Regions & prefectures
JapanRegions & prefectures
Okinawa
A former independent kingdom a thousand kilometres south, with its own language, music and food.
- Capital
- Naha
- Status
- Prefecture
- Region
- Kyūshū and Okinawa
- Must-see
- Shuri castle, seat of the Ryūkyū kings
- Local specialty
- Gōya champurū, awamori, sōki soba
The Ryūkyū kingdom traded for four centuries with China, Korea and Southeast Asia before Japan annexed it in 1879. What remains is a distinct language, sanshin music, textile crafts and a cuisine of pork, tofu and bitter melon. The 1945 Battle of Okinawa killed close to a quarter of the civilian population, and the island still hosts most American bases in Japan, a permanent political issue.
What to see there
Places, dishes and traditions tied to this territory.
In the magazine
Articles that cover this topic.