Things to Do

Naha mixes reconstructed Ryukyu Kingdom grandeur with a lively, salt-edged city culture. The monorail makes the main sights easy to reach without a car.

Guide

Things to Do

01

Shuri Castle

Shuri Castle stands on a hill east of the city centre, the former palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom and the symbolic heart of Okinawan …

Sight
02

Shikinaen Garden

Ryukyu royal villa garden in Naha, blending Japanese circuit-garden design with Chinese details

Sight
03

Tamaudun Mausoleum

Royal Ryukyu mausoleum beside Shuri Castle, with stone chambers for the Second Sho dynasty.

Sight
04

Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum

The Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum occupies a large building in Naha's Omoromachi district, opened in 2007, combining natural history, archaeology, and ethnography …

Museum
05

Tsuboya Pottery District

Tsuboya is a ten-minute walk from Kokusai Street but feels considerably quieter. The district has been the centre of Okinawan ceramics since the late …

Sight
06

Makishi Public Market

Makishi Public Market occupies a covered arcade off Kokusai Street. The ground floor is the fresh market: stalls of tropical fish with an Okinawan …

Market
07

Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters

Below a quiet residential area in Tomigusuku, south of Naha, a network of tunnels was hand-dug by the Japanese Navy during the final stages …

Sight
08

Naha City Museum of History

The Naha City Museum of History, located in the Palette Kumoji complex in the city centre, tells the story of Naha from prehistoric settlement …

Museum
09

Kokusai Street

Kokusai Street is a 1.6-kilometre pedestrianised-ish strip running through the heart of Naha, lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, izakayas, and the occasional traditional craft …

Sight
10

Fukushuen Garden

Fukushuen is a classical Chinese garden built in 1992 in the Kumemura district of Naha, designed as a tribute to the ancient cultural ties …

Sight
11

Naminoue Shrine

Naminoue Shrine sits on a low coral cliff above the sea in the Wakasa district of Naha, a ten-minute walk from the city centre. …

Sight
12

Tsuboya Pottery Museum

Tsuboya Pottery Museum explains Naha's long pottery tradition through historic pieces and examples from local kilns. It pairs well with a walk through the …

Museum
13

DMM Kariyushi Aquarium

DMM Kariyushi Aquarium is a modern aquarium in southern Okinawa, much easier to reach from Naha than the larger Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu. Its …
14

Naminoue Beach

Naminoue Beach is Naha's central city beach, just below Naminoue Shrine. It is not Okinawa's prettiest stretch of sand, but it is clean, easy …