Okinawa tours – enjoy Okinawa Islands
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Emerald Beach in Okinawa, how to get there
Emerald Beach overlook Emerald Beach is known for its crystal-clear waters, white sand, and beautiful greenery. The beach is part of the Ocean Expo Park, which is a popular tourist destination that features a variety of attractions, including the Churaumi Aquarium, Okinawa’s largest aquarium. At Emerald Beach, visitors can enjoy a variety of water activities,…
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Diving in Okinawa’s fascinating coral sea!
Okinawa has many small islands surrounded by coral sea. There are so many diving spots and diving tours to visit there. Diving tour in Okinawa There are diving tours in remote islands such as Ishigaki, and diving tours that visit near Okinawa main island. You can choose diving tours depending on where you stay. Kerama…
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Beautiful Iriomote, a hidden treasure of Okinawa. Kayaking and Caving.
Iriomote Island is a part of Okinawa. Iriomote Island is famous for its untouched wilderness. Entire Iriomote Island is covered with rush semi-tropical forest. On the island, you can enjoy adventurous outdoor activities. For example, kayaking, caving, canyoning and snorkeling are popular. Adventure tours in Iriomote Island There are several tours available in Iriomote Island.…
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Nakijin Castle
Tours that visit Nakijin Castle Nakijin Castle is one of Okinawa’s World Heritage Sites. It is located about 110 km away from Naha Airport. So it is recommended to take a tour from Naha City. Nakijin Castle tours Nakijin Castle is included in some day or half-day tours. Please check below.
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Zakimi Castle Ruins
The Zakimi Castle Ruins is one of the Ryukyu World Heritage Sites. It seems that it was once used as a signal station for the US military. It is a small but beautiful castle with curving walls. About Zakimi Castle in Okinawa Zakimi Castle is located in Yomitan Village, Okinawa. The castle, which was built during…
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Katsuren Castle
Katsuren Castle is one of the castle ruins that are part of Okinawa’s World Heritage Sites. Although the scale is smaller than that of Nakijin Castle Ruins , it is a beautiful castle ruin standing on the seaside. There is no regular tours to Nakajin Castle. Take one of customizable tours. The entrance to Katsuren Castle…
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Sefa Utaki
One of the places I wanted to visit the most in Okinawa was Sefa Utaki. It is a traditional sacred place in Okinawa, and at the same time, it is a place designated as a World Heritage Site. It has a deep connection with the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Tours to Sefa Utaki Sefa Utaki…
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Gyokusendo Cave
There are many limestone areas in Okinawa. So naturally there are limestone caves. But it’s an island, so I thought it wouldn’t be that big. Gyokusendo Cave, located in the Culture Kingdom Gyokudendo Okinawa World in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa, was quite large and enjoyable. The total length is more than 5 kilometers! Among…
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Challenging to snorkeling
At a first glance, everyone is enjoying snorkeling in the coral sea of Okinawa. In reality, my second son was crying because the sea is deeper than his hight. He has tried snorkeling in Great Barrier Reef in Australia but he couldn’t leave from the boat. He failed to revenge but you can enjoy snorkeling…
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Feeding rays
At Renaissance Resort Okinawa, there are many attractions that you can enjoy inside the hotel, and one of them is feeding rays. Three types of rays are bred on the hotel premises, and you can actually feed the rays under the instruction of the staff. The bait is raw fish. On this day, the rays did not…
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Oishibayashiyama, Lime stone, Cycad and Irkanda
Oishibayashiyama is located in the mountains near Cape Hedo. It is said to be the northernmost tropical karst (topography created by limestone erosion). Oishibayashiyama and Cape Hedo are located at the furthest end of Okinawa Island, so there are not so many opportunities to visit there. Try the tours below. Hiring a chauffeur-driven car is also a…
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Yanbaru Kuina Observatory
Cape Hedo, the northernmost point of the main island of Okinawa, is located in Kunigami Village. Near the Cape, there is Yanbaru Kuina Observatory. What the hell is that? It’s not just an observatory. Surprisingly, it is an observatory dressed as a real and super-giant Yanbaru Kuina, a rare bird species that lives only in this area…
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Hiji Waterfall (Kunigami Village)
Tours to visit Hiji Waterfall There is no tour that visits Hiji Waterfall alone. There are some one-day or half-day tours, which include the visit to Hiji Waterfall such as “Naha Full-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide“. Or if you are in a small group, it is ideal to hire a car. You can…
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Onna village Umibudo Restaurant
