Camping for Lightweights

Field & Stream article by Dave Hurteau: The best lightweight camping gear for the modern sportsman. There are no roads leading to the middle of nowhere, which is exactly where you can find some of the country's best-and most overlooked-fishing. Here's what you should strap to your back when you leave the truck at the trailhead and pack it in. Part 1, part 2 and part 3.

US Intelligence and the End of the Cold War

Dinner Remarks of Former DCI Robert Gates on "US Intelligence and the End of the Cold War" at Texas A&M University.

What to Expect from a Gates Pentagon

Former CIA director Robert Gates has been nominated to replace Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, who retired a day after the Democratic sweep of Congress. Washington Post reporter Walter Pincus talks about his profile of Gates, published Thursday, with Alex Chadwick. Listen Now.

Hotel Kitahama

Budget hotel in Chatan Town, Okinawa. One block from the ocean.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

The Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, located in Okinawa, Japan, is the world's second largest aquarium behind the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta. The aquarium is a part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park located in Motobu, Okinawa.

Nago Pineapple Park

Pineapples have been cultivated on Okinawa as an agricultural product for around a century. However, due to lower priced, imported pineapples, the industry has suffered in recent decades, while the fruit has been promoted as a tourist attraction, instead. The Nago Pineapple Park, a small, enjoyable theme park about pineapples, is a result of such promotion efforts.

Okinawa World

Okinawa World, also known as the Culture Kingdom Gyokusendo, is a touristy theme park about Okinawan culture. The park's main attractions are the Gyokusendo Cave, a crafts village and a snake museum.

Shurijo Castle

Shurijo Castle is a gusuku (Ryūkyūan castle) in Shuri, Okinawa. It was the palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroyed, with only a few walls standing as high as a few decimeters. In 1992, it was reconstructed on the original site based on photographs, historical records, and memory.

Agena Bullfighting Arena

Okinawan bullfighting is starting to lose its reputation as “the pastime that nobody knows about.” There are currently 12 bullfighting arenas throughout Okinawa.

Okinawa

Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県) is one of Japan's southern prefectures, and consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over 1,000 km long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (the southwesternmost of Japan's main four islands) to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of the largest and most populous island, Okinawa Island, which is approximately half-way between Kyūshū and Taiwan.