almighty habits that I have that my wife notices, which make me different. For instance, in Japan, when you sit down to eat you are expected to eat everything, down to the last grain of rice to show respect to the farmers. In Okinawa, you would usually leave some leftovers to show that you're full and that it was good. They like to make sure you get enough food and if you clean up your plate they will start making more food, thinking that you want more. So, if you leave food on your plate, it says "I am full, I can't fit anymore and it was delicious!" Another thing that is different is at the end of a meal I had the habit of taking all the dishes, stacking them and placing them to the side. Okinawans do this because most of the restaurants that you go to are owned by someone you know and you try to help them out by cleaning the table to make their job easier for them.