Okinawa: Best Things to Do

Flickr - Naha, The Capital City of Okinawa

Okinawa is the smallest and least populated island in Japan

Okinawa island is famous for its tropical climate, wide beaches, and coral reefs

The waters around this island are the perfect spots for diving, such as Gorilla Chop, Cape Maeda, Sunabe, and many more

For culinary destination, it's a must to try Goya Champuru, a bitter melon stir fry

If you want to buy some souvenirs, come to Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street

Also, visit Okinawa World for your best Instagram pictures

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SIGHTSEEING

As an island city, Okinawa has plenty of sightseeing spots for tourists. The Shuri Castle is one of them. This castle is one of the historical heritages that is still preserved well until today. You can explore this castle and learn a lot about the history while enjoying the refreshing vibe of Okinawa.

Shuri Castle

a Ryukyuan gusuku castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan

Address : 〒903-0815 沖縄県那覇市首里金城町１丁目2

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DOWNTOWN

The city center of Okinawa is in Naha where you can easily find many cafes, bars, restaurants. While you are in the downtown Okinawa, you must visit Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum. This museum displays historical items related to Okinawa’s nature, archaeology, arts and crafts, history, and folk traditions.

Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum

Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum

a museum in the most southern prefecture of Japan

Address : 〒900-0006 沖縄県那覇市おもろまち３丁目１−1

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SHOPPING

If you are looking for places that sell souvenirs, Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street is the answer. Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street is a located in the downtown Okinawa, so it has an easy access for first time travelers. Tourists can easily find department stores, restaurants, services, and general stores there.

Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street

Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping Street

the prefectural capital of Okinawa Prefecture, and is adjacent to the business cluster where governmental organizations such as prefectures and cities and private companies are located

Address : 〒900-0013 沖縄県那覇市牧志３丁目２−10

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FOOD & DRINK

For culinary destination, it's a must to try Goya Champuru while you're in Okinawa. This is a bitter melon stir fry. The original taste of the melon is bitter but it is perfectly blend with other seasonings. You can get this Goya Champuru in almost all places in Okinawa. For the drink, Awamori is the most recommended one. It's an alcoholic beverage, perfect to drink with water and ice.

CULTURE

The culture of Okinawa was influenced by Southeast Asia and especially by China through trading activity in the past centuries. The main language in Okinawa is Japanese. But English is also understood by people at many tourist attractions and hotels.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

The best time to visit Okinawa is from March to May to enjoy the spring breeze while strolling around the city.

HOTEL

The Busena Terrace is one of the most recommended hotel in Okinawa. This hotel is located in Nago city which offers a clear beach view from every terrace's room. This hotel is only around 7 minutes walk from Busena Marine Park's underwater observation tower. Kaiza hotel is the right place to stay when you are looking for a peaceful and beautiful view of the green private forest. This hotel only has few rooms so you have to book a room earlier.

The Busena Terrace

The Busena Terrace

A resort hotel located in Nago City on the main island of Okinawa

Address : 1808 Kise, Nago, Okinawa 905-0026, Jepang

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海坐 kaiza

a small B & B type hotel opened in 2008

Address : Jepang, 〒901-0604 Okinawa, Nanjo, Tamagusuku, Tamagusuku−５６−1

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RESTAURANT

Yakiniku Honpo Shimagyu is the best restaurant serving Yakiniku. It's authentic Japanese food similar to Barbecue. It's the best to come here during lunch time. But when you want to try Japanese sushi, you can visit Yume Sushi which is located at the downtown. This restaurant also serves the famous bluefin tuna.

Yakiniku Honpo Shimagyu

Yakiniku Honpo Shimagyu

a restaurant in Okinawa Japan which famous for its Okinawan Wagyu and Agu pork

Address : 2 Chome-4-15 Matsuyama, Naha, Okinawa 900-0032, Jepang

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Yume Sushi

Beer, Wine, Family-friendly, Lunch, Dinner

Address : Jepang, 〒900-0015 Okinawa, Naha, Kumoji, 3 Chome−9−10 楚野ビル 1階

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CAFE

Hamabe no Chaya offers a beautiful ocean view from its windows that you can enjoy while sipping iced coffee and a bite of Campagne Sandwich. The sea breeze, birds chirping, and the wind blows are something you can freely get when you spend your afternoon in this cafe. But when you are looking for an American style cafe, you can come to Seaside Cafe' Hanon to grab some freshly baked pancakes and freshly ground coffee while enjoying the sea breeze from this blue decor cafe.

Hamabe no Chaya

Hamabe no Chaya

a cafe by the sea in Okinawa, Japan

Address : 〒901-0604 沖縄県南城市玉城２−1

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Seaside Cafe' hanon

Seaside Cafe' hanon

Beer, Coffee, Pancake

Address : 〒904-0115 沖縄県中頭郡北谷町字美浜9-39

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BAR AND NIGHTLIFE

Sakanashi bar is the right bar to go when you want to try an authentic cocktail of Okinawa or the 21 years old Japanese whiskey. This bar is located at Kokusai Street which opens until late at night. But when you are craving for craft beers, you must visit Helios PUB located not too far from Sakanashi bar. This bar serves craft beers along with salad and pizza.

Bar The Authentic 坂梨

Bar The Authentic 坂梨

Beer, Wine, Cocktail

Address : Jepang, 〒900-0015 Okinawa, Naha, Kumoji, 3 Chome−16−17 エステート久茂地Ⅱ 2F

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Helios PUB

Beer, Wine, Pizza, Salad

Address : Jepang, 〒900-0013 Okinawa, Naha, Makishi, 1 Chome−2−25 琉球セントラルビル 3F

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INTERESTING PLACE

Churaumi Aquarium is one of the most interesting places in Okinawa. It's the largest aquarium in Japan where you can observe the world's largest whale shark. Okinawa Peace Memorial Park is the next must-visit place in Okinawa. In this memorial park, you can learn the history of World War II which was happened in Okinawa.

Churaumi Okinawa Aquarium

Churaumi Okinawa Aquarium

one of the most popular destinations in Japan

Address : 424 Azaishikawa, Motobu, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-0206, Jepang

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Okinawa Peace Memorial Park

Okinawa Peace Memorial Park

were established in 1975 on Mabuni Hill, next to the “Suicide Cliffs” where the Battle of Okinawa ended

Address : 〒901-0333 沖縄県糸満市字摩文仁444

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INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOT

Upload some pictures from Okinawa World to your Instagram feed. This place has authentic beauty of Gyokusendo cave. Besides, you can also do some fun activities such as pottery workshop, wool dyeing, bamboo work, and many more. You should also take some pictures in Kouri beach. You can find the Kouri bridge that is perfect for your Instagram feed.

Okinawa World

a theme park about Okinawa Culture, and also featuring the Gyokusendo Cave

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Kouri Beach

The famous beach in Kouri Island, Okinawa, Japan

Address : 〒905-0406 沖縄県国頭郡字古宇利今帰仁村

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