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Okinawa

Tropical paradise and a unique culture

About Okinawa
Photo: Roxanne LW / JT

Top Attractions in Okinawa

Okinawa Top 10

Where to eat in Okinawa

Okinawa Soba Nahatei

Okinawa Soba Nahatei

Bonson Lam

Have lunch with the guardians of Okinawa culture, in a secret spot between Naha City and the International Airport

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Captain Kangaroo Hamburger

Captain Kangaroo Hamburger

Kim

Located around 20 minutes drive from major attractions such as the Nago Pineapple Park, Nago Castle Park, and the Okinawa Churaumi..

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Places to stay in Okinawa

Latest Okinawa Reports

Sanshin Music Class

Sanshin Music Class

Bonson Lam

Asoviva is a lighthouse, shining a light on the rich tapestry of Sanshin and its connector of language, love, and hope. It is music..

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Okinawa Bingata Class

Okinawa Bingata Class

Bonson Lam

What is art? What is creation, or creativity? Overflowing with love and beauty, the people of Okinawa expressed their joy in the..

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About 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
Capital Naha
Population 1,392,818
Area 2281.00 km²

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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