Getting There and Around in Okinawa
Part of the Okinawa travel guide — see every topic in All Okinawa Guides.
Naha Airport (OKA) is 15 minutes from central Naha. Flights from Tokyo take about 2.5 hours, and there are direct flights from Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul and other Asian cities. Naha is easy without a car; the rest of the island is much easier with one.
Yui Rail monorail
The Yui Rail runs 17 km from Naha Airport through central Naha to Tedako-Uranishi, with 19 stations. Kenchomae and Makishi, for Kokusai-dori, are 12–15 minutes from the airport. Single rides cost about ¥230–370, and 24-hour and 48-hour passes are sold at stations. Trains run about every 10 minutes from about 6:00 to 23:30.
Car hire
Most visitors rent a car for the north. Prices are about ¥5,000–12,000 a day, higher in summer and Golden Week, so book early. You need an International Driving Permit (1949 Geneva Convention type), or for a few countries, including Taiwan, an official Japanese translation of your licence. From Naha, Chatan is about 40 minutes, the Onna coast about 1 hour and Churaumi Aquarium about 1.5–2 hours on the Okinawa Expressway. Naha traffic is heavy at rush hour.
Buses
Highway buses run from the airport and Naha to the Onna resorts, Nago and the Motobu peninsula. The Yanbaru Express and route 117 reach Churaumi Aquarium in about 2–2.5 hours for about ¥2,000–2,600. Local buses are slow, so start early.
Ferries
Ferries to the Kerama Islands leave from Tomari Port in Naha, about 10 minutes by taxi from Kokusai-dori. High-speed boats take about 35–50 minutes to Tokashiki and Zamami; slower car ferries take 70–90 minutes or more and cost less. Book ahead in summer, and expect cancellations when the sea is rough.
Getting There and Around at a glance
| Airport → Kokusai-dori | Yui Rail 12–15 min, about ¥270–300 |
|---|---|
| Yui Rail | 19 stations; about 6:00–23:30 |
| Car hire | About ¥5,000–12,000 a day; IDP or approved translation |
| To Churaumi | 1.5–2 h by car; 2–2.5 h by bus |
| Ferries | Tomari Port; 35–90 min to the Kerama Islands |
| Flight from Tokyo | About 2.5 hours |