Okinawa is Japan's southernmost prefecture and consists of a number of small islands which feature sub-tropical climates and stunning, sandy beaches. Car rental in Okinawa is an ideal way to explore this vibrant area, particularly Okinawa Island itself.
Visitors to Okinawa come for the sun, sea and sand. Guests will find a rich variety of marine life with warm waters ideal for swimming, surfing and snorkelling. The best beaches on Okinawa's main island include Manza, Emeral, Okuma, Sesoko and Kouri. However, if you're looking for more remote, crystalline beaches and diving spots, the islands of Zamami, Aka, Ishigaki, Miyako and Yonaguni are all worth a ferry ride and offer plenty of peaceful seaborne activities. These islands are the perfect de-stressors, with a slow, laid-back pace complete with good food, good weather and the islands' famed friendly hospitality.
Most visitors to Okinawa will stay at least some part of their time in Naha, the area's capital city. Naha has a long history relating to its Ryukyu heritage - the region was independent until Japanese annexation in the nineteenth century. A once aristocratic kingdom, Naha's biggest draw is Shuri Castle Park, the nation's former centre of court for 450 years and now a well-deserved World Heritage Site. Naha explorers can then take in the region's history at the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum, before doing as locals do and tucking into some of Japan's best regional cuisine and seafood. Naha is also famed for its pottery, so be sure to stop by Tsuboya Pottery Street and the nearby Tsuboya Pottery Museum
Okinawa was a brutal background to the conflict in the Second World War, where predominantly American and Japanese forces fought in the violent months leading up to the war's end. As such, Okinawa island has some very poignant and introspective memorials to its recent, bloody history. Taking your car rental in Okinawa to the southern areas of the island, you can explore the Himeyuri Peace Museum, a monument to 240 high-school students pressed into service and abandoned by the Japanese military. Near the museum, Okinawa's Peace Memorial Park pays tribute to the lives lost in the Battle of Okinawa and its effect on the island's population. America's postwar Occupation of Okinawa is also a subject of the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum, as — unlike the rest of Japan — Okinawa remained in American hands until 1972.
