Central Okinawa



Central Okinawa (沖縄中部 Okinawa-chubu), also known as Nakagami (中頭), is the central region of Okinawa Island.

Understand
Central Okinawa is the narrowest part of the island. Much of the area, particular on the west coast near Ginowan (宜野湾), Chatan (北谷) and Kadena (嘉手納) is occupied by the large US military bases and consequently has a notable US military presence. The main stretch of Route 58 in front of Camp Foster is all too American, with three lanes flanked on both sides by strip mall shops with English signage and drive-thru fast food restaurants

The eastern coast is more residential, with the three cities of Urasoe (浦添), Uruma (うるま), and Okinawa City (沖縄市), formerly Koza (コザ). If you see highway signs for "Okinawa", they're referring to this city.

Tourist information site
Some cities have their own bilingual tourism info sites, including Chatan Tourism and KOZAWEB (Okinawa City).

Get in
Highway 58 from Naha goes up the western coast through Ginowan, Chatan, Kadena and Yomitan. Rush hour jams can be quite bad.

For the eastern cities, the highway bus goes to Motobu and Nago via Okinawa City. Local bases from Naha Bus Terminal to Koza, Via Route 329 and Route 330.

Get around
The western reaches of Urasoe can be reached by monorail from Naha. For all other transport, you're at the mercy of the local bus network or your own car.

Castles


There are three Ryukyuan castle (gusuku) sites in Central Okinawa. All are in ruins, but have been partly restored.



Do






Buy




Eat

 * For more traditional Okinawan sushi, Fenutin in the Mihama American Village is an excellent choice. Try the sea grapes there. They also play traditional Okinawan music there which is worth listening to, and CDs are available for purchase.
 * For more traditional Okinawan sushi, Fenutin in the Mihama American Village is an excellent choice. Try the sea grapes there. They also play traditional Okinawan music there which is worth listening to, and CDs are available for purchase.
 * For more traditional Okinawan sushi, Fenutin in the Mihama American Village is an excellent choice. Try the sea grapes there. They also play traditional Okinawan music there which is worth listening to, and CDs are available for purchase.
 * For more traditional Okinawan sushi, Fenutin in the Mihama American Village is an excellent choice. Try the sea grapes there. They also play traditional Okinawan music there which is worth listening to, and CDs are available for purchase.
 * For more traditional Okinawan sushi, Fenutin in the Mihama American Village is an excellent choice. Try the sea grapes there. They also play traditional Okinawan music there which is worth listening to, and CDs are available for purchase.

Drink
In Kadena (嘉手納), Gate 2 Street outside the back gate of Kadena Airbase has many bars and restaurants. Most of the Military Officers on the island tend to hang out in the bars on "the Seawall", which is located right outside Gate 1 of Kadena. One of the best known bars on the air force base is.