In addition to the World Heritage Site of Shuri Castle and the largest downtown area in the prefecture, Kokusai Dori (International Street), Naha is also home to the natural beauty of Gangara Valley and the impressive Churaumi Aquarium, where visitors can enjoy a wide variety of activities.
The main island of Okinawa is home to Naha Airport, the hub of tourism in Okinawa Prefecture. Naha, where Shuri Castle is located, is home to Kokusai Dori, the largest shopping street in the prefecture, and is ideal for city fun. There are also many spots to enjoy spectacular views, such as Sesoko Beach, which is close to Naha Airport, the Kouri Bridge and Kouri Beach, and Manzamo, where you can view the spectacular scenery from the cliffs.
In the northern part of the island, a virgin mangrove forest remains, where kayaking and other activities can be enjoyed, as well as leisure facilities such as the Churaumi Aquarium. In the south, where Okinawa World and Gangara no tani are located, there are many spots where groups of people can enjoy themselves.
To enjoy sightseeing in Okinawa
The main island of Okinawa is home to Naha Airport, the base for sightseeing in Okinawa Prefecture. Naha, home to the World Heritage Site of Shuri Castle, also has the prefecture's largest downtown area, Kokusai-dori, where you can enjoy city life throughout the day.
Of course, there are also many clear waters that rival those of the outlying islands, and there is no shortage of spots to enjoy the spectacular views, such as Sesoko Beach, which is close to Naha Airport, Kouri Beach from the Kouri Ohashi Bridge, and Manzamage, where you can view the spectacular scenery from the cliffs.
In the northern part of the island, there are still virgin mangrove forests where visitors can enjoy activities such as kayaking, and the Churaumi Aquarium, famous for its powerful tank with whale sharks swimming in it.
In the southern part of the main island, there are many spots that can be enjoyed by groups, such as Okinawa World, where you can explore Gyokusen Cave, one of the largest limestone caves in Asia, and the Valley of Gangara.
You should also visit places of great spiritual significance such as Saiba Utaki and Kutaka Island, and spots where you can learn about wartime conditions such as Himeyuri Pagoda and the former naval headquarters bunker.
History of Okinawa
Okinawa was once the Kingdom of Ryukyu, a nation founded by the Ryukyu people. Ryukyu traded with mainland China, southern countries, and Japan, and developed a unique culture. Even today, we can catch a glimpse of their culture through festivals such as Eisa and Hari, as well as Shisa, their guardian deity, and their unique dialect.
In modern times, Okinawa was incorporated as one of the regions that make up Japan, but during the Pacific War, it was on the front line of the decisive battle for the mainland, and became a fierce battleground with civilian casualties. After the war, Okinawa was under U.S. rule for nearly 30 years, and it was not until 1972 that it finally returned to Japan.
Today, Okinawa is one of the most popular tourist prefectures in Japan, and there is no end to the number of people who move to Okinawa, attracted by its beautiful nature and unique culture.
Okinawa's Local Gourmet, Food Culture, and Specialties
The food culture of the Ryukyu Dynasty still remains strong in Okinawa. Okinawa soba is famous for its soba (buckwheat noodle), which does not contain any buckwheat flour, and is characterized by its rich soup and firm noodles. The dish with pork ribs is called Soki-soba, and is a very satisfying dish.
Other famous stir-fries called chanpuru include goya chanpuru, which is made by stir-frying specialty bitter melon and agu pork with eggs, mimigah (pig's ears), rafte (stewed pork belly), tibichi (pork leg), juicy cooked rice, and hilayachie (okonomiyaki).
The island is also a treasure trove of rare ingredients such as jjimmy tofu, tofu jelly, sea grapes, island cucumbers, and island peppercorns, as well as seafood unique to the South Seas, such as eelabucher and gurukun.
Another characteristic of the island is its many B-class gourmet foods such as tacos, hamburgers, steaks, menchi-korokke (meatball croquettes), and pork roe, all of which were popularized during the American colonial period. In addition to sata andagi and chinsuko, beverages such as Orion beer and root beer are popular as souvenirs.
This very popular aquarium is home to more than 20,000 marine creatures of 700 species.Based on the concept of "Encountering the Okinawan Sea," the aquarium introduces a variety of marine life, including ino (Okinawan dialect for shallow waters at the edge of coral reefs), coral reefs, the Kuroshio Current Sea, and the deep sea. In the "Kuroshio Sea," one of the world's largest giant tanks, visi...»
Shuri Castle, the royal castle of the Ryukyu Dynasty, has flourished as the political and cultural center of the Ryukyu Kingdom since the end of the 14th century, and is the largest gusuku (castle) in Okinawa Prefecture. Before the war, the main hall of the Okinawa Shrine and other buildings were designated as former national treasures, but were lost during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 and after...»
This is the ruins of a gusuku (castle) where one of the powerful masters of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Ahmawari, used to live.(Amanushi: local rulers in the Ryukyu Kingdom period)It is said that Amawari resisted the king to the end and fought bravely until the castle fell. The castle is located at the southern base of the Katsuren Peninsula and consists of three fortresses: Minamigusuku, Nakagusuku, and...»
