Museums & galleries
Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum
Tsushima Maru was a Japanese passenger/cargo ship that was sunk by the submarine USS Bowfin during World War II, while carrying hundreds of schoolchildren from Okinawa to Nagasaki.
Tsushima Maru Memorial Museum
This museum is dedicated to the sinking of the Tsushima Maru, a Japanese ship torpedoed by the US submarine USS Bowfin in 1944 while evacuating hundreds of Okinawan schoolchildren to Nagasaki. The exhibits center on personal belongings, survivor testimony, and accounts of the children who died, making it a sober, focused stop rather than a broad wartime history museum. It's a meaningful visit for travelers interested in Okinawa's WWII history and civilian experience of the war, alongside sites like the Peace Memorial Park in the south of the island.
Getting there
The museum sits in central Naha, close to Naminoue Shrine and the coast. From central Naha (e.g. Kokusai-dori), it's a short taxi or bus ride, generally around 10-15 minutes depending on traffic, or a walkable distance of roughly 1.5-2 km for those who don't mind a stroll.
Time to allow
Most visitors spend around 45 minutes to an hour going through the exhibits, longer if reading testimonies and captions in detail.
When to go
The museum is compact, so even light visitor traffic can make rooms feel busy; going earlier in the day tends to be quieter. Given the subject matter, it's a reflective rather than lively stop, and not particularly suited to young children.
Combine with
- Shiseibyō (0.1km) - immediately next door.
- Naminoue Shrine (0.2km) - a short walk, with coastal views nearby.
- Fukushūen (0.4km) - a Chinese-style garden a few minutes away.
- Naha City Museum of History (1km) - for broader local history context.
Sources: open data from Wikipedia and OpenStreetMap · Updated August 5, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors
