After coronavirus – why Okinawa should be on your 2020 travel list (one reason: it’s barely two hours from Hong Kong)
Do not let the coronavirus thwart your holiday plans – Okinawa’s beaches, nightlife and restaurants offer options for travel any time of year
Given the enduring attraction of Japan to those in Hong Kong and indeed across Asia, it comes as something of a surprise that the country's southernmost territory of Okinawa isn’t busier. Sure, there’s no shortage of visitors in and around the long main street of Kokusai Dori in the capital of Naha. But head further out and you quickly learn that the destination is happily far less populated with tourists than it should be.
Beautiful azure subtropical waters surround the long chain of islands and make it easy to forget that Tokyo and its metropolitan sprawl sits some 2000km north. The islands’ unique feel blends the cultures of the centuries-old Ryukyu kingdom, Japanese rule since 1879, as well as distinct American touches, given the significant and controversial US military presence since the end of the second world war.
Once you arrive, by far the best – and most fun – way to get around the capital Naha is on the monorail that circles the city, including a route direct from the airport. For destinations further afield there are extensive bus networks, car rentals or ferries to the dozens of inhabited outer islands – but here we're focusing on the main island of Okinawa itself.
Parts of the Shurijo Castle Park are open again while other temples and ancient monuments give fascinating insights into the unique local culture.