It's exactly 8716km from Tauranga to Okinawa – Japan. And the ticket cost me $1700.

It wasn't the intention, but I came back with a cookbook. A fascinating one, all in Japanese. But the sense of all this is in the photographs in the cookbook.

Beautiful old people with wonderful complexions and wonderful teeth and smiles.

That's right – while all of the other tourists were soaking up the tropical climate, the sweeping white sandy beaches and coral reefs, I was seeking the answers of longevity.

When I found out that my friend was taking me to a waterfall close to the town famed for it's longevity, I knew we had to go there to find out what they eat and their secrets.


The longevity set meal at Emi no Mise restaurant in Ogimi Village.

Emi no Mise is a restaurant in Ogimi which specialises in traditional Okinawa food using locally grown ingredients.

This restaurant in Northern Okinawa, is where you can test Okinawan theory of eating until you are just 80 per cent replete.

I might have eaten over my 80 per cent full-mark, but the food was so good! The town is famed for having some of the highest longevity statistics for people in the world. And observing what their diet consists of, you can see why.

They mostly eat from the sea – fish, a lot of sea vegetables, root vegetables with a small amount of pork.

My Japanese friend and I combed the streets of Ogimi looking for 'old people', stealthily taking photographs from the car.

They have centenarians who have never considered retirement, centenarians walking 10km a day and working in vegetable gardens.

Okinawa is so beautiful, you can see why the people want to enjoy it for as long as possible.

If sea vegetables and living past 100 are not your thing, the beaches are worth the trip.

Nishibama Beach on Aka Island, Okinawa.

Okinawa is much more relaxed, with a Hawaiian feel to it compared to the rest of Japan.

After three years living in Yokohama, near Tokyo, in my younger years and a trip to Hawaii a couple of years ago, it is great to see a blend of two wonderful cultures on a spectacular backdrop like Okinawa.

A trip to Okinawa isn't complete without spending time enjoying their beautiful white sands of its many beaches.

I went to the Kerama Islands which are a short ferry ride from the main island of Okinawa. I stayed on Zamami Island and was in awe at the beaches there and on nearby Aka Island. Snorkelling and diving is one of the main reasons for people to travel to the Kerama Islands, Japanese fly from Tokyo for a few days of sunookeringu then fly back to the madness that is one of the most exciting cities in the world.


The stunning white sands of Nishibama beach.

I had wanted to go to Okinawa for more than a decade and had huge expectations of how fantastic it would be. It was everything and more.

If you want a beach holiday and to go somewhere different for a few extra hours on a plane, I totally recommend it.

Great food, friendly people and stunning beaches – perfect holiday material.


A selfie in the clear waters of Okinawa.

The main street of Zamami, Kerama Islands, Okinawa.

Children performing at a traditional Eisa Festival.

A takoyaki stand at a local festival.

Plastic food makes ordering food easy.

Dinner and a show in Naha.