Category Archives: Travel

Tourism is Okinawa’s largest industry. Okinawa prefecture is host to nearly 5.5 million visitors a year who spend nearly 6 billion US dollars annually.Okinawa is the primary resort vacation destination for Japanese travelers. Tourists can enjoy an ancient culture with 9 world heritage sites, a strong crafts tradition in ceramics, textiles, and glass, a lively contemporary music scene, breathtaking empty beaches and crowded old world market places.
Travel on Okinawa and mainland Japan is extremely safe. Okinawans are known for their culture of courtesy. Food, water, and facilities are hygenic.Tipping is not a Japanese custom.
While the tourism infrastructure is extremely well developed, it is primarily targetted to the Japanese visitor.Foreign visitors should not expect English to be spoken in most establishments.Okinawans have a mixed relationship with Americans because of the large and long American military presence on the island.
Okinawa is good place to smile. A smile, a nod and a hello or “kon nichi wa” to an Okinawan invariably elicits a similiar response and changes the experience of being on the island. –editor

Okinawa Explorer, A complete guidebook to Okinawa The best English language guide book for Okinawa by Kenny Ehman ISBN 0-9768462-0-9.
Naha International Airport Primary civilian airport with monorail access to Naha. Airport code – OKA (don’t confuse Naha, Okinawa with Naha, Indonesia)
Okinawa Convention and Visitors Bureau
Real Time Exchange Rates – Exchange rates for Yen (and other currencies) via Yahoo! Finance.
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
Japan Airlines (JAL)
Japan Air Systems (JAS)
Japan Transocean Air (JTA)
Air Nippon (ANK)
Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC)
Air Dolphin
Asiana Airlines
China Airlines
China Eastern Airlines
Philippine Airlines

Hotel Palm Royal Naha

Hotel Palm Royal Naha Rooms from 8500 yen.

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Hotel Sun Okinawa

Naha Hotel 2 minutes from Kenchomae monorail station.

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Hotel Marine West Okinawa

Naha hotel rooms from 5500 yen.

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Guest House Minami-kaze

Naha superbudget guest house. 1000 yen dormitory bed, 2000 yen room without bath or toilet.

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Guest House Stell Resort

Naha superbudget guest house. 1000 yen dormitory bed, 2000 yen room without bath or toilet.

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Guest House Lohas Villa

Naha superbudget guest house. 1000 yen dormitory, 2500 yen room without bath or toilet.

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Yomitan Pennisula Itinerary

Yomitan Pennisula Itinerary The Yomitan pennisula is just north of Kadena Air Base on the East China Sea. Attractions include the ruins of Zakimi Gusuku (Castle), Maeda Point, Cape Zampa, Ryukyu Mura, Muraskimura Mura, and Yachimun-no-sato Pottery Village with it’s … Continue reading

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Shopping in Naha

Kokusai Dori The English translation for Kokusai is “International” and Kokusai Dori is Okinawa’s most famous shopping street. It runs for many blocks between Route 29 at one end and the Ryubo Department store at the other end. It is … Continue reading

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Shopping Shintoshin Distsrict

10 years ago there was virtually nothing in the Shintoshin area. The land having been home to U.S. military housing that was razed and left vacant. When the land was returned to the original owners a stylish modern shopping district … Continue reading

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Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon

Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon or the Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate is what is left of the Sonohyan Utatki (sacred site). It was here that king prayed before departing Shuri castle. The utaki and much of the gate were destroyed during WW II. … Continue reading

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