Okinawa for a first trip: Yui Rail, car or no car, Churaumi, Shuri Castle and the islands

Okinawa at a glance

Fares from Yui Rail, the Yanbaru Express Bus (timetable from 1 November 2025) and Zamami Village; flight times from Okinawa’s official tourism bureau. Checked 24 October 2026.

Naha Airport by Yui Rail

The Yui Rail monorail starts at Naha Airport Station, next to the terminal, and crosses Naha to Shuri and on to Tedako-Uranishi.

Yui Rail fares and times from Naha Airport, checked 24 October 2026. Children pay half (for example ¥150 to Kencho-mae).

• Paying: Suica, PASMO, ICOCA and the other national IC cards work, including on phones, as do contactless credit cards touched at the gate. Yui Rail also sells paper QR tickets and its own OKICA card. Bringing a Suica from Tokyo? See IC cards in Japan.
• Passes: a 1-day pass is ¥1,000 for 24 hours and a 2-day pass ¥1,800 for 48 hours (children ¥500 / ¥900). Showing one gets discounts at some sights, including Shuri Castle. It pays off once your rides top ¥1,000: airport to Shuri and back is ¥720, so one more ride does it.
• Bags: coin lockers at Naha Airport Station cost ¥600.

Flying in from abroad? Do Visit Japan Web before you land. Leaving from Naha after shopping? Naha Airport is covered in how the tax refund works at the airport.

Rent a car or not?

Our suggestion: skip the car for Naha and Shuri, where the monorail is quicker than parking. Rent one for the north (Churaumi, Motobu, the Yanbaru forest) or for Miyako and Ishigaki, or use the express bus or a tour.

What you need to drive

• An International Driving Permit under the 1949 Geneva Convention, the paper booklet. The National Police Agency says a digital permit on your phone is not accepted, and permits in other formats aren’t valid in Japan. Carry the original, with your passport and home licence.
• Or, for licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan (countries that don’t issue Geneva permits), the licence with an official Japanese translation from the issuing authority or its embassy or consulate in Japan, JAF, ADAC (German licences) or the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association (Taiwanese licences).
• How long: up to one year from the day you land, or until the permit expires (one year after issue), whichever comes first.

Driving in Okinawa

• Left-hand traffic, in right-hand-drive cars. Everyone wears a seat belt; children under 6 need a child seat (rental companies supply them).
• Zero alcohol, including what’s left in your system the next morning, and no phone in your hand.
• Expressway limit 80 km/h. Ask for an ETC card with the car so tolls are paid as you drive through.
• Bus lanes are for buses and taxis during weekday morning and evening rush hours.
• Roads are slippery after rain: the asphalt contains limestone. About 80% of accidents happen in car parks, and many coin car parks lock your wheels with a plate until you pay.
• Any accident: stay at the scene and call 110 (119 if anyone is hurt), then the rental company.

Churaumi Aquarium

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is in Ocean Expo Park on the Motobu Peninsula, in the north of the main island.

• Hours: 8:30–18:30, last entry 17:30.
• Admission: adults ¥2,180, high school ¥1,440, primary and junior high ¥710, under 6 free. These come from the aquarium’s official fee page, which was under maintenance on 24 October 2026; confirm at the counter. Entry to Ocean Expo Park itself is free.
• Wednesdays: since 1 July 2026 Ocean Expo Park has been trialling partial opening on Wednesdays (the next weekday if Wednesday is a holiday). The aquarium stays open; some other park facilities close.
• Without a car: the Yanbaru Express Bus runs from Naha Airport (platform 1) to Kinen Koen-mae, the park’s main gate, for ¥2,000 (children half), about 2 hours 15 minutes; for example 10:10 → 12:25. Departures include 10:10, 11:30, 12:30 and 14:10; check the timetable for your day.

Shuri Castle: the reopening

Shuri Castle, the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom above Naha, lost its main hall (the Seiden) and other buildings in a fire in 2019. The rebuilt Seiden is nearly ready.

