Lonely PlanetSep 21
A Guide to Okinawa, Japan
Find scuba diving, rainforest hikes, traditional villages and more on this vast Japanese archipelago.
Japan’s premier manta-diving destination.
20 things in this story
- Yaeyama IslandsNeighborhoodEnchant with untamed wilderness and quiet villages.
- Kerama IslandsNeighborhoodSee its crystal-clear “Kerama Blue” waters.
- Taketomi IslandNeighborhoodPreserves the Okinawa many travelers imagine but rarely find.
- Miyako IslandsNeighborhoodHave blindingly white beaches.
- Daitō IslandsNeighborhoodOffer a rugged frontier of striking sea cliffs and isolation.
- Ishigaki IslandNeighborhoodJapan’s premier manta-diving destination.
- Yaeyama sobaRestaurantSample a bowl of noodles on Taketomi Island.
- Kaiji BeachSightSearch for the island’s famous star-shaped sand.
- Iriomote IslandNeighborhoodCovered in dense subtropical jungle, mangrove forests and rugged mountains.
- Pinaisara FallsSightTallest waterfall in Okinawa, reached by waterfall hikes.
- Yutsun FallsSightA three-tiered cascade in dense rainforest.
- Okinawa Churaumi AquariumAquariumHome to whale sharks and manta rays.
- Nago Pineapple ParkTheme parkQuirky pineapple-themed rides.
- NakijinSight
- KatsurenViewpoint
- Elsewhere
- Shuri CastleSightNaha, JapanOnce the royal seat of Ryūkyū kings.
- Makishi Public MarketMarketNaha, JapanBrowse stalls piled with tropical fruits, seafood, and local delicacies.
- Yakuzen Ryuka workshopPlaceNaha, JapanLearn Ryūkyūan medicinal cooking.
- Okinawa Dining HaterumaRestaurantNaha, Japan
- ChonchonRestaurantNaha, Japan