Naha, Southern Okinawa Main Island Travel Guides

Shuri Castle was the royal palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom and served as the political and cultural heart of the kingdom for centuries. Located on a hill overlooking Naha Port, once an important center of overseas trade, the castle is the largest-scale gusuku, or traditional Ryukyuan castle complex, in...»

Fukushu-en Garden is a beautiful Chinese-style garden in Naha, Okinawa, offering visitors a tranquil landscape filled with traditional Chinese architecture, stonework, water features, and lush plants. Stepping through its gates feels like entering another world, where the atmosphere and scenery are ...»

Naminoue Shrine stands dramatically on a steep cliff overlooking Naha Harbor in Okinawa. Perched above the sea, the shrine has long been one of the most important places of worship in the region and was once revered as the guardian shrine of the entire Ryukyu Kingdom. Affectionately known by local ...»

Valley of Gangala is a unique natural attraction in Nanjo City, southern Okinawa. Combining ancient limestone caves, dramatic rock formations, and lush subtropical forest, the valley feels like stepping into another world. The interior of the valley can only be entered as part of a guided tour. As ...»

Naminoue Beach is an urban artificial beach located in the heart of Naha and the only designated swimming beach within Naha City. Its exceptional convenience makes it a popular place for both visitors and local residents to enjoy the Okinawan sea without leaving the city. The beach is approximately...»

Senaga Island is a small island in southern Okinawa known as the island closest to Naha Airport. Although separated from Okinawa's main island by the sea, it is now connected by a coastal road, making it easy to visit by car, bicycle, or even on foot. Its location directly beside Naha Airport gives...»

Shureimon Gate is one of the most recognizable landmarks of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa. It stands as a powerful symbol of the history and culture of the Ryukyu Kingdom, which ruled the Ryukyu Islands for centuries. Shuri Castle has six gates, and Shureimon is traditionally regarded as the castle...»

Chinen Castle Ruins are the remains of a historic gusuku, or Okinawan castle, in Chinen, Nanjo City, southern Okinawa. The site is particularly famous for its beautiful stone archways, which form the former main and rear gates of the castle. The castle is also mentioned in the Omoro Soshi, one of t...»

Bibi Beach Itoman is a popular seaside destination in Itoman, southern Okinawa, known for its beautiful white sand, clear emerald-green waters, and convenient access from Naha. Located only about 20 to 30 minutes by car from central Naha, the beach is an easy choice for travelers who want to enjoy ...»

Miibaru Beach, also known as Mibaru Beach, is a beautiful natural beach in Tamagusuku, Nanjo City, in southern Okinawa. With its broad stretch of white sand and relatively unspoiled surroundings, the beach offers a relaxed atmosphere away from the large resort developments found in some other parts ...»

Cape Chinen Park is a spectacular viewpoint on the southeastern coast of Okinawa Island, offering sweeping views across the Pacific Ocean. Located in Nanjo City in southern Okinawa, the park is an ideal place to enjoy the island's brilliant blue waters, refreshing sea breeze, and wide-open horizons....»

Okinawa World is a large-scale cultural and nature theme park in southern Okinawa that brings together the island's distinctive nature, history, and traditional culture in one fascinating destination. From an enormous limestone cave and a recreated traditional village to traditional crafts, Eisa dan...»

Shuri Kinjocho Stone-Paved Street is a historic road in Naha, Okinawa, that preserves the atmosphere of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Built during the reign of King Shō Shin, the road once formed an important route connecting Shuri Castle with the trading port of Naha. Today, its weathered stone pavement, tr...»

Shikinaen Garden is one of the finest historic gardens of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Located in Naha, it once served as a villa and reception facility for the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Surrounded by lush subtropical vegetation, the garden combines elegant landscapes with buildings and features in...»

The Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum, affectionately known as OkiMu, is a unique cultural complex that combines a museum and an art museum under one roof. It is one of the few facilities of its kind in Japan, offering visitors the opportunity to explore Okinawa from both historical and ar...»

Okinawa Peace Memorial Park stands on elevated ground overlooking the sea in the Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Park, a protected area dedicated to the battlefields and memorial sites of the Battle of Okinawa. The park's symbol is the Tower of Peace, built as a lasting prayer for peace. Set among t...»

Tamaudun is the royal mausoleum where successive kings of the Second Sho Dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom were laid to rest. Located in Shuri, Naha, it is one of the most important surviving monuments associated with the former Ryukyuan royal family. The mausoleum was originally built in 1501 by King ...»

