Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Perched atop the island's highest peak, at an elevation of around 310m, are the meticulously placed crumbling stone walls of what was once the stronghold…
Must-see attractions in Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Yaeyama Islands
Nonguests of the adjacent resort can pay to enter this massive 'aqua garden' complex with a beachfront pool, bar-restaurant, yoga lessons and a huge range…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Kume-jima's most famous attraction is this 7km sandbar that extends from the eastern point of the island, pointing back towards Okinawa-hontō. If you…
Naha
Around 4km east of the city centre is a Chinese-style garden containing stone bridges, a viewing pavilion and a villa that belonged to the Ryūkyū royal…
Yaeyama Islands
On the north coast along Rte 79, Yonehara Beach is a decent sand beach with a good bit of reef offshore. Hire snorkel gear (¥1000) at any of the shops…
Amami Islands
This stunner of a beach lies about 4.5km up a point of land just north of Kise (about 20km northeast of Naze). Take a Sani-bound bus from Naze and get off…
Ōsumi Islands
On the west coast is Yakushima's highest waterfall, at 88m. It's a five-minute walk from Ōko-no-taki bus stop, which is the last stop for some of the…
Yaeyama Islands
Located off the north coast of Iriomote-jima is the unusual Barasu-tō, an islet formed entirely of bits of broken coral. In addition to the tiny island…
Amami Islands
On the southwest slopes of Ōyama (the mountain at the west end of the island), you will find this brilliant limestone cave with 600m of walkways, disco…
Ōsumi Islands
Nearby to the Space Centre, this coastline is home to a beautiful stretch of white sand popular with surfers. The best spot to enjoy it is the beach in…
Ōsumi Islands
At the southern border of the Akaogi Castle ruins, this preserved samurai house and garden contains a few cultural artefacts. A short informational video…
Amami Islands
About 9km north of the airport at the northwestern tip of the island, Mushiroze is an interesting collection of wave-smoothed rocks that makes a great…
Amami Islands
It's easy to get to this beach, which offers brilliant white sand and some great snorkelling with a channel leading outside the reef. It's about 3km north…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
If you've got a car, we recommend a drive out to the southeastern tip of the island, a narrow finger of land that extends 2km into the Pacific Ocean…
Ōsumi Islands
On the island's northwest coast, Nagata Inaka-hama is a beautiful beach for sunsets, and it's where sea turtles lay their eggs from May to July. It's…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
As any local will tell you, this attractive beach is the best place on the island for watching the sunset over the East China Sea. Find it on the west…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
An intriguing site for a stroll or dive is this pair of seawater pools on the west coast of Shimoji-jima, known by locals as 'dragon's eyes' – these are…
Naha
Garden fans should take a stroll through peaceful, Chinese-style Fukushū-en. All materials were brought from Fuzhou, Naha's sister city in China,…
Okinawa-hontō
Outside the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum is the Cornerstone of Peace, inscribed with the names of everyone who died in the Battle of Okinawa.
Ōsumi Islands
The west coast of Tanegashima is home to a 12km stretch of beach known as the Nagahama-kaigan (coastline) that is equally popular with diehard surfers and…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
On Irabu-jima's west coast, this is the island's best swimming beach, with showers, toilets and the delightful Blue Turtle bar-restaurant.
Yaeyama Islands
Kondoi Beach, on the west coast, offers the best swimming on the island. At the entrance to the beach you'll find bike parking, picnic tables and toilets.
Yaeyama Islands
Literally 'Standing-God Rock' (although another name might come to mind), this offshore obelisk can be viewed from several spots on the bluffs above.
Yaeyama Islands
The best swimming beach on the island is Tsuki-ga-hama, a crescent-shaped yellow-sand beach at the mouth of the Urauchi-gawa on the north coast.
Yaeyama Islands
The raised platform that overlooks Gunkan-iwa also offers views of the jagged coastline of Sanninu-dai.
Amami Islands
On the northeast coast, Terasaki-kaigan represents the archetypical Amami beach, with its white sand, rocky outcrops and aquamarine water.
Yaeyama Islands
Roughly in the centre of the village, this modest lookout tower has good views over the red-tiled roofs of the pancake-flat island.
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
On the southeast end of the island, this is a popular spot for snorkelling and kayaking (with a hair-raisingly steep access road).
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
On the north side of Miyako-jima's southeastern cape, this long, shallow beach has a park featuring showers and toilets.
Yaeyama Islands
At the eastern tip of the island, wild Yonaguni horses graze in the pastures leading out to the lighthouse at Agarizaki.
Amami Islands
Near the Aze/Fruits Garden bus stop on the northeast coast, this excellent beach is backed by a simple park area.
Amami Islands
This cape, at the northwest tip of the island, has ancient coral that has been upthrust to form a 40m cliff.
Yaeyama Islands
Aptly named, this striking offshore fin does bring to mind an imposing ship.
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
The best snorkelling beach on Shimoji and Irabu, Nakanoshima Beach is protected by a high-walled bay on the west coast of Shimoji-jima. You'll greatly…
Okinawa-hontō
On the grounds of this castle ruin – whose fortified stone walls, surrounded by lush, semi-tropical forest, date to the 1200s – you'll find an interesting…
Amami Islands
On a point on the northwest coast of the island, this collection of bizarrely eroded upthrust coral includes a formation that resembles a giant pair of…
Okinawa & the Southwest Islands
Head north to drive across Ikema-Ōhashi (池間大橋) to the little island of Ikema-jima. The shallow aquamarine water on either side of this 1.4km bridge is…
Amami Islands
A short walk from the Ishini (石仁) bus stop, 3km southeast of Chabana, is a lookout that serves as a museum of Yoron-tō and Amami history and culture…
Naha City Traditional Arts & Crafts Center
Naha
Right on Kokusai-dōri, this gallery houses a notable collection of traditional Okinawan crafts by masters of the media. You can also try your hand at…
Yaeyama Islands
Founded in 1614, the Zen temple of Tōrin-ji, near the intersection of Shimin-kaikan-dōri and Rte 79, is home to the 18th-century guardian statues of Deva…
