I want to have fun with my children! 8 family-friendly sightseeing spots in Okinawa
Okinawa, one of the best tropical resorts in Japan, is full of places that adults and small children can enjoy together. Why not create unforgettable memories with your children by interacting with plants and animals that thrive in the unique climate, enjoying cool sweets to be enjoyed in the tropics, or having a unique manufacturing Experience? Here are 8 recommended spots where you can enjoy unique experiences unique to Okinawa with your children.
1Blue Seal Ice Park
Enjoy ice cream in a cute fairyland-like space
This experience-based museum allows visitors to enjoy original ice cream bar decorating while learning about the history of Blue Seal, Okinawa's classic ice cream store. In addition to the Experience, visitors can actually observe the ice cream making process and take pictures using a photo machine with an original frame exclusively for Blue Seal.
The Blue Seal main store is also located here, so of course you can also enjoy shopping. Original picture books and children's clothing are also available, and we recommend choosing memorable items with your children.
Experience the world's one and only ice cream bar decorating
A must-do experience when you come here is the one-of-a-kind ice cream bar decoration. The process is very simple: choose the shape of the ice cream bar, flavor, coating chocolate color, and the color of the drawing chocolate pen. Next, five of the 12 toppings are placed on a tray, and based on the tray, the design of the original ice cream is roughly drawn out on a piece of paper, and then the ice cream is actually decorated.
The price of 1,800 yen, which includes an original ice cream bag and the experience of being in a -20°C freezer, is also very reasonable. This is an experience that children and adults alike will be enthralled by.
- Blue Seal Ice Park
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5-5-6 Makiminato, Urasoe City, Okinawa MAP
30 minutes drive from Naha Airport
9:00-18:00 (last admission 17:00)
None
Admission free, Ice bar making experience: 1,800 yen
098-988-4535
Yes (free of charge)
2Tomarin
Gourmet foods and souvenirs for bridging to remote islands
The complex terminal building at Tomari Port. From the port, ships depart from and arrive at the islands of Tokashiki, Zamami, Akashima, Aguni, Tonaki, Kume, Minami Daito, and Kita Daito.
Inside the building, there is a ticket office for each route, as well as a convenience store that sells Okinawa's unique awamori and light meals, a box lunch stand, Okinawan restaurants and cafes, and an event deck adjacent to the building, where you can enjoy an event if the timing is right.
Traveling to remote islands by boat or forklift
The sight of many ships coming and going, cargo, and the forklifts that transport them are all exciting situations for children who love vehicles. You can enjoy watching the scene, or of course, go out to a remote island.
Some remote islands can be reached with a 30-minute boat ride, so why not take a day trip while enjoying the scenery and splashing water from a boat in an easygoing manner? There is also a green space (small park) with a large lawn next to Tomarin, so we recommend buying a packed lunch and enjoying a picnic.
3Senagashima Underwater Road
About 7 minutes drive from Naha Airport! Bridge to Senaga Island
The road leading to Senaga Island, a remote island accessible by car near Naha Airport. It is a perfect spot for a drive with beautiful ocean views on both sides of the road.
After crossing the road, Senaga Island is home to the Senaga Island Umikazi Terrace, a Property where you can enjoy stores, restaurants, and sweets, Sunset Park, which, as its name suggests, offers a beautiful sunset view, and the Ryukyu Onsen Senaga Island Hotel, one of Okinawa's leading resort hotels with a hot spring, where you can enjoy the whole day! The "Sunset Park" offers a beautiful view of the sunset.
A spectacular spot where you can watch airplanes take off and land up close.
The island is also famous for its close proximity to airplane takeoffs and landings. Many people gather here to watch planes take off and land, some standing idly looking out at the ocean and others holding large cameras in their hands, hoping to catch a glimpse of the moment when the planes make a loud noise and take off in a powerful flight.
Of course, children who love airplanes are also very excited! If your timing is good, you may even be able to experience the roar of the Air Self-Defense Force's F-14 scramble. Since it is close to Naha Airport, it might be a good idea to visit before you leave and tell your children that they are about to board that plane.
