Well - busy busy getting ready to come home here - lots of the packing of the bags and the tossing outs of the junks.
Was figuring on Friday being my last work day, but it looks like school will be canceled tomorrow because typhoon MAN-YI will smack into Okinawa sometime between 3 and 9 am tomorrow. I guess thats what you get for living in typhoon ginza!

For those interested in these things - some links to the Japan Meteorological site
Animated satellite image =

Man-yi looks to be around the Category 4 size in the Oz system - which is pretty strong. Wind speed 95 knots (about 175kph) with gusts up to 135 knots which is about 250kph I believe?
Being in Typhoon Ginza means that Okinawa is frequently attacked by strong typhoons - usually multiple times every summer. Typhoon (= tropical cyclone) season runs from July to about October - but later storms have been occurring in recent years - I'm sure Al Gores onto that already.
Last year was rare - only a few typhoons came close. Two years before that (the 2004? season I think) Okinawa was hit by something like 8 typhoons in the season!!!!!!!!!!!!
Generally they start out in the NW Pacific near Guam and head north west; intensify and then head due north lashing through/near Okinawa or other of the Ryukyu islands. They then turn nor-nor-eastish and sweep along the whole of the Japanese Island group - generally losing power but dumping plenty of rain as they go.
Alternatively - they might miss Okinawa altogether and head through Taiwan and onto China.
This one looks like it will accept nothing less than a direct hit.
Hopefully it will be out of the way by Monday when I'm getting on the plane - though there's a fair chance it will be drowning Tokyo when I get there. Should be fun!
These typhoons are responsible for the concrete box/military bunker' type architecture which is the local modern classic here on Okinawa. Almost everything except cars and people are concrete!!
Well... better go drag the dogs and plants inside...
matta ne
Mr Earl.