What to do in Okinawa: Ryukyu, islands and memory
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All 17 places on this map are pinned at their exact location. Each one comes with a short note on what it is and why it is worth your time. Browsing is free, and with an Ikuzo account you can copy the whole map and reshape it into your own trip.
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Naha Airport
The gateway to the archipelago and Japan's 4th busiest airport. 2h30 from Tokyo, 1h45 from Osaka. No Shinkansen here: Okinawa isn't connected to the national rail network.
Shuri Castle
Seat of the Ryukyu kings for 450 years. It burned down in 2019 and has been rebuilt with traditional techniques since 2022. The site stays open and you can watch the work from viewing platforms: it's actually one of the best times to visit.
Shikinaen Garden
The former royal summer residence, intact and a UNESCO site since 2000. One of the most beautiful gardens in Asia, and rarely crowded. A short hop from Shuri.
Kokusai-dōri
Naha's main shopping street. One day is more than enough: the real Okinawa starts elsewhere.
Yunangii
A neighborhood canteen in Naha serving everyday Okinawan food: goya champuru, soki soba. The opposite of the Kokusai-dōri restaurants.
Yotsutake (Kume)
Traditional dinner with a Ryukyu dance show. Unapologetically touristy, but the dancing and the sanshin are worth the evening.
Mabuni Peace Memorial
Okinawa's counterpart to Hiroshima, in the south of the island. The Battle of Okinawa killed around 240,000 people in 82 days, half of them civilians. Just as essential, and far less visited.
Churaumi Aquarium
In the north of the main island, in Motobu. The classic northern day out, whale sharks included.
Ogimi, the village of centenarians
One of the world's five blue zones, with seven times more centenarians than average. Diet, gentle activity and ikigai. In the north of the main island.
Miyako-jima
A 45 minute flight from Naha. The postcard island: bridges over the ocean, turquoise beaches, a slower pace of life. Combine it with Irabu and Ikema, both linked by bridge.
Kumejima
A 35 minute flight. More low-key: unspoiled beaches, unique rock formations, and a cat population the locals are proud of. The flip side of beach tourism.
Tatami-ishi (Kumejima)
About a thousand pentagonal basalt slabs on the Ōjima foreshore, formed as lava cooled. Visible at low tide.
Zamami (Kerama)
A 50 minute fast ferry from Naha. A marine national park with unbelievably blue water and some of the best diving in Japan. Humpback whales from December to February.
Tokashiki (Kerama)
The largest of the Kerama islands and the closest to Naha. Doable as a day trip, but much better if you stay the night.
Aka (Kerama)
The smallest of the three inhabited Kerama islands, linked to Geruma by a bridge. Empty beaches and wild deer.
Ishigaki
A one hour flight from Naha, 400 km to the southwest. Beaches, local food, and Dark Sky status: the night sky here is protected.
Iriomote
Japan's end of the world: tropical jungle, mangrove kayaking, hiking, and an endemic wildcat you won't get to see. Almost the whole island is uninhabited.