Okinawa
A subtropical archipelago halfway to Taiwan, bridges skimming a turquoise lagoon and a culture that is only half Japanese: Okinawa is another country — and it can only be explored by car.
Suggested stay — 4 to 6 nights
1,500 km south of Tokyo, Okinawa was the independent Ryukyu kingdom until the 19th century and claims it on every plate (goya champuru, the local soba) and on every roof guarded by shisa lions. Beyond the Naha monorail, the island has no trains at all: the car is a way of life, and the main island lends itself to the slow road trip — Shurijo castle, the cliffs of Cape Manzamo, the west-coast beaches, and the Churaumi aquarium where whale sharks cruise a vertiginous tank facing the Emerald Sea.
The wild north rewards those who push on: the Kouri bridge unrolls its two kilometres over an unreal lagoon, and the Yanbaru forest — a national park since 2016, UNESCO-listed — hides the endemic yanbaru kuina, a flightless rail painted on every "slow down" sign. In winter (January-March), humpback whales show themselves from the boats out of Naha, and Okinawa's cherry trees, Japan's earliest, bloom in late January.
Don't miss
- The Kouri bridge and its turquoise lagoon, the country's most beautiful road over water
- The Churaumi aquarium and its whale sharks, within the Ocean Expo Park
- The Yanbaru forest: Cape Hedo, trails and yanbaru kuina spotting at dawn
- Cape Manzamo and the west-coast beaches at sunset
Our tips on the ground
- In Naha, beware the bus-only lanes in the morning and evening (time signs in Japanese): it's the visitor's classic fine — when in doubt, keep out of the kerbside lane.
- Book the car well ahead for July-August: local demand explodes and prices triple, while January-March offers the island at half price with whales as a bonus.
- In the Yanbaru, drive at a real 40 km/h: the Okinawa rail crosses at ground level and every collision is logged — the yellow bird signs are not decorative.
Our flagship guide — €29
Guide available“Japan on Your Own”, the complete edition, is out
10 chapters: day-by-day itineraries, driving and transport, a costed budget and checklists — the same method as our Namibia guide.
The guide is currently written in French — an English edition is in the works.
Before you go
Readers' questions about Okinawa
Is Okinawa worth the detour on a first trip to Japan?
If you're after classic Japan, no — save it for a second trip or a winter combination. If you want lagoon, a singular culture and a true island road trip, yes: three hours' flight from Tokyo (domestic flights often at €50-80 with JAL/ANA visitor fares) and you change climate, cuisine and atmosphere. The island fills 4-6 nights on its own.
Can you swim year-round in Okinawa?
The water stays above 21 °C even in February, but the official beaches only open supervised swimming from April to October, with jellyfish nets in summer — box jellyfish (habu-kurage) are a real matter from August to September. Off season, snorkelling in a light wetsuit remains excellent, notably at Cape Maeda and on the Kerama islands by excursion.