Northern Okinawa

Northern Okinawa (沖縄北部 Okinawa-hokubu), also known as Yanbaru (やんばる) or Kunigami (国頭), is the northernmost part of Okinawa Island.

Understand
Northern Okinawa is the wildest, least populated and arguably most beautiful region of Okinawa Island. It consists of the city of Nago (名護) and the villages of Onna (恩納), Kunigami (国頭), Ōgimi (大宜味), Higashi (東), Motobu (本部), Nakijin (今帰仁), Ginoza (宜野座) and Kin (金武). Together with Tokunoshima, Iriomote and Amami Oshima, it was listed as a natural world heritage site by UNESCO in 2021.

Tourist information site
Most towns in Northern Okinawa have their own tourist information sites, which are mostly Japanese only, but may include automated translation. Notable ones include Onna, Nago and Motobu.

Get in
Route 58 runs the length of Northern Okinawa from Naha through Onna, Nago and all the way to Cape Hedo. If heading from the south to Nago or points beyond, the Okinawa Expressway from Naha is the fastest way to go.

By bus
The Okinawa Airport Shuttle runs from Naha airport and the Bus Terminal, running across the length of Onna along Route 58 and further on to Motobu. One-way fares run ¥1400-1600, but some hotels offer free rides if you book in advance.

From Naha bus terminal (across the street from Asahibashi monorail station) you can take the Expressway Route bus No. 111 to Nago. The trip will take about 2 hours and will cost ¥2,040. There will be many stops along the expressway on route. The No. 111 runs all the way from the Naha airport as well and costs ¥2,160.

Get around
Okinawa Bus Line 20/120 runs across the western coast its way from Naha to Nago and back, with services every 30-45 minutes between 06:00 and 19:00 or so. There are bus services elsewhere as well, but they're sporadic at best. For anything longer than a weekend trip to a resort, most visitors opt to rent a car instead.

Several islands can be accessed from Motobu, namely the small islands of Sesoko (by bridge) and Minna-jima (by ferry). Both islands are incorporated as part of the Town of Motobu. Ferry service also runs from Motobu Port to Ie-jima.

See








Do


Northern Okinawa has many great beaches; however, a few of them are reserved for hotel guests only.



Sleep


Accommodation in Northern Okinawa is heavily geared towards large beach resorts with large pricetags, most of which can be found in the coastal strip between Onna and Nago. Cheaper, more rustic accommodation can be found in the towns, particularly Nago.