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NEW READER? START HERE!

I'm Laura, an island girl, a Marine wife,
a wanderluster, an aspiring writer and book lover. I left my heart in Okinawa, Japan in 2018 and I'm overjoyed to be back on island as of January 2022!

Little Island Takara is where I document our local adventures, our international travels, and all the beautiful places in between. Thanks for visiting!

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Currently stationed in: Okinawa, Japan

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The most unexpected surprise 💙💜💗🧡

What a spectacular sunset!! The sun peaked out for a few minutes amidst dark rain clouds and the horizon!! 🌈✨

*sit back and enjoy a little 60 second escape*

#okilivingmag

•

Follow

The most unexpected surprise 💙💜💗🧡

What a spectacular sunset!! The sun peaked out for a few minutes amidst dark rain clouds and the horizon!! 🌈✨

*sit back and enjoy a little 60 second escape*

#okilivingmag

2 weeks ago

View on Instagram |

1/6

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ P A R T ✌🏼

My second stop of my first day in Kyoto was Ryōzen Kannon Temple, home to a 24-meter concrete statue of the Goddess of Mercy. The Buddhist temple honors the Japanese and Allied soldiers that died around the Pacific during World War II. There is a small ¥200 entrance fee but it includes a stick of incense you can place in the large pot past the reflecting pool.

The temple had so many blooming sakura trees in a few varieties, including yamazakura, shidare-sakura and yaezakura 🌸!! The best surprise was the #keitruck casually parked behind the weeping cherry trees 😭 I’ll never get over it!! 🛻✨

This was actually my second time at Ryozen Kannon, I visited on a spring girls trip back in 2017 🥹 and like I said it my previous post I struggle to not revisit the same touristy spots when visiting the same Japanese cities 😂 and guess what? 🥁🥁🥁 My next stop was… Kiyomizudera, again!! I have visited multiple times 😅 the first time, on that same girls trip, we didn’t make it all the way in and the last time (back in 2018) the main temple was under construction so I couldn’t help myself and went yet again.

Also, swipe for the biggest Instagram vs Reality moment I witnessed in Kyoto 😵‍💫 I think it was my first time seeing an overflowing trash can in Japan 🫠.

I have more Higashiyama street and Kiyomizu photos and maybe a few more vlogs to share, so stay tuned! 🫰🏼 Hoping to add these all to the blog (that’s been quiet since early 2023 😬) after I’m done sharing on IG!

That first photo & the kei truck one were both worthy of the being included in my print shop catalog 🙌🏼 so if you like it and are interested in purchasing one HMU!

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #higashiyama #ryozenkannon #cherryblossomseason #さくら

•

Follow

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ P A R T ✌🏼

My second stop of my first day in Kyoto was Ryōzen Kannon Temple, home to a 24-meter concrete statue of the Goddess of Mercy. The Buddhist temple honors the Japanese and Allied soldiers that died around the Pacific during World War II. There is a small ¥200 entrance fee but it includes a stick of incense you can place in the large pot past the reflecting pool.

The temple had so many blooming sakura trees in a few varieties, including yamazakura, shidare-sakura and yaezakura 🌸!! The best surprise was the #keitruck casually parked behind the weeping cherry trees 😭 I’ll never get over it!! 🛻✨

This was actually my second time at Ryozen Kannon, I visited on a spring girls trip back in 2017 🥹 and like I said it my previous post I struggle to not revisit the same touristy spots when visiting the same Japanese cities 😂 and guess what? 🥁🥁🥁 My next stop was… Kiyomizudera, again!! I have visited multiple times 😅 the first time, on that same girls trip, we didn’t make it all the way in and the last time (back in 2018) the main temple was under construction so I couldn’t help myself and went yet again.

Also, swipe for the biggest Instagram vs Reality moment I witnessed in Kyoto 😵‍💫 I think it was my first time seeing an overflowing trash can in Japan 🫠.

I have more Higashiyama street and Kiyomizu photos and maybe a few more vlogs to share, so stay tuned! 🫰🏼 Hoping to add these all to the blog (that’s been quiet since early 2023 😬) after I’m done sharing on IG!

That first photo & the kei truck one were both worthy of the being included in my print shop catalog 🙌🏼 so if you like it and are interested in purchasing one HMU!

🌸

✨

🌸

✨

#solotravel #japantravel #japansolotravel #kyoto #kyotojapan #springinjapan #higashiyama #ryozenkannon #cherryblossomseason #さくら

2 weeks ago

View on Instagram |

2/6

Tiny koi pond in the middle of Kyoto 🥹🎏

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✨

✨

#japankoi #kyotojapan #traveljapan #kyototrip #kyototravel #higashiyama #ninenzaka #visitkyoto

•

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Tiny koi pond in the middle of Kyoto 🥹🎏

✨

#japankoi #kyotojapan #traveljapan #kyototrip #kyototravel #higashiyama #ninenzaka #visitkyoto

1 month ago

View on Instagram |

3/6

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ Woke up extra early on my first day in Kyoto and went back to the historical Higashiyama district for a daytime stroll! The streets weren’t empty but they weren’t packed either, so it was a win!!