• Public opening: 23 November 2026, from 12:00. That morning’s opening ceremony is by invitation only; the free area stays closed until 11:15 and the paid area until 12:00.
• Timed tickets for inside the Seiden: book a 30-minute slot online (up to 9 people per booking). It costs nothing on top of admission, but everyone needs one, including those who get in free; preschool children don’t. Slots for 23 November to 31 December went on sale on 1 September and 1 October; for visits from 1 January 2027, they go on sale at 13:00 on the 1st of the month two months before (for March, on 1 January). Unsold slots are sold on the day, up to 15 minutes before each slot, online or at the Kofukumon counter. The rest of the paid area needs no booking.
• Admission rises: until 21 November 2026, adults ¥400; from 23 November 2026, adults ¥1,000, high school ¥760, primary and junior high ¥370, under 6 free.
• Hours: free area 8:00–19:30; paid area 8:30–19:00, last entry 18:30.
• Still to come: the North Hall, South Hall and the Una courtyard will be restored in stages after the Seiden opens.
• Getting there: Shuri Station on the Yui Rail, then about 15 minutes on foot (or bus 7 or 8, about 5 minutes).

From the Okinawa Churashima Foundation’s press release of 14 August 2026, Okinawa Prefecture’s of 31 July 2026 and the Shuri Castle Park site. Group Seiden bookings are not taken from 23 November to 6 December 2026, a sign of how busy the first weeks will be: book early.

Kerama, Miyako and Ishigaki

Kerama Islands: a day or a night from Naha

Zamami and Aka are the islands most visitors go to, by boat from Tomari Port in Naha (about 10 minutes on foot from Miebashi Station).

Zamami Village fares, checked 24 October 2026, plus a ¥100 island tax. Tickets are issued on the day at the port; bookings open a month ahead by phone and 55 days ahead online, and are worth making in summer and on holidays. In winter the Kerama Islands are known for humpback whale watching.

Miyako: bridges and beaches

Miyako is reached only by air: about 50 minutes from Naha, with direct flights from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Bridges link it to Irabu (the 3,540 m Irabu Bridge, the longest toll-free bridge in Japan), Shimoji, Ikema and Kurima, and Yonaha Maehama Beach runs for 7 km. It is a place to drive.

Ishigaki: the Yaeyama gateway

Ishigaki is about an hour from Naha by air, with direct flights from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka, and is the gateway to the other Yaeyama Islands. At Kabira Bay, swimming and snorkelling from the beach are not allowed; see it by glass-bottom boat. Maesato Beach has lifeguards. Manta rays are best seen from July to mid-October.

Best season and typhoons

From Okinawa’s official tourism bureau. Okinawa’s cherries bloom months before the mainland’s; see cherry blossom and autumn leaves dates for the rest of Japan, and the best time to visit Japan for every region month by month.

If a typhoon comes: flights may be cancelled, ferries are often suspended for longer than flights, and buses and the monorail may stop. Leave a spare day before an international flight home in typhoon season, and keep island trips flexible. Our suggestion for a first beach trip: April to early May, or October, which avoid both the rainy season and the peak typhoon months.

Beaches and the sea

• Swim at managed beaches, inside the nets where there are any, and with lifeguards where possible.
• Habu jellyfish: Okinawa Prefecture issues a habu jellyfish advisory for the summer (in 2026, 1 June to 30 September). Swim inside the jellyfish nets, cover your skin, and carry vinegar: if stung, leave the water calmly, pour vinegar on the sting, and get medical help.
• Snorkelling: a boat trip to the Kerama Islands is the classic day from Naha.

When a tour helps

• Churaumi and the north without a car: the express bus works for the aquarium alone; a day tour can add other northern sights on the same day without you driving.
• Snorkelling and diving: a boat trip includes gear, a guide and the crossing, which matters if you’re not a strong swimmer.
• Not worth it for Naha, Kokusai-dori or Shuri Castle: the Yui Rail does it all.

Check the pickup point, what is included, and the operator’s weather policy: boat trips are the first thing cancelled when the wind picks up.

Quick answers

How do I get from Naha Airport to Kokusai-dori?

Take the Yui Rail monorail from Naha Airport Station to Kencho-mae (13 minutes, ¥290) or Makishi (16 minutes, ¥320); the two stations sit at either end of Kokusai-dori. Suica and the other national IC cards and contactless credit cards work at the gates.

Do I need a car in Okinawa?

Not for Naha and Shuri Castle, which the Yui Rail covers. For the north (Churaumi Aquarium, Motobu) a car is the most flexible, but the Yanbaru Express Bus runs from Naha Airport to the aquarium (¥2,000, about 2 hr 15 min), and day tours cover it too. To drive you need a 1949 Geneva Convention International Driving Permit, or an official Japanese translation for Swiss, German, French, Belgian, Monegasque or Taiwanese licences. Japan drives on the left.

