Top 15 Things to do in Okinawa | Why You Should go to Okinawa | Guide

Top 15 Things to do in Okinawa | Why You Should go to Okinawa | Guide

Okinawa is often called the Hawaii of Japan because of its beautiful beaches and warm tropical climate, but what is there to do here? In this video, we’ll take a look at the best things to do in Okinawa so that you can plan your trip to paradise. Let’s explore Okinawa. The next station is Okinawa. [Music] Hey guys, Huang here and today we are going to take a look at the island paradise of Okinawa and see if it’s worth making a trip out there. Okinawa is quite a unique place in Japan that is made up of hundreds of islands and it is filled with pristine beaches and tropical weather and all of this makes it a pleasant and fun place to go. The vibe here is also much more relaxed and laid-back compared to say Tokyo. Because there are hundreds of islands in the Okinawa Prefecture, we are just going to focus on the main island of Okinawa for this video. Now, with that being said, let’s dive into the best things to do in Okinawa. First off, let’s take a look at one of the most famous attractions in Okinawa, and this is the Okinawa Churumi Aquarium. The name comes from the word chura, which means beautiful in the Okinawan language, and umi, which means ocean in Japanese. The aquarium first opened in 2022 on the grounds of the former World’s Fair site. This aquarium is massive and for some reason its size and ranking among aquariums differs with some sources ranking it as the largest in Japan and others saying that it is just a tad smaller than the aquarium in Osaka. Globally, the Okinawa Churroomi Aquarium is worldclass and is ranked as one of the top 15 largest aquariums with some sources like Aquade Decor ranking it as the fifth largest in the world. Regardless of what it ranks as specifically, it is a massive and beautiful aquarium. The main tank here has the largest acrylic panel in the world and holds 7.5 million lers or nearly 2 million gallons of water. And this houses tons of different sea life, including large manta rays and whale sharks. Less than 10 aquariums in the world have whale sharks, and the Chiroi Aquarium in Okinawa is one of them. You can watch the feeding times here for these massive whale sharks three times a day at 9:30 a.m., 300 p.m., and 5:00 p.m. Tickets for the aquarium cost 2,180 yen for adults with discounts for high school age students and younger. You don’t need to book a specific day for the entrance tickets, but if you do buy a ticket online, just know that it is valid for one entry ticket that expires in 30 days. So, don’t book more than a month in advance. If you are booking from overseas and want a discount on your tickets, use my promo code hang when booking through Cook to save up to 10% off your first purchase. Now, we will go to our next stop, the Miama American Village. Okinawa has a large American influence due to the military bases on the island, and the American village here was built on a former US military airfield. The American Village is kind of like a themed amusement park as opposed to a super authentic American village, especially at night when the neon lights flood the streets and buildings. It does give it a touristy feel, though. Kind of feels like Las Vegas, but here you will find restaurants serving burgers, hot dogs, tacos, along with plenty of shops that sell American brand clothing. The American village is also along the shore facing west, meaning that the sunsets here are spectacular as the sun disappears over the ocean. There are also fireworks every Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. here, making this whole area a fun place to go and watch the sunset and hang out for the fireworks. If you want to grab a drink, there are plenty of bars in the area to hang out at. It really is a unique area that helps the Americans on the island feel a little bit more of home and the locals get a glimpse of a touristy version of America. If you are on a tight schedule, this might be a pass, but if you are embracing the spirit of Okinawa and taking your time to enjoy the island, don’t miss this unique spot. Next, we have the Shuri Castle. And this is an interesting one because most of the main castle structures were destroyed by a fire in 2019. Reconstruction of the castle is underway and it is scheduled to complete in the fall of 2026. You can actually go and watch the progress of the reconstruction as they encourage visitors to come and see the entire process. The main castle had a temporary structure around it as it was being rebuilt and by the end of October 2025, the structure is set to be removed, revealing the castle reconstruction. So, that is something worth checking out if you are in the area. The castle walls are also worth checking out, and you can walk around the grounds here, checking out the beautiful view of the surrounding area. Until the reconstruction is finished, this may be a pass, but once the castle reconstruction is complete in 2026, it will be worth a visit. Now, we move on to Okinawa World. This is a theme park about Okinawan culture. The main attraction of the park itself is the Guyokusendo Cave, which is a massive limestone cave and is the largest in Japan. and it runs around 5 km long or a bit over 3 mi. You can take the normal walking path or you can book the summer only cave exploration tour which will gear you up and bring you off the path to go spelunking as you crawl through cave passages and walk through water-filled chambers. This is a summer only activity, but hey, there’s always next year. The regular less adventurous version