Visiting Okinawa was such a memorable experience – savoring traditional Okinawan dishes, participating in a cultural festival, dressing in a Ryusou, and dancing kachashi – it’s a beautiful island with amazing people and culture.
Okinawa is Japan’s southern most prefecture. The flight from Tokyo to Naha, capital of the Okinawa Prefecture, takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes.
THINGS TO DO IN NAHA
Naha is located on the southern part of Okinawa’s main island, along the East China Sea coast.
Kokusai dori
Kokusai dori is a shopping street in downtown Naha. You’ll find souvenir shops, boutique stores, hotels, restaurants, bars, and cafes. There is also a Don Quijote!
Makishi Public Market
Makishi Public Market is Naha’s largest and most popular market. The first floor has all kinds of fresh seafood and meats. The second floor is a dining area with many restaurants and eateries. You can pick your seafood on the first floor and have it cooked by any eatery on the second floor.
Okinawa World
Okinawa World is a theme park that shares the history and culture of Okinawa. Explore the Kingdom Village that replicates homes during the Ryukyu Kingdom, walk through one of the longest caves in Okinawa, and enjoy a traditional Shamisen and Taiko Performance and Habu Snake Show. You can even take a picture with a python!
Gyokusendo Cave
Gyokusendo Cave, located at Okinawa World, is the longest of many caves in Okinawa and the second largest in the country.
Himeyuri Peace Museum
The Himeyuri Peace Museum was built in memory of the young girls and teachers who served as nurses for the Japanese Army and lost their lives during the Battle of Okinawa.
Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum & Park
The Okinawa Peace Memorial Park is the site where the Battle of Okinawa ended in 1945. The museum is part of the park and provides an overview of the battle.
San-A Naha Main Place
San-A Naha Main Place is the largest shopping mall in Naha City. We made a stop for some shopping and lunch.
Masahiro Sake Brewery
Masahiro Sake Brewery was founded in 1883 in Shuri, a region that used to be a castle town during the Ryukyu Kingdom. They sell awamori and whiskey.
Awamori is an alcoholic beverage unique to Okinawa. It’s made primarily from long-grain rice imported from Thailand. Unlike sake, which is brewed, awamori is distilled, similar to shochu.
Shuri Ryusen
Decorate a tote bag using dye and coral fossils at Shuri Ryusen.
Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle was destroyed five times and has been repeatedly reconstructed. One of the incidents happened in 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, where it was almost completely destroyed. The most recent happened in 2019. Shuri Castle caught on fire and the main building burned down. Reconstruction is scheduled to be completed by 2026. Visitors can still visit other areas that are open and observe the reconstruction process.
Urashima Dinner Theater
Enjoy traditional Ryukyu Okinawan Cuisine and traditional dance performances at Urashima Dinner Theater. Visit here for more information.
NAHA TUG-OF-WAR FESTIVAL
The Naha Tug-of-War Festival is an annual event and the largest cultural festival in Okinawa. It is believed to be traced as far back as the 17th century during the Ryukyu Kingdom period.
The festival starts with a parade on Kokusai Street and passes Hotel Jal City Naha, the hotel we stayed at.
The tug-of-war symbolizes the battle between the East and West. It’s a time to pray for good harvest, prosperity, and peace. The pulling lasts about 30 minutes and the challenge is to pull the other team a total of 5 meters (16 feet). There were 280,000 participants at the 2024 event. About 150,000 people pull the rope in the tug-of-war.
When the event is done, you can climb on the rope for celebratory photos and take a piece of the rope home as a souvenir. No one is allowed to cut their own rope. They have people there who are authorized to cut the rope.
The rope is 200 meters long and weighs 43 tons. It’s in the Guinness World Records Book for having the largest rice straw rope and being the largest tug-of-war event in the world.
LOCATED BETWEEN NAHA & ONNA
AEON MALL Okinawa Rycom
AEON MALL Okinawa Rycom is the largest shopping mall in the Okinawa Prefecture with shops, restaurants, a movie theatre, and aquarium.
THINGS TO DO IN ONNA
Onna, a village in Okinawa known for its resorts and beaches, is located north of Naha in the middle part of the island.
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is about a one hour drive from Onna. See the infamous whale shark, manta rays, and more.
Ryukyu Mura
Ryukyu Mura features the culture of old Okinawa with a recreated village from times of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Cape Manzamo
Cape Manzamo is a beautiful scenic spot facing the East China Sea with a rock formation in the shape of an elephant trunk.
Paint a Shisa at Enjoy Studio
Experience a cultural activity painting a Shisa at Enjoy Studio. You can make a reservation here.
Male Shisa – open mouth, gets the good fortune
Female Shisa – closed mouth, keeps the good fortune
Nakijin Castle Ruins
Nakijin Castle was formerly a residence for officers of the Ryukyuan government and is currently in ruins. It is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Okashigoten Onna Shop
Okashigoten Onna Shop is located along the coastline of Onna Village. It’s the original beni imo (sweet potato) tart shop, where you will also find other sweets and souvenirs. Enjoy tax-free shopping with beautiful ocean views.
PLACES TO STAY IN OKINAWA
Hotel Jal City Naha
Hotel Jal City Naha is conveniently located in the heart of Naha, on Kokusai Street. It’s a 15-minute drive from Naha International Airport.
ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort
ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort is located in the city of Onna. There is a nice path that takes you to the nearby beaches.
We really enjoyed the dining options, which included a buffet breakfast at Aqua Belle All-Day Dining (International Cuisine), another buffet breakfast at Unkai Japanese Cuisine, which I highly recommend, and dinner at Orchid Ryukyu Cuisine (Okinawa cuisine & show).
THINGS TO EAT / DRINK
1. Blue Seal Okinawan Ice Cream
2. Okinawan Soba
3. Sata Andagi
4. Goya Champuru (stir-fry with bitter melon, tofu, egg, and pork belly)
5. Rafute (pork belly slowly simmered with soy sauce or miso, brown sugar, and awamori)
6. Umibudo (sea grapes)
7. Ishigaki Wagyu
8. Taco Rice
9. Beni Imo (purple sweet potato) Tart
10. Orion Beer
11. Awamori
OKINAWAN LANGUAGE WORDS & PHRASES
Here are some words and phrases we learned from our tour guide:
1. Hello = Haisai (greeting for men) はいさい / Haitai (greeting for women) はいたい
2. Cheers! = Kari かり
3. Thank you = Nifee deebiru にふぇーでーびる
4. Once we meet, we are all family = Ichariba choodee いちゃりばちょーでー
Happy Travels!
BK Travel Collage 