Okinawa

Understand

The name Okinawa means "rope in the open sea", a fairly apt description of this long stretch of islands between the main islands of Japan and Taiwan. Consisting of 49 inhabited islands and 111 uninhabited islands, Okinawa has a subtropical to tropical climate, and is a popular beach holiday destination for Japanese, with frequent flights from all the major cities of Japan. While visitors from nearby countries are increasingly discovering Okinawa's charms, the number remains low compared to the tourist destinations on mainland Japan.

History

Traders between Japan, Korea and China have traveled through the islands of Okinawa since time immemorial. In 1429, King Shō Hashi unified three kingdoms on the main island into the Ryukyu Kingdom (Japanese: 琉球王国 Ryūkyū Ōkoku, Okinawan: 琉球國 Ruuchuu Kuku), which prospered off trade as a tributary state of Imperial China that was nevertheless de facto independent. The islands were first invaded and brought under the control of Satsuma (modern-day Kagoshima) in 1609, who allowed them to continue maintaining their tributary relationship with China. This arrangement allowed the Satsuma domain to use them as a conduit for trade with China when the rest of Japan was in self-imposed isolation, to the profit of all three parties. The common people were less happy about the arrangement: Satsuma imposed heavy head taxes, and there are many stories of people committing suicide to prevent their entire village from being punished. Ryūkyū was annexed by Japan during the Meiji Period in 1879, which Qing China was by then powerless to stop, and the Japanese proceeded to do their best to suppress indigenous culture, language and religion. With little time to adjust to their new status as Japanese subjects, the people were nervous about nearby wars and in order to escape and with the encouragement of the government, there was heavy migration out to Brazil, Hawaii and other Pacific Islands.

Okinawa was a major battleground in the Pacific War. The Americans landed on the main island on April 1, 1945, took control of the central part of the island in just three days and then proceeded to take the northern half in a relatively short time. They expected strong resistance but were surprised to find many people willingly surrendering. With most of the island under American control, the U.S. turned its eyes south where the capital Naha was located, and the further south they moved, the stronger the resistance became. For the locals, survival was difficult. The Americans bombed the island relentlessly and burned all vegetation in an attem

Getting there

By plane Most visitors arrive in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, which is also well served by low-cost carriers like Skymark and Jetstar. Domestic flights do connect major Japanese cities directly to some other Okinawan islands like Miyako and Ishigaki, but prices can be steep; for example, the standard one-way fare for Tokyo-Ishigaki is a whopping ¥50,000. You can save a considerable amount of money by making use of ANA's Visit Japan or JAL's Welcome to Japan fares, both of which allow domestic flights in Japan for ¥14,040. Low-cost carriers like Peach can also offer good fares if booked in advance. Naha is also served by some international flights to other Asian cities. If you are coming from elsewhere, consider connecting in Taipei instead, as Naha is geographically closer to Taipei than to Tokyo. Direct international connections to the other islands are very limited, but there are seasonal winter services from Taipei to Ishigaki and low-cost carriers have experimented with flights from Seoul and Hong Kong to Ishigaki and Miyako (Shimojishima).

By ship

Ferry services to Okinawa have been cut drastically, with Arimura Sangyo filing for bankruptcy and RKK Line stopping passenger services entirely. With long travel times, bumpy seas, frequent cancellations in the fall typhoon season and prices that aren't any cheaper than flying, it's easy to see why this isn't too popular anymore. As of 2024, the only survivors are A-Line Ferry, aka Maru-A (マルエー), and Marix Line, which run from Kagoshima to Naha (25 hours, ¥16,560 2nd class one-way) on alternating days. The ferries are fairly utilitarian but comfortable enough, with sleeping arrangements varying from shared spaces of tatami in 2nd class (二等 nitō) to private cabins in special class (特等 tokutō). All ferries call at various minor islands including Yoron and Amami Oshima along the way. If you're planning to island-hop your way through the Amamis to Okinawa and back, the Yui Passport that gives 14 days of unlimited travel on both companies may be worth considering. At ¥30,000, it's not cheap, but still offers a discount on the ¥33,120 you'd usually pay for the return journey. The only international service to Okinawa is the Yaima Line from Keelung, Taiwan, which travels to Ishigaki once or twice a week. The overnight trip takes about 8 hours, and fares start from 2800 NTD (around 14,000 yen) in "Standard G" class with shared tatami mats. Cruises between Japan and Taiwan also often stop at Naha and/or Ishigaki.

