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Okinawa

Tropical paradise and a unique culture

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Photo: Roxanne LW | JT

Top Attractions in Okinawa

Around Okinawa
Area

If your idea of a holiday is the sound of the spinnaker flapping in the breeze or the gentle waves lapping while you are maki...

Okinawa
Area

Yomitan Village on the East China Sea in Central Okinawa is well known for its pottery, beaches, castle, agriculture, and lig...

Okinawa
Area

The 2005 merger of the former cities and towns of Gushikawa, Ishikawa, Katsuren and Yonashiro created Okinawa Prefecture's th...

Okinawa
Area

Okinawa City is the second largest city in Okinawa Prefecture with approximately 140,000 residents and is situated in central...

Okinawa
Area

Ginowan is a city of nearly 100,000 residents on the coastline of the main island of Okinawa between Urasoe City and Chatan V...

Okinawa
Area

Naha in the south of the main island of Okinawa is the capital city of the Prefecture and the center of business, culture, ar...

Okinawa
Area

Kadena is a small town of about 13,000 residents on the East China Sea along the western shoreline of the main island of Okin...

Okinawa
Area

Tiny Kitanakagusuku Village is one of the smallest municipalities in all of Okinawa with less than 12 square kilometers of la...

Okinawa
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Top Articles

  1. Okinawa's Northern Coast
    1

    Okinawa's Northern Coast

    Okinawa
  2. Cape Hedo
    2

    Cape Hedo

    Okinawa
  3. Naha Airport
    3

    Naha Airport

    Okinawa
  4. Good Day Coffee
    4

    Good Day Coffee

    Okinawa
  5. Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters
    5

    Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters

    Okinawa
  6. Bloom Coffee Okinawa
    6

    Bloom Coffee Okinawa

    Okinawa
  7. Made in Okinawa
    7

    Made in Okinawa

    Okinawa
  8. LaLa Zorba
    8

    LaLa Zorba

    Okinawa
  9. A Vegan-friendly Guide to Okinawa
    9

    A Vegan-friendly Guide to Okinawa

    Okinawa
  10. Cafe Halcyon
    10

    Cafe Halcyon

    Okinawa
  1. Cape Hedo
    1

    Cape Hedo

    Okinawa
  2. Ogimi Village
    2

    Ogimi Village

    Okinawa
  3. Okinawa Zoo & Museum
    3

    Okinawa Zoo & Museum

    Okinawa
  4. Tokashiki Island Ferry
    4

    Tokashiki Island Ferry

    Okinawa
  5. Tadake Falls
    5

    Tadake Falls

    Okinawa
  6. Mihama American Village
    6

    Mihama American Village

    Okinawa
  7. Getting around Naha without a Car
    7

    Getting around Naha without a Car

    Okinawa
  8. Yomitan Pottery Village
    8

    Yomitan Pottery Village

    Okinawa
  9. Bise Village, Okinawa
    9

    Bise Village, Okinawa

    Okinawa
  10. Make Man
    10

    Make Man

    Okinawa

Upcoming Okinawa Events

Ryukyu Lantern Festival
Culture

Ryukyu Lantern Festival

Bonson Lam

It is said that in many moons ago in China, women were not allowed out of the house at night, except on the 15th day of the C...

Okinawa
Nago Cherry Blossom Festival
Activities

Nago Cherry Blossom Festival

Kim B

Being Japan's southernmost prefecture, Okinawa's cherry blossoms, or sakura, bloom in the months of January and February. A w...

Okinawa
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Where to eat in Okinawa

Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters
Food

Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters

Kim B

Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters often gets touted as some of Okinawa's best coffee. With a range of light, medium, and dark roasts...

Okinawa
Esparza's Tacos and Coffee
Food

Esparza's Tacos and Coffee

Kim B

Esparza's Tacos and Coffee is located in Chatan's American Village area, just minutes from the Kadena Air Base. You'll find a...

Okinawa
Cafe Niceness
Food

Cafe Niceness

Kim B

Cafe Niceness is located in Nago, Okinawa, and serves a completely vegan menu which is also free of chemical seasonings and a...

Okinawa
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Places to stay in Okinawa

Route-Inn Naha Tomariko
Accommodation

Route-Inn Naha Tomariko

Senén Germade

Hotel Route-Inn Naha Tomariko has a fantastic location in Naha city. One of my favorite places in the hotel is, with no doubt...

Okinawa
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Latest Okinawa Reports

Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters
Food

Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters

Kim B

Tamagusuku Coffee Roasters often gets touted as some of Okinawa's best coffee. With a range of light, medium, and dark roasts...

Okinawa
Esparza's Tacos and Coffee
Food

Esparza's Tacos and Coffee

Kim B

Esparza's Tacos and Coffee is located in Chatan's American Village area, just minutes from the Kadena Air Base. You'll find a...

Okinawa
Cafe Niceness
Food

Cafe Niceness

Kim B

Cafe Niceness is located in Nago, Okinawa, and serves a completely vegan menu which is also free of chemical seasonings and a...

Okinawa
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About Okinawa

Okinawa
Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Kyushu
Island Ryukyu Islands
Capital Naha
Population 1,392,818
Area 2281.00 sq. km

Although each Japanese prefecture is unique in its own way, tropical Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県, Okinawa-ken) is by far the most distinct, almost like a different country. And that assessment is true to a certain extent; Okinawa, known then as the Ryukyu Kingdom, was independent from Japan until 1879, and was part of US territory from 1945 to 1972. As a result, the culture, food, and even the language (although many do speak standard Japanese) differ vastly from those of any other region.

On Okinawa Island, places of note are the Chura-umi Aquarium, one of the largest aquariums in the world and home to the whale shark, as well as ancient Ryukyu castle ruins, most notably Shuri-jo. Buy your souvenirs at Kokusai-dori, Okinawa’s main street.

Off the main island, the Yaeyama and Miyako Islands have Japan’s most pristine beaches, while retaining traditional Okinawan culture. 

Around Okinawa

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