[Northern Okinawa] Enjoy the nightlife in Okinawa! 8 recommended night spots

ORIENTAL HOTEL OKINAWA RESORT & SPA in Nago City, Okinawa welcomes you to a comfortable hotel that offers a unique stay experience through a wide range of accommodation plans and activities that guests can choose from to suit a variety of occasions and needs.

For more information, please refer to this article .

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• Table of Contents
• What kind of night spots can you enjoy?
• Kokusai Street
• Night diving and fishing
• Classical Music and Dance Show
• A classic Okinawa night spot! Night Walk
• Starry sky tour, illumination
• A must-have for nightlife! Alcohol & Clubs
• Night Pool

What kind of night spots can you enjoy?

Night spots in Okinawa come in a wide variety of genres. The main ones are as follows:

・Kokusai Street

・Night diving, fishing

・Classical music and dance show

・Night walks, starry sky tours, illuminations

・Alcohol, clubs, night markets, night pools

Let's take a closer look at each one.

Kokusai Street

Kokusai Street is the busiest street in Okinawa Prefecture, located in Naha City. About 600 stores are lined up along the 1.6 km street. There are plenty of spots to enjoy not only during the day but also at night! You can enjoy the night on Kokusai Street in any way you like, such as bars, billiards, darts, clubs, and shisha.

Kokusai Street Official Homepage

Night diving and fishing

Diving and fishing are popular leisure activities in Okinawa. Night diving and night fishing allow you to encounter nocturnal creatures and show the ocean a different look than during the day, so they are recommended for an evening date.

Recommended spots for night diving

The most popular diving spot on Okinawa's main island is the Blue Cave at Cape Maeda in Onna Village. In the blue cave lit by the moonlight, you may encounter fish that can only be seen at night. It is about an hour's drive from Naha Airport, so it is very accessible. You can also enjoy night diving in the Kerama Islands, located west of Okinawa's main island. Tokashiki Island, one of them, is about an hour's diving boat ride from Tomari Port on the main island. In the mysterious sea at night, which is different from the daytime, you can observe nocturnal creatures such as crabs and shrimps that are sleeping during the day, and you can get a close-up look at sleeping fish. Coral spawning in June is a precious moment that can only be seen at night, and the snow-like scene is called "summer snow." In addition to travel agencies, many facilities offer tours for night diving. If you are not sure where to participate, ask the hotel where you are staying.

Recommended spots for night fishing

Okinawa during the day in summer is like a little sauna. Even if you think "fishing during the day is not your thing..." you can cool off and enjoy night fishing. In fact, there are many night fishing spots in Okinawa. If you can rent a fishing rod, you can easily enjoy it at a nearby fishing port. Famous night fishing spots include "Off Yasuda" in the northern part of Okinawa, and "Ginowan Fishing Port" and "Shikiya Fishing Port" in the central and southern parts. Fishing spots are introduced on various websites. If you want to enjoy serious night fishing on a boat, you can also apply for a night fishing tour organized by various travel agencies.

Classical Music and Dance Show

Enjoy a luxurious Okinawa night at a live music venue where you can enjoy Okinawan music and cuisine. Here are three recommended venues.

Okinawan Music Kalahaai

This is a restaurant where you can enjoy first-class live performances and Okinawan cuisine. A gorgeous and sophisticated performance using traditional Okinawan instruments such as the paranku, sanshin, and sanban, and incorporating Ryukyu dance, is held twice a night. Every Saturday, the Rinken Band, representative of Okinawan pop, will perform! At the end of the live performance, the audience will join in and perform Kachashi.

Kalahaai Official Homepage

Island Song

Shimauta, located in the middle of Kokusai Street, is a live music venue where you can hear live singing by Ne-Ne-Z. Ne-Ne-Z is a female group formed in 1990 that sings Okinawan music. Enjoy Okinawa's standard Orion beer along with goya chanpuru and Okinawan-style chijimi "Hirayachi" while listening to the Okinawan songs played by Ne-Ne-Z. If you can't decide what to order, we recommend ordering the "Ne-Ne-Z Set," which includes all the standard Okinawan dishes.

Shimauta Official Homepage

Okinawa cuisine Angama

Angama is an Okinawan restaurant located just off Kokusai-dori. In Okinawa, pork ribs are generally called soki. You can enjoy a variety of Okinawan dishes, such as soki soba, which is made by simmering soki until it becomes soft and tender, Okinawan-style okonomiyaki "Tasty Hirayachi," and "Agu pork loin steak." Live Okinawan tunes are also held every night in the restaurant. The name of the restaurant, Angama, comes from the Obon festival that is traditional on Ishigaki Island, and every year during the Obon period, you can see a group of people wearing wooden carved masks parading around lively while playing the sanshin, flutes, and drums.

Angama Official Homepage

A classic Okinawa night spot! Night Walk

The Southeast Botanical Gardens in Okinawa City are located just off the Okinawa Kita Interchange on the Okinawa Expressway, and are a spot where you can experience tropical nature and animals.

During the summer holidays, they are holding a night tour of the botanical gardens. How about taking a night walk while enjoying the world of colorfully shining tropical plants in the gardens, created by digital art using projection mapping?

