OOkinawa

Feeling alone definitely could use some friends or a deeper connection

  • July 7, 2025

27M here American (shocker I know) I’ve been here two years now and I’m feeling quite alone. At this point in my life I thought I would have a wife and kid(s) but here I am sitting on my couch alone sitting here deep in thought. I’ve never felt this way before but I feel like nothing is worth it. Okinawa is a beautiful place I love it but my job is miserable. I’m looking for friends or something more to make it better

by Impressive_Cod9042

13 comments

  1. My kid takes up 90% of my free time, but I can always use more friends. I was AD AirForce then retired here. Now I’m a contractor. So may also be able to help put you in contact with others.

    Feel free to message me and maybe we can get together. Also, if you have Facebook I’d recommend checking out “Basically Brothers Okinawa.” A lot of great people there and they do monthly meetups for dinner. A wide spread of guys so it’s a great way to network.

  3. Hey man, sorry you are feeling this way. First, let me say that you are still young, don’t rush the marriage and kids thing. I didn’t get married till my mid 30’s. Been married for some time now and have 2 great kids. When you find the right person and the time is right it will happen. Enjoy your youth.

    What are your interests and hobbies? There is more than just hanging out at bars and clubs if that is not your thing. There are hiking, scuba diving, language, fishing, gaming and many more groups. Do a quick Facebook search and see what groups there are. Most of these communities are inviting and are full of great people.

    I may be a bit older than you but feel free to message me if you need to talk. Depression is not fun so don’t isolate yourself. Take care.

  4. I met locals taking Aikido and Iaido class at the Naha Budokan. I took karate as a kid (orange belt) but really had zero experience. It was a good way to meet locals and improve my basic Japanese. Here in the US I use Meetup to go on group hikes, a quick search showed that there’s Meetup groups in Okinawa too, here’s that link: [Find Events & Groups | Meetup](https://www.meetup.com/find/?location=jp–Okinawa&source=EVENTS)

  5. I feel you bro. I came to Japan to be with my partner with a whole future in my head, and almost from the moment I arrived everything went to shit, so I’ve been alone here in Oki for almost a year. There’s no guarantee of perpetuity in relationships, you better try to be okay by yourself in the meanwhile… So if you’d like to hang out, I’m a non American 34F living in Naha, and I go out around here on weekends with a military friend, you can join us 🙂

  8. I mean go join a hobbyist group? or start a new hobby? Life and happiness isn’t exactly only tied to a person we find

  9. Hi, I’m trying to learn English and would love to make some American friends
    If you’re interested in a language exchange, I’d be happy to connect!

  10. Thanks for reaching out. I’m sorry I didn’t have Reddit and fb when I first moved here. Maybe it was a good thing too because it forced me out of my apt. Found a church and made some good friends in Yokosuka.

  11. 58 year old Married woman with a similar problem. It’s a bit more challenging when you get older too, so make friends while you are young. I am trying to learn the language so maybe I can join some classes or something, but it is going very slowly. (I will likely be here for a decade or more). The fact that I don’t drive due to vertigo makes finding friends even more challenging.

    I hope to find a female near my age up to 120 years old that just might want someone to go grocery shopping with, sit and talk over coffee with sometime, or who just wants to hang out watching IQYI eating junk food … or maybe can teach me how to play mahjong.

    So far…no luck. Likely because I don’t know where or how to start after being a stay at home mom for so many years in a very rural (read: Isolated) area of America. The kids grew up and I realized I forgot how to make friends and socialize.

    I think it’s great for OP to reach out here. More people need to be so brave as there is a global loneliness epidemic. This is a big problem for the sanity and health of large swaths of humanity.

    Good luck OP!

  12. Gotta find something you truly enjoy doing, try new things too. Hobbies are the key to happiness, you’ll find like minded people who may become friends.

  13. Hey dude, 28M here. Relate to the not making friends part, my girlfriend keeps me sane though. I’m off this week on leave and planning to hike up north or go snorkeling. Let me know if you’re interested. I’m more of a nature person/explorer. Not a fan of going to bars/clubbing if that’s your thing.

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