Okinawa

Quick facts

Population

308,884 residents in Naha and 1,466,024 in Okinawa Prefecture, prefectural estimates for September 1, 2026 (based on the 2020 Census).

Founded

No single founding. Shuri was the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1429 to 1879; Naha is the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, created in 1879.

Country and region

Japan, Okinawa Prefecture. The main island (Okinawa Honto) lies in the south of the Japanese archipelago, between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean.

Language

Japanese. Some older residents also speak Uchinaaguchi, the Okinawan language; in tourist areas, English menus are common, though not guaranteed everywhere.

Currency

Japanese yen (JPY).

Time zone

Asia/Tokyo: UTC+9, no daylight saving time.

Best time to go

April, October, and November; the first half of May also works outside Golden Week, summer is the season for beaches and diving, with a chance of typhoons from June to September, and the rainy season usually runs from mid-May to the end of June.

Average daily cost

Budget around JPY8,250; mid-range around JPY18,500; comfortable around JPY33,500 per person per day, based on spending reported by travelers to Budget Your Trip (checked October 2026). Indicative figures, excluding travel to the destination.

What to see

01

Shuri Castle

EssentialNaha · Half a day or more · In the morningCheck tickets and reservations

Seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom for about 450 years, the castle occupies a hill in Shuri inside Shuri Castle Park and is part of the World Heritage site. The Seiden, the vermilion-painted main hall that blends Chinese and Japanese techniques, was destroyed by the fire of October 2019 and rebuilt. The park has announced the reopening, with the interior visited by reserved time slot in 30-minute blocks, the rest of the paid area without reservation, and a new price; check the website for the ticket and the conditions on the day. The paid area opens at 8:30 a.m. and closes at 7 p.m. from April to November and at 6 p.m. from December to March, with last entry half an hour before. Five minutes before opening, the ukeejo ceremony announces the opening of the park in front of the Houshinmon gate. Shuri monorail station is about a 15-minute walk away.

Check access

Seiden reopens to the public, with timed entry to the interior: 23 November 2026 (checked Oct 2026) source

Late opening (free area at 11:15am, paid area and Seiden at noon): 23 November 2026 (checked Oct 2026) source

Admission: JP¥400 (checked Oct 2026) source

Entire Shuri Castle Park closed (Seiden completion ceremony): 22 November 2026 (checked Oct 2026) source

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02

Himeyuri Peace Museum

EssentialItoman · One to two hoursCheck tickets and reservations

It tells the story of the students and teachers of a girls' school who were mobilized as nurses in the military hospitals set up in caves in the south, where many of them died. It has signage in English and video testimonies from survivors with subtitles. It is open from 9 a.m. to 5:25 p.m., with last entry at 5 p.m., and is about a 10-minute bus ride from the Peace Memorial Park.

Check access

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03

Okinawa Peace Memorial Park

EssentialItoman · Half a day or moreCheck tickets and reservations

A park in Mabuni, Itoman, at the far south of the island, where the battle ended. It holds the Cornerstone of Peace, with 242,659 names of the dead of all nationalities as of June 2026, the Peace Hall, and the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, which explains the battle and the reconstruction. The museum is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last entry at 4:30 p.m., closes from December 29 to January 3, and the adult ticket costs 300 yen.

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04

Sefa Utaki

EssentialNanjo · One to two hours · Late afternoonCheck tickets and reservations

The most sacred of the utaki, the places of worship of the kingdom, on Cape Chinen in Nanjo: a stone path between forest and rocks leads to natural altars formed by large blocks of limestone. In the time of the kingdom, men from outside the royal family could not enter, and those of the royal family entered dressed as women; the ceremonies were led by priestesses. The island of Kudaka, to the east at sea, is revered as the place where the creator deity of the islands descended. The adult ticket (ages 16 and over) costs 600 yen and is sold only at the Nanjo regional products center, until 5:15 p.m. from March to October and until 4:45 p.m. from November to February. The Sanguui area, the triangular tunnel between two rocks, is closed to visitors, and the site closes six days a year, on lunar calendar dates published on the official website. It is a World Heritage site.

Check access

Sefa Utaki closed (lunar calendar days): 9 – 11 November 2026 (checked Oct 2026) source

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05

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

EssentialMotobu · Half a day or more · In the morningCheck tickets and reservations

The aquarium of the Ocean Expo Park, in Motobu, is known for the Kuroshio tank, 7,500 cubic meters, with whale sharks and manta rays seen through a large acrylic window. In the low season it is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., with last entry at 5:30 p.m., and stays open later during holiday periods. The adult ticket costs 2,180 yen. From Naha Airport, next to the center, it is about 2 hours by car on the expressway, or 3 hours by express bus, and the park's parking is free.

