Naha Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
capital city of Okinawa prefecture, Japan
About Naha
The first castle at Shuri (首里) was built in the 1200s. When king Shō Hashi unified the island and founded the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1429, he made Shuri his capital, a role it retained for almost 450 years. Naha was originally a trade port a short distance to the west of Shuri, only becoming the official capital in 1872 when the Kingdom was abolished. Alas, it's difficult to see any traces of this lengthy history, since both Naha and Shuri were largely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945. Today's Naha is an unappealing congested concrete sprawl that by and large looks like any other Japanese provincial city, only with worse traffic and more palm trees sprinkled in, and the few historical sites like Shuri Castle are reconstructions. The local tourist association has amultilingual g
Top Attractions in Naha
Explore the best things to see and do in Naha:
- ★Blue Zone
- ★Kite Club Okinawa
- ★Naha City Museum of History
- ★Naha Tug-of-war
- ★Naminoue Beach
- ★Naminoue Shrine
- ★Shikinaen Garden
- ★Shuri Castle
Where to Eat in Naha
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Afro Nest
- 🍴Takuyoshi
Where to Stay in Naha
- 🏨Base Okinawa
- 🏨Chanpuru
- 🏨Hotel Marine West Naha
Naha Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: