A secret Hawaii five hours from Singapore? Visit Japan’s Yaeyama Islands

OKINAWA – It begins like any other trip to Japan: an efficient arrival, a warm “konnichiwa” from airport staff, a quick stop at a high-tech toilet. But step outside and you will notice this is not the Japan of bullet trains and neon lights.

Here in Okinawa, the air is warm and salty. Orchid and hibiscus flowers colour the streets, and the locals – sun-kissed, curly-haired and easygoing – move to rhythms shaped more by the ocean than the clock.