Things to Do in Okinawa in the Winter

In the Cold Winter Months, What Things are There to Do on Okinawa?

Let's begin by saying that 'winter' in Okinawa is most other places fall or spring. The temperature is usually around 50-60 F. It never gets below freezing, and the water is usually warmer than the air in the winter time.

But, what is there to do on a tropical island in the 'winter colder' months? Well, plenty actually!

The Ocean around Okinawa actually stays very mild, even in the winter

Visiting Historical Sites such as Japanese Castles

Okinawa is home to a huge number of very historical sites such as WWII bunkers and caves, Museums and  even Japanese Castles dating back to around the 12th century AD. 

These old Castles from the Samurai period of Japanese history offer impressive mortar-less architecture and beautiful views from the castle walls.

Shuri Castle on Okinawa

They are scattered across Okinawa, and one can often run across them while exploring the island. 

The most famous castle on Okinawa is Shuri Castle located in Naha at the southern end of Okinawa. While it is often very busy with tourists, it is a must visit. The castle has been completely restored to its original condition, unlike most of the other castles on Okinawa. 

There are many different tours available through a number of services on Okinawa which will guide you through any historical location you wish to visit. So get out and visit a historical location.

Restaurants on Okinawa

When the weather is cold out, nothing warms the body like a delicious bowl of Soba Noodles. Vaguely similar to a chicken noodle soup, Okinawa Soba is miles ahead. 

Often served with pork spare ribs or other slow cooked meats, it fills the body and soul with fantastic flavors and perfect noodles. Don't miss out on eating Okinawa Soba while on Okinawa!

One of the best Soba shops is located just inside the city of Nago, towards the north of Okinawa. For more information and directions, check out my post about Okinawa Soba

Best Shopping Places on Okinawa

There are plenty of places to shop on Okinawa. Jusco, Gate 2 and American Village are three that can be reached quickly from the Kadena area.

The Ferris Wheel at the American Village

Jusco provides a department store type feel with a Japanese twist of culture and clothing. It is a fun place to browse for entertainment, or even shop for useful items. These large stores are located throughout Okinawa, and can be spotted by their large signs.

Gate 2 Street, located directly out Kadena Air Base gate 2, has a number of clothing, souvenir, and miscellaneous shops. A full day of walking and shopping is just waiting for anyone willing to browse the back streets in the area. Just be sure to avoid shopping there at night, when it becomes more of a night club/bar scene.

American Village is located outside Kadena Gate 1, in the Sunabe Seawall area. This shopping area includes a Jusco, and probably another 100 or more small shops and restaurants scattered around the area. With plenty of shopping and small stores to explore, American Village is a place that can be visited over and over again.

Okinawa is an enjoyable and fun place to be, no matter the weather or season. Hopefully these things to do on Okinawa give you some ideas to enjoy Okinawa more.

Surfing on Okinawa

Things to do in Okinawa - Surfing

While most people think of Hawaii when they think of surfing, Okinawa has a large surf community and plenty of locations.

Whether you are an experienced surfer visiting or moving to Okinawa, or a beginner looking for something fun to do on Okinawa, surfing is a very enjoyable and rewarding activity.

Want to Surf on Okinawa? Check out Sunabe Seawall

Sunabe Seawall is the most popular place to surf on Okinawa. What makes it so popular is that it regularly has good waves, and it is located in the middle of the island, right outside Kadena Gate 1. (it is also a fantastic place to watch the brilliant Okinawa sunsets.)

It has easy access to the water through steps and various intervals along the seawall and there is parking very close by.

The waves tend to be waist to head height on good days. But, when the ocean is calm, the waves will disappear.

It is important to not only check the tides, ocean currents and weather conditions, but also to actually go and watch the waves, and other surfers.

Most experienced surfers take plenty of time before going out to see how the waves are coming in, and if there are any currents to watch out for.

If you are new to Okinawa, it is also a great idea to talk with the local surfers, both Japanese and American, and ask them for any tips or information.