Ryukyu Glass Village is home to one of the largest glass workshops in Okinawa, where colorful pieces of glass and glass tiles decorate the site. It is an ideal destination for discovering the distinctive beauty of Ryukyu glass, a traditional craft that has developed its own character through Okinawa...»

Chanpuru is one of the best-known dishes of Okinawan home cooking. The name comes from the Okinawan language and means “mixed together”, reflecting the dish's simple and flexible style of combining tofu, vegetables, meat, and other ingredients in a stir-fry. Chanpuru has been enjoyed in Okinawa sin...»

Rafute is one of Okinawa's most famous traditional dishes. It consists of thick pieces of pork belly with the skin still attached, slowly simmered with awamori, soy sauce, sugar, and dashi until the meat becomes exceptionally tender. Often described as the Okinawan version of Japanese-style braised...»

Yagi-jiru is a traditional Okinawan soup made by slowly simmering goat meat in water, often with awamori, Okinawa's traditional distilled spirit. Known locally as “Hijā Gusui,” meaning “goat medicine,” it has long been regarded as a nourishing and energizing dish and remains an important part of Oki...»

Yushi tofu is a soft, delicate style of tofu made during the tofu-making process. It is removed from the soy milk just as the nigari, a traditional coagulant, begins to make the soy milk set. The result is a loose, fluffy tofu with a texture similar to silken curds. In Okinawa, yushi tofu is common...»

Mozuku su is a simple and refreshing Okinawan dish made by dressing Okinawa mozuku seaweed in sweetened vinegar. With its smooth, slippery texture and pleasantly tangy flavor, it is a popular part of Okinawan cuisine and a wonderful way to enjoy one of the islands' most familiar marine ingredients. ...»

Juicy is the Okinawan name for a traditional rice dish similar to Japanese mixed rice or seasoned rice. Depending on the ingredients, cooking method, and texture, it can take several different forms and names. Despite the English-looking spelling, the name is pronounced in the Okinawan style and ref...»

Duru-ten is a popular Okinawan fried dish made from taimo, or Okinawan water-grown taro. Crispy on the outside and soft, pleasantly chewy, and slightly sticky inside, it is enjoyed both as a local specialty and as a snack or accompaniment to drinks. The name “Duru-ten” is an abbreviated form of “Du...»

Nakami Soba is a variation of Okinawa Soba topped with nakami, or pork offal. Okinawa Soba is one of the most beloved foods in Okinawa and an essential part of the island's food culture. Among its many regional and ingredient-based variations, Nakami Soba stands out for its distinctive use of pork o...»

Irabu-jiru is a highly distinctive traditional Okinawan soup made using the Erabu sea snake. It is considered one of Okinawa's most prestigious traditional dishes and is associated with the culinary traditions of the Ryukyu Kingdom, when it was served as part of the cuisine of the royal court....»

Okinawa Soba is one of Okinawa’s most iconic local foods. Unlike Japanese soba noodles, which are made from buckwheat, Okinawa Soba is made entirely from wheat flour and is traditionally served in a flavorful broth made from pork and bonito stock. In Okinawa, it is often simply called “soba,” while ...»

Chura Shio Ramen is a local Okinawan ramen that captures the image of Okinawa’s clear blue sea and bright skies in a bowl of noodles. Its light, refreshing flavor comes from a broth based on pork bones and seafood, seasoned with salt produced in Okinawa....»

Castella kamaboko is a distinctive Okinawan fish cake made with plenty of ground fish and eggs. Its pale yellow appearance and soft, fluffy texture are reminiscent of a sponge cake, although it is a savory food rather than a sweet one. It is also commonly shortened to simply “castella” in Okinawa. ...»

Soki-jiru is a traditional Okinawan soup featuring pork ribs simmered until tender. Pork is an essential ingredient in Okinawan cuisine, and pork ribs are known locally as soki. When the ribs are served with the bones attached, they are called soki-buni, and they are also commonly compared to spare ...»

Kubu Irichi is a traditional Okinawan dish made by stir-frying kombu kelp with pork and vegetables before simmering the ingredients in a flavorful broth. The name comes from two Okinawan words: “kubu,” meaning kombu kelp, and “irichi,” referring to a cooking method in which ingredients are first sti...»

Aasa-jiru is a traditional Okinawan soup made with aasa, a green seaweed known as hitoegusa, and Okinawan island tofu. The seaweed grows naturally around rocky coastal areas and is also known as aosa or aosa-nori in other parts of Japan. Seasoned simply with salt and soy sauce, aasa-jiru has a rema...»

Tofu-yo is one of the most distinctive fermented foods in Okinawan cuisine. Made by drying Okinawan island tofu and then fermenting and aging it in a mixture containing rice koji, red koji and awamori, Okinawa's traditional distilled spirit, tofu-yo develops an exceptionally rich flavor and a thick,...»

Inamudouchi is a traditional Okinawan soup made with pork, konnyaku, shiitake mushrooms, kamaboko fish cake, and other ingredients simmered in a rich, sweet white miso broth. It is especially associated with celebrations and festive occasions and is one of Okinawa's distinctive regional dishes....»

Hīja Sashi is a traditional Okinawan dish made by thinly slicing freshly prepared goat meat and serving it raw, sashimi-style. In Okinawan dialect, hīja means goat, and goat cuisine has long been part of the island's distinctive food culture. Okinawa is famous for dishes such as chanpuru, Okinawa s...»

Pork Tamago is a simple and comforting Okinawan dish made with slices of canned pork luncheon meat and egg. It is a familiar sight in Okinawan homes and casual diners, where the combination is often served as an inexpensive set meal with rice and soup. In Okinawa, canned pork luncheon meat is commo...»

Ninjin Shirishiri is one of Okinawa's best-known home-style dishes. It is a simple stir-fry made with finely shredded carrot, tuna and egg, yet its naturally sweet flavor and soft texture make it surprisingly satisfying. Even people who are not usually fond of carrots may find this Okinawan specialt...»

Mimiga is a traditional Okinawan dish made from pork ear. The outer skin is first exposed to an open flame to remove the hair, then the ear is boiled or steamed and thinly sliced. Its most distinctive feature is the pleasant, crunchy texture of the cartilage, which is often compared to firm jellyfis...»

Mozuku Soup is a simple traditional Okinawan dish made with locally grown Okinawan mozuku seaweed. Compared with many varieties of mozuku found elsewhere, Okinawan mozuku is relatively thick and has a pleasantly plump, springy texture. The soup is easy to prepare. A broth made from bonito is season...»

Ojima Island Tempura is one of the most popular local foods on Ojima Island, a small island in Nanjo City in southern Okinawa. Connected to the mainland by a bridge of about 100 meters, the island has a circumference of only around 1.7 kilometers, yet it is famous among locals for its freshly fried ...»

Gurukun Karaage is one of the most popular ways to enjoy Okinawa's beloved local fish. Known by its standard Japanese name as Takasa-go, gurukun is a meaty white-fleshed fish that is landed throughout the year at fishing ports across Okinawa....»

Ashi Tebichi is a traditional Okinawan dish made by slowly simmering pig's feet with ingredients such as kombu seaweed and daikon radish. Known locally as chimagu, pig's feet are rich in collagen and become exceptionally tender when cooked for several hours. The result is a comforting soup dish with...»

Tebichi refers to traditional Okinawan dishes made with pig's feet, an ingredient that has been part of local cuisine for generations. Pig's trotters are especially rich in gelatinous tissue and become wonderfully tender when slowly cooked, giving Tebichi its distinctive soft, silky texture....»

Agu Pork Shabu-Shabu is a popular Okinawan hot pot dish featuring Agu pork, a traditional Okinawan breed known for its exceptionally tender meat and naturally sweet, flavorful fat. Thinly sliced pork is briefly swished through a hot broth, then enjoyed with ponzu citrus sauce or a soy-based dipping ...»

Suuchikaa is a traditional Okinawan food made by curing pork with generous amounts of natural salt. With its rich umami flavor and refreshing finish, it is a versatile ingredient deeply rooted in Okinawan home cooking. It also pairs exceptionally well with awamori, Okinawa's traditional distilled sp...»

Goya, also known as bitter melon or bitter gourd, is one of Okinawa's most distinctive summer vegetables. Its intensely bitter flavor may be surprising at first, but this unique bitterness is precisely what makes goya so popular in Okinawan cuisine. Goya is particularly valued for its high vitamin ...»

Hijā is the Okinawan word for goat. Goat meat has long been part of Okinawan food culture and has traditionally been valued as a nourishing ingredient believed to help restore energy and vitality. Goat meat is prepared in several distinctive ways in Okinawa. One of the most unusual is Hijā Sashi, i...»

Okinawa Wagyu is a premium Japanese beef brand produced exclusively from cattle born and raised in Okinawa. Unlike the broader category of domestically produced beef in Japan, Wagyu is subject to strict standards, including requirements concerning the breeding of recognized Japanese cattle breeds. O...»

Irabucha is a traditional Okinawan name used for parrotfish, a group of colorful reef fish commonly found in the warm waters around Okinawa. Among the fish known as Irabucha, the steephead parrotfish is one of the representative varieties, recognizable by its striking blue to green coloration....»