Nakagami District Travel Recommendations for 2024 (Updated in May)

American Village and its great eats!

I lived at Okinawa, Japan for three years. An oldie but a goodie, American Village (in Japanese “Mihama”), is a great place to walk around and find places to eat. You’ll never get tired of seeing the sights because it’s different every season. I think AV is the best during the holidays as they put lights everywhere. Aside from the wide range of eateries, there’s a beautiful view of the sea alongside the edge of AV. Where I’m standing in the second picture is close to a nearby beach called Araha Beach. Here are some of my favorite restaurants (in order of pictures): Cafe 808 オークファッションビル, １F, 9-39 Mihama, Chatan, Nakagami District, Okinawa 904-0115, Japan Seaside Pancake Factory Kupu Kupu 15-58 Minato, Chatan, Nakagami District, Okinawa 904-0114, Japan McDonalds Blue Seal

American Village one of the popular tourist spot in Okinawa ,it was located in Chatan the views there are incrediblethe kights at night are incredible too one of my stress reliever views,they do sometimes fireworks ,and there's a lot of incredible store although some if it are little bit expensive but worth it to buy,like foods,clothes,perfumes and many more ,they have everything there in AV like u can just walked it all by ,no car needed ,the walking trip is worth it,good sightseeing and they have a ferris wheel there u can see the ciew of AV one of the good views there is the beach ♥️they have small bars close to the beach and some nice christmas Lights ♥️♥️

#christmaslights #foodstagram

Stunning Aura in Okinawa, Japan’s Own AV

Address - (American Village) Mihama, Chatan, Nakagami District, Okinawa 904-0115 Ambiance/Facilities - Food District/ Bars/ Movie Theater/ Mall/ Seawall/ Clubs/ Café Highlights - Ocean/Beach/ Themed for Christmas Avg. Price per Person - Free Parking Rating - 5/5⭐️ #thanksgiving

Okinawa Southeast Botanical Garden | Embark on a fairy-tale adventure in a verdant wonderland

📍Detailed Address: The Southeast Botanical Gardens are located in the southeastern area of Chatan Town in the central part of Okinawa's main island. The botanical garden is divided into a northern and a southern section. The content of this travelogue introduces the northern section—the 'Paradise' of plants, which, in addition to plants, also features birds, small animals, and a light show. The southern section is a pure botanical garden area. 🚉Transportation Strategy: It is recommended to charter a car or drive on your own in advance. The location of the botanical garden is relatively remote, and it is easy to take a taxi from the city, but there is a high possibility that you may not find a return ride (i.e., no taxi back to the city after leaving the garden). Chartering a car requires advance reservation. 🗓Itinerary Planning: We arranged a day to charter a car to visit the attractions around Chatan Town. The itinerary was: Ryukyu Village → Zanpa Cape → Lunch → Kadena Air Base → Southeast Botanical Garden. 🕙Business Hours: 9:30 to 22:00 (entry stops at 21:30). 🎫Ticket Price: Adults 70 yuan, Children 28 yuan. ⏳Play Time: 2~3 hours. 🌟Highlights: Light show. From November to April each year, the lights turn on promptly at 17:00 every day. Trees, ponds, and buildings are all equipped with light strips and other facilities. When the lights are on, the park completely transforms into another scene. It's stunningly beautiful, like a fairy-tale world. Free-roaming birds: The botanical garden's environment is one of harmonious coexistence between humans and animals. Cranes, geese, and ducks are all free-roaming, and can be seen everywhere in the park during your visit. 👍Most Recommended: Small Animal Area: In the central area of the park, there are capybaras, land turtles, rabbits, and other small animals. Each type of animal has its own little garden, where visitors can feed and touch them from zero distance. There are vegetable packs for purchase by voluntary donation in the garden, with each bag containing several large leaves. Aviary: This is an area for various rare bird species, also allowing zero-distance contact. Shop: The entrance and exit of the park are at the same location, with a shop near the entrance. The shop sells souvenirs, drinks, and light meals. 📝Note tips: The feeding time allowed in the park is until 16:30 (rabbits, squirrel monkeys), 17:00 (capybaras). If you want to see everything, be sure to plan the order and timing well. 👎Least Recommended: The park's sightseeing car. There is a paid sightseeing car in the park, but it is recommended not to take it, as the area of the park is not super large, and walking is completely OK. ❤Recommended Reason: The Southeast Botanical Garden is Japan's first botanical garden and also one of Okinawa's heavyweight attractions. It can truly be said to be a destination suitable for all ages. Children can learn about the diversity of plants and feed small animals. Traveling together, you can easily take photos that capture the harmonious coexistence of humans and nature. It is recommended to enter the park at 16:00, so you can first see the small animals and the daytime scenery, and then enjoy the night scenery and light show as it gets dark after 17:00. In this way, you will experience both the daytime and nighttime views.