For those who are new to surfing, it is best to find a friend or make a friend, who has experience surfing and can teach the basics before trying to ride wave. There are several surf shops in the seawall area with surfboards for sale. These places are often a hangout for the experienced surfers, so stop in and ask about classes or lessons.

When Typhoons come close to Okinawa, the waves can become monsters, crashing into the shallow coral reef with tremendous power. So always look to see if there are other surfers around before going out. Better yet, always surf with a buddy.

A good saying on Okinawa about surfing is, if the locals aren't riding, then neither should you.

For more information on surfing Okinawa, or other things to do on Okinawa, leave a comment.

Okuma Resort and Beach

Okuma Beach Okinawa

Okuma - A Perfect Summer Vacation Destination

If you're looking for a summer vacation beach, look no further than Okuma Recreation Facility on the northern end of Okinawa.

Okuma provides military service members, retirees and dependents with a beautiful tropical island vacation resort on a small peninsula jetting out into the East China Sea.

The purpose of Okuma is to provide recreation and relaxation for the US military stationed on Okinawa.

Brief History of Okuma

Okuma resort comes from a very humble beginning when it was first envisioned in 1947. After a few years, and significant help from the local Okinawan Farmers, the resort was finished using mostly second hand construction materials.

More on the History of Okuma Here

Today, the Okuma Peninsula contains not only the Military Okuma Resort, but also a Japanese Okuma Resort.

Jet Ski Rental at Okuma

All the Activities You Could Want!

Okuma provides all the water and vacation related actives one could want. Here is a list of the water activities available at Okuma. Note, activities do change based on the season and availability of boats.

Water Activities:

• Jet Ski
• Wake Boarding
• Water Skiing
• Ski Tubing - 1, 2, 3 or 4 people at a time!
• Banana Boat Ride
• Paddle Boat
• Glass Bottom Boat
• Coral Connection Snorkel Trip
• Scuba Diving Boat Trip
• Kayaks
• Skimboards
• Snorkeling, Scuba gear rentals

For Prices, visit the Official Okuma Recreation Page

There are also plenty land activities for those who don't like the water, or want to try something different. Most activities have a small rental fee, but some are also free!

Sunset on Okuma Beach 

Land Activities:

• Bikes
• Buggy Bikes
• Pedal Cars
• Habu Links 9-hole Golf Course
• Putt-Putt Golf Course
• Go-Kart Race Track
• Tennis Courts
• DVD Movie and Video Game rentals
• Kids Game Room with Air Hockey, Ping Pong, Board Games, and Video Games
• Batting Cages
• Basketball Court
• Garden Maze
• Volleyball Court
• SurfSide Restaurant, Cafe, and Waverunner Lounge 

With this huge list of activities, a full week can blow by in no time! Other activities in the Area include hiking Hiji Falls, Traveling to Hedo Point, and exploring the tiny Okinawan villages in the area.

Accommodations at Okuma Resort

Okuma Offers three basic options for accommodations: Camping, Cabins and Suites.

There are plenty of camping places just a few steps away from the beach that have picnic tables, BBQ pits, and a Bathroom/shower building.

The Log Cabins offer Air Conditioning a refrigerator and three beds all tucked into a small log cabin. Parking, fire pit and picnic table are also just outside the cabin.

The Suites at Okuma are best for those planning to stay more than a quick weekend, and would prefer a relaxing environment. Complete with TV's, Queen size beds, bathroom/shower and all the furnishings of a regular hotel.

A local Skimboarder at Okuma Beach

Okuma Beach - Perfect Sandy Beach!

Okuma boasts two beautiful beaches on each side of the peninsula. Each offers water activities, while the North Beach is best for swimming, and has a roped swimming area with lifeguards.

So whether you want a quick weekend taste of a tropical island resort, or are looking for a full week getaway, Okuma has almost anything one could want in a tropical vacation.

Got questions or thoughts? Leave them in the comments below.