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06

Tamaudun

Worth a visitNaha · Up to half an hourCheck tickets and reservations

Mausoleum of the kings of the second Sho dynasty, built in 1501 and carved into limestone rock with a tiled roof, a few minutes' walk from the castle. It has three chambers: one for the purification of remains, another for kings and queens, and the third for the rest of the royal family. Damaged in the war and restored in 1977, it is a World Heritage site and a National Treasure. The stele in the courtyard is considered the oldest inscription in kana, the Japanese syllabic script.

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07

Shikinaen

Worth a visitNaha · One to two hoursCheck tickets and reservations

A garden and recreational villa of the royal family, built in 1799 to receive envoys from China. The pond with an arched bridge in Chinese style, the hexagonal pavilion, and the red-tiled house show how the kingdom blended Japanese and Chinese references. Restored between 1975 and 1996 from prewar photographs, it is about 30 minutes by bus from the Naha terminal and is part of the World Heritage site.

Check access

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08

Kinjo-cho Ishidatami-michi

Worth a visitNaha · Up to half an hour

A slope paved with Ryukyu limestone, built in the 16th century as part of the road from Shuri to the port of Naha. About 300 meters survived the war, between stone walls and red-roofed houses. It is steep and can be slippery when wet.

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09

Kokusai-dori

Worth a visitNaha · One to two hours · At night

Naha's main street, 1.6 km of shops, cafés, and bars and the stage for the city's big parades. The interest lies more in the covered arcades and lanes that branch off it, with kariyushi shirt shops and small restaurants, than in the row of souvenirs on the main road.

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Nilo’s itinerary

1. 1

   Day 1 · Shuri and central Naha

   1. 1Shuri CastleHalf a day or moreEssential
   2. 6TamaudunUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   3. 8Kinjo-cho Ishidatami-michiUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   4. Makishi Public MarketUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   5. Tsuboya Yachimun StreetOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   6. 9Kokusai-doriOne to two hoursWorth a visit

   1. Take the monorail to Shuri station and walk about 15 minutes to Shuri Castle Park; the paid area opens at 8:30 a.m. If you arrive a little early, you can watch the opening ceremony in front of the Houshinmon gate.

   2. Allow about two hours for the gates and the exhibits. The interior of the rebuilt Seiden is visited by reserved time slot: check on the park's website whether it is open on the date of your visit and buy the time slot beforehand.

   3. Walk to the Tamaudun mausoleum, a few minutes from the castle, and go down the Kinjo-cho Ishidatami-michi stone slope.

   4. Go back by taxi or bus to the monorail and get off at Makishi station. Have lunch at the Makishi Public Market.

   5. In the afternoon, walk Tsuboya Yachimun Street and the pottery workshops, with the Tsuboya Pottery Museum for those who want context.

   6. At the end of the day, stroll Kokusai-dori and the covered arcades that branch off it, and have dinner at an izakaya on the side streets. Sleep in Naha.

2. 2

   Day 2 · The south: the memory of 1945 and Sefa Utaki

   1. Former Underground Naval HeadquartersOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   2. 2Himeyuri Peace MuseumOne to two hoursEssential
   3. 3Okinawa Peace Memorial ParkHalf a day or moreEssential
   4. 4Sefa UtakiOne to two hoursEssential

   1. Pick up the rental car early and start at 9 a.m. at the Former Underground Naval Headquarters, in Tomigusuku, about 4 km south of central Naha. One hour is enough for the tunnels and the museum.

   2. Continue to Itoman and visit the Himeyuri Peace Museum, with time for the video testimonies.

   3. Go on to the Okinawa Peace Memorial Park, in Mabuni, and allow about two hours for the Cornerstone of Peace and the prefectural museum, whose last entry is at 4:30 p.m. Have lunch in the area.

   4. Cross to Nanjo by 4 p.m. and walk Sefa Utaki. The ticket is sold only at the Nanjo regional products center, until 5:15 p.m. from March to October and until 4:45 p.m. from November to February; check beforehand that the date is not one of the closing days.

   5. Return to Naha along the east coast, drop off the car, and sleep in Naha. Without a car, do only one of the two blocks (Itoman or Sefa Utaki) by bus from the Naha terminal.

