Direct flights unlock Okinawa beach paradise for vacationers

Direct flights unlock Okinawa beach paradise for vacationers

2025-06-23

Miyako Island in Okinawa, famous for its crystal blue seas and powder sand beaches, has even been called the Maldives of East Asia. A local airline is now offering flights to the Japanese island to serve the busy summer months. FTV got a chance to check it out ahead of time to share how best to enjoy this tropical paradise.

Crystal-clear waters and sunny skies bump up against a powdery white sand beach. It’s almost unreal how beautiful this place is: Yonaha Beach in Asia’s most beautiful destination, Miyako Island in Okinawa.

How clear is the water? Just from snorkeling on the surface, you can clearly see an entire underwater world.

Ms. Chou
Tourist
The ocean here is even bluer than in other places, and clear. You can see sea turtles. It’s easy to snorkel, too. You can go for just 6,000 yen or so.

Miyako is a coral atoll without mountains or rivers to carry silt into the ocean, creating a uniquely azure coastline. Because of this, water activities are a must-do when visiting the island.

Koichiro Aoki
Japanese resort manager
The resort has its own beautiful coastline. There are also lots of beach activities. Our resort has nine different types of hotels with over 1,200 rooms in total.

Whether you want to snorkel, kayak, or play golf, resorts offer plenty of facilities and activities for guests to enjoy the beauty of Miyako. But competition is fierce to draw tourists to an island no bigger than 200 square kilometers. Despite being smaller than Taipei, Miyako has 21 resorts.

Shigeji Hirayama
Miyako Tourism Association director
Last year we welcomed over 1.19 million tourists. Numbers are definitely going up.

Also unique to Miyako Island is this stern guy.

He looks a bit scary with his police uniform, white skin, bright red lips, and stern expression. Called Ma-Mo-Ru-kun, these guards were originally meant to deter drunk drivers. But they became a hit with tourists, and now feature on many souvenirs. Anything printed with his face has become a specialty of the island. Visitors should be sure to pick one up before heading back.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53

#Miyako #MiyakoIsland #Okinawa #Japan #travel #tropicalisland #beach #vacation #snorkeling #resort

國航開航沖繩宮古島解鎖海島療癒新玩法

2025-06-23

本沖繩列島之一的宮古島，以清澈的海水、細如麵粉的白沙聞名，甚至有東亞版馬爾地夫的美譽。現在國籍航空開航宮古島，準備搶佔暑假市場，在出發前，民視新聞搶先帶您來看看，這個海島，該怎麼玩。

清澈海水、湛藍天空，還有這，細如麵粉的白沙，眼前景色，美得好不真實。這裡是被稱作＂東洋第一美＂的，宮古島與那霸前濱海灘。

宮古島的海，有多乾淨？光是浮潛，就能看到精采繽紛的海底世界。

[[旅客周小姐]]
“這邊海水比平時看到的要藍很多，也很透明，還有海龜可以看，浮潛什麼的也很方便，大概6000日圓左右就可以浮潛。”

宮古島是珊瑚礁島，沒有高山，就沒有河流把淤泥帶到海口，造就獨一無二的宮古藍海岸線。也因此，水上活動是旅客來宮古島，不可少的體驗行程。

[[日系連鎖度假村總經理 Mr.Koichiro Aoki]]
“（度假村內有）這片美麗的海岸，以及豐富的海灘活動，度假村擁有9種不同類型的飯店，總計超過1200間客房。”

不論是浮淺、獨木舟，還是陸地上的高爾夫，度假村各式設施、活動，讓住客一站式體驗宮古島的美好。努力吸引旅客目光，因為競爭真的好激烈！看看宮古島面積，其實不到200平方公里，比台北市還小一點，但島上卻聚集了，多達21家度假村。

[[宮古島觀光協會專務理事平山茂治]]
“去年已經突破（觀光人次）119萬，觀光客確實明顯增。”

這座小島還有宮古島限定，人氣最夯的他！

宮古島守護君身穿警裝，白皮膚大紅唇，搭上不苟言笑的表情，看起來有點可怕！卻沒想到，原本是在嚇阻酒駕犯的交通安全守護者ma-mo-ru-kun，意外爆紅，不少紀念品，更是直接印上他的臉，當招牌。旅客來到宮古島可千萬別錯過。

更多新聞內容，請鎖定：
民視台灣台（152頻道）週一至週五晚上9:30
民視新聞台（53頻道）週二至週六凌晨1:00

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How did a chicken burger lead to a positive test for alcohol? A man who was recently pulled over to do an alcohol test got a positive result during the first screening test. But he didn’t consume alcohol—only a McChicken burger. Turns out it’s because wheat products contain some sugars that could release traces of alcohol after being ingested.

The police had a man pull over to do an alcohol test. The tester flashed even though he didn’t consume alcohol. Turns out the culprit was a McChicken burger. The police officer later had a McChicken burger himself and also got the false positive.

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How did eating a burger turn into suspected drunk driving? Let’s see.

Kelly Wang
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You can see that the whole alcohol tester lit up and vibrates. That means alcohol was detected.

