Okinawa

Nature

Ryukyu Islands

The Ryukyu Islands (Nansei Islands) are a chain of islands in southwestern Japan stretching from Kyushu toward Taiwan, spanning Kagoshima and Okinawa prefectures. The Okinawa portion is scattered with islands large and small centered on Okinawa Island; the larger ones tend to be volcanic and the smaller ones coral-based, giving each island a distinct coastline and sea color.

Nature

Okinawa Islands

The Okinawa Islands form the core of Okinawa Prefecture, a cluster of large and small islands at the heart of Japan's Nansei Islands. It's a destination where travelers can island-hop and enjoy each island's distinct charm.

Castles & palaces

Nakagusuku Castle

Nakagusuku Castle is a gusuku (fortress) ruin built during the Ryukyu Kingdom era, considered one of the best-preserved gusuku sites still standing today. It's known for its curving stone walls and a castle layout divided into six enclosures, and in 2000 it was registered as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu."

Nature

Lake Man

Despite its name, Manko is not a lake but a tidal wetland straddling the border of Naha and Tomigusuku. Located within Manko Park, it covers a modest area of about 0.11 square kilometers. Mangrove forests and mudflats attract many visitors who come to observe waterbirds, crabs, and other tidal life, making it a notable wetland ecosystem within easy reach of central Okinawa.

Heritage & monuments

Tamaudun

Tamaudun is the royal mausoleum of the Second Sho Dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom, built near Shuri Castle in 1501 by the third king, Sho Shin, to inter his father, Sho En. It is distinguished by its unique architecture of stacked coral limestone and, together with Shuri Castle, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu."

Parks & gardens

Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Park

Okinawa Senseki Quasi-National Park covers the area in southern Okinawa's main island that was the site of fierce fighting in the closing stages of the Pacific War. It was designated a prefectural park in 1965 and redesignated a quasi-national park in 1972, when Okinawa reverted to Japan.

Heritage & monuments

Sefa-utaki

Seifa Utaki is a sacred site of indigenous Ryukyuan faith dating back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, set in a forest overlooking Kudaka Island. Rather than a man-made structure like a shrine, it is the rocks and forest themselves that have long been regarded as sacred, and visitors can see firsthand natural features that became objects of worship, such as Sangui Utaki, reached by passing through a triangular gap between rocks.

Museums & galleries

Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum

The Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum (OkiMu) is a cultural complex in Naha's Omoromachi district that houses both a museum and an art museum under one roof. The museum side covers Okinawa's unique history and natural history dating back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, while the art museum exhibits works of art inspired by Okinawa.