Okinawa

Naha — dinner upstairs at the market

Naha’s center is Kokusai-dori, about 1.6 km of shops, cafes and bars. Step one block off the main street into the covered arcades, though, and the air changes. Tucked in there is Makishi Public Market (Daiichi Makishi Kosetsu Ichiba), which grew out of a black market that sprang up right after the war and officially opened in 1950. It’s known as the kitchen of Naha’s residents. The market runs on a system called mochiage. Pick out fish or meat at a first-floor shop, carry it up to a second-floor restaurant, and they’ll cook it for you on the spot, so you’re choosing tonight’s dinner from the brightly colored tropical fish laid out on ice. Before you sit down to eat, walk a little way off Kokusai-dori to Tsuboya first. It was the Ryukyu Kingdom’s center of pottery, and Tsuboya Yachimun Street is lined with shops selling yachimun, Okinawa’s ceramics.

Shuri — a royal castle with its roof back

For about 450 years, Okinawa was ruled by the Ryukyu Kingdom. Sho Hashi first unified power here in 1429, and the kingdom came to an end in 1879, when Japan established Okinawa Prefecture. Its center was Shurijo Castle, up on the hill. A fire on October 31, 2019, destroyed nine facilities, including the Seiden, the main hall. Reconstruction began in November 2022, and the Seiden opens to the public again at noon on November 23, 2026. On the 22nd, the day before, the completion ceremony is held and the whole park closes for the day. Below the castle, the Kinjo-cho stone-paved road, laid in the 16th century, runs downhill. Much of it was destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa, but about 300 meters survive. It was once a main route from Shuri down to Naha Port, and as you walk down over stones worn smooth, everyday life in the royal capital slowly comes into view. On the same hill is Tamaudun, the royal mausoleum King Sho Shin built in 1501.

West coast — cliffs and a blue cave

Drive north from Naha on Route 58 and you’ll reach the Onna coast, Okinawa’s signature resort area, with hotels lining the road. Its defining view is Manzamo, a 20-meter limestone cliff. From the clifftop path, the water darkens in bands, from jade in the shallows to navy farther out. A little to the south, Cape Maeda is one of Okinawa’s best spots for snorkeling and diving. Swim into the Blue Cave below the cape and the water looks lit from within. Around sunset, head to Sunset Beach in Chatan. From Mihama American Village next door to the rest of the area, the mix of cultures and food here owes something to the US military presence that has continued since World War II.

The north — whale sharks and fukugi lanes

About two hours from Naha Airport by expressway, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium sits inside Ocean Expo Park on the Motobu Peninsula. The main event is the Kuroshio Sea, a 7,500-cubic-meter tank where whale sharks, the world’s largest fish, and manta rays glide past a huge acrylic window. Afterward, head to the Bise fukugi tree lanes. With fukugi trees lining both sides of the narrow paths, they’re best explored slowly by bike. On the way back toward Naha, cross the roughly 2 km Kouri Bridge to Kouri Island. It’s a round island with a radius of about 1 km, so you can drive all the way around in 15 minutes. Legend has it that at the birth of humankind, two lovers lived in a sea cave here, and at Tinu Beach, two heart-shaped rocks rise from the water.

The south — a sacred site and the memory of war

On the Chinen Peninsula in the island’s southeast, Sefa-utaki is both a World Heritage site and a sacred place. A trail links its caves and rock formations, and across the water lies Kudaka Island, known as the Island of the Gods. The Sanguui area itself is off-limits, to protect the sacred site and for visitor safety. Until early January 2027, conservation work is also scheduled to restrict access, in phases, to parts of the stone paths and the areas around worship sites. In Itoman, at the southern tip, the Peace Memorial Park mourns everyone who died in the Battle of Okinawa, which ended in June 1945, no matter which side they were on. Nearby, at the Himeyuri Peace Museum, you come face to face with the war as female students and their teachers lived it.

Kerama Islands — a day across the water

West of the main island, the Kerama Islands, four inhabited islands (Tokashiki, Zamami, Aka and Geruma) plus the uninhabited ones around them, together make up a national park. From Tomari Port in Naha it’s about an hour by fast boat or two hours by ferry, so a day trip works. The fast boat leaves from the north side of Tomari Port and the ferry from the south side. Zamami village describes the clarity of this water as among the best in the world, and locally its color is called Kerama blue. In winter, humpback whales return to these waters to breed, and whale-watching tours run.

A 3-night, 4-day itinerary

Day 1 — Arrive at Naha Airport → Yui Rail into the city → Kokusai-dori → Tsuboya Yachimun Street → Makishi Public Market (dinner upstairs) Day 2 — Shurijo Castle and the Kinjo-cho stone-paved road → pick up a rental car → Manzamo and Cape Maeda on the Onna coast → Sunset Beach in Chatan Day 3 — Churaumi Aquarium → Bise fukugi tree lanes → Kouri Bridge and Kouri Island → back to Onna or Naha Day 4 — Sefa-utaki → Peace Memorial Park and Himeyuri Peace Museum → airport With an extra day, slot a Kerama Islands day trip between Day 3 and Day 4.

What to eat

• Okinawa soba (topped with soki pork ribs)
• Goya champuru (bitter melon and tofu stir-fry)
• Taco rice (born in Kin)
• Sata andagi (Okinawan doughnuts)

Handy tips

• Yui Rail’s 1-day (¥1,000) and 2-day (¥1,800) passes last 24 or 48 hours from the moment you buy them, not by calendar date. Buy a 1-day pass in the afternoon and it’ll still cover your ride to the airport the next morning.
• Visits inside the Shurijo Seiden are by advance reservation in 30-minute slots. From entries on November 23, 2026, the adult fee for the paid area rises from ¥400 to ¥1,000, and for visits from January 2027, tickets go on sale at 13:00 on the 1st of the month two months before your visit (November 1 for January).
• If you’re renting a car, bring an international driving permit. South Korea’s foreign ministry warns that rental-car accidents involving Korean travelers are frequent in places like Okinawa, and it reported a traveler’s arrest on Ishigaki in January 2026 on suspicion of not having a permit.