And it’s not only the McChicken burger, other foods can also lead to a false positive alcohol test result. These include bread, which many people grab for breakfast; and litchi, which is in season now. Having too many litchis at once can cause inflammatory reactions, and even test positive for alcohol. As for using alcohol wipes around the mouth area or mouthwash containing alcohol: they will of course lead to a positive test result.

Chiang Kuan-yu
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During flour fermentation process, traces of yeast can still remain after flour fermentation and bread baking processes. Therefore, some monosaccharides and disaccharides may only start to break down in the mouth, which produces traces of alcohol and carbon dioxide.

That said, one needn’t be so worried, because the alcohol tester used by officers in the first check is only for screening. Should one test positive, the police will then follow up with a standard breathalyzer to determine whether someone is really driving under the influence of alcohol. To prevent a false positive the first time around, simply rinsing your mouth after ingesting fermented or sugary foods will do.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Mon to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
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Pingtung banquet meal goes viral for generous portions at low price

Word recently got out that one seafood restaurant in Pingtung’s Donggang Township was offering 10 dishes and a soup for only NT$10,400. The owner posted footage from the restaurant and the menu, showing that the set includes indulgent dishes such as lobster. The post made the spot go viral, enticing flocks of diners to make the pilgrimage.

Fresh oysters are stir-fried over high heat to join a table full of other seafood dishes at this restaurant in Pingtung’s Donggang Township. Word got out that it was offering 10 dishes and a soup for only NT$10,400. Turns out that the menu, which was posted by the owner, includes three lobsters and enough food to feed 20 people, making the place go viral online.

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All this for NT$10,400, plus alcohol and a table full of food. There’s even lobster. We can’t finish. There’s no way. We really can’t finish. We haven’t even gotten everything yet.

Customer
It’s so cheap. I’ll definitely come here for Father’s Day or Mother’s Day.

Customers spread the word that the set meal is generously priced, even serving lots of people for only NT$10,000. They also serve lobster in addition to the usual seafood dishes in portions so big they won’t even fit on the table. After seeing the menu, other restaurant owners said the cost must be very high, especially if they’re serving lobster.

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Lobster is priced differently depending on the day. So if we’re talking average costs, they’re spending around NT$100 to NT$150 per lobster. Material costs are rising, but seafood like lobster and crab have always been at a high price point per unit.

Since the NT$10,400 meal includes lobster, many customers find it to be a great deal, helping the restaurant go viral online.

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Many people come just for that set, but they usually don’t finish. It’s enough for two tables. People want to come try it, wondering how lobster could be that cheap. It warms my heart that people want to support us. I want to thank everyone.

The owner suggested that people who want to order the set, but are afraid they won’t have enough people to finish, should instead order some local specialties. Diners could still get high-quality seafood, but at an even lower price.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
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Doctors promote at-home dialysis for convenience and health

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Loose dog chases pigeon in middle of intersection

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Security cameras caught quite the scene in the middle of this intersection, as a French bulldog excitedly chased a pigeon, headless of the danger around them. The two animals ran straight into the middle of the intersection, running in circles around cars, dodging them one after the other. The chase went on for about 20 seconds, until a big truck nearly hit the dog. The pigeon’s owner was unaware of the situation.

A nearby household takes care of pigeons, which normally fly away at the slightest disturbance. But the pigeon that was being chased seemed unable to fly properly, perhaps because it was injured. The white French bulldog also lives nearby and likely broke free from its leash and snuck out, causing a commotion.

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A dog was chasing a pigeon in the middle of an intersection, and the owner was nowhere in sight. Fortunately, no animals or people were harmed. The police and local government have intervened and will likely fine the owner.

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Influencer revealssecret to making perfect toast: rinse it first

Bread often becomes dry and shriveled after toasting it. One Japanese mother who doubles as an influencer taught her followers how to solve this problem. It only takes two steps to make toast crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, she said, including running it under the tap for a few seconds. An expert baker agreed with her, emphasizing that the bread itself, the toasting temperature, and how much water is added are all very important.

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If you want to have good toast, then give this a try.

It’s normal to wash fruits and vegetables, but now people are even washing their bread! A Japanese mother-slash-influencer shared her secret to making the perfect toast. First, run it under the tap for a few seconds, then cut a diamond pattern on the top, and put it in the toaster. This makes the toast crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

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There was a tasty smell coming from the oven, but when the toast was taken out, it wasn’t golden and crispy on the outside like in the original video. One household expert said this might be because the bread wasn’t chilled first.

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You can freeze it first then take it out to eat. The trick is that its moisture has to be just right. It has to be rinsed quickly so that it isn’t too wet. If it’s too wet, it will stick to the grill.

To make the toast crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle, it’s important to add the right amount of water and toast it for a short time at a high temperature. A humidifier stick designed for toasting bread can also be a useful tool. Of course, choosing the right bread is also important.

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Rinsing it for no more than five seconds will work and can be more convenient. When you wake up you take a piece of bread out of the fridge and give it a quick rinse. Thickness makes a difference, but the main thing is the texture of the dough. Toast made from French or European style bread will be more crispy, not soft and mushy.

This simple trick can turn basic toast into a treat. It’s great for breakfast or a mid-day snack.

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