Welcome to The Extra, a fortnightly newsletter of complimentary stories — that’s right, free for all to read — curated from The Japan Times archives. Thank you for inviting our stories and perspectives into your inbox.

This week, we’re focusing on Okinawa, which is enjoying a 2026 tourism moment. If you’re a registered user of, or subscriber to, The Japan Times, you can read more about the prefecture, including coverage from The Okinawa Times.