The woman behind SHIGEYOSHI
SHIGEYOSHI — a feeling no one can take away.
SHIGEYOSHI. A family name from Okinawa. A word that means abundant good fortune. And to us, something more — the feeling you carry home long after the road ends.
WHO I AM
My name is Julie Wray and I was born in Naha, Okinawa and raised in Tacoma, Washington — two worlds that shaped the way I see everything. I'm half Okinawan, half American, and I've spent most of my life living somewhere between those two identities, finding beauty in both.
I've lived in Washington state, Michigan, and Texas, eventually settling in the city of Houston, where I built a career in IT spanning nearly three decades — the last chapter of which was spent in software development and project management. After years in a demanding and ultimately toxic work environment, I made the decision to step away and find my way back to what truly mattered.
And in that space I found the two things that had always been there, quietly waiting — travel and photography.
That space led me to my camera and the open road — first across Okinawa and Japan, then further to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, South Korea, the UK (southern England), and France (Paris). Each trip taught me something new about what makes travel meaningful, and what's missing when you navigate it alone.
When I’m not traveling, I spend time with my husband and three cats.
Me in many of my happy places
The three who are completely unimpressed by my adventures.
HOW I TRAVEL
I leave before sunrise. Not because I have to — because I want to. There's something about driving in the dark, watching the world slowly shift from black to blue to gold, that feels like a gift only a few choose to witness.
On an early morning drive between Monument Valley and Antelope Canyon, I pulled over alone on an empty road to watch anticrepuscular rays fan across the sky before sunrise — rare beams of light converging on the horizon that most people have never seen. Everyone else drove past without stopping. I stood there in the quiet, camera in hand, feeling like the luckiest person alive.
That's how I travel. Slowly enough to notice. Present enough to stop.
I've driven to Washington state, explored Moab in the snow, chased light across Monument Valley, slid down the dunes within White Sands National Park, and lost myself in the vastness of Big Bend National Park, where the silence is so complete it feels like the world forgot to find it.
Along the way I've learned that the best stops are sometimes the ones that weren't planned. A marker near a lonely Idaho highway where Evel Knievel once defied gravity — and somehow reminded me of being a kid with no worries. A waterfall steps from the parking lot that stopped me completely. A small church caught in the last light of the day that I pulled over for simply because the timing was right.
Adventure doesn't stop when I'm not on the road. I also windsurf in Aruba, SCUBA dive, and I'm currently dipping my toes into learning how to wing.
WHY I’M PREPARED
I travel with a Starlink Mini so we stay connected even in the most remote areas. I'm CPR/AED and first aid certified and carry a first aid kit on every trip. A compass, signal mirror, water, snacks, and additional safety equipment are always within reach — because being prepared means never having to panic.
I research every route carefully and trust my instincts — if something doesn't feel right, we find another way. I practice Leave No Trace principles — staying on designated trails to protect the flora and fauna around us, because no photograph is worth damaging what makes these places beautiful.
WHY SHIGEYOSHI
The name belongs to my mother's side of the family. Born in Okinawa — a single mom who lost her husband months after he was stationed in Washington state, she chose to stay in the United States and raise me here on her own, far from everything familiar — a quiet strength I carry with me still.
Life was never easy and money was tight — but she still found a way to take me on trips because she believed the world was worth seeing.
She passed away in 2022, but the gifts she left behind — a love of travel and photography — are with me on every road.
This business carries her name because it carries her spirit — and every trip I take is, in some small way, my way of honoring her.
SHIGEYOSHI — Go. You’ll know when you get there
Want to know more about the Okinawan roots of SHIGEYOSHI? Read the full story →
