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✨ Start PlanningOkinawa (Japanese: 沖縄 Okinawa, Okinawan: 沖縄 Uchinaa) is a subtropical island chain between mainland Japan and Taiwan. Formerly the Ryukyu Kingdom, with its own language and culture, it's now one of Japan's 47 prefectures and the country's answer to Hawaii, with a complicated mix of gorgeous scenery, mass tourism, tragic history, cultural pride,…
Most visitors arrive in Naha, the capital of Okinawa, which is also well served by low-cost carriers like Skymark and Jetstar. Domestic flights do connect major Japanese cities directly to some other Okinawan islands like Miyako and Ishigaki, but prices can be steep; for example, the standard one-way fare for Tokyo-Ishigaki is a whopping ¥50,000.…
Ferry and air connections link the islands together, but many of them are simply so small in population that scheduled services may be infrequent and prices vary. Flights between the islands are mostly handled by Japan Transocean Air (JTA) and its subsidiary Ryukyu Air Commuter (RAC), both owned by JAL. ANA also has a limited network radiating…
Okinawa is as safe as mainland Japan or more so. On the smaller islands it's not uncommon to leave front doors not merely unlocked, but open all day.