03Cities and regions

Far south

Okinawa: sea and scattered islands

Okinawa is Japan’s southernmost and westernmost prefecture. It holds the Okinawa, Sakishima, and Daito island groups across a maritime range of nearly 1,000 kilometers east–west and about 400 kilometers north–south. Land area is about 2,281 square kilometers. Of 160 islands, 49 are inhabited. The largest and most populous is Okinawa Island, home to Naha and the airport. Kabira Bay on Ishigaki’s north coast is known for its sand and blue-green water; it lies within Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park and is classified as a place of scenic beauty with Mount Omoto. Ishigaki’s beaches give a day utterly unlike Tokyo or Fuji: a horizon of water, not towers. Naha Airport is the prefecture’s main gateway. Okinawa reminds you that Japan does not end at Honshu; the south is warm sea and spaced-out islands. Do not try to combine Ishigaki and Naha in a few hours. Sea distances consume time. One bay and one beach for a full day beat a list of names with no water in front of you.

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