Okinawa

⚠️ Entry rules and local regulations change without notice. Before booking, check entry requirements and local rules — visas, access, nature reserves, visitor quotas — with the official authorities.

Okinawa is a subtropical archipelago nestled in the south of Japan, between the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean. Its turquoise waters harbour one of the richest coral reefs in Asia, while its Ryukyu castles — including Shuri-jo in Naha — bear witness to a distinct civilisation listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Okinawan cuisine, marked by goya champuru and rafute pork, and the legendary longevity of its inhabitants make it a destination unlike any other in the world.

The Ryukyu Kingdom, Japan's subtropical south

Okinawa is not quite Japan, and Okinawans will tell you so. The 160 islands of the prefecture, strung 1,000 kilometres south-west of Kyushu towards Taiwan, were the independent Ryukyu Kingdom until 1879, trading with China, Japan and Southeast Asia and developing its own language, music, cuisine and martial art — karate was born here. The castle of Shuri in Naha, the kingdom's seat, burned in October 2019 and is being rebuilt; the other gusuku castle ruins of the main island are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The twentieth century was brutal: the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 killed around a quarter of the civilian population, the Peace Memorial Park at Itoman records every name, and the island stayed under American administration until 1972. US bases still cover a large share of the main island, which is a permanent political issue and also explains the steak houses, the tacos and the A&W drive-ins.

What draws visitors is the sea: coral reefs, water at 25–30 °C, and the outer islands — the Kerama islands half an hour from Naha, Miyako with its white beaches, and the Yaeyama group far to the south with Ishigaki, the mangroves and jungle of Iriomote and the water-buffalo carts of Taketomi. Okinawa is also famous for the longevity of its people, attributed to a diet of sweet potato, tofu, bitter gourd and very little else.

April to June and October — avoid the typhoons

Okinawa is subtropical: 17–20 °C in winter, 30–33 °C and humid in summer, with the sea warm enough to swim from April to November. Late April to June (before the rainy season of late May–June) and October–November are the best windows. July and August are hot, crowded with Japanese holidaymakers and in the typhoon season, which runs from June to October and peaks in August–September — a typhoon can ground flights and ferries for two or three days. Winter is mild, quiet and good for whale watching off the Keramas.

Naha, then a car or a ferry

EU citizens enter Japan visa-free for up to 90 days. Naha airport has direct flights from Tokyo, Osaka and many Asian cities; from Europe count a connection in Tokyo. The main island is 100 kilometres long and public transport is limited to buses and Naha's monorail — a hire car is the standard choice, and an international driving permit of the 1949 convention is required (French and most EU licences are accepted with an official translation or the IDP; check before travel). Driving is on the left.

The outer islands are reached by fast ferry (the Keramas) or by air (Miyako, Ishigaki). Eat Okinawa soba, goya champuru (bitter gourd stir-fry), rafute pork belly, sea grapes and taco rice; drink awamori, the island's rice spirit, and the local Orion beer. Respect the coral — do not stand on it — and the war memorials, which are not tourist sites to local people.

Essentials & your questions

Explore Okinawa