Michelin Green Guide Okinawa Main Island — Two-Star Churaumi Aquarium and Zamami, Shuri Castle, and All 19 Starred Sights

What the Michelin Green Guide is — 19 starred sights on Okinawa’s main island

This is the Michelin Green Guide (Le Guide Vert), which rates destinations rather than restaurants. The Japan edition is published in France: the 4th edition in 2015, the 6th in 2020, and the current one in 2025. Every star below is given with the edition that awarded it.

The 2015 edition gives one star to Naha, to the south of the island and to the north of the island. All four two-star entries involve the sea: the Churaumi Aquarium and Ocean Expo Park in the north, and Zamami and Furuzamami Beach offshore from Naha. Naha to the aquarium is about two hours by car, and Zamami about 50 minutes by fast ferry from Tomari port. There is almost no railway on the island, so stay in Naha for the south and give the north a night or a tour. If you plan several attractions, an Okinawa pass is worth pricing.

Shuri Castle and Naha — Kokusai-dori and Tsuboya

The 2015 edition gives one star to Shuri Castle, the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, and to its Shureimon gate and Seiden main hall. The Seiden burned down in October 2019; after reconstruction, it is scheduled to open to the public from 23 November 2026. Entry inside will be by advance reservation, and admission prices change with the reopening. Even before then, the walls, the Shureimon and the reconstruction work itself can be seen.

Naha’s main street Kokusai-dori and Tsuboya, the pottery quarter, are one-star. On Tsuboya Yachimun-dori you can choose Okinawan yachimun ware at the workshops and shops. Around the public market near Kokusai-dori, Okinawan diners and izakaya stay busy late.

The south of the island — the Peace Memorial Park and Sefa-utaki

The 2015 edition gives one star to the south of Okinawa’s main island and to the Peace Memorial Park and Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum. They stand on the Mabuni hill in Itoman, where the Battle of Okinawa ended in 1945, and the “Cornerstone of Peace” carries the names of the dead without distinction of nationality, soldier or civilian. The museum documents what a ground battle fought among the civilian population meant. It is a place of mourning: visit quietly.

Sefa-utaki in Nanjo is one-star, the highest sacred site of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Two huge rocks lean together to leave a triangular gap, and beyond it a place of prayer. It is still a living place of worship: stay out of restricted areas, and take nothing away, not a stone and not a plant. A few days each year it closes for rest.

Two-star Churaumi Aquarium and Ocean Expo Park, with Ie-jima and Minna-jima

On the Motobu peninsula, the Ocean Expo Park and the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium inside it are two-star in the 2015 edition. Whale sharks and manta rays swim in the “Kuroshio Sea” tank, and the coral tanks put the life of Okinawa’s reefs at arm’s length. Emerald Beach in the park is one-star. On busy weekends and through the summer holidays, have your ticket in hand and arrive early.

Offshore, Minna-jima and its beach, and Ie-jima with its crag of Mt. Gusuku, are one-star. Minna-jima is about 15 minutes by boat from Toguchi port, Ie-jima about 30 from Motobu. The north of the island as a whole is one-star.

Two-star Zamami and Furuzamami Beach

West of Naha in the Kerama Islands, Zamami and its Furuzamami Beach are two-star in the 2015 edition. The Keramas became a national park in 2014, and the clarity of the water has earned it the name “Kerama Blue”. A short swim from the beach brings you over coral and reef fish, and from winter into spring (roughly January to March) humpback whales pass offshore. It is about 50 minutes from Tomari port in Naha by fast ferry, or two hours by car ferry.

In Okinawa’s waters, do not stand on or touch the coral, and choose reef-safe sunscreen. Currents run fast in places, rips exist, and box jellyfish are a summer hazard. Swim in patrolled areas and do not head out alone.

Getting around Okinawa, and model routes

Apart from the Yui Rail monorail in Naha, Okinawa has no railway: you move by rental car, local bus or sightseeing bus. Naha to the north takes about two hours even on the expressway. If you would rather not drive, a sightseeing bus covering the southern and northern highlights in a day removes the parking and traffic problem.

Michelin Green Guide Okinawa — FAQ

Star ratings: ★★★ worth a special journey / ★★☆ worth a detour / ★☆☆ interesting. Stars come from the 4th (2015) or 6th (2020) edition of the Michelin Green Guide Japan, as noted for each sight, and are reviewed with every edition. “Starred sights” counts every entry the guide awards stars to — including buildings inside a site, museum pieces, viewpoints and routes — so it is not a count of separate locations.