4 Best Sights in Okinawa, Japan

Set in the very north of the Yambaru National Park, Daisekirinzan is a family friendly park where you can wander among giant banyan trees and the limestone spires of Japan's only tropical karst landscape. Many of the unusual formations are considered power spots by the islanders. Of the four trails, the longer Wonder of Rocks Trail, marked in yellow, makes for a very interesting 1-km (½-mile) scramble. Daisekirinzan was one of the shooting locations for the TV series Cobra Kai. After visiting the park, it's just a few kilometers further to Cape Hedo, Okinawa's northernmost tip, for more otherworldly rock formations.

Nakijin Castle is the northernmost of Okinawa's UNESCO World Heritage sites. The hilltop castle ruins provide beautiful views over the forest and ocean to the islands of Izena and Iheya. In the 14th century, when Okinawa was split into three principalities, Nakijin Castle was the fortress of the northern Hokuzan region. Nakijin Castle and nearby Mount Yae are the two most famous spots for cherry blossom viewing in Okinawa. The castle grounds contain hundreds of cherry trees which bloom in late January. Access is easiest by rental car, but is also accessible by either the #65 bus from Nago (plus a 15-minute walk uphill) or the Yanbaru express bus which stops at the Nakijin Castle entrance. Both buses also stop in front of Okinawan Churaumi Aquarium/Ocean Expo Park.

With one of the biggest saltwater tanks in the world, this is the most impressive aquarium in Japan. A pioneering coral-breeding experiment explains the fragile tropical ecosystem, while tanks hold sharks, freaky deep-water species, and thousands of other sea creatures. The star attraction is the 30-foot-deep tank holding a majestic whale shark, a dozen manta rays, and fish native to Okinawa. Additionally Ocean Expo Park includes an Oceanic Culture Museum with a planetarium (¥190), the Tropical Dream Center (¥760) that houses a vast number of orchid species, and a reconstruction of a traditional Okinawan village. A short stroll north of the park is the idyllic village of Bise with its narrow roads lined by fukugi trees. You can get to Ocean Expo Park by car or via the Yanbaru Express bus service that runs from Naha Airport, via central Naha to the aquarium (two hours, 20 minutes). Up-to-date bus schedules are on the park website.

A real hidden gem, Ichiro Kikuta is a wildlife artist and nature guide who lives in the remote village of Ada. His gallery is located inside the Ada Garden Hotel Okinawa and is themed around the plants and animals that surround him in the Yambaru National Park. Kikuta's work varies in scale from delicate watercolors in his notepad to traditional Japanese room dividers with scenes of the forest printed on the washi paper. His gallery is open to the public, but you need to call in advance, as he divides his time between working in his gallery, and guiding nature lovers in the local area.