Local Guide
Enjoy Okinawa even in the rain! 8 recommended indoor spots

Okinawa, where you can enjoy the beautiful ocean, sky, and tropical atmosphere, is a place you can only visit on a sunny day. ...... Many people may think so. In fact, there are many spots in Okinawa that can be enjoyed even on rainy days. Here are 8 sightseeing spots in Okinawa that you can enjoy even on a rainy day, such as experiencing the unique history and culture that is unparalleled in Japan, or enjoying an aquarium that makes you feel as if you are diving under the sea.

History and Folklore Museum and Art Museum reopened after 43 years.

The World Heritage Site of Zakimi Castle and the natural and cultural heritage of Yomitan are exhibited in the exhibition room on the first floor.
The World Heritage Site of Zakimi Castle and the natural and cultural heritage of Yomitan are exhibited in the exhibition room on the first floor.

Property reopened in June 2018 as a spot where you can learn about Okinawa's history and culture. It is located near the Zakimi Castle Ruins (Gusuku) in Yomitan Village, which is recognized as a World Heritage Site. Its predecessor, the Yomitan Village History and Folklore Museum, opened in 1975, so this is the first renewal in 43 years.
Visitors can enjoy both the history and folklore museum and art museum. The history and folklore museum has various exhibits on the history and nature of Yomitan Village, as well as the Battle of Okinawa and Okinawan culture. Visitors can enjoy viewing all kinds of valuable materials and images from those days, as well as models of cultural heritage.

Some exhibits allow visitors to Experience Experience Okinawa's history firsthand.

Traditional private houses are reproduced in detail inside.
Traditional private houses are reproduced in detail inside.

The 2nd floor exhibition room features exhibits on archaeology, folklore, nature, and the Battle of Okinawa. The second floor exhibition hall is full of Experience-type exhibits, such as a reproduction of an actual exchange that took place in a gama (a cave used as a shelter) during the war, using puppet objects and sound, and a full-size reproduction of a turtle-shell tomb (a grave in Okinawa) that visitors can enter.
Visitors can spend an intense time learning more about Okinawa and pondering the tragic war and the path taken by the Okinawan people.

Local Guide Comment
The museum reopened after a long period of renovation. You can see paintings created by Okinawan artists, and the Property is beautiful. Please come and visit.
World Heritage Site Zakimi Castle Ruins Yuntanza Museum
  • Address 708-6 Aza-Zakimi, Yomitan-mura, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 60 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours 9:00 - 18:00 (Entry by 17:30)
  • Closed Wednesdays (open if Wednesday is a national holiday, closed the following day)
    Year-end and New Year holidays (December 28 - January 4 of the following year)
    Temporary closing days for exhibition changes, fumigation, etc.
  • Admission Fee Free for infants, 300 yen for elementary and junior high school students, 500 yen for high school students and older, 400 yen for those aged 65 and older
  • TEL 098-958-3141
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

Enjoy ice cream in a cute space

In the community zone, visitors can watch ice cream making and enjoy ice cream at their leisure.
In the community zone, visitors can watch ice cream making and enjoy ice cream at their leisure.

This is a spot where visitors can enjoy Okinawa's local ice cream from various angles. Once inside the museum, you will find a lovely space that is just like a candy land. The pastel colors will lift your spirits so much that you will forget that it is raining.
In addition to the main activity of ice cream bar decorating, visitors can enjoy a variety of fun activities, including a museum space that introduces the history of Blue Seal since its birth in Okinawa in 1948 and a freezer experience at minus 20 degrees Celsius. By the time you leave, the rainy day blues may be gone.

Only one in the world! Make your own original ice cream!

What kind of ice cream should I make? I was excited from start to finish even before making it!
What kind of ice cream should I make? I was excited from start to finish even before making it!

For the Ice Bar Decorating Experience, visitors first choose the shape of their ice cream, then select the flavor, coating chocolate color, and color of the chocolate pen for drawing. After deciding on the color and shape, the next step is to place five of the 12 toppings on the tray, and then create your own original ice cream design based on the toppings.
The Experience takes about 45 to 60 minutes, including the explanation. Participants will receive an original ice cream bag as a gift, and can also enjoy the experience of being in a freezer at -20 degrees Celsius. When you are finished, you can hold your creation in your hand and take a picture with a photo machine with an original frame.