Getting around

Ferry and air connections link the islands together, but many of them are simply so small in population that scheduled services may be infrequent and prices vary.

By plane Flights between the islands are mostly handled by Japan Transocean Air (JTA) and its subsidiary Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC), both owned by JAL. ANA also has a limited network radiating out from Naha. Prices are generally quite high.

By ferry There are dense webs of ferry links between nearby islands, but only infrequent cargo boats ply lengthier routes like Naha-Ishigaki. If traveling by boat in late summer, note that the area around Okinawa is known as Typhoon Alley for a reason: it's not uncommon for ferries to be suspended for several days if one comes barrelling through.

By car

Probably more so than anywhere else in Japan, the trainless main island of Okinawa is a car culture, which makes car rental an attractive option for longer stays. Be prepared to drive on the left side of the road. Beware of many traffic jams and generally very slow moving traffic, especially in the densely populated southern part of the island. Plan your return trip to the airport accordingly. An International Driving Permit is required to drive in Japan, and it must be the 1949 Geneva Convention type and obtained before arrival; see Driving in Japan for the details. The only exception is for nationals of Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Slovenia, Monaco or Taiwan, who can get an authorized Japanese translation issued at the Japanese Automobile Foundation Okinawa branch office in Urasoe, near Naha. If you don't qualify for either, the only option is a Japanese license, which is an expensive and time-consuming hassle. Military and other SOFA personnel may obtain driving privileges via their own installation procedures. SOFA cars have special "Y" plates and special rules for tax, inspection, etc.

By bus

Most islands of interest in Okinawa have at least a rudimentary bus network, although schedules may be sparse and prices fairly high (e.g. over ¥2000 to cross the main island). Times and routes (usually in both English and Japanese) are indicated at each bus stop and at the various bus terminals. Prices outside of Naha are based on distance travelled and are indicated in the front of the bus as it moves from sector to sector this is roughly charged at 1km intervals. Take your ticket as you enter the bus, it will have your starting sector number on it. There is a changer for 1000 yen bills and coins at the front of the bus. Keep your ticket until you leave the bus. You pay the fare on alightin

See

Most people come to Okinawa for the sun and beaches. Even in midwinter, when many areas of the mainland Japan teeter around the freezing point, temperatures rarely dip below 15°C in Okinawa. For more adventurous types, the vast yet almost uninhabited island of Iriomote is covered in dense jungle. Cultural attractions are rather more limited, as the Japanese invasion and subsequent brutal colonization coupled with fighting in World War II did a regrettably thorough job of eliminating most traces of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Shuri Castle in Naha on Okinawa Island is the former royal palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Already rebuilt once after burning down during World War II, the main hall of the castle burned down again in 2019. Reconstruction is under way, but is not expected to be completed until 2026. The gusuku (castle) ruins of Katsuren, Nakagusuku and Zakimi, all in Central Okinawa, have been partly restored and together with Shuri Castle form a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a taste of the Okinawa of yesteryear, the islands of Taketomi (Yaeyama Islands) and Tonaki (Kerama Islands) have carefully preserved Ryukyuan villages. Ocean Expo Park: Churaumi Aquarium is a world class aquarium located on the Motobu peninsula of the main island. Attractions include one of the world's largest tanks with huge whale sharks and manta rays and a beautiful public facility called Emerald Beach. Historical sites related to World War II can be found throughout the islands, especially the southern side of the main island, including the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, the navy's former underground headquarters and the Himeyuri Monument.

Do

Okinawa is the best place in Japan for all sorts of watersports.

Snorkeling and diving The Okinawa archipelago is one of the world's best diving destinations, with the count of marine species on par with the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. You can find over 400 types of corals, 5 types of sea turtles, manta rays, whale sharks, hammerhead sharks and many kinds of tropical fish. The main downside is that's quite expensive compared to, say, South-East Asia — a whole day's diving off a boat (2-3 dives including insurance and lunch) costs between ¥12,000 and ¥17,000, depending on the season and island, plus an additional cost between ¥3,000 and ¥5,000 if you need gear rental. For a 3-day certification course you will need to pay between ¥30,000 and ¥60,000, depending on the season and number of participants. Fortunately, a lot of the diving on Okinawa can be done from the shore (no boat needed), in which case you can get full gear rental and tanks for around ¥5,000, or if you just need tanks (and can guide yourself) then it will only be around ¥500 per tank. To top it off many shops do not accept credit cards, so you will need to carry a thick wad of yen to pay for it all. The language barrier can also be an issue, with most shops only set up to cater to Japanese-speaking tourists, although Piranha Divers Okinawa, Reef Encounters in Chatan or Bluefield in Kadena on Okinawa Island, and Umicōza on Ishigaki are welcome exceptions.

