{"id":1311,"date":"2026-10-13T00:16:55","date_gmt":"2026-10-13T00:16:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/?page_id=1311"},"modified":"2026-10-13T16:08:42","modified_gmt":"2026-10-13T16:08:42","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-cover alignfull is-light\" style=\"min-height:460px;aspect-ratio:unset;\"><span aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-cover__background has-background-dim-20 has-background-dim\"><\/span><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2000\" height=\"859\" class=\"wp-block-cover__image-background wp-image-1459\" alt=\"Ri Island seen from Aharen Beach on Tokashiki in the Kerama Islands\" src=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ri-island-kerama-islands-okinawa.jpg\" data-object-fit=\"cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ri-island-kerama-islands-okinawa.jpg 2000w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ri-island-kerama-islands-okinawa-300x129.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ri-island-kerama-islands-okinawa-1024x440.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ri-island-kerama-islands-okinawa-768x330.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/ri-island-kerama-islands-okinawa-1536x660.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px\" \/><div class=\"wp-block-cover__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-cover-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-right has-small-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Ri_Island_viewed_from_Tokashiki,_Okinawa;_January_2020.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Joseph Bylund<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Discover Okinawa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Turquoise seas, coral reefs, centuries-old castles, and a culture all its own: Okinawa is unlike anywhere else in Japan. Welcome to okinawa.com, your English-language <strong>Okinawa travel guide<\/strong> for the Ryukyu Islands, written to help you plan a trip that goes beyond the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">New here? Get the essentials in our five-minute guide, then dive into the sections below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/blog\/start-here\/\">Start Here: Okinawa in 5 Minutes<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/blog\/plan\/\">Plan Your Trip<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<style>.oki-card{border:1px solid #dcdcdc;border-radius:10px;padding:1em 1.25em;margin:0 0 1em;background:#fafafa}.oki-card h3{margin-top:0}.oki-card p:last-child{margin-bottom:0}<\/style>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Explore the Guide<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/destinations\/\">Destinations<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"511\" src=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kabira-bay-okinawa-1-768x511.jpg\" alt=\"Kabira Bay on Ishigaki Island\" class=\"wp-image-1380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kabira-bay-okinawa-1-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kabira-bay-okinawa-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kabira-bay-okinawa-1-1024x681.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kabira-bay-okinawa-1-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kabira-bay-okinawa-1.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Kabira_Bay_Ishigaki_Island40bs3s4592.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">663highland<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.5\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY 2.5<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okinawa Main Island, from Naha to the Yanbaru forest, plus the Kerama, Miyako, and Yaeyama islands. Find the right places for your trip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/destinations\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/things-to-do\/\">Things to Do<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/emerald-beach-okinawa-768x576.jpg\" alt=\"Emerald Beach at Ocean Expo Park\" class=\"wp-image-1391\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/emerald-beach-okinawa-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/emerald-beach-okinawa-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/emerald-beach-okinawa-1024x767.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/emerald-beach-okinawa-1536x1151.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/emerald-beach-okinawa.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Okinawa_Ocean_Expo_Park_Emerald_Beach_hdsr_Vlux5_02.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY 4.0<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Beaches, snorkeling and diving, hiking, castles, and festivals: the best ways to experience Okinawa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/things-to-do\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/plan\/\">Plan Your Trip<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"512\" src=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kouri-bridge-okinawa-2-768x512.jpg\" alt=\"Kouri Bridge in northern Okinawa\" class=\"wp-image-1414\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kouri-bridge-okinawa-2-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kouri-bridge-okinawa-2-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kouri-bridge-okinawa-2-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kouri-bridge-okinawa-2-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/kouri-bridge-okinawa-2.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Kouri_Bridge_202006.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Kugel~commonswiki<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When to go, how to get there and around, where to stay, budgeting, and answers to common questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/plan\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/culture\/\">Culture &amp; History<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-medium\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shureimon-shuri-castle-okinawa-768x432.jpg\" alt=\"Shureimon gate at Shuri Castle\" class=\"wp-image-1407\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shureimon-shuri-castle-okinawa-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shureimon-shuri-castle-okinawa-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shureimon-shuri-castle-okinawa-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shureimon-shuri-castle-okinawa-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/shureimon-shuri-castle-okinawa.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Shureimon,_2017-09-03.jpg\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Alankang<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a> via <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ryukyuan religion and sacred sites, the Battle of Okinawa, and the music and performing arts of the islands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/culture\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Featured Guides<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/plan\/best-time-to-visit\/\">Best Time to Visit Okinawa<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Weather, sea temperatures, the rainy and typhoon seasons, crowds, and festivals, month by month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/plan\/best-time-to-visit\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/things-to-do\/beaches\/\">Best Beaches in Okinawa<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our favorite beaches on the Main Island, the Kerama Islands, Miyako, and Yaeyama, with essential safety tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/things-to-do\/beaches\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/plan\/getting-around\/\">Getting Around Okinawa<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rental cars and driving permits, the monorail, buses, ferries, and flights, with sample drive times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/plan\/getting-around\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/culture\/wwii-battle-of-okinawa\/\">The Battle of Okinawa<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The history of the 1945 battle and a respectful guide to Peace Memorial Park, the Himeyuri Peace Museum, and other sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/culture\/wwii-battle-of-okinawa\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group oki-card\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"\/blog\/culture\/religion-spirituality\/\">Ryukyuan Religion &amp; Spirituality<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ancestor veneration, sacred utaki groves, noro priestesses, shisa guardians, and how to visit sacred sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"\/blog\/culture\/religion-spirituality\/\">Read the guide \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">From Marty&#8217;s Blog<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stories, news, and personal notes about Okinawa from the okinawa.com community. Browse the latest posts in <a href=\"\/blog\/category\/marty-blog\/\">Marty&#8217;s Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"\/blog\/category\/marty-blog\/\">Read Marty&#8217;s Blog<\/a><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Your English-language Okinawa travel guide: beaches, islands, culture, history, and practical trip planning for the Ryukyu Islands of southern Japan.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":284,"featured_media":1459,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1311","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1311","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/284"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1311"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1460,"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1311\/revisions\/1460"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1459"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.okinawa.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}