of the cave tour will still be open though. If you want to do the spelunking excursion, it does cost $7,000 yen or around $50 US at the time of making this video. The cave itself has been filled with a lot of lighting and it is beautiful and breathtaking and will take you under the length of the park and you will come out on the other side of the park. Once out on the other side, you will walk through the park, but above ground this time, and experience the remainder of the park. You will walk through a tropical orchard where you will find tropical fruits like bananas, mangoes, and pineapples depending on the season along with other fruits and plants as well. Then you will pass through the traditional crafts and glass making area where you can try your hand at making some traditional crafts from Okinawa like paper making and indigo dying. Next, you will pass through the Ryuku Kingdom Castle Town where you can wear a Ryuso which was traditionally only worn by royalty and samurai during the Ryuku period, but now you can wear it and take photos in this historic town. After that, you will pass through the Super Issa show where you will watch a variety of Okinawan style performances with drumming and dances. There are three performances at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2:30 p.m. And the shows last around 30 minutes. Following this, you will pass through the Haboo Snake Show area, which has three shows a day at 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. And these shows are an hour after the previous dance performances. So, that gives you about 30 minutes after the dance performance ends to make your way over and catch the show if you want. If you are scrolling through the guide on their official website, when you get to the Haboo snake show section, you will find that well, I don’t think something was properly translated to English here. Anyway, the snake show is a performance that shows off the venomous haboo snake, which is found on the island along with other snakes and a mongoose. Lastly, you will pass through the Habu Museum Park where you will learn about various animals like the haboo snake, the sea snake, coconut crab, Okinawa tree lizard, and the mongoose. I didn’t do a ton of research into how well taken care of these animals are or not here in the park, but from the clips I’ve seen, it’s a bit questionable, but I’ll leave it up to you. Tickets for the park cost 2,000 yen or around $14, and the cave alone is worth that price to go and check out. Now, if you are looking for something to do and want to go to a theme park, but Okinawa World doesn’t seem quite as traditional enough for you, you could check out Ryuku Mura, which is a small theme park that highlights traditional Okinawan culture through the recreated village from the Ryuku Kingdom times. This area does feel a bit less touristy with people saying that it is a memorable way to experience Okinawan culture firsthand. You will learn about the music and the lives of the people of Okinawa. And you can even see a water buffalo. You can also paint crafts here and enjoy traditional snacks. If you are looking for food and shopping, then go and check out Koku Zadori Street in Naha. This is a street lined with big department stores and shopping malls along with tons of restaurants that will keep you full and entertained. If nightife is your thing, then this is the place to be, and you will want to stay nearby for sure. Many stores are open late here till 11:00 p.m., and a section of the street is closed off to car traffic on Sundays between 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to create a carfree area for visitors to shop and enjoy performances. The vibe is great and really gives you a lively Okinawa experience as you try the tons of restaurants and food stalls that line the street, which is nearly 2 km or 1.2 mi long. So, plan a good amount of time to spend here and enjoy the night here. As other attractions and locations close, this is the one spot you won’t want to miss. If you are into seafood, then nearby, check out the Makkeshi Public Market, which while a bit on the pricey side, does have really fresh seafood that you can purchase here as well. If you are into art, then go and check out the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum or Okimu. Yes, the word museum is in the name twice. The museum building itself is actually very interesting and you’ll find a lot of Okinawan art and cultural pieces from the Ryuku Kingdom along with natural history areas about the natural history of the island. Ticket prices for the museum are 530 yen and for the art museum it is $400 yen which is around $4 and $3 respectively. But keep in mind that the museum is closed on Mondays, unless it is a public or national holiday, then it will be closed on the following business day. You could easily spend around 2 hours here. So, plan accordingly. If you get tired of the concrete jungle of Okinawa and you want a change of pace and gardens are more of your thing, then go and check out the Southeast Botanical Gardens, which showcase a vast array of tropical trees and flowers and allows you to interact with animals like capivaras and squirrel monkeys, though this does cost 300 yen to do. You can also find the very rare dragon blood tree here, which is a tree that is native to a remote island in Yemen, and this gives you a unique opportunity to see them without having to go to Yemen. The gardens have an entrance fee of 2,000 yen or around $14 to enter. If you want to check out something a bit more ancient, you can check out the Futenma Shrine, which has a cave that