Motobu

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.

The essentials

Getting there

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.

Frequently asked questions about Motobu

What to do in Motobu: 24 activities

• Churaumi Aquarium 3 h must-see

  One of the largest aquariums in the world, famous for its giant Kuroshio Sea tank with whale sharks.

• Nakijin Castle (Gusuku) Ruins 1.5 h must-see

  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 clarification: it is in Nakijin, not in Motobu, some twenty minutes away. It is a World Heritage Site and was the fortress of the kingdom of Hokuzan in the 13th and 14th centuries, before the unification of Ryukyu, with a kilometre and a half of curving limestone walls along a ridge. In February it is lit up at night together with the cherry blossom, a combination unique in Japan.

• Snorkelling and diving at Gorilla Chop 3 h must-see

  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.

• Yaedake cherry blossom in January 4 h must-see only mid-January to early February

  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.

• Kouri Island and Heart Rock Beach 3 h must-see

  Island linked to Okinawa's main island by the nearly 2 km Kouri Ohashi Bridge, famous for the heart-shaped rocks at Chigunu Beach.

• Humpback whale watching 3.5 h booking

  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.

• Minna Island 6 h booking

  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.

• Sesoko Island 4 h

  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.

• Sunset from Sesoko Bridge 1 h

  The sun sets over the East China Sea with Ie Island outlined behind. Free, and it works from Bise as well.

• The Churaumi and its whale sharks: the debate 1 h

  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 Motobu soba school 1 h

  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 part of Ocean Expo Park almost nobody sees 2.5 h

  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.

• Bise Fukugi Tree Row 1.5 h

  A fishing village with a tunnel of more than 20,000 century-old fukugi trees, which can be covered on foot or by horse-drawn cart. There are some twenty thousand fukugi planted as windbreaks against typhoons, some more than two hundred and fifty years old, forming tunnels of shade for almost a kilometre down to the beach. Warning: it is an inhabited village, not a park — do not go into the gardens, do not use drones and you must park in the marked area. Better at sunset or first thing in the morning.

• Motobu, bonito port 1 h

  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.

• Mount Yae 2 h

  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.

• Ocean Expo Park 2 h

  Large park surrounding Churaumi Aquarium, with a dolphin show, a botanical garden, and Emerald Beach.

• Orion brewery 2.5 h booking

  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.

• Yamakawa awamori distillery 1 h booking

  Specialized in kusu, aged awamori, with a free visit and tasting. Call ahead.

• Emerald Beach 2 h

  Artificial beach within Ocean Expo Park, with calm waters ideal for a family swim after visiting the aquarium.

• Ferry to Ie Island from Toguchi Port 3 h

  Toguchi Port, in Motobu, connects by about a 30-minute ferry ride to nearby Ie Island.

• Motobu Genki Mura 2.5 h booking

  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.

• Okinawa soba at a local Motobu stand 1 h

  Motobu is known among Okinawans themselves for its traditional Okinawa soba stands.

• Tropical Dream Center 1 h

  Botanical garden within Ocean Expo Park holding one of Japan's largest orchid collections.

• Yagi-jiru, goat soup 1.25 h

  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.

What only happens on specific dates

• Yaedake cherry blossom in January mid-January to early February

Ready-made routes through Motobu

Chains well with

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