Compared to living on the mainland. Yes, Okuma was great, and scuba and snorkeling were amazing.

Otherwise, the beaches were covered with trash, and the Okinawans (yes, after 70 years of US military occupation, I know...) were not very friendly.

I've compared Okinawa to the earlier American Appalachians, where little govt money was spent, and the people (from a culture that was not originally homogeneous with Japan) resented the 'cast-off' attitudes by mainland, and acted as if an economy boosted by US military presence was a punishment for being different and distant....