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Largest of the Okinawa Islands in Japan
Photo: Kugel~commonswiki, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Okinawa Island (沖縄本島 Okinawa-hontō) is the largest and most populated island of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan.
Okinawa's capital and largest city, and the historical capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The site of many fierce battles during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II.
The narrow waist of the island, dominated by large US military bases.
The most sparsely populated part of the island, with beaches and luxury resorts. Together with Tokunoshima, Iriomote and Amami Oshima, it was listed as a natural world heritage site by UNESCO in 2021.
The small islands of Tokashiki, Zamami and Aka, a short ferry ride from Naha and a world away.
More small islands to the north of the main island, rarely visited by tourists.
Naha International Airport is the primary way to get into Okinawa Island, and is only 2 km from downtown Naha. See the main Okinawa article for details and the Naha article for local transport.
Read in the guideBy car
The main road is Route 58, which runs for 120 km along the East China Sea coast north-south from Naha to the northernmost tip of the island.
By bus
Okinawa Bus operates buses throughout the island, including "limousine" services direct from the airport to all larger towns.
By bicycle
Cycling around Okinawa island is possible but not very practical. The island is very densely populated and car traffic is heavy almost everywhere.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Naha · International · OKA
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