Local Guide Comment
Please enjoy the ice cream bar decorations, which both adults and children can get absorbed in. The refreshing sweetness of Blue Seal ice cream tastes especially good on humid rainy days.
Blue Seal Ice Park
  • Address 5-5-6 Makiminato, Urasoe City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction 30 minutes drive from Naha Airport
  • Hours of Operation 9:00-18:00 (last admission 17:00)
  • Closed None
  • Admission Fee Admission free, Ice bar making experience: 1,800 yen
  • TEL 098-988-4535
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

Learn about the Pacific region, Okinawa's maritime people, and life on the sea

A Tahitian double canoe that has been on display since the time of the Okinawa International Maritime Exposition
A Tahitian double canoe that has been on display since the time of the Okinawa International Maritime Exposition

The Property is located in Ocean Expo Park, which is full of ocean, flower, and nature spots including Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, and was opened as a Japanese government pavilion during the Okinawa International Ocean Expo in 1975 and reopened in 2013. The museum preserves and introduces the history and culture of the maritime peoples of the Pacific region, including Okinawa, in the 1970s.
The museum has approximately 750 exhibits, including a large canoe and a real sabani (Okinawan fishing boat), which show how people lived in the Pacific Ocean. A floor map depicting the Pacific Ocean and a dynamic large-screen video utilizing the walls are also attractive.

Be healed by the planetarium where you can gaze at the beautiful starry sky of Okinawa

A relaxing moment to rest your body on a comfortable reclining seat and admire the stars of Okinawa
A relaxing moment to rest your body on a comfortable reclining seat and admire the stars of Okinawa

Inside the museum, visitors can also enjoy a planetarium with a theme of Okinawa's starry sky and people's lives. The beautiful starry sky, with a maximum of 140 million fixed stars, fills the dome screen with moving visual beauty that is enchanting.
The 30-minute seasonal programs are shown throughout the day, so you will be able to feel the changing of the stars in Okinawa when you visit each season. Next to the Oceanic Culture Museum is the "Okinawa Local Village," a reproduction of a village from the Ryukyu Kingdom period, where you can learn about the history of Okinawa after enjoying the beautiful starry sky.

Local Guide Comment
Visitors can learn about maritime culture and history, enjoy the planetarium, and more. Be sure to check out the impressive large canoe exhibit.
Oceanic Culture Museum
  • Address 424 Aza-Ishikawa, Motobu-cho, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 100 minutes from Naha Airport by Car
  • Business hours March-September: 8:30-19:00 (Entry closes at 18:30)
    October - February: 8:30 - 17:30 (last admission at 17:00)
  • Closed The first Wednesday in December and the following day
  • Admission Fee Adults 190 yen, children (junior high school students and younger) free of charge, groups of 20 or more 80 yen
    Free admission days are available.
  • TEL 0980-48-2741（ Ocean Expo Park Management Center)
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

A new sensation of an aquarium where the digital and the real are fused together

Which is digital and which is real? A time to refine your senses even indoors
Which is digital and which is real? A time to refine your senses even indoors

This is a new entertainment aquarium that makes full use of the latest visual expressions and spatial presentation. Unlike conventional aquariums, visitors can enjoy the fusion of the digital and the real through the showing of images of Okinawa on a large multi-sided screen that can be viewed as soon as visitors enter the aquarium, and through the spatial presentation in which creatures, images, and sounds are beautifully collaborated.
The first and second floors are divided into two sections: the first floor is a "clear ocean with a variety of living creatures" and the second floor is an "evergreen forest with a subtropical climate". Enjoy the fascinating sea and forest on each floor.

Enjoy the concert of light, sound, and creatures with all your senses

A zone where the changing colors of light and the flickering of jellyfish soothe you. Some visitors take pictures of their favorite jellyfish all the time.
A zone where the changing colors of light and the flickering of jellyfish soothe you. Some visitors take pictures of their favorite jellyfish all the time.

An extraordinary space where visitors are captivated by the beautiful and mysterious expressions of light, sound, and living creatures is preserved throughout the museum. For example, there is no explanatory bulletin board for any of the creatures on display in the museum. Instead, visitors can use the official app downloaded before entering the aquarium to check explanations of the creatures, floor maps, etc., so that they can quickly check the information they need on their smartphones.
The aquarium is located in the "EAS Okinawa Toyosaki" shopping center, so even in bad weather, you can enjoy Okinawa indoors for the entire day.