contains an archaeological site where a number of historical artifacts have been found. The shrine itself is not huge, but it is one of the more unique shrines to go and see, especially because of this cave. Next, you have the Nakagusu Castle Ruins and the Zakimi Castle Ruins, which are around 35 minutes away from each other by car, but are similar, so I’m including them together. Both are the ruins and restored foundations and walls of their respective castles. Zakime Castle was first built in 1416 and the Nakagutu Castle was built in 1440. So, both of these sites are quite old. If you are into history and landscapes, this is the place for you, as both of these castle ruins offer beautiful elevated views of the surrounding areas. Now, we’ll check out the Ryuku Glass Village, which is the largest Ryuku Glass Workshop on the island. Here, you can marvel as you check out the stunning glass works there, and you can even watch the artisans at work as they create additional glass pieces. The workshop here is handson, meaning that you can actually learn to make your own glass art. The glass making workshop starts at 1,620 yen or around $11. Something to note though is that the glass you make can be picked up a week later or mailed to you after the glass has cooled slowly in an oven. So that means if you are staying in Okinawa, you may want to do this earlier on if you’re going to be there for more than a week. Otherwise, you can have it mailed to you at home. This is a very cool place to go and check out and it is totally worth making a stop here. Now, we will go to the Orion Happy Park, which is a brewery that has tours of their facilities where they will walk you through the beer making process. This tour is available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays for $1,000 yen or around $7 US. Kids under 19 are able to go on this tour as well with a discounted ticket of 350 yen, and ages 0 through 6 are free. After the tour, adults will be able to taste freshlymade Orion beer straight from the factory. The tour is only in Japanese, so if you are a foreign tourist, you will get a brochure to follow along during the tour. Another unique place to go is the Nago Pineapple Park, which is located just outside of Nago City. Here you can see the pineapple farm, and during harvesting season, you can watch them peel, cut, and can pineapples. There is a lot of pineapple themed items all around the park for you to take photos of. And there’s also a dinosaur park here. There is also a brewery and distillery here on the park grounds. At the gift shop, you can get pineapple wines, juices, cakes, chocolates, along with dried and fresh pineapple. Something to know is that it does cost 1,200 yen to enter the park. The beaches of Okinawa and most of the islands are made up of coral and limestone. The limestone erodess over time and that has left a lot of cave systems along with magnificent coral reefs here along with some of the caves that we talked about before. If you are adventurous, here’s another adventure cave. The blue cave in Okinawa is a natural sea cave and is very popular for snorkeling and diving due to its unique blue glow from the way the light shines through. If you don’t want to go into the water, however, then go and check out Cape Monzamo or Cape Hedo, which are on opposite sides of the island, but both offer majestic sea cliffs. Though, Cape Hedo has neat coral formations alongside the cliffs, while Cape Monzamo has amazing rock formations on the cliffs itself. Lastly, we can’t talk about Okinawa without talking about the beaches. A lot of the beaches here have coral reefs and are stunning. Some of the best beaches here include Mai Beach with its unique mushroom looking rock formation in the water. Manza Beach which is beautiful and has the Ana Intercontinental Manza Beach Resort. Zanpa Beach which has floating inflatable play places for family fun for everyone. And if you are in Naha and want a quick trip to the beach without leaving the city, check out the Nami U Beach, which is a bizarre site with a road running through the water. It’s a small beach, but it makes for a convenient stop. Lastly, if you want to leave the island, you could go to Furu Zami Beach on Tokashiki Island, which is spacious, has beautiful white sand, and is an amazing snorkeling spot. All this being said, there is a lot to do in Okinawa, and it is very well worth the 2.5 hour flight from Tokyo for a slice of paradise. What is your favorite thing to do in Okinawa? Let me know in the comments section down below, and I will see you guys in the next one. [Music]

Looking to add Okinawa to your Japan itinerary? Check out this guide to Okinawa Japan and all of the attractions and activities the island has to offer. Okinawa is often called the Hawaii of Japan and there’s a reason why you will want to add this paradise to your Japan itinerary.

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Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
1:10 – Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
2:45 – Aquarium Tickets
3:17 – American Village
4:40 – Shuri Castle
5:40 – Okinawa World
7:49 – Beware of Snakes
8:59 – Ryukyu Mura
9:34 – Kokusai Dori Shopping Street
10:38 – Makishi Public Market
10:50 – Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum
11:37 – Southeast Botanical Gardens
12:18 – Futenma Shrine
12:38 – Castle Ruins
13:15 – Ryukyu Glass Village
14:11 – Orion Happy Park
14:52 – Nago Pineapple Park
15:35 – Caves and Cliffs
15:55 – Blue Cave
16:07 – Cape Hedo/Manzamo
16:28 – Beaches
17:25 – Conclusion

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