After playing in Churaumi, let’s have a meal. At first, even Agu pork shabu-shabu was a lively thing to say, but we are not ready to pay 3,000 yen per person, so it was downgraded at once. Changed to an interesting Okinawan restaurant, Umibudo Restaurant, that we found while driving. Umibudo Restaurant has a bright atmosphere. What…
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Churaumi Aquarium, The large aquarium of whale sharks impresses you no matter how many times you come
promised Churaumi Aquarium. The tour we took included a free entrance ticket to the Churaumi Aquarium. My wife seems to be getting tired of it (it’s the 4th time anyway), but boys (and I) love it. You can see somersaults of manta rays, and it is still an interesting large tank, but there are many photographs of…
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Neopark Okinawa, Nago Natural Zoological and Botanical Park
Neopark Okinawa in Nago is surprisingly fun to go out with children. It’s a bit rustic and not very sophisticated, but my two young children especially love it. African birds greet us. African crested ibis, crowned crane, spoonbill, etc. They approach in groups to beg for food. These birds are quite large, so small children are scared of them.…
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Bonus for staying at Renaissance Resort Okinawa
Renaissance Resort Okinawa where I am currently staying. I’m not sure if it’s provided by the hotel or by the travel agency, but it comes with two free dinners and one free dessert. Dessert can be enjoyed in the lounge on the first floor, but it is a sundae with plenty of raw mango. No,…
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Kayaking in Okinawa
Kayaking tours in Okinawa Kayaking can be experienced in many places in Okinawa. I tried kayaking in Okinawa main island and Iriomote Island. Kayaking in case of my family In Okinawa, the weather is going downhill from tomorrow, so today is full of activities. I also challenged kayaking with two boys. My second son, who…
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Family fishing in Okinawa
Family fishing in the afternoon in Okinawa. Under the scorching sun, you can see the bait on the hook and also the fish swimming in clean water. But we caught nothing. Fishing tours in Okinawa There are some fishing tours available in Okinawa. Unlike the photo above, such fishing tours take you on boat. All equipment will…
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Renaissance Resort Okinawa: ideal for Families with small children
For my family, recently, the Renaissance Resort Okinawa has become a regular place to stay. We came three years ago and liked it and have been using the same hotel every year since then. The beach is right in front of you, and there are plenty of restaurants. What’s more, if you stay on a package tour that…
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Ice cream shop Big Dip in Okinawa
Right now, I’m on a tour that includes an air ticket, accommodation, and a rental car. There are many extras, including a redemption ticket for ice cream. You can get it at a chain store called Big Dip in Naha. I wonder if this was once used by the US military, and there are things like…
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Dinning at Okinawa Dining Gomaichigo
On the way from the Naha airport to the hotel, we wanted to eat Ryukyu soba. When I asked my wife, “Which guidebook is this from?”, she replied, “Three years ago.” Restaurants change frequently, so this is no good.I had no choice but to drive and entered an izakaya-style restaurant, Daining Gomaichigo, on the first floor of…
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Ishigaki Chili Oil by Penguin Restaurant
This is the famous penguin restaurant’s Ishigakijima chili oil. Actually, I bought it online, not when I went on a trip to Okinawa. In connection with regional revitalization, I had the opportunity to read a book called “The Story of Ishigaki Island Chili Oil Made by a Penguin Couple” , and I wanted to actually try the taste,…
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Taste Aguu Pork (Yanbaru Island Pork) at Ufuya
As I wrote in “Dinning at Ufuya“, Ufuya is a restaurant serving island pork, Okinawan cuisine, and Okinawa soba. The Yanbaru Island pork served here is not a pure breed of Aguu pig, but is a hybrid of the Ryukyu native breed Aguu, the American black pig Duroc and the British Parkshire pig. “Ganaha Chikusan” has registered “Aguu”…
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Tamaudun in Shuri, Okinawa
Tamaudun is located near the ruins of Shuri Castle, a short walk from the Shureimon Gate, and is a mausoleum of successive generations of the Ryukyu royal family nestled in greenery. It was built in 1501 by King Sho Shin of the Ryukyus (reigned 1477-1526) to rebury the remains of his father, King Sho En, from…
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Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate of Shurijo Castle, Okinawa
Sonohyan Utaki Ishimon is a stone gate located near Shureimon after exiting the castle gate of Shurijo Castle. It is a rustic gate that you will not notice anything if you pass it, but it is designated as one of the World Heritage Sites. Utaki is a place of worship in Ryukyu, and there is a place…
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Okinawa Shurijo Castle Shureimon
