southern islands26.21° N, 127.68° E
Naha
Naha is the capital of Okinawa, on the south-west shore of Okinawa Island, and for more than four centuries the hill of Shuri above it was the seat of the Ryukyu kings.
The Kinjo-cho stone lane, Shuri
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the place
The old kingdom's capital, stone lanes above a jade sea.
The Ryukyu Kingdom traded with China, Korea and Japan from this harbour, and its court gave the city an architecture of its own: palace gates lacquered red, royal tombs of coral limestone, lanes paved in stone that wind down the hillside under old trees.
Naha is where a journey through the Southern Islands begins. The Kerama Islands lie on the horizon, a short crossing from the port, and Miyakojima and Ishigakijima are an hour's flight away. We plan Naha and the islands as a Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates.
what we do here
Naha, as we show it
Shuri
The castle hill of the Ryukyu kings, its gates and ramparts of curving stone, inscribed with eight other sites of the kingdom as a World Heritage Site.
The Kinjo-cho stone lane
Part of a royal road laid in the sixteenth century, climbing between coral walls and old houses under the trees.
Tamaudun, the royal mausoleum Tamaudun
The mausoleum of the Ryukyu kings, built in 1501: three stone vaults with roofs shaped like houses, behind a quiet court.
Tsuboya
The potters' quarter since 1682, where yachimun is still thrown and fired, and the old kilns stand in the lanes.
Shikinaen
The royal garden villa south of Shuri, a pond, a stone bridge and a pavilion where the kings received envoys from China.
The Kerama Islands
A national park of small islands and white beaches across the water from Naha, the sea around them so clear it has a name of its own: Kerama blue.
questions
Questions about Naha
How do you reach Naha?
By air: Naha Airport is about two and a half hours from Tokyo, and a few minutes from the city. From Naha, Miyakojima and Ishigakijima are each about an hour's flight.
What is there to see in Naha?
Shuri, the castle hill of the Ryukyu kings, with the royal mausoleum of Tamaudun and the stone lane of Kinjo-cho beside it; the potters' quarter of Tsuboya; the royal garden of Shikinaen; and the Kerama Islands, a short crossing from the port.
Can you plan a private journey to Okinawa?
Yes. We plan Naha, Okinawa Island and the outer islands as a Custom Tour of Japan, created around your party alone, on your dates. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans the days for you.
Can Okinawa be combined with the rest of Japan?
Yes. Naha is a short flight from Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, so the islands sit easily at the end of a journey through Honshu or Kyushu.
Naha, created for you alone.
The Custom Tour of Japan is created around your party alone, on your dates, and Naha can be any part of it. If you would rather travel independently, the Expert Japan Itinerary plans every day for you.