Southeast Botanical Gardens Official Website

Starry sky tour, illumination

If you want to enjoy the night, you'll also want to see beautiful stars and illuminations. Here are some spots where you can experience starry skies and illuminations that can only be found in Okinawa.

"Okinawa Starry Sky Studio" Private Tour Limited to One Group at a Time

Why not take a memorable photo under the starry sky? Okinawa Starry Sky Studio offers private photo tours limited to one group at a time. Let a professional photographer take a special photo to commemorate your family trip or honeymoon. The tour lasts for one to one and a half hours and takes place on the untouched beach of Yanbaru in the northern part of Okinawa's main island. Take a memorable photo at a night spot with a quiet sandy beach and a starry sky.

Okinawa Starry Sky Studio Instagram

A hidden popular spot at night

Shuri Castle's main hall, currently under reconstruction, is also a popular spot for a night date. The castle lights up as the sun sets, creating a fantastical world in the Shuri night. You can enjoy a romantic atmosphere that is different from the vivid vermilion of the day. From the observation deck called "Nishi no Azana," you can see the beautiful night view of Naha. It is lit up until midnight almost every day, so why not enjoy a leisurely night stroll at the end of the day? *There are rare days when the lights are not on due to equipment maintenance and inspection. Please check the official website before heading out.

Shuri Castle Official Website "About Illumination"

"Lighted Chrysanthemums" that can only be seen in Okinawa

"Lighted Chrysanthemums" is a method of artificially lighting up chrysanthemum fields on winter nights to regulate the flowering period. Chrysanthemums are generally grown in greenhouses. For this reason, it is a rare sight that can only be seen in warm Okinawa. It is a winter-only night spot that can be seen from December to March in various parts of the prefecture, including Yagaji Island and the Itoman/Kohagura area.

A must-have for nightlife! Alcohol & Clubs

Many people want to enjoy alcohol at night spots, so here we will introduce some spots where you can enjoy alcohol that are unique to Okinawa.

Okinawan restaurant "Umi Monogatari Main Branch"

If you want to enjoy Okinawan cuisine to your heart's content without worrying about time, we recommend Umi Monogatari Main Branch. This is a night spot where you can enjoy local cuisine made with Okinawan ingredients such as bitter melon and sea grapes, as well as live Okinawan folk music. If you have some free time in your schedule the next day, be sure to drop by.

Okinawan restaurant "Umi Monogatari Main Branch" website

Okinawa also has many shopping spots at night. Enjoy eating and shopping while also taking in the illuminations at the shopping malls.

Mihama American Village: Enjoy the retro night view

At night, the entire Mihama American Village is lit up, creating a retro, foreign atmosphere. There are plenty of restaurants and shopping malls, so we recommend taking a leisurely stroll around the area in the cool evenings.

Mihama American Village Official Website

Hamby Market in Chatan Town

Hamby Night Market, located about a 10-minute drive from Mihama American Village, is a popular spot where many shops open on weekends, bringing together second-hand clothes and food. As there is a US military base nearby, a flea market is held selling American second-hand clothes and miscellaneous goods, and there are food stalls offering international cuisine. It's a night spot where you can enjoy an exotic atmosphere while still in Okinawa.

Hamby Night Market Instagram

Umikaji Terrace on Senaga Island

Senaga Island Umikaji Terrace, located about 15 minutes from Naha Airport, is a popular shopping spot where you can enjoy shopping and dining while taking in the spectacular views reminiscent of Southern Europe. Many of the shops are open until around 9pm, so you can stop by even after having dinner at the hotel. There is also a free foot bath on the premises, so if you get tired from shopping or walking around, why not refresh yourself in the natural hot spring foot bath?

Senaga Island Umikaji Terrace Official Website

Night Pool

There are many hotels in Okinawa where you can enjoy night pools, but the Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa is one of the best. The hotel is one of the largest in the prefecture, with six pools, a kids' pool, a 47.5m long water slide, and a sauna. There are also two heated pools, so you can enjoy water play all year round. The poolside is also equipped with cabanas and deck areas with great views. At night, colorful lights such as blue and green illuminate the water, creating a fantastic atmosphere. From 2023, the opening hours will be extended until 10pm, longer than any other facility in Okinawa Prefecture! After sunset, the strong sunlight in Okinawa softens, allowing women and children to swim safely.

Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa is a resort hotel located at the entrance to Yanbaru, an area of ​​lush subtropical forests and blue seas in the northern part of Okinawa's main island, with the concept of "Play with the island, connect with the forest". During the day, you can enjoy a variety of activities in the sea and mountains, and at the hotel, you can savor a wide variety of cuisine made with luxurious ingredients from Okinawa. All guest rooms have an ocean view overlooking the East China Sea from a private balcony, and you can enjoy the nature of Okinawa's Yanbaru from your room. As it is close to the Kyoda Interchange on the Okinawa Expressway, it is easy to access not only the northern part but also the central and southern parts of Okinawa, making it the perfect hotel for active tourism in Okinawa.

Oriental Hotel Okinawa Resort & Spa Official Homepage