If all this does not put you off, there is some world-class diving to look forward to: particular highlights include the gorgeous reefs surrounding the Kerama Islands, the manta rays of Miyako and Ishigaki and the hammerhead sharks and underwater ruins of Yonaguni. The waters are generally divable all year, although water temperature fluctuates between 22°C in the winter to around 29°C in summer. Also, beware of the typhoons during June–November and the north wind that may frequently close diving sites in the north shores of many of the islands during November and December. Many people dive in boardshorts and rashguards half the year. Most Japanese divers wear a 5mm full-body wetsuit, and dive shops usually provide aluminum tanks with American-style fittings.

Sailing Sailing is gaining in popularity in Okinawa. There is a small but passionate international sailing community centered at Ginowan Marina, near the Convention Center. Local and international sailors cruise and race to the Kerama islands and to other locations. Sailing cruises and classes are also conducted out of Ginowan Marina.

Surfing Surfing is popular in Okina

Buy

Popular souvenirs from Okinawa include:

Kariyushi shirts (かりゆしウェア), the local spin on Hawaii's aloha shirts. Short-sleeved, collared and patterned, they were dreamed up by marketers in the 1970s but have been enthusiastically adopted by the locals and are now common both as casual and formal wear. Miniature shisa lion dogs Food products incorporating Okinawan ingredients, notably the ubiquitous purple sweet potato (紅芋 beni-imo) tarts

Eat

Okinawan cuisine is distinctly different from that of mainland Japan. Unlike the simplicity of classical Japanese food, which tries to highlight individual ingredients, Okinawan cuisine mixes lots of ingredients in a single dish to create complex, balanced flavors. Indeed, Okinawa's most famous dish is chanpurū (from the Malay word campur, meaning "mix"), a stir-fry of multiple vegetables and meats. Thanks to Chinese influence, Okinawans too proudly proclaim that they use every part of the pig except the squeal, and pork (あぐー agū) makes an appearance in almost every dish, including bits like ears, trotters (テビチー tebichi) and blood which are generally disdained by mainland Japanese. Goat (ヤギ yagi) is not uncommon and even Spam has a distinct following. Other Okinawan ingredients include vegetables rarely seen on the Japanese mainland such as bitter melon (ゴーヤー gōyā) and purple sweet potato (紅芋 beni-imo or 紫芋 murasaki-imo). Local seaweeds like the gloopy mozuku (モズク), often served in vinegar or deep-fried as tempura, or fluffy green āsa (アーサ), hiding in soups, often get credit for Okinawans' life expectancy, the longest in the world. While Okinawan dishes rarely contain chilies, there's often a bottle of kōrēgusu (コーレーグス), chilies steeped in awamori rice liquor (see Drink), on the table so you can spice things up according to taste — a little goes a long way. Okinawan tropical fruits including mango, papaya, pineapple, dragonfruit and the sour lime-like calamansi (シークァーサー shīkwāsā) are delicious when in season. Dark cane sugar (黒砂糖 kurozatō) is also a popular snack, eaten both as is and made into a vast variety of candies and pastries.

Some dishes worth trying:

Gōyā chanpurū (ゴーヤーチャンプルー) is the canonical Okinawan dish, a stir-fry made from goya mixed with pork and tofu. There are lots of other chanpurūs as well, made with tofu, thin sōmen wheat noodles, fu (gluten), etc. Gurukun (グルクン), sometimes called "banana fish", is no less than the official fish of Okinawa prefecture. Small but tasty and prepared in a variety of ways, even the bones are edible. Okinawa soba (沖縄そば) is made with wheat noodles and a pork-based stock, and is closer to Chinese ramen than Japanese buckwheat soba. Often served with sōki (ソーキ), stewed pork ribs, and spiced up with a dash of shima-koshō (島胡椒) island pepper or shima-tōgarashi (島唐辛子) chillies. Okinawa chanpon (沖縄ちゃんぽん) is a hearty dish of stir fried seafood and vegetables on rice. (On the mainland, chanpon is a soupy noodle dish.) Hirayāchī (ヒラヤーチー), an okonomiyaki-like thin savoury pancake. Jīmāmi (ジーマーミ) peanut tofu, sl

