When you think of a trip to Japan, your mind probably turns to traditional temples, plate after plate of sushi, shopping for kitschy fashion in trendy districts and high-speed bullet trains. But that’s not what you should expect to find in Okinawa. Instead, this chain of islands offers crystal-clear waters, long stretches of sand, coral reefs and lush forests that live up to the tropical holiday vibe.
Beyond their natural beauty (and being the birthplace of Mr Miyagi from The Karate Kid), the islands hold a special cultural legacy as the heart of the Ryukyu Kingdom, an independent state that thrived as a trade port for both nearby and far-flung nations. This history of exchange shaped the region’s distinctive cuisine, traditions and architecture, before the archipelago became Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture in 1879. From Naha to national parks, here’s what to eat, drink and experience on the tropical edge of Japan.
Eat
It’s simple: you find yourself on an island, you indulge in the bounty that surrounds it. Get a seafood fix straight from the source at Makishi Public Market, where you can buy fish and crustaceans on the ground floor – cooked to your preference at restaurants upstairs.
Yoshihachi is an unassuming sushi bar that’s been a go-to spot for travellers for 30 years. The sushi here skews American-style and has one of the few California rolls you’ll find in Japan.
Be prepared to queue for the famed soba at Takaesu, especially around the lunchtime rush that forms around 11am. Yaeyama soba is a local Okinawa specialty, with pork and seafood, but the tofu soba is a standout at Takeusu.
The essential Okinawan dish is champuru (which means “something mixed”), an anything-goes stir-fry typically made with tofu, egg and chopped vegetables. Goya champuru (bitter melon stir-fry) is the local signature.
Goya, a bubbly-skinned bitter gourd, is packed with nutrients and is occasionally mythologised as the secret ingredient to Okinawan residents’ above-average life expectancy. Tossed in a pan with egg and spam luncheon meat, goya champuru tells the story of more than 1000 years of trade history between the Ryukyu Kingdom and Southeast Asia, Japan, China, and more recently America, who still operate military practices around the chain of the island.
You’ll find the dish frequently on Okinawan menus and they’ll all be a good option, but Suitenro in central Naha serves a standout goya champuru, alongside other Ryukyuan-style food eaten at a sunken kotatsu table.
Drink
While sake might be the best-known spirit of Japan, awamori – a local Okinawan spirit – is the oldest distilled alcoholic drink in the country, with origins as early as 1470.
Indica rice, a long-grain variety grown in tropical regions, is distilled with black koji mould and yeast (sake is made with short-grain Japonica rice) and has an earthy, rounded taste (and twice the alcohol content).
Order it straight or with soda at a bar, or get close to the traditional practice at Chuko Distillery. Tours here showcase 10 types of awamori and an ancient-looking cellar with 45,000 bottles of kusu (aged awamori). It’s a worthwhile excursion, but Zuisen Distillery in Naha – close to Ryukyuan palace Shuri Castle – offers speedy crash courses and an array of samples of awamori, too.
For a laid-back brewpub environment, Chatan Harbor Brewery has a seaside restaurant and craft beers from the on-site brewing facility. Or join stylish locals at Machar’s, a subterranean sandwich shop and bar that regularly hosts parties and music nights with local talent.
Stay
There’s no shortage of premium accommodation in Okinawa, but Halekulani’s bar with panoramic ocean views is worth the booking alone. Alongside elegant suites and rooms, there are five heritage-inspired villas and an oval ocean-side pool for lounging in the sun.
Appreciate clean lines and a minimalistic take at boutique hotel Emil Nakijin, or book into Magachabaru Okinawa, hidden deep in the subtropical Yambaru National Park. The national park offers easy hikes to waterfalls, a large mangrove forest to explore by canoe or along a wooden boardwalk, and sandy beaches at the base of limestone cliffs.
Magachabaru’s 11 suites resemble more of a high-design concrete village than a luxury resort, with brutalist structures and private pools enshrouded by dense subtropical foliage.
But if staying near the canopy is more your preference, book a night at one of Treeful Treehouse’s petit stays built around trunks in Yambaru. The carbon-negative resort has three nature stays that resemble the chic treehouse headquarters of a superhero comic book and a floating sauna (temporarily closed) balanced over the Genka River.
Do
Okinawa’s natural beauty extends beyond its beaches. Below the water, the Kerama Islands are known for thriving coral reefs and diverse marine life shaped by years of conservation. Snorkelling or scuba diving here reveals clear waters filled with fish and vibrant coral gardens.
Above the water, the main Kerama islands – Tokashiki, Zamami, Aka and Geruma – are best explored by bike (and there are some stellar walking tracks). Zamami Island is the most popular of the three, known for white-sand beaches and snorkelling-ready waters. Tokashiki Island is the biggest of the lot and offers many just-as-nice beaches as Zamami, plus a handful of treks to observation decks with panoramic views of the island.
But if you can’t decide between ocean and forest, get the best of both worlds by kayaking through the mangroves and rivers of the more remote Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park. It’s an ideal spot to get familiar with the local wildlife like the large reef manta ray and Iriomote cat, a subspecies of small wild leopard cat found only on Iriomote Island. Ishigaki Island is the National Park’s main hub with regular flights from Naha and Haneda airports.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with the Japan National Tourism Organization