The shrine is located on a steep cliff overlooking Naha Harbor.The shrine used to be the chief guardian of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and was popularly called "Namminsan" or "Nammin. The shrine enshrines Kumano Sansho-gongen, and has been revered for safety of marine traffic, good catches, and fertility. The date of the shrine's founding is unknown, but according to the "Namijo-gu Shrine Brief History,...»
Daiseki Rinzan is a trekking spot with sharp rocky peaks and subtropical forests located in Yanbaru National Park in the northern part of Okinawa's main island. This tourist facility is a whopping 11 times the size of the Tokyo Dome and is famous as a filming location often used in dramas, movies, and commercials. The site also includes the Okinawa Stone Culture Museum, restaurants, stores, and ...»
Lined with amusement facilities, stores, restaurants, movie theaters, and live music venues, this popular area is crowded with tourists and locals day and night. The spacious layout of the buildings and the design of the townscape are full of a West Coast atmosphere. Depot Island, a large commercial facility, attracts and entertains visitors with its exotic layout of facilities and scenery. The...»
The deep forest and caves that you can only enter by signing up for a tour. At the entrance of the valley, a large 150-year-old banyan tree creates an atmosphere as if you have time-traveled to a prehistoric world. The tour will visit stalactites that are believed to be beneficial for children and the caves that house them as their deities. The last cave you will visit, Mugei-dong, is where the...»
Senaga Island is known as "the nearest remote island from Naha Airport. Currently connected to the main island by an underwater road, it can be easily visited by bicycle or on foot. Since the island is adjacent to Naha Airport, airplanes take off and land overhead, and from the hilltop observatory, visitors can experience the power of the view as if they could almost reach out and touch the islan...»
Manzamo is a scenic spot within the Okinawa Coastal Designated Park that represents Onna Village, known as one of the best resort areas in Japan. The view from the 20-meter-high cliffs, with rocks shaped like elephants jutting out into the East China Sea and rough waves lapping the shore, is truly spectacular. The highly transparent sea conveys the underwater world through beautifully changing c...»
There is a beautiful castle ruins with stone arch gates at the main gate and the back gate, which is sung in the song "Omorosaushi". Outside the castle are scattered stone-paved old houses, and at the foot of a cliff about 300 meters northwest of the main gate is the tomb of Chinen Anji. Nearby is Ufakaru, which is believed to be the birthplace of rice cultivation, as well as Tamaki's receiving ...»
This theme park recreates the historical space of the "Great Trading Age" from the 14th to 16th centuries, when the Ryukyu Kingdom flourished. This theme park has 32 workshops offering 101 hands-on items, as well as the restaurant "Taiki" and "Kukuru Hall" which can be used for banquets and parties....»
The Busena Underwater Park is located within the Busena Resort and is home to a wide variety of tropical fish in its waters. At the Underwater Observation Tower, you can observe the colorful sea scenery at close range, as if you were in a dragon's palace. Descending the spiral staircase, visitors can see butterfly fish, bears, and other fish swimming through the round windows. Because it is ind...»
In the old days, the land of Okinawa was in an era known as the "Three Mountains Triumvirate," when the three forces of Kitayama, Nakayama, and Nanzan fought against each other. Nakayama unified the Ryukyu Kingdom in the 14th century, but the "Nakijin Castle," the residence of King Kitayama, remained after his destruction. The legendary charismatic King Kitayama's castle was said to be "martial ...»
Okinawa World is a huge theme park that is like everything Okinawa has to offer, featuring Okinawa's nature, history, and culture! Visitors can enjoy the natural monument "Gyokusen-do," a large limestone cave, as well as participate in various craft experiences in the "Ryukyu Kingdom Castle Town," where the prestigious traditions of the Shuri Castle Town have been handed down to the present day. ...»
This theme park is based on the nature and culture of Okinawa, and is filled with old houses, sugar mills, and kiln sites!You will feel as if you have stepped back in time to the old days of Okinawa. At the entrance, you will be greeted by young people performing the traditional Okinawan art of eisa (eisa drumming and dancing). And in a century-old house with stone walls, there are classes in Bi...»
Nakagusuku Castle is one of the most valuable legacies of the Ryukyu Kingdom period and is known as the most intact of all the gusuku castles. The beautifully curved castle walls and the skillful masonry techniques of the time can be seen. The eastern edge of the hill stretching from the northwest to the south of Nakagusuku Village was used as a natural strategic point, and was located on a hill ...»
The Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum is a rare facility in Japan that combines a museum and an art museum. The museum exhibits materials in various fields such as geology, biology, humanity, archaeology, folklore, history, and arts and crafts. Also on display are the origins of the Ryukyu Islands, the world of evolved creatures, the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom to the present day, an...»
Okinawa Peace Memorial Park is located on a hill overlooking the sea in Okinawa Battle Site National Park, and the symbol of the park is the "Tower of Peace," a symbol of hope for lasting peace. The park is also home to the National Okinawa War Cemetery, the Cornerstone of Peace, Reimei no To, memorials and peace memorials by prefecture of origin in Japan, and auxiliary facilities such as ceremon...»