Check out more Beach Reviews or other Things to do on Okinawa

The Best Sunsets and Sunrises

Okinawa Sunset

Watching the Sun Set or Rise on Okinawa 

Okinawa is an island, and as such, it has a beautiful uninterrupted ocean view in every direction. So whether you love waking up early to see a sunrise, or setting out in the evening for the sunset, you won't be disappointed on Okinawa.

Best Places to Watch the Sunrise or Sunset

Okinawa offers plenty of locations to view the sunset or sunrise. On one occasion I simply pulled off to the side of the road on a drive a long the coast to snap a few pictures of a perfect sunset.

But there are two types of locations that offer the best sunrise and sunset viewing; Castles and Beaches.

Castles on Okinawa offer the highest vantage points for viewing a sunset or sunrise with some providing a view of both the Pacific Ocean and the East China Sea.

For a sunrise, look up castles closer to the east side of the island. Some possibilities include Katsuran Castle and Nakagusuku Castle.

For watching the sunset, try a castle closer to the west side of the island.

Watching the Sunset or Sunrise at a Beach

Okinawa is lined with beaches, so one can simple chose which part of the island to view the sunset/sunrise from and drive a long the coast until a beach appears.

But for those who are interested in specific locations, here are a few possibilities.

For a sunrise, one great location is the Comprehensive park located near Kadena AFB and Camp Foster. This park not only has beautiful paths and scenery, it also has a nice beach with a good view of the sunrise.

One of the most well known beaches for viewing the sunset is called, very appropriately, Sunset Beach. It is located on HWY 58 near the Mihama Jusco.

Sunset Beach offers a perfect view of the sunset and many people like to sit and enjoy watching the sun slowly slide down the sky. This beach is also very close to plenty of after dark activities, including shopping and restaurants.

There are several other options for viewing the sunset on the beach. Araha Beach, Tropical Beach and the Kadena Marina each offer perfect locations for sunset viewing.

No matter where you choose to watch the sunset or sunrise, just be sure to do it, it is worth waking up for, or taking the time to do.

What is the Weather on Okinawa Like?

Weather on Okinawa - What Clothes to Wear for a Visit

Okinawa is a subtropical Pacific island with many beaches and outdoor activities. But what is the weather like and what should people visiting plan to bring and wear?

The Coast of Okinawa - (c) Okinawa Travel Guide

Typical Weather on Okinawa

The weather on Okinawa is very different compared to most parts in the world, especially North America. There is very little fall season, and most people would scoff at calling the colder months on Okinawa, winter.

Generally speaking, the summertime is hot, and the wintertime is cool, but not cold. Here is a breakdown of the average temperatures during the year:

• Summer - May, June, July, August, September, October - Temperatures in the 80's, with the hottest days reaching the low 90's. Lows in the 70's during these months.
• Fall - November - Highs in the mid 70's, lows in the mid 60's.
• Winter - December, January and February - Highs in the 60's and lows in the 50's, almost never below 50 degrees.
• Spring - March and April - highs in the 70's with lows in the 60's. 

As one can see, the weather on Okinawa is never actually cold, but does cool off during the winter months. 

Okinawa does get plenty of rain year round, with the wettest months being May and June. Average rainfall for these months is around 10 inches per month. 

While the summer is obviously the best time to enjoy the Okinawa beaches, it is also right in the middle of typhoon season which runs from May through November. 

Some years Okinawa gets only a few mild typhoons, but other years I have seen it get hit by 5 or more typhoons in only a few months. To see more about Typhoons, and how to prepare for them, visit the Typhoon Tips Page.

What to Wear when Visiting Okinawa

As one can see from the average temperatures, the winter months do require a few layers and maybe a light jacket to keep warm. Jeans or other long pants are enough to stay comfortably warm.

The summertime, stretching practically from April through October, is warm and worth of shorts and a t-shirt. 

Okinawa tends to be a casual place, with a similar island feel as Hawaii, but without the huge beachfront hotels and excessive tourists. 

For those interested in vacations to Okinawa, I would suggest the fall months as the water temperature is still very warm, as well as the air temperature. But prices and tourists have both reduced from the summer months of June through August.

