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

Azama Sunsun Beach

Azama Sunsun Beach south island Pacific side near the World Heritage Seifa-Utaki sacred site

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Araha Beach Hamby

Araha Beach is in the Hamby area. (add more info later–editor)

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Naminoue Beach Naha

The area around Naha is dominated by port facilities and seawalls. An exception is Naminoue Beach by the Naminoue shrine. (more info later–editor)

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Zamami Island

Zamami has two nice public beaches and a small village with minshukus, pensions, hostel, and camping.

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Aharen Beach Tokashiki Island

Aharen Beach is on Tokashiki Island, about an hour ferry ride from Tomari Port in Naha. Great snorkeling and swimming.

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Libre Garden Hotel Shintoshin Naha

This is a boutique hotel in the Shintoshin area located by the Omoromachi monorail station. Rates start at 7000 yen

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Okinawa International Youth Hostel

In Naha, dorm style youth hostel. Prices staart at 3360 yen ($29)for members and 4410 yen ($38)for non-members. http://www.jyh.gr.jp/okinawa/

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Ukishima Towns Ryokan

This Ryokan in Naha has rooms with shared or private bathrooms. Prices start at 3000 yen ($26). Formerly known as Shinkinichi Ryokan. http://www.shinkin-1.net

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Busena Terrace Beach Resort

Not for the budget minded, this beach resort is in the northern central part of the island. Beautiful. Expensive. Rates from 38115 yen ($331) to 577,500 yen ($5021) per night. http://www.terrace.co.jp

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Hotel Hokke Club

Located in Shintoshin near the Omoromachi monorail station. Rates from 7560 yen ($65) single, 13650 yen ($118) double. http://www.hokke.co.jp

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