3. 3

   Day 3 · Kerama Islands (Zamami and Aka)

   Day trip

   1. The islands of Keramashoto National Park are about 50 minutes by high-speed boat from Tomari Port in Naha, or 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours by ferry. In October 2026, the high-speed boat cost 3,950 yen one way and 7,510 round trip (adult), and the ferry 2,900 and 5,510, plus a 100-yen entry fee for the island. Schedules change by day and by month: consult the monthly timetable on the Zamami village website and book, because during summer holidays and long holiday weekends there may be no seats. On Zamami, which covers 6.7 km², Furuzamami Beach is more than 800 meters long and there is a local bus to the beaches; from January to April, there are tours to see humpback whales. Bad weather cancels the boats. On the way back, anyone heading north the next day can pick up the rental car in the late afternoon.

4. 4

   Day 4 · The north: Churaumi, Bise, and Nakijin

   1. Nakijin CastleOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   2. Kouri IslandUp to half an hourWorth a visit

   1. With the car picked up the night before, on the return from the Kerama boat, leave Naha around 6:30 a.m. on the Okinawa Expressway to Nago and continue to the Ocean Expo Park: from Naha Airport, next to the center, it is about 2 hours. The Churaumi Aquarium opens at 8:30 a.m.

   2. Allow two to three hours for the aquarium and the Kuroshio tank. Park in the north lot (P7), the closest to the entrance.

   3. Walk or rent a bicycle in the neighboring village of Bise and go along the fukugi streets. Have lunch of Okinawa soba or fish on the peninsula.

   4. In the afternoon, visit the ruins of Nakijin Castle, a few minutes by car, and walk along the walls.

   5. Cross the bridges to Kouri Island for the end of the afternoon, already close to your lodging.

   6. Sleep on the Motobu Peninsula or the Onna coast, so you don't drive the road back at night and can start the next day already in the center of the island.

If you stay longer

1. 5

   Day 5 · Manzamo, castles of the center, and late afternoon in Chatan

   1. Cape ManzamoUp to half an hourWorth a visit
   2. Katsuren CastleOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   3. Nakagusuku CastleOne to two hoursWorth a visit
   4. Mihama American VillageOne to two hoursIf there is time

   1. Head down Route 58 to Cape Manzamo, in Onna, to see the cliff in the morning light.

   2. Cross the island to the ruins of Katsuren Castle, in Uruma, and climb the stairway to the top in sturdy footwear.

   3. If there is time, cross the road to the islands of Uruma, such as Henza and Hamahiga, and have a seafood lunch there.

   4. In the afternoon, visit the ruins of Nakagusuku Castle and walk through the enclosures from the main one outward to see how the masonry changes.

   5. At the end of the afternoon, go on to Chatan, walk through the Mihama American Village, and watch the sunset on the Sunset Walk promenade.

   6. Return to Naha, about 40 minutes from Chatan to the airport, and drop off the car. If you stay one more night, you can have dinner first on Gate 2 Street, in Koza, where the bars have live music.

Plan my days in the app ↗

Food

Where to eat

• Makishi Public Market (Naha)

  Fishmongers, butchers, and grocers with space to eat Okinawan dishes. Good for a lunch that shows the ingredients of the island, such as reef fish, cuts of pork, and umibudo.

• Side streets of Kokusai-dori and Sakurazaka (Naha)

  Izakaya with goya champuru, rafute, and awamori, plus yakitori places in narrow lanes. Sakurazaka is an area of bars and restaurants welcoming to an LGBTQ+ public.

• Shuri

  Shops and an awamori distillery, where you learn about the spirit and buy a bottle, and a café that serves buku-buku cha, the rice tea whisked into foam.

• Omoromachi

  Pricier restaurants of various cuisines near the station; a good area to look for agu pork in shabu-shabu or yakiniku of Okinawan beef.

• Monorail between Kenchomae and Miebashi (central Naha)

  Restaurants and small craft breweries along the line, for a local beer after Kokusai-dori.

• Chatan (Sunabe and the Miyagi coast)

  Cafés facing the sea and places for sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and burritos, the American legacy at the table, with restaurants at Chatan Fisharina for the sunset.

• Kin

  The town where taco rice was created in the 1980s, near Camp Hansen, for a pause on the way between the center and the north.

• Motobu Peninsula

  Okinawa soba and fish. Motobu is one of the centers of bonito fishing, eaten as sashimi or tataki from late March to October, and has its own brand of beef.

