The southern part of Okinawa island is incredibly rich of attractions. From museums to historical places, from monuments to parks, it is definitely not easy to choose only five. With Naha city and Okinawa's airport in this area, it is the most urbanized part of the island, well connected with highways and public transportation. However, the south of the island is not only made of busy cities and roads. It is also where the legends about the origins of Ryukyu come from, with the concept of Nirai Kanai, an utopia beyond the sea where the gods were born. Without further do, let's jump into the top 5 attractions of Southern Okinawa: 1. Okinawa World Okinawa World is THE theme park of Okinawa. It is the best place where to experience both the nature and the culture of Okinawa. Inside Okinawa World, there are various attractions, like Gyokusendo Cave, the second longest cave in Japan and the largest on the island. The cave has more than one million stalactites (on the ceiling) and thousands of stalagmites (on the floor) made of coral combined with limestone. These natural pillars have been creating drop after drop since 300,000 years with a growing speed of 1 mm every 3 years. At the exit of the cave, there is Ryukyu Kingdom, a replica of a traditional Ryukyu village. Each house has a workshop inside. There are dozens of activities to try, like Okinawa crafts, such as paper making, pottery, the making of music instruments and glass blowing. There is a theater in Okinawa world, where many times per day it is possible to assist the spectacular Eisa Dance, a traditional drum dance of Okinawa. For an extra 300 yen, it is also possible to get the admission to the Habu Park. Named after the serpent Habu, this building has a snake museum and a small zoo. 2. Shuri Castle Located in Naha City, Shuri Castle is the most important symbol of the Ryukyu Kingdom. It served as royal court and administrative center of Ryukyu kings for many centuries. It is included as one of the UNESCO World Heritage designated Castles of the Ryukyu Kindgom sites. Unfortunately, in the night of October 31, 2019, the main buildings of Shuri Castle were destroyed by a fire. The fire was put down 11 hours later, after destroying an area of 4,200 square meters. It is still possible to visit the outer gates and walls of the castle. The grandeur of this castle and its importance can be still admired in all their beauty. The view from the top of the hill is very enjoyable, with a 270 degrees panorama on Naha city, its harbor, and the sea. 3. Peace Memorial Park Located on Mabuni Hill, in Itoman City, the Peace Memorial Park now rises where the final battle in Okinawa took place during World War II. This park represents the prayer for the souls of the victims, and for a future of world peace. It is divided into four areas: The Peace Zone, the Prayer Area, the Peace Ceremony Zone, and the Recreation Zone. Wartime photographs and objects are displayed at the Peace Memorial Museum, and the names of those who perished during the battle of Okinawa are inscribed on the Cornerstone of Peace monument. Peace Memorial Park is dedicated to one of Okinawa's most important and tragic historical events. It is definitely a must-visit in order to better understand the identity of Okinawan people. 4. Cape Chinen Cape Chinen, in Najo City, is a promontory on the southeastern coast of Okinawa Island. The cape features a small park surrounded by a wooden fence and accessible through a small bridge. It has a spectacular 270 degrees panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. The stunning view made it a very popular place where to watch the sunrise, especially on New Year's day, as well as a great place to admire stars at night. With good weather, it is possible to see Kudaka Island, which is also called "The island of God", where all the legends about the origins of Ryukyu come from. Kudaka Island, located 5 km east of Cape Chinen, is said to be the island where Amamikiyo, the goddess who created the Ryukyus, descended from heavens. Even nowadays, this island is considered the "Island of Prayer", for its sacred origins. 5. Sefa Utaki Since 2000, Sefa Utaki is part of UNESCO World Heritage Site list. In Okinawa, it is common to find spiritual sites called Utaki, that place emphasis on the worship of nature. Among them, Sefa Utaki, on the Chinen peninsula in southern Okinawa, is one of the most sacred. There is no artificial structure in Sefa Utaki. A dense forest along the ocean, caves, promontories, and several rock formations are the theater of this legendary sanctuary. In ancient times, Sefa Utaki was considered so sacred that men could not enter and even kings had to dress as women in order to enter. Even if nowadays this rule does not exist anymore, Sefa Utaki is still a powerful spiritual place for Okinawans. There are six worship spots in there, and they are connected to natural spots like huge rocks, ancient trees, and caves. For this reason, visitors are requested to behave in a respectful way and to avoid unnecessary manners. There you go, these were the top 5 attractions that the south of Okinawa has to offer. In case you would like to visit them, don't forget that we have a Southern Okinawa Bus Tour that visits some of them, like Cape Chinen and Okinawa World! Click on the button below for more information! You might also be interested in:
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