The cultural center of Okinawa, featuring an outer port of Shuri and the capital of Ryukyu Kingdom.

Naha is the largest city in Okinawa Prefecture. Located in the southern part of Okinawa Main Island, it is the political, economic and transportation center of the prefecture. Kokusai-dori Avenue is surely the most crowded place in Naha. This approximately 1.6-kilometer-long street is lined with department stores, restaurants, coffee shops, general shops, clothing shops, travel agencies, banks, and of course souvenir shops which account for about 40% of the businesses and facilities on the high traffic street. The Makishi Public Market is located on Main Market Street, running south from a halfway point on Kokusai-dori Avenue. The market, known as the "kitchen of Naha," is always full of energy and excitement with old women called "Obaa" working actively amongst the brisk talking venders.

Naha once prospered as the outer port of Shuri, which flourished as the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. In those days, Naha had much trade with China and Southeast Asia. Among the major remains of the Ryukyu Kingdom are Shuri Castle, the ruins of the Castle of the Ryukyu Kingdom, Shikina-en, which was a second residence and garden of the Royal Family built in order to entertain 'sakuhoshi' (ambassadors from China), the ruins of Enkaku-ji Temple, the head temple of the Okinawa Rinzai sect, and Tama-udon, the tombs of Kings of Ryukyu.

Placed in a cave built directly into natural rock, these tombs are of a grand scale and in a style unique to Okinawa. Shurei-mon, the grand gate, is also a sight to behold. It is depicted on the face of the 2,000-yen bank note. Tsuboya, a pottery village with a history dating back more than 300 years, is always crowded with pottery enthusiasts. Fukushu-en, an authentic Chinese garden, was designed to reflect the vast nature and places of scenic beauty in China, such as Fuzhen, and is a symbol of the exchanges between Okinawa and Fuzhen during the era of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

The New Center is a new area for business and shopping in Naha. Many local families go there to enjoy shopping at the large DFS Galleria Okinawa, where tax-free overseas brand items are sold, as well as to visit the nearby movie theaters and restaurants. Other attractions include the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum where the nature, culture and art of Okinawa can truly be appreciated.

The number one beach resort in Okinawa. Churaumi Aquirium, and a number of other facilities to introduce the nature of Okinawa.

Along the western coast of Okinawa Main Island, running from On'na-son Village to the base of the Motobu-hanto Peninsula in the north, is the largest beach resort area in Okinawa Prefecture. The area offers lodging at large resort hotels with private beaches, pensions in the woods and other types of accommodations, allowing you to choose from among them to suit your own tastes. There are also many tourist attractions nearby, including scenic spots like Manza-mo and Cape Maeda, the Ryukyu Village where a traditional farming village in Okinawa is reproduced, Busena Marine Park where you can view aquatic life at the undersea observatory and ride in a glass-bottom boat, as well as Bankoku Shinryo-kan where the 2000 Kyushu/Okinawa Summit took place.

Yanbaru, the area to the north of Nago, is in a subtropical zone and made up of mountains and hills covered with primeval forests. It is the home of Noguchigera, a woodpecker unique to this area, and Yanbaru-kuina, another rare bird, both of which have been declared special protected species. Trekking along a clear river stream amid primeval forests, sometimes waist-deep in water, is quite popular.

In the Motobu-hanto Peninsula, jutting out from western Yanbaru, is Ocean Expo Park. Many tourists and locals visit there and enjoy its various attractions, such as the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium with one of the largest varieties of fish species in the world, the Tropical Dream Center where beautiful orchids can be seen, Emerald Beach, as well as dolphin shows. There are also many nature-related sightseeing facilities, such as Yanbaru Subtropical Park and Ryugu Butterfly Field where subtropical vegetation and insects can be observed, as well as Neo Park Okinawa, Nago Pineapple Park and Okinawa Fruit Land.