This is my “base” article on travelling in Okinawa with kids.
Here is my article on Ishigaki (aka Ishigakijima) with kids.
Here is my article on Nago with kids.
I also highly recommend having a read of a guest post on my site called OKINAWA WITH KIDS: JUNGLES, MANGROVE RIVERS, CAVES & HIDDEN BEACHES. You will especially enjoy this article if you prefer a less touristy time in Okinawa and love lots of outdoor time.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
A little caveat from me:
**While Okinawa is so beautiful and we have had an incredible time here – please also note that some families are surprised that Okinawa accommodation options for families aren’t always very well-kept or very modern. This means that it can feel like you are paying for luxury accommodation while the actual facilities aren’t always as fancy as the price tag might have you imagine.
There are also a lot of pool rules at many resorts in Japan (even when it comes to swimming timings at the beach) which can make it hard if you have kids who enjoy rough play in the pool (children’s pools and waterslide areas are, of course, fine though). If you have bigger kids who like jumping, splashing, rough play or diving – a private villa may be a better option.
The main reason for many of these rules is because a large number of Japanese children and adults aren’t such confident swimmers and, as a result, pool lifeguards are quite nervous when it comes to keeping everyone safe. This can be a bit of a culture shock for those who are visiting from overseas. This hasn’t impacted our time in Okinawa at all but I did watch other families look confused and a bit frustrated so I think I wouldn’t be including the whole picture if I didn’t take the time to include this information here for families to take on board before making family vacation plans.
The weather in Okinawa is significantly warmer in the summer months – which is fabulous – but it is not unusual for pools and outdoor activities to be closed or flights to be delayed due to bad weather / typhoons in June – Oct. We were so so lucky that we didn’t see a single drop of rain in late-Jun through early July but I do encourage you to have travel insurance sorted ahead of time and to pack a few indoor activities for kids.
If you are worried about any of the things I have mentioned above – you may want to compare options (and prices) for taking a week in Bali, Vietnam or Thailand after all of your mainland Japan adventures instead**
HOW TO GET TO OKINAWA
Most people fly into Okinawa via Naha Airport on the mainland – we have done this before, flying to Tokyo from Naha in order to stay in Nago.
It is also possible to fly directly into Ishigaki Airport on Cathay Pacific – we have done this before, flying from Australia via Hong Kong. (Parent to parent heads up – no tvs on the back of the seats from Hong Kong to Ishigaki for us and same for Ishigaki to Naha. Download some shows for kids’ ipads ahead of time. Here are other things we do when flying with kids.)
Please note that Japan has some strict rules about flying domestically with hair straighteners and curling wand and also about the number of powerbanks (and where they are stowed.) Please check before flying so that none of your items are confiscated.
See my Nago with kids article for information on where I rented a car from in Naha.
SOUVENIRS TO BUY IN OKINAWA
*See here for a full list of my favourite souvenirs to buy in all parts of Japan*
The retro-themed oversized Spam, Blue Seal or Orion bags
These are sold at the airports, hotel gift shops and also many convenience stores all over Okinawa.
Orion Beer merch
The t-shirts, stickers and keyrings are everywhere – even in the convenience stores.
WHAT TO EAT WHILE YOU’RE IN OKINAWA
Blue Seal Ice-cream
You will see this ice-cream EVERYWHERE in Okinawa. This ice-cream is popular because of that nostalgic branding (whole families buy the matching t-shirts!) but mainly for its interesting history. Blue Seal was created for American soldiers after World War II after the U.S. military set up bases in Okinawa – to give the troops a taste of home (especially as dairy products weren’t an easy find back when the blue seal factory was set up in 1948.
Orion Beer
This one is for the grown-ups only. But for Japanese people, this brand is synonymous with Okinawa.
Goya
This is a Japanese superfood. I think it looks like a crinkle cut skinned zucchini. It is bitter so can take a little bit to get used to – but once you do? It’s really good (google the benefits for the body too!) It is the key ingredient in an okinawan dish called Goya Champuru – a stir-fry containing goya and egg.
Pineapple and Pineapple Flavoured everything!
Purple Sweet Potato and Purple Sweet Potato Flavoured everything!
Taco Rice
Read about the history of Taco Rice here.
Spam
Read about the connection between spam and Okinawa in detail here.
The Domestic Terminal at Naha Airport with kids
We flew from Naha to Tokyo. We were pleasantly surprised with the food options in the airport for snacks before we took off.
The Royal Bakery Shop within the domestic terminal, before security, at Naha Airport also have curry pan (bread with Japanese curry inside.) It is open from 6:30am.
PLEASE NOTE: This article contains some affiliate links. If you make a purchase using one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Get internet sorted before you go
I like using pocket wifi in Japan as the kids can also connect to me.
But for this visit, I couldn’t collect it at the airport or have it sent to the hotel as a typhoon had been through the area the week before. So we had to wait until a few days and we did find wifi in the Okinawa hotels to be really touch and go. So I recommend organising a pocket wifi or an esim for while you are here.
