Okinawa.com

Virtually all commercial flights arrive at Naha Airport (OKA). Most foreign travelers will enter Japan through Tokyo Narita or Osaka Kansai airports and take a domestic connecting flight to Naha. Immigration and Customs processing is done at point of entry to Japan.

After going through immigration and customs at Narita or Kansai, I usually exchange several hundred dollars to yen at the foreign exchange booths directly outside the customs exit area. The exchange rate is competitive and is about 10% better than exchanging money at San Francisco. –editor

Travelers arriving at Narita will usually have to transfer to the domestic terminal at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The transfer bus takes a little over an hour and costs 3000 yen. The bus ticket counter is directly outside of the customs exit.

Arriving at Naha Airport, it’s advisable to visit the Naha Airport Tourist Information booth at the terminal and pick up an Okinawa map for English speakers. The information booth will have English speaking guides.
Arrivals lobby, 1st Floor Domestic Airport
Arrivals lobby, 1st Floor International Airport
The booth may be closed for late evening arrivals.

The monorail will take visitors into Naha City (yen 250) or taxi will cost about yen 1000 – yen 1500 to most hotels in Naha. Tipping is not expected. Having your destination printed in Japanese (or at least in printed English) beforehand will be very helpful.

Once in Naha, the Naha City Tourist Information office (tel 098 868-4887) is located on Okiei Street around the corner from the Starbuck’s near Mitsukoshi Department Store on Kokusai Street.

Taxi

Taxi base fare is ¥450 for the first 1.8km (US$3.90 for first 1.1 miles)
Additional fare of ¥60 for each additional quarter mile.
Taxis are ubiquitous. Any major street will have an empty cab available within minutes. If traveling in a small group for short distances, taxis are often cheaper than taking a bus. After hailing the cab, remember that the driver has a lever that opens and closes the passenger door. Allow him to open the door for you. Tipping is not a custom on Okinawa.
You can charter a taxi. Official rates are about ¥3000 an hour. However, it’s not rude to ask the driver for a set price before hand, ¥7000 for 3 or 4 hours is reasonable.

Bus

Buses are surprisingly expensive on Okinawa. Fares depend on distance traveled. Fares start around ¥150 but vary according to the bus company. Take a ticket upon entering a bus, an electronic chart above the driver will indicate the cost of the fare. Pay upon exiting. Bus fare from Naha Bus Terminal to Nago is about ¥1740 for the 70km (44 miles).

Nearly all buses use the Naha Bus Terminal as a base.
Tour buses offer package tours which range from 6 to 10 hours. Prices are about $40 to $50 but may not include entrance fees to all venues.
Ryukyu Bus 098-863-3636
Okinawa Bus 098-861-0083
Naha Bus 098-868-3750

Monorail

The Yui Rail Monorail runs through the heart of Naha from Naha Airport to Shuri station with 13 stations in between. Fares range from ¥200 to ¥290. There is an all day pass available for ¥600 which allows for modest entrance fee discounts at Shurijo Castle and a few other tourist sites.

Bicycle

There are a growing number of cycling enthusiasts on Okinawa. The Tour De Okinawa is held in Nago and northern Okinawa in the fall. The Bridgestone bike store on Hiway 58 (across from Tomari ferry terminal and a block south) and its much larger parent store in Haebaru is a good place to start if you need a new set of Ksyrium wheels. (I’ve been told that the owner of a kid’s bike store by the Tree building on H58 by Naha Port is the best bike mechanic on the island and is sponsor of a race team–ab) However the vast majority of bikes on Okinawa are of the very cheap commuter variety. You can buy a new folding bike for less than $100 in most home improvement stores. The advantage of a folding bike is that you can carry them on ferries and other transport without paying extra. Bicycle rentals are available for about 1500 Yen a day from the motorcycle shop below the Makishi Monorail station.