Okinawa Island Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
smallest of the five main islands of Japan
About Okinawa Island
Okinawa Island is by far the largest and most populated of Okinawa's islands, with over 90% of the population. For better or worse, the island is what people think of when they think of Okinawa: beaches and snorkeling, large resort hotels, US military bases and WW2 battle sites. Around a quarter of Okinawa Island's land area—including much of the best arable land—is occupied by US military bases, and there are almost 80,000 US military personnel, support staff and their families on the island. Many Okinawans are unhappy that their small island with less than 1% of Japan's land area has to host them all, but decades-long negotiations to reduce or at least relocate the base footprint have made only fitful progress.
Okinawa Island Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: