Lonely PlanetSep 21
A Guide to Okinawa, Japan
Find scuba diving, rainforest hikes, traditional villages and more on this vast Japanese archipelago.
Browse stalls piled with tropical fruits, seafood, and local delicacies.
20 things in this story
- Shuri CastleSightOnce the royal seat of Ryūkyū kings.
- Makishi Public MarketMarketBrowse stalls piled with tropical fruits, seafood, and local delicacies.
- Yakuzen Ryuka workshopPlaceLearn Ryūkyūan medicinal cooking.
- Okinawa Dining HaterumaRestaurant
- ChonchonRestaurant
- Elsewhere
- Yaeyama IslandsNeighborhoodOkinawa, JapanEnchant with untamed wilderness and quiet villages.
- Kerama IslandsNeighborhoodOkinawa, JapanSee its crystal-clear “Kerama Blue” waters.
- Taketomi IslandNeighborhoodOkinawa, JapanPreserves the Okinawa many travelers imagine but rarely find.
- Miyako IslandsNeighborhoodOkinawa, JapanHave blindingly white beaches.
- Daitō IslandsNeighborhoodOkinawa, JapanOffer a rugged frontier of striking sea cliffs and isolation.
- Ishigaki IslandNeighborhoodOkinawa, JapanJapan’s premier manta-diving destination.
- Yaeyama sobaRestaurantOkinawa, JapanSample a bowl of noodles on Taketomi Island.
- Kaiji BeachSightOkinawa, JapanSearch for the island’s famous star-shaped sand.
- Iriomote IslandNeighborhoodOkinawa, JapanCovered in dense subtropical jungle, mangrove forests and rugged mountains.
- Pinaisara FallsSightOkinawa, JapanTallest waterfall in Okinawa, reached by waterfall hikes.
- Yutsun FallsSightOkinawa, JapanA three-tiered cascade in dense rainforest.
- Okinawa Churaumi AquariumAquariumOkinawa, JapanHome to whale sharks and manta rays.
- Nago Pineapple ParkTheme parkOkinawa, JapanQuirky pineapple-themed rides.
- NakijinSightOkinawa, Japan
- KatsurenViewpointOkinawa, Japan