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Sakima Art Museum

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Sakima Art Museum

Sakima Art Museum

This is a small private museum in Ginowan, best known for permanently displaying "The Battle of Okinawa" (沖縄戦の図), a large-scale collaborative work by Iri and Toshi Maruki depicting the civilian experience of the 1945 land battle. The rest of the collection is smaller but international in scope, including pieces by Käthe Kollwitz, Georges Rouault, and Yayoi Kusama alongside Okinawan artist Ueno Makoto. It suits travellers interested in how Okinawa's wartime history is represented through art, rather than a general fine-art collection.

Getting there

The museum sits on a low bluff near Futenma, on the edge of the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station. From central Naha it's roughly a 20-25 minute drive or taxi ride; there's no direct monorail access, so a rental car, taxi, or bus connection with a walk is the practical option for most visitors.

How much time to allow

The collection is compact, so an hour to 90 minutes is generally enough to see the galleries at an unhurried pace.

When to go

As a small private museum, it rarely feels crowded, so there's little need to plan around peak times. Given the subject matter of the main exhibit, some travellers prefer visiting earlier in the day when they have more time and energy to take it in.

Combine with

  • Nakagusuku Castle (2.7km) — the closest stop, one of Okinawa's Gusuku castle ruins.
  • Ireibaru Site (5.4km) and Urasoe yōdore (5.5km) — historic sites a short drive away, easy to combine with the museum's wartime-history theme.
  • Urasoe Art Museum (6.4km) — a second art stop if you want to extend the day around art and history in the central Okinawa area.

Updated September 20, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors

Tickets & tours

Admission prices and opening hours change often, so we don't list them here. Check what's on sale and at what price below — booking ahead can cut the queue at some places.

This place may not appear in the results — some sites are free to enter or sell tickets only at the gate.

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Good to visit alongside

Nakagusuku Castle

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."

2.7 km away

Ireibaru Site

Heritage & monuments

Ireibaru Site

Ireibaru Site is a large archaeological site on the west coast of Okinawa's main island, in Chatan Town. It preserves traces of habitation spanning the entire Shell Midden period (Okinawa's counterpart to Japan's Jomon-Yayoi eras), with later layers from the Gusuku period, the early Ryukyu Kingdom, and into the early modern and modern eras.

5.4 km away

Urasoe yōdore

Heritage & monuments

Urasoe yōdore

Urasoe Yodore is one of the royal mausoleums of the Ryukyu Kingdom, ranked alongside Tamaudun at Shuri Castle and Izena Tamaudun on Izena Island as one of the three great Ryukyu royal tombs. It was built using a natural cave on the northeastern cliff of the Urasoe Castle ruins, and houses the remains of three kings who ruled the Ryukyu Islands, together with those of another king from an era several centuries apart.

5.5 km away

Urasoe Art Museum

Museums & galleries

Urasoe Art Museum

The Urasoe Art Museum, a public museum in Urasoe, Okinawa, opened in 1990 and specializes in Ryukyu lacquerware. Since few museums focus specifically on Okinawa's distinctive lacquer techniques and designs, it's well worth a visit for travelers interested in the crafts and art history of the Ryukyu Kingdom era.

6.4 km away

Ryukyu Islands

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.

6.6 km away

Okinawa Islands

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.

6.6 km away