5 Best Sights in South of Naha, Okinawa

Rows of black granite blocks inscribed with the names of the thousands who lost their lives in World War II cover the rolling, green hills around this excellent museum. Exhibits, some designed specifically for children, provide a rare opportunity to contemplate global issues. Focusing on the brutal Battle of Okinawa, interesting exhibits highlight each side's tactical perspective and the progress of the fighting. More personal displays reveal what life was like on the ground during the chaos and include testimonies of survivors (unfortunately, only a few of these are translated). A diorama portrays life in American-occupied postwar Okinawa. The museum is 80 minutes from Naha via bus; change from Bus 89 to 82 at Itoman Terminal. The total cost is ¥1,070.

This moving museum tells the story of 240 girls from a high school near Naha. Mobilized as field nurses in the war's final months, their hellish experiences tending to wounded Japanese soldiers in hidden caves near the city are retold in an intensely poignant series of dioramas, textual explanations, and displays. Photographs and journals show the girls' innocence and hope before the war, providing a moving counterpoint to the ghastly conditions they endured during the fighting. Photographs of each girl drive home the war's tragic effects. The museum is an hour from Naha via Bus 34 or 89 (¥590), with a change in Itoman to Bus 82, 107 or 108 (¥330). Buses depart hourly and continue on to the Peace Memorial.

In these cold, clammy tunnels Admiral Ota and 174 of his men came to a dramatic end on June 13, 1945. He and six of his top officers killed themselves to escape capture or death by American forces. The grenade blasts that killed the rest of Ota's men left visible shrapnel damage on the walls. An information desk has pamphlets in English, but staff are unlikely to speak anything but Japanese. It's 25 minutes from the Naha Bus Terminal Asahibashi Mae via Bus 55, 88, or 98. Get off at the the Uebaru danchi-mae stop, and walk 10 minutes uphill to the ticket gate.

Okinawa is the birthplace of karate, and it's definitely worth visiting the new Okinawa Karate Kaikan if you've come to the islands inspired by The Karate Kid or Cobra Kai. The main hall is used for seminars and competitions, while smaller rooms are available for training. The Reference Room is a small museum documenting the history of karate and kobudo (Okinawan weapon-based fighting), with many fascinating insights into the legendary sensei. Karate Café AGARI has Okinawa Soba, and Okinawa zenzai (shaved ice with sweet beans). The Okinawa Karate Information Center (OKIC) is located with the Karate Kaikan and provides visitors to Okinawa with multilingual support on how to connect with individual karate masters and train at local dojos.

It's worth spending a few hours at Okinawa World to get a quick overview of local culture. There are tropical fruit orchards and workshops for textile weaving, glassblowing, pottery, dyeing, and printing. Traditional Eisa dance performances take place several times a day. The main attraction is Gyokusendo Cave, the second-longest limestone cave in Japan. You can walk through an 890-meter (2,920-foot) cavern and marvel at the giant stalactites and stalagmites. From Naha Bus Terminal, take Bus 54 or 83 and get off at Gyokusendo-mae.