Elsewhere on Okinawa Honto
Scattered along the west coast of Okinawa Honto north of Naha are flashy beach resorts usually booked solid with package-tour travelers from Tokyo or Osaka: Sunset Mihama, Moon Beach, Manza Beach, Emerald...
(more)
Iriomote-jima
You might not expect Japan to have a remote pocket of subtropical rain forest, but Japan is nothing if not full of the unexpected. Arguably the most secluded and unexplored region in the country, Iriomote-jima...
(more)
Ishigaki-jima
Ishigaki-jima, the main island of and gateway to the entire Yaeyama region, is known for its black-pearl industry, pineapples, white-sand beaches, and emerald waters. It's also the only island in the Yaeyama...
(more)
Kerama Retto
The Kerama Islands have many pristine beaches, and divers rate the coral and clear water off their coasts highly. Three main islands are in the group: Takashiki, Zamami, and Aka-jima, plus many more small...
(more)
Miyako-shoto
Some intensive beach therapy can be engaged in here. In the southwest corner of the main island, Miyako-jima, is Maehama, perhaps Japan's finest beach, and across the bridge on the adjacent tiny island...
(more)
Naha
The modern capital city of Naha, population 307,000, is the main entry point for travelers to Okinawa and is well connected to islands farther south.... The main cultural sight in Naha, which was also the...
(more)
Taketomi-jima
On tiny Taketomi-jima you can imagine you are on a distant planet. Cute, compact houses with red-tile roofs and white coral-block walls sit contentedly amid a riot of greenery and blossoms. Even the sand...
(more)
The War Memorials
After the largest naval build-up in history congregated off Okinawa, American troops, supported by an immense naval bombardment, landed on Okinawa's beaches on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945. Thus began...
(more)