Must see attractions in Okinawa-hontō

This reconstructed castle was originally built in the 14th century and served as the administrative centre and royal residence of the Ryūkyū kingdom until…

Located above a cave that served as an emergency field hospital during the closing days of the Battle of Okinawa, the Himeyuri Peace Museum is a haunting…

Opened in 2007, this museum of Okinawa's history, culture and natural history is easily one of the best museums in Japan. Displays are well laid out,…

The centrepiece of the Peace Memorial Park focuses on the suffering of the Okinawan people during the island's invasion and under the subsequent American…

In Naha, a great place to sample everyday Okinawan eats is at one of the 2nd-floor eateries in this covered food market just off Ichibahon-dōri, about…

One of the best parts of Naha is this neighbourhood, a centre of ceramic production from 1682, when Ryūkyū kilns were consolidated here by royal decree…

Directly south of Naha in Kaigungo-kōen is the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, where 4000 men committed suicide or were killed as the…

The centrepiece of Motobu's Ocean Expo Park (海洋博公園) is the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, which features the world's largest aquarium tank. The aquarium…

At the northwestern tip of the peninsula is the quaintly preserved village of Bise, a leafy beachside community of traditional Okinawan houses. Stroll…

Housing Okinawa's most important war memorials, including the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, the Peace Memorial Park occupies an appropriately…

The excellent Tsuboya Pottery Museum houses some fine examples of traditional Okinawan pottery. Here you can also inspect potters' wheels and arayachi …

Aquariums and crowds not your cup of tea? If you've got your own wheels, drive out to Kōri-jima via Yagaji-jima (屋我地島). The bridge between the two islands…

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…

Garden fans should take a stroll through peaceful, Chinese-style Fukushū-en. All materials were brought from Fuzhou, Naha's sister city in China,…

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.

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…

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…