MAYAA

You know, I'm actually pretty amazed by the word "MAYAA" in "Mango Mayaa." It turns out that it's an Okinawan dialect word (マヤー) that means "cat"! 

Once Upon a Time

In 2010, I went away on a working vacation and spent a year in Japan, traveling around Japan, learning Japanese, and working in a farmhouse to save money on travel expenses. The final stop on our journey was a beautiful mango farm in Okinawa. She is taken care of by her Okinawan mother-in-law, Yaeko, and we share a difficult time together, forming a strong bond.

You might have seen this earlier...

Times were changing, and I felt like it was the right time to start a new chapter in my life. So, I decided to move to Okinawa with my two cats, who were 17 and 18 at the time. Thanks to Yaeko's local connections, she took over the Mango Greenhouse and started "Mango" from the ground up.

Now

The more I learn about Okinawa, the more I fall in love with its complex cultural background, and of course, the beauty of its natural scenery and ocean. When the two old cats came to Okinawa, they turned back into children. They went from being afraid of strangers to giving you a pat on the butt (you know what I mean?). Okinawa has this kind of magic.

Cat X Okinawa X Mango, that's MANGO MAYAA.