- Senaga Island Underwater Road
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- Secho, Toyomigusuku City, Okinawa MAP
- Approximately 7 minutes from Naha Airport by car
- 098-850-0024（Toyomigusuku City Hall)
4DMM Kariyushi Aquarium
A new type of entertainment aquarium where images and reality are woven together.
The aquarium is a new entertainment aquarium that makes full use of the latest visual expression and spatial presentation. As soon as visitors enter the aquarium, a 3-minute video is shown on a large multi-sided screen. After enjoying the beauty of the latest images that recreate the beauty of Okinawa as time passes by, visitors can immediately take a walk around the aquarium.
Children will surely be excited by the new sensation of the aquarium, which combines real creatures and spatial presentation with images and sounds. Experience the freshness of Okinawa, where rare creatures and creative expressions are fused together.
A time to feel the charm of both the sea and the forest with all five senses.
The first and second floors of the aquarium are divided into two sections: the first floor is a "crystal clear sea teeming with a variety of creatures" and the second floor is an "evergreen forest woven by a subtropical climate. 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.
The museum, which focuses on an extraordinary space, does not have a bulletin board for explanations of the exhibited creatures. Instead of a bulletin board, visitors can check explanations of the creatures and a floor map from the official app downloaded before entering the museum, allowing visitors to enjoy the explanations according to their own preferences. Parents downloading the app and teaching it to their children is also a funny sight.
- DMM Kariyushi Aquarium
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- 3-35 Toyosaki, Toyomigusuku City, Okinawa MAP
- 20 min. by car from Naha Airport
- 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. - Open every day (with temporary closures due to Property inspections, etc.)
- 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 - Yes (on the premises of "EAS Okinawa Toyosaki")
EAS Okinawa Toyosaki
Business hours: Shop 10:00-21:00, Restaurant & Cafe 11:00-23:00
Tel: 098-840-6900
5Experience Kingdom Murasakimura
Active or leisurely. You are sure to find an Experience that suits your personality.
This Experience spot is a recreation of a gorgeous Ryukyu Dynasty townscape on a 15,000-tsubo site. Originally used as an open studio for the NHK historical drama "Winds of Ryukyu," the Property was later turned into a tourist facility when it was transferred to Yomitan Village.
On the premises, visitors can experience traditional crafts such as pottery, Ryukyu glass, and Bingata, coloring of seersucker, and indigo dyeing, as well as a wide variety of experiences such as marine sports, horseback riding, and sugar cane harvesting. You are sure to find an Experience that suits your child's age and personality.
Winter-only events are available to enhance the festive atmosphere!
Another highlight is the Ryukyu Lantern Festival held every winter. During the festival, the grounds are brightly decorated with countless lanterns, creating a breathtaking spectacle. A photo of your child illuminated by the beautiful lanterns is a memorable moment that can only be captured at this time. A photo contest will be held, so it will be fun to submit your best photos.
Other attractions include a "Night Lantern Stage" with performers, light and sound projection mapping, and a café to satisfy children's curiosity.
- Experience Kingdom Murasakimura
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- 1020-1 Aza Takashiho, Yomitan-mura, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
- Approx. 63 min. from Naha Airport by Car
- 9:00-17:30
Restaurant Taiki: Lunch buffet 11:00-15:00, Dinner buffet 18:00-22:00 - None
- Adults 1,000 yen, junior high and high school students 500 yen, elementary school students 400 yen, free for infants
- 098-958-1111
- Free of charge
6Okinawa Kodomo no Kuni
A zoo where you can meet 150 kinds of animals
This is the southernmost zoo in Japan, where you can see animals that can only be found in the Ryukyu Islands, such as Yakushima monkeys and Ryukyu dogs. You can meet about 150 kinds of animals, from large animals such as the powerful elephants, giraffes, and hippopotamuses to small animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs.
Visitors can also enjoy feeding guinea pigs, sheep, and island goats, as well as experience horseback riding. Migratory birds typical of the tropics and amphibians and reptiles such as frogs, lizards, and snakes are also on display, so visitors can enjoy encounters with many animals.
Okinawa's only Children's Museum that expands children's potential
Based on the concept that "understanding and creation begin with surprise," the Wonder Museum, Okinawa's first children's museum, allows children to discover wonders and surprises on their own. The museum offers a variety of hands-on experiences based on the themes of science, art, and philosophy, nurturing imagination, awareness, and curiosity.