Local Guide Comment
EAS Okinawa Toyosaki also has a roof over all of its multi-story parking lots, so you can enjoy many things without getting wet after enjoying the aquarium.
DMM Kariyushi Aquarium
  • Address 3-35 Toyosaki, Toyomigusuku City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction 20 min. by car from Naha Airport
  • Hours of Operation Hours: 9:00 - 20:00 (last entry 60 minutes before closing time)
    *Varies depending on the day. Please check the business calendar on the official website for details.
  • Closed Open every day (with temporary closures due to Property inspections, etc.)
  • Admission Fee Adults (18 years and older) 2,800 yen
    Middle-aged people (13-17 years old) 2,200 yen
    Child (4-12 years old) 1,700 yen
    Free for children under 3 years old
  • Parking Yes (on the premises of "EAS Okinawa Toyosaki")
  • Memo EAS Okinawa Toyosaki
    Business hours: Shop 10:00-21:00, Restaurant & Cafe 11:00-23:00
    Tel: 098-840-6900

One of the world's largest aquariums you should visit at least once in your life

Whale sharks and manta rays seen through powerful acrylic panels
Whale sharks and manta rays seen through powerful acrylic panels

As the theme of the aquarium suggests, "Encounters with the Sea of Okinawa," the aquarium allows visitors to experience the ocean of Okinawa, from the shallow waters of coral reefs to the deep sea, and is located within the Ocean Expo Park. The most remarkable feature of the aquarium is the sight of whale sharks and manta rays swimming leisurely through one of the world's largest acrylic panels, which makes it seem as if you are looking at them underwater. It is as if you are looking at them underwater, and you can't help but admire the graceful swimming fish.
The "Coral Sea," which uses an open system that continually supplies fresh seawater from the ocean in front of it, making large-scale coral breeding possible, and the "Deep Sea," which recreates the deep sea of Okinawa, are just a few of the many highlights.

Witness the American manatee, the model of the mermaid legend!

The American manatee, a rare species classified as a Washington Convention Class I (International Rare Animal and Plant Species)
The American manatee, a rare species classified as a Washington Convention Class I (International Rare Animal and Plant Species)

After enjoying the aquarium, be sure to visit the "Manatee Pavilion" located in Ocean Expo Park. Designated as an internationally protected animal in danger of extinction, the American manatee, which is said to be the model for the mermaid legend, can be seen here free of admission fee.
The manatee is a herbivorous mammal, and its adult size is approximately 3 to 4.5 meters and weighs 300 to 1,000 kg!

Local Guide Comment
This is one of the best sightseeing spots in Okinawa! This spot can be enjoyed regardless of the weather, so it is recommended rain or shine.
National Okinawa Memorial Park (Ocean Expo Park) Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
  • address (e.g. of house) 424 Aza-Ishikawa, Motobu-cho, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 100 minutes from Naha Airport by Car
  • Bus Direction Nago Bus Terminal→get off at Okinawa Memorial Park (Churaumi Aquarium)
  • Hours of Operation 8:30-18:30 (Entry deadline: 17:30) *Check the website for extended hours.
  • Closed Please check the website.
  • Admission Fee Adults 2,180 yen, High school students 1,440 yen, Elementary/junior high school students 710 yen, Children under 6 free
  • TEL 0980-48-3748
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

A place where you can learn about Okinawa's history, culture, and nature throughout the day

The entrance to the museum's permanent exhibition depicts the ino (Okinawan dialect for shallow sea surrounded by coral reefs) of Okinawa ©Collection of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum
The entrance to the museum's permanent exhibition depicts the ino (Okinawan dialect for shallow sea surrounded by coral reefs) of Okinawa ©Collection of the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum

This Property is one of the few in the country that has both a museum and an art museum. The museum has a collection of 100,490 materials and 4,800 works of art (as of March 31, 2021), so extensive that it would take a full day to view all of the exhibits.
The museum's permanent exhibition consists of a general exhibit that provides a general overview of Okinawa's history and five departmental exhibits (natural history, archaeology, folklore, history, and arts and crafts). Once you visit the museum, your curiosity will be piqued and you will never want to leave.

Appreciate "Okinawa" as depicted and projected by diverse artists

Fumihiro Ishikawa and the Vietnam War
Fumihiro Ishikawa and the Vietnam War" held in the Collection Gallery (*Scheduled to end on January 23, 2022) ©Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum

The museum's collection of oil paintings, watercolors, photographs, sculptures, and videos by artists from Okinawa or related to Okinawa and other Asian countries are on display, and the exhibits change regularly. By viewing art after studying at the museum, one's perception of the artwork may change.