When does Shuri Castle reopen?

The rebuilt main hall (Seiden), lost in the 2019 fire, opens to the public from 12:00 on 23 November 2026. To go inside you book a 30-minute time slot online; it costs nothing extra. From 23 November 2026 adult admission to the paid area rises from ¥400 to ¥1,000. The other main buildings will be restored in stages after that.

How much is Churaumi Aquarium?

Adults ¥2,180 (high school ¥1,440, primary and junior high ¥710, under 6 free), from the aquarium’s fee page; that page was under maintenance when we checked on 24 October 2026, so confirm at the ticket counter. Hours are 8:30 to 18:30, last entry 17:30.

When is typhoon season in Okinawa?

There is a chance of typhoons from June through September, says Okinawa’s official tourism bureau, and the rainy season is typically mid-May to late June. During a typhoon flights can be cancelled, ferries are often suspended for longer, and buses and the monorail may stop.

How do I get to the Kerama Islands?

By boat from Tomari Port in Naha, about 10 minutes’ walk from Miebashi Station. The Queen Zamami high-speed boat takes 50 to 70 minutes (¥3,950 one way, ¥7,510 return); Ferry Zamami takes about 2 hours to Zamami and 1 hour 30 minutes to Aka (¥2,900 one way). Book ahead in summer and on holidays.

Fitting Okinawa into a longer trip? Our 7, 10 or 14-day routes show where a flight south fits, and the trip planner turns your dates into a to-do list. Your phone needs data for the monorail QR tickets and maps; see the best eSIM for Japan.

Sources

Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.

1. Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail): Fares and journey times from Naha Airport Station
   Railway operator.
2. Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail): 1-day and 2-day passes
   Railway operator.
3. Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail): Using Suica and other national IC cards
   Railway operator.
4. Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail): Ticket types: QR tickets, OKICA, contactless credit cards
   Railway operator.
5. National Police Agency: For holders of foreign driver’s licences: how to drive in Japan (PDF, as of 1 Apr 2026)
6. National Police Agency: Q&A on International Driving Permits: format, digital copies, vehicle types (PDF)
7. Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Okinawa): Rental vehicles in Okinawa: driving rules and tips
   Official prefectural tourism body.
8. Okinawa Churashima Foundation: Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium: opening hours and admission
   Official aquarium site; its fee page was under maintenance on 24 Oct 2026.
9. Okinawa Churashima Foundation: Ocean Expo Park: partial-opening Wednesdays trial from 1 July 2026 (the aquarium stays open)
   Official park site.
10. Yanbaru Express Bus: Timetable and fares, Naha Airport–Ocean Expo Park (PDF, from 1 Nov 2025)
    Bus operator.
11. Okinawa Churashima Foundation: Shuri Castle Seiden public opening on 23 Nov 2026, timed reservations and new admission fees (press release, Japanese)
    Runs Shuri Castle Park for the national government.
12. Okinawa Prefecture: Seiden opening ceremony and public opening hours on 23 Nov 2026 (press release PDF, 31 Jul 2026, Japanese)
13. Okinawa Churashima Foundation: Shuri Castle Park: opening hours and admission
    Official park site.
14. Zamami Village: Ferry and high-speed boat timetable and fares (Japanese)
    Village office, which runs the boats.
15. Zamami Village Tourism Association: Getting to Zamami: boats from Tomari Port and booking
    Official village tourism body.
16. Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Okinawa): Miyako Island: access, bridges and beaches
    Official prefectural tourism body.
17. Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Okinawa): Ishigaki Island: access, Kabira Bay and beaches
    Official prefectural tourism body.
18. Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Okinawa): When to visit: climate, seasons, rainy season, sea temperature
    Official prefectural tourism body.
19. Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Okinawa): Typhoon precautions in Okinawa
    Official prefectural tourism body.
20. Okinawa Prefecture: Habu jellyfish outbreak advisory, 1 June–30 September 2026 (PDF)

General information. Fares, timetables, admission fees, reservation rules and driving rules change; the operators’ and authorities’ own pages are always right. JapanBenri is not affiliated with any of the operators named here.