Okinawa Trip without Car: Part 1: Fly to Okinawa

那覇空港 アイキャッチ画像

[Introduction]

I traveled to Okinawa for four days and three nights. This time, I visited Okinawa Main Island, mainly Naha area. My concern was that I don’t drive, which might make my trip difficult, but I enjoyed the trip very much by using monorail and taking bus tours. In this article, I will write about flight to Okinawa as part of Day 1.

[Visit Places (series of articles)]
* Day 1: Fly to Okinawa [This article]
* Day 1: Surijo Castle Park
* Day 1: Surijo Castle Park (Light-up)
* Day 2: Naminoue Beach & Fukushuen Garden & Shikinaen Garden
* Day 2: Kokusai Street
* Day 2: Kokusai Street (Night Walk)
* Day 3: Kouri Island
* Day 3: Churaumi Aquarium
* Day 3: Busena Marine Park
* Day 3: Mihama American Village
* Day 4: Sefa-utaki & Mibaru Beach & Himeyuri Peace Museum
* Day 4: Ashibinaa & Chura Sun Beach
* Day 4: Senagajima Umikaji Terrace & Return Home

[Travel Date]
2017.07.01-04

[Main Part]

It has been three weeks since I posted the previous article about Taipei trip and now I will start a new series. I went to Okinawa for four days and three nights from July 1st to 4th. Although Okinawa had been one of the tourists destinations I would like to visit for a long time, I postponed visiting Okinawa. As I don’t drive, I was worried that I would have some difficulties in going around Okinawa without a rental car. When I did some research, however, I found I would be able to enjoy Okinawa if I mainly went around Naha city and took bus tours. So, I decided to visit Okinawa.

Haneda Airport

I arrived at Haneda Airport. I just found several cars of Mercedes-Benz were displayed on the first basement floor.Haneda Airport Mercedes-Benz1

Haneda Airport Mercedes-Benz2

This was the departure lobby on the second floor.Haneda Airport departure lobby1

It was before the summer vacation season, but there were more travelers than I expected.Haneda Airport departure lobby2

Going to departure gate.Haneda Airport departure gate1

The departure time of my flight to Okinawa was11:30 a.m.Haneda Airport Okinawa

Haneda Airport departure gate2

Naha Airport

I flew to Okinawa.ANA

The flight was around noon, so I bought a small lunch box at Haneda Airport and ate it on the plane.寿徳庵 ひとくちおこわ

After one and a half hour, I reached Naha Airport. It was sunny.Naha Airport1

The aircraft.ANA 機体

There was a logo about Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020.ANA 東京オリンピック

The arrival lobby at Naha Airport.Naha Airport2

Naha Airport3

Other snaps at the airport.Naha Airport4

Naha Airport5

After I passed the arrival hall, I stopped by a stall of pork egg rice balls.ポークたまごおにぎり1

I bought a pork egg rice ball with Okinawa Tofu.ポークたまごおにぎり2

Go to Central Area of Naha City by Monorail

I moved to Naha Airport station to ride a monorail.Naha Airport Monorail1

Here is a monorail of Naha (“Yui Rail”).Naha Airport Monorail2

View from the platform.Naha Airport Monorail3

I will go to the central area of Naha city by the monorail.Naha Airport Monorail4

After ten minutes ride, I got off at the Prefectural Office Station. Then, I moved to Hotel Rocore Naha to check in.Hotel Rocore Naha1

I chose Hotel Rocore Naha for my Okinawa trip for the following two reasons. First, the hotel is located near the Prefectural Office Station, which is the central area of Naha city. Second, the hotel is famous for its breakfast – the hotel has been chosen as the “best breakfast hotel” in Okinawa for three years running by TripAdvisor. I will write about breakfast of Hotel Rocore Naha in another article.

Lobby of Hotel Rocore NahaHotel Rocore Naha2

After checking in the hotel, I took snap photos of Kokusai street where the hotel was locatedNaha Kokusai Street1

Naha Kokusai Street2

Naha Kokusai Street3

Kokusai street is the main street of Naha city and I will go around it on the second day afternoon

The first destination of my Okinawa trip was Surijo Castle Park and I returned to the Prefectural Office Station to move there. Here is a photo outside the station.Naha Monorail1

View from the platform.Naha Monorail2

I took a monorail to move to Shuri station.Naha Monorail3

[Closing]

That’s it for the article about flight to Okinawa as part of Day 1 of my Okinawa trip.

When I took the monorail from the airport, I felt as if I visited a country other than Japan, as Okinawa has different atmosphere compared with other areas in Japan 🙂

In the next article, I will write about Shurijo Castle Park as part of Day 1.

[Map]

[Related Link]
Visit Okinawa Japan – Official Travel and Tourism Information
Okinawa Labo
Naha Airport
Okinawa Urban Monorail
Hotel Rocore Naha

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4 Comments

  1. Hotel Rocore Naha is fully booked for the period I wish to travel to Okinawa…

    Any other good hotel within walking distance to train/bus station that you can recommend?

    Thanks!

    1. Hi Bo, thank you for your comment.

      If you want to stay near monorail station, I would recommend either “Prefectural Office”, “Miebashi” or “Makishi”, as these stations are located near “Kokusai-dori Street”, the main street in Central Naha area.

      As far as I made a quick research, the following hotels seem to be good:

      (1) around “Prefectural Office” station
      * Comfort Hotel Naha Prefectural Office ( https://www.choicehotels.com/japan/naha/comfort-inn-hotels/jp070 )
      * Hotel Gracery Naha ( https://naha.gracery.com/ )
      * Nishitetsu Resort Inn Naha ( https://inn-naha.nishitetsu-hotels.com/en-gb )

      (2) around “Miebashi” station
      * Hotel JAL City Naha ( https://www.naha.jalcity.co.jp/en/ )

      (3) around “Makishi” station
      * Daiwa Roynet Hotel Okinawa-Kenchomae ( https://www.daiwaroynethotelokinawakenchomae.com/en-gb )

      I hope my reply will be of some help. Anyway, please enjoy your Okinawa trip 🙂

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