Local Guide Comment
The exhibitions change with the seasons and periods of the year, and workshops and backyard tours are held regularly, offering many ways to enjoy the museum. (*Check the website for details on how to participate in events)
©Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum
©Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum
Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum (Okimyu)
  • address (e.g. of house) 3-1-1 Omoromachi, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction 10 min. walk from "Omoromachi Station" of Yui Rail
  • Business hours Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays 9:00-18:00 (admission by 17:30)
    Friday, Saturday 9:00 - 20:00 (admission until 19:30)
  • Closed Mondays (If Monday is a national holiday, substitute holiday, or Memorial Day, the museum will be open on Monday and closed on the following weekday.)
    The museum is closed during the year-end and New Year holidays and for other maintenance.
  • Admission Fee Museum Permanent Exhibition: Adults 530 yen, High School and University Students 270 yen, Non-Prefectural Elementary and Junior High School Students 150 yen
    Museum Collection: Adults ¥400, Senior high school and University students ¥220, Children and Junior high school students outside of the prefecture ¥100
    Free admission for persons 70 years old and over, elementary school students in the prefecture, and disabled persons with a disability certificate and one caregiver (must present certificate).
  • TEL 098-941-8200
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

Nature, culture, and activities. A place where you can experience the charm of Okinawa

Enjoy the individuality of each store, such as cacti and paintings
Enjoy the individuality of each store, such as cacti and paintings

The spot is beautifully perched on a hill with a chalk building reminiscent of the Greek island of Santorini. The interior of the Property is based on the concept of a third place where visitors can experience the charms of Okinawa, and offers a variety of fun activities including a diving store, horseback riding, pottery and glass blowing experiences, relaxation, dining, shopping, and more.
Walking through each store is covered, so there is no need to worry even if it rains. The exterior walls are decorated with the individuality of the stores, and you can get an exotic and exciting feeling just by walking around.

A wide selection of yachimun (Okinawan traditional handicrafts) and many hands-on experiences

A wide variety of Yachimunun. Some are hard to find elsewhere.
A wide variety of Yachimunun. Some are hard to find elsewhere.

In addition to experiences and gourmet food, this is a great place to shop for Yachimun ("pottery" in the Okinawan dialect). The Okinawa Art Shop Yuntan, located inside the museum, holds a large-scale yachimun market once a year, and boasts one of the largest selection of yachimun in Okinawa Prefecture. After getting interested in the colorful yachimun, there is a workshop in the museum where you can actually experience yachimun.
If you get hungry after the experience, there are also delicious gourmet meals available, and you may find yourself staying all day. Since the museum is located just a short drive from HOSHINOYA Okinawa, why not spend a rainy day here to your heart's content?

Local Guide Comment
It takes about 5 minutes by car from HOSHINOYA Okinawa! Gala Blue Sea" is known for its view of the ocean, but in fact, the Property is so well equipped that it can be enjoyed even on rainy days.
Gala Blue Sea
  • Address 915 Aza-Takashiho, Yomitan-mura, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 60 minutes from Naha Airport by Car
  • Hours of Operation Please refer to the official website for the business hours of each tenant.
  • Closed Open all year round (closed on certain days depending on the store)
  • Admission Fee Free admission. Experience and eating/drinking vary depending on the store.
  • TEL 098-958-3940
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

Experience coral dyeing, which is only available here!

The popular coral dyeing experience (reservation required) is recommended to make your trip memorable!
The popular coral dyeing experience (reservation required) is recommended to make your trip memorable!

Located a 5-minute walk from Shurijo Castle, this dyeing studio was built on the site of the former Nakayama Gate, which served as the entrance to the Ryukyu Kingdom during the Ryukyu Dynasty era. Since its establishment in 1973 by a leading Japanese dyeing artist, it has been a place for cultural preservation and inheritance of Bingata dyeing.
Visitors can enjoy a one-of-a-kind dyeing experience (reservation required) using coral dyeing, a dyeing technique that combines coral fossils of various sizes and colorful dyes to create a design. This is a registered trademark and design, and can only be experienced and purchased here.

The only Bingata workshop in Okinawa that tourists can visit

Dyeing is done on the third floor using the shape of the Gassho-zukuri roof.
Dyeing is done on the third floor using the shape of the Gassho-zukuri roof.

The three-story building of Shuri-Ryusen houses exhibitions and sales on the first floor, coral dyeing experience on the second floor, and a dyeing studio on the third floor. It is known as the only Bingata workshop in Okinawa that tourists can visit.
In the workshop on the third floor, dyeing is done using the traditional Gassho-zukuri roof shape. Visitors can see a sophisticated scene of rows and rows of dyed products that the craftsmen have spent a lot of time creating. If you are lucky, you may be able to see them at work; products made on the third floor can be purchased at the store on the first floor, making it a great place to pick out a souvenir for yourself.

Local Guide Comment
Both adults and children can enjoy the dyeing studio. The coral dyeing experience is recommended as it is an easy way to have a one-of-a-kind dyeing experience.
Shuri Ryusome
  • Address 1-54 Shuriyamagawa-cho, Naha City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction 20 min. by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours 9:00-18:00
  • Closed No holidays
  • Admission Fee ［Coral Dyeing Experience] Adults 3,300 yen, Children 2,750 yen
  • TEL 098-886-1131
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.