10 Best Places to Go Shopping in Okinawa

Naha Kokusai-dori Shopping Street was named after the Ernie Pyle International Theater (Kokusai Gekijo) that once stood here. It's Naha's main street.

Running roughly 1.6 km from the Asato Sansaro junction at the north end to the Kencho-mae intersection at the south, this bustling street grew rapidly from being a devastated area in the postwar years. That's why it’s also known as the “Miracle Mile”. Today, the street is lined with souvenir shops, restaurants, and shops selling local products. On Sunday afternoons, the area turns into a pedestrian precinct where events such as eisa (a traditional Okinawa ceremonial dance using drums) and small-scale live performances are held.

First Makishi Public Market is located close to Kokusai-dori Shopping Street in Naha. With a history stretching back more than 60 years, this has become a hugely popular tourist spot where you can experience Okinawa's local gastronomy.

The ground floor is full of vendors selling a variety of foodstuffs, including fresh and colourful seafood, meat, vegetables, fruits, processed foods such as fish cakes and island tofu, and seasonings. Upstairs you’ll find a dining area where you can taste Okinawan delicacies, or even enjoy the unique service of having a meal cooked for you with the items you bought downstairs.

A large-scale seaside resort town, American Village is located in Chatan-cho, in the central part of the main island of Okinawa. It’s a 40-minute drive from Naha Airport.

It was named American Village because it was built on the site of former a U.S. military base. On the vast grounds, roughly 5 times the size of the Tokyo Dome, there are 13 commercial facilities with a distinctly American atmosphere, and a large Ferris wheel as a landmark. The complex includes a cinema, a hotel, and Sunset Beach where visitors enjoy beach activities, and is known for its beautiful night view. On a Ferris wheel ride at night, you’ll see a stunning array of lights below from a height of 60 metres above the ground.

Located 15 minutes south of Naha Airport by car, Ashibina Okinawa Outlet Mall has over 100 boutiques, featuring a wide variety of brand-name outlets.

Ashibina means "fun playground" in the Okinawan dialect. As a cheerful playground where people and cultures come together, the mall also offers a host of entertaining events and activities. Conveniently located for tourists, this is a fun place to stop by at the end of your trip to pick up souvenirs, or at the beginning of your trip to select clothing and swimsuits to wear during your time on Okinawa.

Naha Shintoshin is a redeveloped district in the northern part of Naha City. It’s adjacent to Omoromachi Station on the Yui Rail (Okinawa Urban Monorail) line.

In May 1987, the Machinato Housing District, which had been confiscated by the U.S. military, was fully returned and redeveloped as Naha's new urban centre. Government agencies, office buildings, the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum, as well as a large-scale shopping mall, a cinema complex, duty-free shops for tourists, and hotels have all opened up around Shintoshin Park. SAN-A Naha Main Place is a shopping mall frequented by locals and a convenient place to buy Okinawan souvenirs.

Opened on the former golf course site of a U.S. military base, AEON MALL Okinawa Rycom is one of the largest shopping malls in Okinawa. It’s a 40-minute drive from Naha Airport.

RYCOM stands for the former United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands. RYCOM Aquarium, a large water tank holding over 100 tons of water, is located on the ground-floor RYCOM Grand Square. Here, you can take pictures with colourful tropical fish in the background. You’ll also find more than 200 outlets, including fashion and hobby shops, restaurants, cafés, and a multiplex cinema. Relax and enjoy!

Just to the south of Naha Airport, Umikazi Terrace Senagajima is located on Senagajima island, which is linked to the main island of Okinawa through an underwater road. This commercial facility is made up of a beautiful array of pure white terraces on a gentle slope on the island's west coast.

Here you’ll find over 40 specialist outlets, including restaurants that feature Okinawan ingredients and stores carrying products only available in Okinawa. Right in front of the building is not only the blue ocean, but also the runway of Naha Airport, so you also get a great view of planes coming and going. Locals also love this island as a place to relax and enjoy playing baseball, clamming, and fishing, and there’s even a hotel with hot spring facilities on the island.

T Galleria by DFS, Okinawa is directly linked to Omoromachi Station on the Yui Rail (Okinawa Urban Monorail) line. It’s the only store in Japan that’s based on a special provision for Okinawa meaning you can shop for luxury brand goods duty-free.

Please note that there are several stores that do not offer duty-free shopping, but most of the 100 brands featured here are tax-exempt. Don't forget your flight ticket for leaving Okinawa if you want to make full use of T Galleria. All purchases are to be picked up at the DFS merchandise pickup counter inside Naha Airport.

Yachimun is the Okinawan word for "pottery". Tsuboya Yachimun Street is lined with pottery workshops and galleries.

Yachimun Street dates back to 1682, when the Ryukyu Kingdom brought together kilns from all over the country to Tsuboya in Naha. The products are famous for their plump, thick-walled shapes and dynamic patterns. Ceramics for daily use, shi-sa (guardians of Okinawan houses), and containers for the ashes of the deceased are just a few of the many types of items available. This 400-metre-long street is paved with Ryukyu limestone. Since it’s close to Kokusai-dori Shopping Street, you can easily take a stroll here to find pottery for souvenirs.

Heiwa-dori is an arcade street with an old-fashioned and local atmosphere that branches off from Kokusai-dori Street in Naha City. Lined with everything from souvenir shops to clothing stores, it’s constantly bustling with locals and tourists.

Heiwa-dori Shopping Arcade was named as such in 1951 when stalls began popping up along this street in the immediate postwar period (heiwa is Japanese for “peace”). It’s a maze of connected streets, so you can literally lose yourself in the joys of shopping here. And you can find most Okinawan souvenirs, such as awamori (strong Okinawan liquor distilled from rice or millet) and Okinawan sweets, as well as many other local items.