· 2026-10-19

Day trips

Where to begin

Shuri and central Naha

Take the monorail to Shuri station and walk about 15 minutes to Shuri Castle Park; the paid area opens at 8:30 a.m. If you arrive a little early, you can watch the opening ceremony in front of the Houshinmon gate.

• Shuri Castle
• Tamaudun
• Kinjo-cho Ishidatami-michi
• Kokusai-dori

The south: the memory of 1945 and Sefa Utaki

Pick up the rental car early and start at 9 a.m. at the Former Underground Naval Headquarters, in Tomigusuku, about 4 km south of central Naha. One hour is enough for the tunnels and the museum.

• Himeyuri Peace Museum
• Okinawa Peace Memorial Park
• Sefa Utaki

The north: Churaumi, Bise, and Nakijin

With the car picked up the night before, on the return from the Kerama boat, leave Naha around 6:30 a.m. on the Okinawa Expressway to Nago and continue to the Ocean Expo Park: from Naha Airport, next to the center, it is about 2 hours. The Churaumi Aquarium opens at 8:30 a.m.

• Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium

Manzamo, castles of the center, and late afternoon in Chatan

Head down Route 58 to Cape Manzamo, in Onna, to see the cliff in the morning light.

Money

Getting there and around

Safety

Etiquette tips

Mistakes to avoid

Useful phrases

Where to stay

• Central Naha (Kokusai-dori and Makishi) · Those arriving without a car, who do Shuri and the center on foot and by monorail and go to Kerama by boat.: It is where most of the island's lodging is concentrated, from hostels to hotels, near the Kenchomae, Miebashi, and Makishi stations and near Tomari Port. The drawback is the bar streets, which are lively at night; anyone renting a car needs to check whether the hotel has parking, and the days in the north begin with traffic in the south of the island.
• Omoromachi · Those who prefer a district of malls and restaurants and want to stay on the monorail.: It is around the Omoromachi monorail station, with shopping malls, pricier restaurants, and the prefectural museum a few minutes away. It has less of the feel of the old lanes, and to get to the market and Tsuboya you need to take the monorail.
• Chatan (Mihama and Sunabe) · Those traveling by car who want to split the trip between the south and the north, with restaurants and sunset nearby.: Naha, Yomitan, and the Onna coast are less than an hour away by car, and the airport about 40 minutes. The resort hotels are in Mihama, and guesthouses and hostels in Sunabe. Without a car, it depends on buses, and Tomari Port, for Kerama, requires an early start.
• Onna coast · Those who want a beach hotel, whether just for the night of the north day or for more days by the sea.: It is the island's main resort strip, with beaches with lifeguards and Cape Manzamo; the airport is about 1 hour by car. It is an area of luxury hotels; the more affordable options are farther along Route 58. For the Kerama boat, which leaves Naha early, and for the south, it is too far: leave those days for the nights in Naha.
• Motobu Peninsula · Those who want to reach Churaumi, Nakijin, and Yanbaru early without facing the road from Naha.: It has resort hotels, guesthouses, and vacation rentals near the aquarium and the islands of Kouri and Sesoko. It is about 90 minutes by car from Naha, and buses on the peninsula are rare, so it only makes sense with a car, as the night of the north day or as a base for Yanbaru.

· 2026-10-19

Districts

Central Naha (Kokusai-dori, Makishi, and Tsuboya)

The commercial axis of the capital: the 1.6 km of Kokusai-dori, the covered arcades that branch off it, the Makishi Public Market, and the Tsuboya potteries, served by the Kenchomae, Miebashi, and Makishi monorail stations. It suits those arriving without a car who want restaurants and nightlife on foot.

Shuri

The old capital of the kingdom, now a district of Naha on a hill east of the center: the castle park, the Tamaudun mausoleum, the stone slope of Kinjo-cho, and awamori shops and a distillery. It has its own monorail station and little lodging.

Omoromachi

A district of Naha north of the center, around the Omoromachi monorail station, with shopping malls, pricier restaurants, and the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum.

South (Tomigusuku, Itoman, and Nanjo)

The south of the island: in Tomigusuku, just south of Naha, the old underground naval headquarters; in Itoman and Nanjo, sugarcane fields, the memorials and museums of the Battle of Okinawa, the sacred site of Sefa Utaki, limestone caves, and beaches such as Mibaru and Azama Sun Sun. It works best by car.

Chatan and Koza

The center, marked by the American presence: in Chatan, the Mihama American Village, the sunset promenade, and seaside cafés in Sunabe; in Koza (Okinawa City), Gate 2 Street beside Kadena Air Base, with bars and live music, and the island's biggest eisa festival.