I walked along the stone-paved Ninenzaka road and captured so many sweet vignettes, my favorites include the Hōkanji Temple pagoda and the most perfectly placed sakura tree 🌸. It took about 20 minutes standing along with other photographers to get the shot with no people 😂 and that was after the original photographer screamed at some people to move 🤣!! #worthit It’s also been one of the most popular prints in my print shop 🥹🫶🏼

Of course I had to stop and grab a drink at the Starbucks that sits inside a converted 100 year old traditional house, with a tatami room!! There were zero seats available 😭, #solotravelproblems but it was fine. I toured the house, took my coffee to go and headed towards my next destination 👉🏼 Ryozen Kannon (again)! Is it me or is it incredibly hard not to revisit the same amazing touristy places in mainland? 😅

Oooh I had no choice but to take full advantage of Instagram’s new 20 photo carousel 😂 so sit back and enjoy this mini blogpost with my favorite DSLR pics 🫶🏼 there’s more where this came from! Let’s see if I follow through 😬 keep me accountable guys!!! ✨

🌸

🌸

🌸

#solotravel #japantravel #osaka #kyoto #kyotojapan #japansolotravel #higashiyama #pagoda #springjapan

•

Follow

H I G A S H I Y A M A ~ Woke up extra early on my first day in Kyoto and went back to the historical Higashiyama district for a daytime stroll! The streets weren’t empty but they weren’t packed either, so it was a win!!

I walked along the stone-paved Ninenzaka road and captured so many sweet vignettes, my favorites include the Hōkanji Temple pagoda and the most perfectly placed sakura tree 🌸. It took about 20 minutes standing along with other photographers to get the shot with no people 😂 and that was after the original photographer screamed at some people to move 🤣!! #worthit It’s also been one of the most popular prints in my print shop 🥹🫶🏼

Of course I had to stop and grab a drink at the Starbucks that sits inside a converted 100 year old traditional house, with a tatami room!! There were zero seats available 😭, #solotravelproblems but it was fine. I toured the house, took my coffee to go and headed towards my next destination 👉🏼 Ryozen Kannon (again)! Is it me or is it incredibly hard not to revisit the same amazing touristy places in mainland? 😅

Oooh I had no choice but to take full advantage of Instagram’s new 20 photo carousel 😂 so sit back and enjoy this mini blogpost with my favorite DSLR pics 🫶🏼 there’s more where this came from! Let’s see if I follow through 😬 keep me accountable guys!!! ✨

🌸

#solotravel #japantravel #osaka #kyoto #kyotojapan #japansolotravel #higashiyama #pagoda #springjapan

1 month ago

View on Instagram |

4/6

Kyoto in Spring? Groundbreaking 🌸

Let’s pretend for a second that this trip happened in 2024… and not in 2023 😂!! This was my first solo trip and I felt so damn proud of myself by the end 💪🏼. It’s taken me a whole year to share, so how about you place your vote if you think I’ll manage to follow through with sharing it all! 🤣 My blog is also down for some reason… but maybe someday my camera photos will make it on there!

I flew out of Naha Airport at 1pm and make it to Osaka’s Kansai Airport at 3pm ✈️, jumped on the terminal bus 🚌, then the Limited Express Haruka train 🚃, which ended up being Hello Kitty themed 🥹, bound for Kyoto Station. I arrived at 6pm, dropped off my backpack at a coin locker before hopping on another bus to Kiyomizudera!

I went to📍Kodaiji Temple to see their special spring illumination!! 🎇🏮✨ Went back to Kyoto Station where I may or may not have cried trying to find the coin lockers where I left my backpack 🫠 I realized I left it inside the JR line and I couldn’t find the correct entrance, but I found it eventually!! Ended up buying McDonald’s to-go because I realized my hostel check-in was ending within the hour. I was so hangry and frustrated but I made it with minutes to spare and shoved the food down my throat in the common room before crashing hard.

It was an eventful travel day to say the least! 😅
Solo travel isn’t easy but so fulfilling when you realize how capable you are!! 🫶🏼

More to come
…maybe 🙃

🌸

🌸

🌸

#solotravel #japantravel #osaka #kyoto #kyotojapan #kiyomizudera #kodaijitemple #springillumination #japansolotravel

•

Follow

Kyoto in Spring? Groundbreaking 🌸

Let’s pretend for a second that this trip happened in 2024… and not in 2023 😂!! This was my first solo trip and I felt so damn proud of myself by the end 💪🏼. It’s taken me a whole year to share, so how about you place your vote if you think I’ll manage to follow through with sharing it all! 🤣 My blog is also down for some reason… but maybe someday my camera photos will make it on there!

I flew out of Naha Airport at 1pm and make it to Osaka’s Kansai Airport at 3pm ✈️, jumped on the terminal bus 🚌, then the Limited Express Haruka train 🚃, which ended up being Hello Kitty themed 🥹, bound for Kyoto Station. I arrived at 6pm, dropped off my backpack at a coin locker before hopping on another bus to Kiyomizudera!

I went to📍Kodaiji Temple to see their special spring illumination!! 🎇🏮✨ Went back to Kyoto Station where I may or may not have cried trying to find the coin lockers where I left my backpack 🫠 I realized I left it inside the JR line and I couldn’t find the correct entrance, but I found it eventually!! Ended up buying McDonald’s to-go because I realized my hostel check-in was ending within the hour. I was so hangry and frustrated but I made it with minutes to spare and shoved the food down my throat in the common room before crashing hard.

It was an eventful travel day to say the least! 😅
Solo travel isn’t easy but so fulfilling when you realize how capable you are!! 🫶🏼

More to come
…maybe 🙃

🌸

#solotravel #japantravel #osaka #kyoto #kyotojapan #kiyomizudera #kodaijitemple #springillumination #japansolotravel

1 month ago

View on Instagram |

5/6

•

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My participation at vendor events has slowed down immensely this year because working full-time and doing a weekend events is insanely tiring 😵‍💫 but I did sign up for a good one!!

Kubasaki High School on Camp Foster is hosting their Spring Vendor Fair inside their gym next Saturday, April 13! Swipe left 👈🏼 to see all of the amazing vendors that will be there and come do some early Mother’s Day small business shopping!! 💚

1 month ago

View on Instagram |

6/6