Okinawa, Japan · Sea / Beach
Home to Churaumi Aquarium, one of the largest in the world thanks to its Kuroshio Sea tank with whale sharks, plus Nakijin Castle (a World Heritage Site) and Kouri Island, connected by a bridge.
Bus — Direct bus (route 117) from Naha Bus Terminal to Churaumi Aquarium, about 2 hours; by rental car via the Okinawa Expressway, about 1.5-2 hours.
One of the largest aquariums in the world, famous for its giant Kuroshio Sea tank with whale sharks.
Ruins of a 14th-century Ryukyuan fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.
A rock shaped like a gorilla delivering a karate chop gives its name to the best shore dive site in northern Okinawa: free entry, calm water, showers and toilets, and fish and coral from two metres down. Ideal for a first dive.
The first cherry blossom in all Japan, from mid-January to early February: some seven thousand trees along four kilometres of mountain road. These are not Honshu's somei-yoshino but kanhizakura, an intense fuchsia pink and bell-shaped, hanging downwards. Warning: monumental traffic jams at weekends, so go on a weekday and early.
Island linked to Okinawa's main island by the nearly 2 km Kouri Ohashi Bridge, famous for the heart-shaped rocks at Chigunu Beach.
From January to March humpbacks calve in Okinawan waters. To be precise: most commercial trips leave from Naha, Chatan or the Kerama Islands, though there are operators in the northern area too. Seasickness is likely.
A croissant-shaped island fifteen minutes by ferry from Toguchi port, with white sand, excellent snorkeling and almost no infrastructure. In summer, book the ferry.
Joined to Motobu by a 760-meter bridge since 1985, with reef only five hundred metres offshore and considerably fewer people than Minna. Reached by car.
The sun sets over the East China Sea with Ie Island outlined behind. Free, and it works from Bise as well.
The aquarium has kept whale sharks in captivity for decades, and there have been deaths of individual animals and sustained criticism of holding a migratory animal in a tank. The aquarium responds with a formal welfare program: a sea pen four times larger than the main tank, temperature control so the animals can thermoregulate as they would in the wild, and periodic external assessments, along with genuine research. Worth knowing before you go in, so you can decide for yourself.
The peninsula has its own version of Okinawa soba, with a thicker, wavy, hand-kneaded noodle. The Motobu soba house trail is a plan in itself.
The park is free and the aquarium is only one piece of it. Worth visiting are the Oceanic Culture Museum, on the canoes and navigation of Oceania and with a planetarium; the tropical botanical garden of orchids; and the reconstructed Okinawan village with Ryukyuan houses. Most people go in, see the aquarium and leave.
Fishing village with a tunnel of over 20,000 century-old fukugi trees, walkable or touristed by horse-drawn cart.
Motobu is historically a katsuo port and a katsuobushi production centre. The fish market by the harbour sells sashimi and dishes of the day: it is modest, not a Tsukiji, and you should not expect a large market.
A trail and a road running close to the summit, with views over the whole peninsula, Ie Island and the China Sea. The top sits on the boundary with Nago and has antenna installations with restricted access on the final stretch.
Large park surrounding Churaumi Aquarium, with a dolphin show, a botanical garden, and Emerald Beach.
It is in Nago, about thirty minutes away, not in Motobu: a guided factory tour with two beers to taste at the end, with online booking required.
Specialized in kusu, aged awamori, with a free visit and tasting. Call ahead.
Artificial beach within Ocean Expo Park, with calm waters ideal for a family swim after visiting the aquarium.
Toguchi Port, in Motobu, connects by about a 30-minute ferry ride to nearby Ie Island.
A marine activity complex with kayaking, paddleboarding and workshops, and also dolphin interaction programs. Warning: those dolphins are in sea pens, in captivity. If animal welfare matters to you, snorkeling at Gorilla Chop and watching whales in the wild are the alternative.
Motobu is known among Okinawans themselves for its traditional Okinawa soba stands.
Botanical garden within Ocean Expo Park holding one of Japan's largest orchid collections.
An Okinawan ceremonial dish for openings and celebrations, with an extremely intense broth and mugwort to cut the smell. Honest warning: it is strong and it divides people - plenty cannot handle it.
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