Yomitan and the Onna coast

Yomitan has more than 50 potters and the ruins of Zakimi Castle; the Onna coast, from Yomitan to Nago, is the island's main resort strip, with Cape Manzamo and beaches with lifeguards.

Motobu Peninsula

The northwest of the island: the Ocean Expo Park with the Churaumi Aquarium, the village of Bise and its fukugi trees, Nakijin Castle, and the islands of Kouri and Sesoko, linked by bridges. It is about 90 minutes by car from Naha.

History

Geography and shape of the city

Culture

Festivals and events

Books and films

Frequently asked questions

Okinawa: how do I get from Naha Airport to the center?

Naha Airport (OKA) is a few kilometers from the center, and the Yui Rail monorail leaves from the airport itself. The adult fare is 290 yen to Kenchomae (13 minutes), 320 to Makishi (16 minutes), and 360 to Shuri (27 minutes). The 24-hour (1,000 yen) and 48-hour (1,800 yen) QR tickets are valid from the time of purchase. The monorail accepts the OKICA card and IC cards from other regions of Japan, such as Suica.

Okinawa: do I need to rent a car, or can I do the itinerary by bus and monorail?

The monorail covers Naha and Shuri. Outside it, buses leave from the Naha terminal for almost the whole island, but departures are far apart away from the capital, with waits that can reach two hours. A rental car is the most practical way to see the south, the center, and the north. The rental agencies are outside the airport, and a company bus takes you to the lot, which can take half an hour. Traffic drives on the left, speed limits are usually between 40 and 60 km/h, and the south of the island gets congested. Anyone driving in Japan with a foreign license generally needs the international driving permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention, issued before the trip; some nationalities use an official translation instead. Check the rule for your country before booking.

Okinawa: how do I get to the Kerama Islands?

Boats leave from Tomari Port in Naha. The Queen Zamami high-speed boat departs from the north side of the port, which has its own ticket office next to the boarding area, and reaches Zamami in about 50 minutes; the Ferry Zamami leaves from the south side, next to the Tomarin terminal, and takes 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. Reservations by phone open one month ahead and run until the day before, with no reservations on the day itself, and online they open 55 days ahead; the fare is paid on the day, at the ticket office, with the reservation number. In October 2026, the high-speed boat cost 3,950 yen one way and 7,510 round trip (adult), and the ferry 2,900 and 5,510, plus a 100-yen entry fee for the island. Schedules change by day and by month, and bad weather cancels the boats.

Okinawa: how many days should I stay?

I'd stay five days on the main island, and four is the minimum I'd defend. One day goes to Shuri and central Naha; another to the south, with the museums and memorials of the Battle of Okinawa and Sefa Utaki; a boat day to the Kerama Islands; and a full day by car to the north, with the Churaumi Aquarium, the village of Bise, and Nakijin Castle. The fifth day comes down from the north by Cape Manzamo and the castles of Katsuren and Nakagusuku to the late afternoon in Chatan. I'd sleep in Naha, near a monorail station, for the first three nights, because Tomari Port, the airport, and the exits to the south are a few minutes away, and I'd spend the night of the north day in Motobu or on the Onna coast, so as not to retrace the road at night. For Yanbaru and Cape Hedo, I'd add a sixth day, with a second night in the north.

Okinawa: when is the best time to go?

April, October, and November; the first half of May also works outside Golden Week, summer is the season for beaches and diving, with a chance of typhoons from June to September, and the rainy season usually runs from mid-May to the end of June.

Okinawa: how do I get to the Churaumi Aquarium?

The aquarium is in the Ocean Expo Park, in Motobu. From Naha Airport, next to the center, it is about 2 hours by car on the expressway, or 3 hours by express bus, such as lines 111 and 117 and the Yanbaru Express, and the park's parking is free. In the low season it is open from 8:30 to 18:30, with last entry at 17:30, and stays open later during holiday periods. The adult ticket costs 2,180 yen.

Okinawa: is it safe to swim in the sea?

From June to September 30, the prefecture keeps up a warning for the habu-kurage, a box jellyfish with strong venom: swim inside the nets, at beaches with lifeguards, cover your skin, and carry vinegar, which is the recommended first aid, without rubbing the affected area and seeking medical attention. At beaches with lifeguards, swimming is allowed inside the marked area and with a jellyfish net; in high seas, jellyfish can pass over the net. In an emergency at sea, call 118, the number of the Japan Coast Guard.

Itineraries through here