The Kerama Islands can be seen in the western distance with the naked eye from Naha Port, and a regular ferry can take you there in an hour and a half. The island group is made up of twenty islands and is divided into two villages, Tokashiki Village and Zamami Village. Designated as a National [...]

Kume Island is very close to mainland okinawa, it takes only 15 minutes by plane and four hours by ship. Because the island was not attacked during the battle of okinawa, there still remain many historical places on this island for sightseeing.
During the Ryukyu Kingdom Era, Kume Island was the landmark for Chinese missions to [...]

Ie Island, floating off the tip of Motobu Peninsula in northern okinawa, is known for its Tacchu, an upright hill of stone about 127 meters in height that stands almost in the middle of the island.
The island was also a site of serious fighting during the battle of okinawa. On April 16, 1945, the 305th [...]

The Second Sho Dynasty of the Ryukyuan Kingdom can be traced back to King Sho En, who came from a tiny island, Izena, in the northwestern seas off the Okinawan main island. Sho Enfs parents and sisterfs tomb (Izena Tama-udun) still remains standing on Izena Island. It was built into the hillside of Izena Castle, [...]

The Ryukyu-matsu, or pine tree, is the official Prefectural Tree of okinawa. These majestic trees used to abound throughout the prefecture. However, the war destroyed most of the larger trees in the central and southern parts of the main island. Today we can discover these Ryukyuan giants in the northern areas of okinawa and the [...]

The Daito Islands, Kita (north) Daito and Minami (south) Daito, are located in the Pacific Ocean 380 kilometers in an easterly direction from the main island of okinawa. The islands do not have rivers, so residents rely heavily on stored rainwater. Typhoons are quite often a problem as they stop transportation and communications, and food [...]