Capes, caves and coves. Okinawa is a stunning island getaway of provincial charm, writes Angela Goh
“HAISAI!” I am welcomed with the Okinawan greeting on arrival in Japan for a beach holiday.
It may not be on most travellers’ beach bucket-list, but Okinawa’s coral reef-fringed islands can rival other beach hotspots in the Asia Pacific. This archipelago of 160 subtropical islands is a popular summer holiday escape for domestic tourists. Japan’s best beaches are here, luring beach lovers with its crystalline waters, while divers extol the remarkable underwater visibility and marine life.
To foreigners, Okinawa is renowned on other fronts — its long-living elderly inhabitants, the Battle of Okinawa in WWII (and it still makes the news for its dispute over the presence of US bases)
— rather than a beach-island destination. But compared to the world-famous Hawaii and the Maldives, Okinawa has a natural cachet: Proximity to coral reefs.
“The beaches in Hawaii seem dramatic because of the mountains and constant surf, but you need a boat to reach good snorkelling spots and the water is often silted because of the waves. Here, the reef is often near the shore and the water in the reef is usually calm,” says Kenny Ehman, who had lived in Hawaii before moving to Okinawa, where he authored the guidebook Okinawa Explorer.
And unlike Hawaii, there are still quiet beaches here, adds Ehman, whose mother is Okinawan.
Closer to Taipei than Tokyo, these specks of islands strung across the East China Sea was an autonomous kingdom known as Ryukyu before it was annexed by Japan in 1879. Okinawans speak a distinctive language, which coupled with local beliefs and traditions influence their culture and cuisine, setting them quite apart from the rest of Japan.
SUBLIME SEASCAPES
Exploring the main island, also called Okinawa, I am well-advised by locals to venture northwards of the capital Naha, for lovely beaches.
“The west coast from Onna to Cape Hedo offers the best of Okinawa’s beaches. The best beach resorts are also here,” confirms Ehman.
As I make my way along Onna’s coast, I can see why; it is lined with stunning beaches lapped by aquamarine waters against a backdrop studded with dramatic capes and coves.
Best Western Onna Beach is my pick for its scenic location and value. An appealing feature of this hotel is its sister property located further up the coast. The three-storey hotel dominates a secluded cove of mellow waters dotted with rocky outcrops.
From here, it’s a five-minute drive to Cape Maeda, famed for the breath-taking experience of diving through the Blue Cave. This underwater cavern radiates with shafts of luminous blue light stemming from the sun’s rays reflected off the white limestone base. Iconic Cape Manza with coral reef lining its shores is nearby too.
“I love the beaches in Onna for the water clarity and rich marine life, particularly in Maeda where I live. I have not been to many places where you can swim out to the reef or walk there during low tide. It is incredibly beautiful,” says Ehman, as he shows me a cove backed by craggy cliffs near Cape Maeda.
Moving northwards to Nago, I check in to Best Western Kouki Beach, overlooking a long stretch of copper-coloured beach lapped by varying shades of deep blue and aquamarine waters. Here, only the soothing sound of waves reverberates through my ocean-front guestroom. The water is so clear that schools of fish shimmering in the morning sun can be spotted from eight storeys high.
This location is also desirable as less time is spent getting to attractions in the north, such as Churaumi Aquarium, which is only a 40-minute drive from this hotel. One of the largest aquariums in the world, the show stealers here are the oceans’ graceful giants, the whale sharks and manta rays.
Arrive before 9am to beat the crowds, especially at the whale shark section known as the Kuroshio Sea (named after a warm current off the coast of Okinawa) where you can observe from three different angles; from the main viewing section, under a glass dome in the Aqua Room and while dining at the Ocean Blue Cafe.
Even more ravishing beaches await at offshore islands, several of which are connected by bridges to the main island. Among the best and most convenient is Sesoko Island, endowed with clear
cobalt waters, a 10-minute drive from Churaumi.
I prefer Sesoko for its magnificent waters and quaint island village feel but more tourists are drawn to the family-oriented Kouri Island further away.
HOME VISIT
Getting to know the laidback Okinawans is made easy with a half-day home visit programme in Yomitan, a township neighbouring Onna. Hiromitsu and Keiko Teruya offer visitors a sunny outlook of island life.