Drink & nightlife

The local brew of choice is awamori (泡盛), a notoriously strong rice liquor that can contain up to 60% alcohol, although 30-40% is more common. Unlike Japanese shochu, which is usually prepared from potatoes or barley, awamori is brewed using imported Thai jasmine rice since during the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom, short-grain rice could not be brought in from the main islands. It's most commonly drunk on the rocks or neat. Awamori keeps well, and when stored more than three years is known as kūsu (古酒, also read koshu in standard Japanese). If the label indicates a specific age, it's 100% at least that old; however, kūsu without a given age is usually a blend of 50% 3-year-old and 50% new awamori.

A notorious version of awamori is habushu (ハブ酒), with an entire venomous Okinawan pit viper (habu) pickled in the bottle, often by inserting it while it's still alive. At a minimum of ¥10,000 for a bottle, it's expensive and nobody drinks this stuff for the taste, but it's popular particularly in US military circles as a drunken dare. If awamori even without the snake is a bit too strong for your taste, try awamori umeshu (泡盛梅酒), a delectable sweet liquor made by infusing Japanese ume plums in awamori and cane sugar. Calamansi (shīkwāsā) and coffee-flavored versions of awamori are also available. Okinawa's local beer Orion (オリオン, pronounced "Oree-on") is a safer alternative, at least in small quantities. Most larger islands also have their own microbreweries. Jasmine tea (さんぴん茶 sanpincha) is very popular on Okinawa. Tropical fruit juices are also widely available.

Nightlife Naha has the busy nightlife scene you'd expect of a large city, livened up by the presence of many GIs from the military bases. Kadena and Chatan, near Kadena Air Base, also have many bars catering to the military with frequent live music performances. Okinawa has many live houses in Naha city and Okinawa city, with styles ranging from Okinawan traditional folk music to American rock, jazz and other sounds from the USA. The charge depends on the artist but it's usually about ¥1000-3500, plus one drink. Check the time, the artist, and the price before you go. There is some gay nightlife in Naha.

Sleep

Broadly speaking, accommodation on Okinawa can be divided into two brackets: cheap basic lodges, and expensive fancy resorts. Another option is sleeping in campsites.

Budget Okinawa has a multitude of cheap minshuku-type lodges geared towards poor surfers and divers, and unlike the mainland many offer or even specialize in bed-only (素泊まり sudomari) stays with no meals included. The very cheapest dorm-type places can go for less than ¥2,000, although you'll usually be looking at a minimum of ¥3,000 for your own room and around ¥5,000 if you want two meals. Watch out for hidden charges for things like air-con, fridge rental or even using the shower. In Naha you can easily find dirt-cheap places starting from ¥1,000 per night.

Camping There are many campsites around Okinawa, some on nice beaches. They offer cheap accommodation if you have your own tent and sleeping bag (and mat) for ¥500-1,000/night. Their facilities are sometimes very poor, they have only cold shower for example (and they even charge you for using it!) and no cooking/cleaning facilities. However they often rent out BBQ sets (¥2,000-3,000) which can make the night unforgettable.

Mid-range B&B-type pensions are the most common midrange option, although there are some city hotels also. Figure on around ¥10,000/person with two meals.

Splurge The other end of the spectrum is Okinawa's host of resorts, usually located on a private beach in some remote corner of the island — which means you'll be stuck eating at the resort's expensive restaurant and using their expensive watersports services. Rack rates for these places tend to be ludicrous (¥20,000+/head/night), but you can usually get steep discounts by buying flight and hotel packages, especially in the low season. Most hotels in Okinawa prohibit displaying tattoos in pools and sometimes even their private beaches. Cover up with a rash guard.

Go next

The Amami Islands to the north are politically a part of Kyushu, but culturally closer to Okinawa. Taiwan is just to the south of Okinawa, and you can see it from Yonaguni on a good day.