Water temperature on Okinawa is very comfortable, getting into the 80's in the summer, and down in the 70's in the winter at the surface. While a wet suit is recommended for Scuba Diving, it isn't necessary for snorkeling even in the winter. 

More Info - Monthly Average Temp for Okinawa

Okinawa Castles - Nakagusuku Castle

Nakagusuku Castle walls

Nakagusuku Castle Ruins

Nakagusuku castle is an Okinawan castle from the 14th century. 

It is a very advanced structure for the time period, made with cut limestone and perfectly fit together without the use of mortar or cement. 

Nakagusuku castle is one of many castles built by Okinawan lords in each of the major villages throughout Okinawa. 

Other castles on Okinawa include: Katsuren Castle, Nago Castle, and the fully restored, Shuri Castle in Naha.

Nakagusuku castle is located near the middle of the island in Nakagusuku village, a little south of Kadena Air Base. It is also very close to the Haunted Hotel.

Nakagusuku Castle - View of surrounding area and ocean

Brief History of Nakagusuku Castle

Castle Gate

The castle was built sometime around 1350 AD by a Ryukyan Lord who made it his residence, based on artifacts found at the castle. 

During the next 200 years, several different lords occupied the castle and continued to build on it, adding several outer walls, and inner enclosures

In 1853, Commodore Perry visited Okinawa and conducted a survey of the castle, even making note of the advanced and durable design.

During the 1800's and early 1900's the castle is used for a city office and school grounds. In WWII, the city office is destroyed and the castle suffers some damages.

After the WWII, Nakagusuku castle is designated as a park, and between 1950 and 2000 various work has been done to restore the castle and improve the park surrounding it.

In 2006 Nakagusuku castle was selected as one of the 100 most famous Japanese Castles. 

Visiting Nakagusuku Castle

Looking up from the castle well

Nakagusuku castle makes a fantastic afternoon adventure for almost anyone. Both kids and adults will find it impressive and fascinating. Walking around a structure that is hundreds of years older than anything in American History is a spellbinding experience.

The location of the castle more than 100 meters above sea level on top of a hill gives it breathtaking views of the surrounding villages and ocean. One can even see Katsuren Castle located several miles away on the Katsuren Peninsula.

The castle itself has several different enclosures, gates and walled off sections. Some sections of the walls are open for visitors to walk around on. But take note of any signs and follow their directions, because the castle is still in the midst of full restoration.

The bold architecture and beautiful views make for a fun photo opportunity for any kind of photographer.

Section still in need of restoration

It is fascinating to explore every part of this sprawling castle visualizing what it must have been like hundreds of years ago. There are a number of informational stands scattered throughout the castle grounds which offer bits of information on certain areas.

Visiting Nakagusuku castle costs only 400 yen per person and this goes directly towards funding the restoration of the castle.


The castle is fairly large with lots of steps and rough ground so wear appropriate footwear.

Parking and vending machines are available at the entrance to the castle, which can be found using Google Maps - Nakagusuku Castle.

For more information about the history, directions or group prices, visit the Nakagusuku Castle Official Website

The Haunted Hotel on Okinawa

 The Haunted Hotel - Full of Mystery

The Haunted Hotel on Okinawa is an incredible structure filled with mystery, many stories, and even more questions.

It is located on a hill right next to Nakagusuku Castle. The pictures in this post were all taken while touring Nakagusuku Castle.

Note: Before I go any further, visiting the Haunted Hotel is probably illegal (there are lots of signs), and certainly dangerous.

Thus, I do not suggest anyone actually go to it, and I may or may not have ever been there, and I have certainly never climbed to the 5th floor and thrown a toilet off of it.

Now that that's cleared up...

Many Questions, Few Answers Surround the Haunted Hotel on Okinawa

The Haunted Hotel is one of those places where you can't help but wonder what it was really supposed to be, and what it would have been like if it were completed.

It is a huge structure that sprawls on top of, and around a hill in Nakagusuku village. The construction does not seem to have been very organized; it seems to have been built adding a section at a time, with no master blueprint to guide the builders.