Keiko picks me up in a shiny, spruced up vintage Volkswagen van, or so I thought until I notice “Toyota” emblazoned on the steering wheel. This is the handiwork of her car enthusiast husband and son, she says in halting English and we burst into laughter, as the retrofitted 25-year-old “classic” makes headway with Chinese music playing in the background (she recently completed a mask-changing opera course in Beijing).
Keiko may be in her 60s and a mother of adult children, but she has the spritely disposition of a younger person. This taiko drum teacher also has a knack for flamenco.
Cheerful Hiromitsu finds more pleasure in tending to the family’s sugar cane field after retiring as an engineer at a US base. The sugar cane is processed into healthy black sugar, an Okinawan specialty.
While Keiko cooks her son, Ryota, a sanshin player, shows me how to pluck the three-stringed instrument which is akin to the Chinese erhu. This is one of the many traces of Chinese influence in Okinawan culture. Okinawans also commemorate Chinese New Year and their ancient castles bear the characteristics of Chinese architecture.
Tucking into Keiko’s homemade lunch, I ask Ryota about the latest on Okinawa’s famed longevity trait. “Okinawans are not the longest living in Japan anymore because we eat a lot of fast food,” chuckles the 30-something entrepreneur, whose grandparents are in their 90s. His mother, a fan of fast food chain burgers, nods in agreement.
DOWNTOWN NAHA
The city can be covered in a day, starting at the Makishi Public Market for a snapshot of daily life and to delve into Okinawa’s food culture. This lively hub offers everything from perishables to the local version of the Hawaiian shirts called Kariyushi. Feast your eyes on the riot of vivid coloured reef fish on sale alongside a variety of giant well-armoured shellfish.
Many come for the market-to-table fresh dishes served upstairs where restaurants will cook items bought from the market. This is also a one-stop place to taste the local cuisine that’s very distinct from typical Japanese fare. Okinawan soba is chewy and served in clear, hot soup (different from the cold version served in mainland Japan).
There’s goat meat sashimi and seaweed called sea-grapes, resembling tiny grapes. Try eating these sea-grapes in short strands and with slow mindful precision, burst the pods to release its ocean-tasting juice. A culinary concoction called taco rice (rice topped with spiced ground beef, cheese and salsa) is a result of the US military presence.
Close to Makishi is Kokusai Street, a 1.6km dining and shopping strip where you can stock up on souvenirs, including unique Ryukyu glassware. For traditional pottery, head for nearby Yachimun Street, the birthplace of Okinawan pottery.
But the best souvenir for me is the warm friendship forged with the vivacious Okinawans.
TRAVEL FILE
Where to stay
There are two Best Western Hotels on the island.
Guestrooms at both hotels are exceptionally spacious by Japanese standard, well-equipped and with balconies. Each hotel has a restaurant which serves five-star quality sumptuous breakfast and dinner buffets.
BEST WESTERN OKINAWA ONNA BEACH
Website bestwestern-onna.net/en
Email onna@bwhotels.jp
Stay49 seaview rooms with kitchenette in deluxe rooms.
High Secluded beach, outdoor pool.
Low Parking is charged.
BEST WESTERN OKINAWA KOUKI BEACH
Website bestwestern-kouki.net/en/
Email kouki@bwhotels.jp
Stay64 seaview rooms, each with a balcony and free WiFi.
HighBeach with watersports. Free parking. Family Mart next door.
Low Farther from the airport
HOW TO GET THERE
JETSTAR (www.jetstar.com) flies to Okinawa four times weekly (Mon, Thu, Fri and Sun) from Singapore with up to six daily connecting flights to Kuala Lumpur.
HOW TO GET AROUND
Naha Airport is a 30-minute monorail ride to the city centre. Relying on public transport is not as easy as on mainland Japan. Renting a car is recommended.
BEST TIME TO VISIT
Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to December), avoiding the summer rainy season.
Beware of typhoons (July to September) and jellyfish (June to October). Best for swimming mid-April to May.
USEFUL CONTACT
Home visit or homestay (meetlocal.okinawa/en/).
Muslim-friendly tours (info@churamura.com)
Pictures by Angela Goh