The famous Shureimon gate was the main gate of Shurijo Castle, and was used on the 2,000 yen note. It came to be called Shureimon because the word “守禮之邦 (守礼之邦)” is written on the plaque (the plaque on the top of the gate). It is said to have been built by King Shosei (reigned 1527-1555). It is said…
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Okichan Theater Okinawa Ocean Expo Memorial Park
Okichan Theater is a dolphin show in the Okinawa Ocean Expo Memorial Park . Well, if it’s just a dolphin show, you can see it in aquariums here and there these days, and depending on the place, there’s also a killer whale show, so honestly that’s more powerful. Then what is the selling point of Okichan Theater ? Admission is free. As…
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Visit Manatee House at the Okinawa Ocean Expo Memorial Park
A corner of the Okinawa Ocean Expo Memorial Park , there is a Manatee Pavilion a little closer to the coast of the Churaumi Aquarium. The manatee is a member of the dugong that lives in the Atlantic Ocean, and is a mammal that is said to be the origin of the mermaid legend. I wonder why there…
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Naha Makishi Public Market Okinawa’s No. 1 Market
Makishi Public Market is located a little south of Naha’s main street, Kokusai Dori. Mutsumi Bridge Street Mutsumibashi Street crosses Kokusai Street at the Mutsumibashi intersection. There is an arcade, so I knew immediately. You can go to the public market from Kokusai-dori through Mutsumi-bashi-dori. Mutsumibashi Street itself is also a very lively street, with souvenir shops, Ryukyu…
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Churaumi Aquarium and Ocean Expo Park
What my children (actually, myself) were most looking forward to during their trip to Okinawa was the Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu Town, near the northern tip of the main island of Okinawa . Everyone gets excited when they see a real whale shark. I had only an image of Churaumi Aquarium = whale sharks , so I was a…
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Emerald Beach at Okinawa Ocean Expo Memorial Park
Emerald Beach is located at the northern end of Okinawa Ocean Expo Memorial Park . It is quite a distance from the Churaumi Aquarium on foot. The photo below was taken on the way to Emerald Beach on foot. Emerald Beach is a man-made beach, but the white sand beach is very beautiful. It is covered with coral sand, and…
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Churaumi Aquarium
We have visited Churaumi Aquarium in Okinawa . The large tanks at the Churaumi Aquarium, where whale sharks and manta rays swim, were very impressive. Children who had always wanted to see whale sharks were also very satisfied. The distance from the Ocean Expo Park parking lot to the aquarium is unexpectedly large, making it a little difficult for small children. However, the…
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Enkakuji Temple Ruins and Benzaitendo in Shuri
I drove to Shuri Castle from Kokusai Street in Naha where I stayed. Enter Shuri according to the car navigation system and look for a parking lot from the Shurijo Castle Park Management Center, but no parking lot is full. When I had no choice but to go around Shurijo Castle, I found a small parking lot…
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Nakamura Residence, a traditional house in Okinawa
To visit Nakamura Residence, take Naha Full-Day Private Tour with Government Licensed Guide. Not many tours visit Nakamura Residence. It seems that traditional Okinawan farmhouses are no longer seen on the main island of Okinawa. If you go to a tourist facility such as Ryukyu Mura, you can see a private house that has been relocated…
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Okinawa’s World Heritage Nakagusuku Castle Ruins
I was ashamed to say that I didn’t know that there was a medieval castle with stone walls in Okinawa until it was registered as a World Heritage Site. The fact that there was a time when multiple dynasties fought for supremacy in Okinawa is somehow different from the image of a peaceful southern island. Had it…
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Shurijo Castle Ruins and its surroundings
Shuri is the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The castle of Nakayama Province was built on this land during the Sanzan period when Ryukyu was divided into three, and it became the capital in 1429 when Ryukyu was unified. Shuri was the political and cultural center of Ryukyu until 1879, when the abolition of feudal domains and…
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World Heritage Sites in Okinawa: Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
“Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu” is the official name of the World Heritage sites in Okinawa. It was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2000. The ruins of Shuri Castle, Tamaudun, Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate, Shikinaen Garden, Sefa Utaki, Nakijin Castle Ruins, Zakimi Castle Ruins, Katsuren Castle Ruins, and Nakagusuku…
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Ryukyu Mura
Ryukyu Mura is a tourist village that preserves and reproduces the culture and traditions of Okinawa ( Click here for the Ryukyu Mura website ). Tours to Ryukyu Mura There are not many tours that visit Ryukyu Mura. If you like to visit Ryukyu Mura by your own, please find the place on Google Map. Our visit to…