The Haunted Hotel does not seem like a normal hotel.

There is no viable parking anywhere near the Haunted Hotel. Where would the guests have parked?

There is no easy way to get to the Haunted Hotel. Perhaps over time the original road that led to the hotel has been closed or removed, but even the road that runs through the middle of the structure is small, and unlikely to be used as a real road.

There are no main hallways or straight paths. In most hotels, the layout is very simple to keep guests from getting confused or lost. But at the Haunted Hotel, the walkways are anything but straight. They circle around, go up, go down, take sharp corners, and even end in a dead end.

Some hallways are even stranger in that they get too small for an average person to walk through. One has to bend over to continue walking through. And these hallways connect to major portions of the hotel, so why would they make it so only people under 4' 10" could easily walk through?

And let's not even get into the odd shaped guest rooms, and stairs to nowhere.

The Story Behind the Haunted Hotel

It is hard to tell for sure what the real story behind the Haunted Hotel is, but based on many different peoples' responses, including several Japanese native to that area, it goes something like this:

Sometime in the 1970's a Japanese Business man from Naha (or somewhere other than Nakagusuku) decided to buy the land on the mountain next to Nakagusuku Castle, and build a hotel there.

He planned for an impressive hotel, and it was going to be called The Royal Hotel.

Plans seemed to be falling in place, he had a great location with a beautiful view of the ocean (some say it is the best view on Okinawa) and plenty of money to get the project underway.

Unfortunately, the locals in that area strongly warned the businessman to stop his plans because the ground was sacred and filled with spirits. .

The proximity to Nakagusuku castle and a sacred Buddhist cave and shrine as well as many old tombs on the hill should have been enough to convince the man to build his hotel elsewhere, but he did not.

The Nakagusuku Castle dates back hundreds of years, to around the 14th century AD. Who knows what could have occurred in all that time on the hill next to the castle? Perhaps it was the burial ground for the castle.

As construction got underway, strange and scary things began to occur. Workers began dying in odd construction accidents.

Some workers quit, others stayed on, but construction slowed after these mysterious deaths.

It is hard to know the exact sequence of events, but at some point the businessman's son died and the father went insane.Perhaps possessed by spirits.

I believe construction continued for a little while after the businessman went insane, which would explain the haphazard design and confusing layout.

Eventually all the workers who had stayed around decided to quite before they too were killed, and construction was stopped.

The businessman had used millions on the hotel, and all that was left was a half completed gigantic sprawling structure.

Some say the businessman lived at the hotel for several years and even died there.

It is a strange and eerie story with plenty of room for myths and legends to get mixed into the facts.

But the hotel that is left behind from the story says a lot as far as confirming that it has a mysterious and unsettling history.

Experiences at the Haunted Hotel

Many people have visited the Haunted Hotel over the years and one could probably write a book about the various experiences. Some people claim to have seen ghosts in the form of the businessman, workers or even the child while others suggest seeing ghosts from hundreds of years ago.

Many pictures have been taken at the Haunted Hotel that contain ominous orbs in the photos which indicate some sort of energy at that location.

Some visitors have said they heard very unnerving sounds that followed them through the hotel as they explored it, sounds that were unlike anything they had heard before.

Others noticed flashlights and other electronic devices failing when entering certain rooms.

One thing is sure, if anyone is looking for an adventure, the Haunted Hotel has enough mystery to last many adventures.

Other Extremely Odd Facts About the Haunted Hotel

A Favela in Brazil looks similar to the Haunted Hotel By Natecull

• There are piles of unused construction materials that have simply been left behind.
• There is a water park that was going to be part of the hotel on one side of the hill.
• There is a zoo with very eerie cages and bars that have been bent and broken.
• One could spend en entire day walking around and through the hotel and still not see everything.
• The walkways, steps and hallways tend to be uneven, as if built by inexperienced builders or at the direction of someone who could have been insane.
• The sprawling construction and haphazard placement of connected buildings and rooms looks more like a Favela in Brazil than a planned structure.