Workshops and events are held regularly, so it is recommended to check before you visit. By the time you leave the museum, you may be able to see your child's face peeled off.
- Okinawa Children's Country
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- 5-7-1 Goya, Okinawa City, Okinawa MAP
- Approx. 65 min. from Naha Airport by Car
- April-September: 9:30-18:00 (admission until 17:00)
October - March: 9:30 - 17:30 (admission until 16:30) - Tuesdays, December 30 and 31, and January 1
Open on Tuesdays during G.W., spring, summer, and winter vacations. - Adults 500 yen, junior high and high school students 200 yen, elementary school students from 4 years old to 100 yen, toddlers (up to 3 years old) free
- 098-933-4190
- Available
7Gala Blue Sea
An exotic spot overlooking the blue ocean
Located on a hill overlooking the ocean, the Property is a beautifully towering white building reminiscent of the Greek island of Santorini. The interior of the building 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.
The exterior walls of each store are decorated with the personality of the store, and visitors can experience the exciting feeling of exoticism just by walking around.
A place where you can also enjoy the nature typical of Okinawa, such as the sky and fields
The expansive grounds offer an intimate space to relax and enjoy a wide lawn, beach, and field where you can also enjoy a picnic. It also has a reputation for beautiful sunsets. Many people visit at sunset to watch the sky and ocean slowly turn from a refreshing blue to orange.
The vast site is also used to hold regular events, and the "Yachimun Market" held every year on the first Saturday and Sunday in November is so popular that the vast site is overflowing with cars.
- Gala Blue Sea
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- 915 Aza-Takashiho, Yomitan-mura, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
- Approximately 60 minutes from Naha Airport by Car
- Please refer to the official website for the business hours of each tenant.
- Open all year round (closed on certain days depending on the store)
- Free admission. Experience and eating/drinking vary depending on the store.
- 098-958-3940
- Yes (free of charge)
8Gokashi-Goden Yomitan Honten
The exquisite homemade sweets at a popular souvenir store
This souvenir store offers a wide range of products made with Okinawan products, including the "Ganso Beniimo Tart," which has won the Monde Selection gold medal for six consecutive years. While maintaining the unchanged taste of the original Beniimo Tart, which was created in 1986, we are developing new Beniimo products one after another that are free of coloring and preservatives.
Although Gokashi-Goden has a strong image as a souvenir shop, it actually started out as a cake store and also sells handmade sweets at its stores. It is a privilege to be able to taste Gokashi-Goden as a long-established sweets store only if you visit on a trip.
A factory tour where you can see the process of making red sweet potato tarts up close.
In addition to enjoying shopping from about 300 different products, including cakes, there is also a tour perfect for children. At the main Yomitan store, visitors can see up close the production process of red potato tarts and almond chocolate sandwiches. It is like magic to see the sweets arranged evenly and carried one after another and packaged by the originally developed equipment. The adorable children's eyes are glued to the candy, and even the adults who watch over them can't help but smile.
If you make a reservation in advance, you can tour the factory and receive a free explanation of the process, which is highly recommended.
- Gokashi-Goten Yomitan Main Store
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- 657-1 Uza, Yomitan-mura, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
- Approx. 55 min. by car from Naha Airport
- 9:00-18:00
- No holidays
- 098-958-7333
- Free of charge
MAP
- Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Local Guide who was in charge of this article
- Yasuhiro Kobayashi Entertainer full of smiles
Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
Yomitan, Okinawa- HOSHINOYA Okinawa
- A luxury resort along one of the best coastlines in Okinawa. Guest rooms all have ocean front desks and offer a spectacular view of the horizon.
Naha City, Okinawa- OMO5 Okinawa Naha by Hoshino Resorts
- Conveniently located within walking distance to Kokusai-dori Street. You can enjoy the tropical atmosphere of Naha to the fullest.
Onna Village, Okinawa- BEB Okinawa Seragaki by Hoshino Resorts
- Guest rooms with open-air swimming pools and comfortable kitchens and balconies are available for a relaxing stay.