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Okinawa

Tropical paradise and a unique culture

About Okinawa
Photo: Roxanne LW / JT

Top Attractions in Okinawa

Okinawa Top 10

Upcoming Okinawa Events

Ryukyu Lantern Festival

Ryukyu Lantern Festival

Dec 1st - Mar 31st

It is said that in many moons ago in China, women were not allowed out of the house at night, except on the 15th day of the Ch..

14 ¥600
Okinawa International Movie Festival

Okinawa International Movie Festival

Apr 20th - Apr 21st

The annual Okinawa International Movie Festival is a chance to showcase both international and domestic films, and highlight the..

2
Kadena AmericaFest

Kadena AmericaFest

Saturday - Apr 27th

Kadena AmericaFest celebrates the US-Japan alliance and friendship, and the open-base event allows visitors to check out aircraft..

Free Entry

Where to eat in Okinawa

Okinawa Goat Misaki

Okinawa Goat Misaki

Bonson Lam

What do you call a goat of wisdom and stamina? From the Maritime Silk Road to the byways of Sakae Machi, the past and present meet,..

Four Seasons Steak House

Four Seasons Steak House

Bonson Lam

Scratch beneath for the story of the American Village, of Okinawans making a new life going in Argentina, of encounters with the..

Places to stay in Okinawa

Beach Rock Village

Beach Rock Village

J Muzacz

Choose from nomadic tents, easy going campsites and cottages, which are powered by 100% renewable energy.

Latest Okinawa Reports

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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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