Recently I had the opportunity to visit Okinawa during the rainy season. Due to it being off-season there were not many tourists and so it was a nice weekend getaway. As for it being rainy season, it only rained once for about an hour. The rest of the time the weather was beautiful. Tickets to fly during this time of the year were really cheap, and the flight was a mere two and a half hours from Narita Airport.
It had been suggested to me many times that once I land in Naha I should try get off of the main island and explore the surrounding islands instead. Having done that on the first night I was there, I decided that it would be more convenient to stay on the main island for the second night. I spent the night in a small minshuku (Japanese bed and breakfast) up the west coast of the main island. There was an attractive beach with white sand and clear water just a stone’s throw from where I was staying; it was called Moon Beach. From the Naha airport it takes about an hour and a half to get to Moon Beach. I would recommend renting a car as it certainly works out to be cheaper than using the taxis and buses.
At night time the main road by the beach came to life with restaurants and bars, some offering live traditional Okinawan music. There were many lovely local delicacies and drinks on offer such as habushu (Okinawan snake wine), shikuwasa beer (shikuwasa is a sour citrus fruit native to Okinawa) and umi-budō (a type of seaweed resembling a bunch of small grapes). On my final day in Okinawa I went to Cape Maeda which is a popular spot for snorkelling and diving as there are many kinds of fish there. Cape Maeda offers fantastic views of the ocean and surrounding greenery. It is about a twenty minute drive from Moon Beach.
Heading back to Naha I decided to get something to eat in Kokusai Dori, a popular shopping street with lots of interesting souvenirs to buy. After lunch I caught the rather futuristic monorail to go and see the Shuri Castle. The castle is a UNESCO world heritage site that was an important site in the Ryūkyū Kingdom. The castle had been destroyed and rebuilt several times due to fire and it was nearly destroyed again in 1945 in the Battle of Okinawa. While I was there the main hall of the castle was under construction.
All in all I had a wonderful time on Okinawa’s main island. Before you go island hopping take some time to explore the main island. I definitely think it is worthwhile.