Cape Zanpa

#okinawatrip This was a beautiful stop to explore. We did not go up to the top of the lighthouse (which requires a ticket purchase, but need not be done in advance of arrival), but explored the surrounding area. The views were great, and the rock faces were impressive. This also appeared to be a popular spot for local fishing. The dynamic was very family friendly, and relaxing.

Cape Zanpa Light House Sunset & Starry sky

Magnificent sunset view at zanpa lighthouse & suitable to do star gazing as well. The deep blue sea of Okinawa is such amazing. you can enter to the lighthouse by paying ¥300 per person , 9:30am to 4:30pm. #okinawa #mytripvlog #beachlife #japan #2023travelwish

⛩Japan | Okinawa 🌟Zanpa Cape

For those who love the sea, they will not miss any excellent place to appreciate the sea view. Okinawa has such a free attraction: Cape Zanpa. There stands a white tower, overlooking the turbulent waves of the sea, with a breathtaking beauty. Admission to the area is free, but the ticket fee to climb to the top of the tower is not cheap. When it comes to Cape Zanpa, the most famous thing is this white lighthouse. It is said to be one of the top ten famous lighthouses in Japan. The person who stands in contrast to the lighthouse is called Tai-ki, who is a businessman in simpler terms. He was particularly good at business and had been to China five times during the Ryukyu Kingdom period. It was very dangerous to travel to China by boat at that time, so the locals admired his courage very much. Therefore, the locals built a statue pointing in the direction of China - the Tai-ki statue, to commemorate this merchant's god. Now this statue has become a landmark attraction of Cape Zanpa. 🌟Travel Tips🌟 ✅Address: 1861 Uza, Yomitan-son, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa-ken 🚕Transportation method: 1. Take bus route 28 or 29 from Naha Bus Terminal and get off at Cape Zanpa. Walk for about 5 minutes to reach the destination. 2. Joining a one-day tour is more convenient. 💰Ticket: Free admission, lighthouse admission for adults 200 yen. ⏰Opening hours: All day (Monday-Sunday, January 1-December 31)

Okinawa vacation | Want to see the sea? Stay at Rainbow Night Noah on the coastline.

🌟Highlight features: The hotel is located very close to the sea and has beautiful coral reefs 🪸. The coastline feels gentle and distant, so the hotel's infinity pool at sunset is particularly eye-catching and perfect for taking photos. 👍Most recommended: Outside the swimming pool, there are seats facing the sunset 🌄 for you to enjoy the first-class view. The temperature of the pool can be raised to 40 degrees all year round, which is very friendly to me who is afraid of the cold but loves swimming! 📝Attention tips: Here is a seaside cafe surrounded by rocks, using Okinawan specialty ingredients to make coffee ☕️, drinks, and ice cream 🍦, as well as cute 🌭️ hot dogs. The pink chairs are also super Instagrammable photo spots.

Okinawa vacation | Want to see the sea? Stay at Rainbow Night Noah on the coastline.

🌟Highlight features: The hotel is located very close to the sea and has beautiful coral reefs 🪸. The coastline feels gentle and distant, so the hotel's infinity pool at sunset is particularly eye-catching and perfect for taking photos. 👍Most recommended: Outside the swimming pool, there are seats facing the sunset 🌄 for you to enjoy the first-class view. The temperature of the pool can be raised to 40 degrees all year round, which is very friendly to me who is afraid of the cold but loves swimming! 📝Attention tips: Here is a seaside cafe surrounded by rocks, using Okinawan specialty ingredients to make coffee ☕️, drinks, and ice cream 🍦, as well as cute 🌭️ hot dogs. The pink chairs are also super Instagrammable photo spots.

Jaagaru Park

#okinawatrip Great little park. It has a wheelchair/stroller path that traverses the whole park, top to bottom. It also has "short cuts" where there are stairs going on a more direct route. There is some nice play equipment including slides, rope wall, seesaw, monkey bars, etc. There are several shades tables, one up by the parking lot and two by the bathrooms (which were clean and well stocked). I wish there was a shaded table by the playground. There is also a nice open field and a small water feature.

Jaagaru Park

#thingstodo Good sized park for the little ones. A dated but fun play area with plenty of play space for younger kids. There are two fields to play soccer or play catch. Parking and public restrooms available. There are a couple of vending machines around for drinks as well. Overall, a nice park with great views.Nice place to have outdoor lunch. Great views of Chatan

Araha Beach

#beachlife What can I say about Araha Beach that hasn't already been said? The beaches themselves are clean, people frequently play volleyball and just relax on the sand and there is a walking path along the entire beach for runners, cyclists, etc. A large basketball court numerous hoops and further down a giant playground shaped like a pirate ship. Multiple stone picnic tables with covers are available for use and there are a number of restaurants to get food, drinks, hookah, and even a tattoo shop. Limited parking and when the weather is nice it fills up pretty quick. There are often people fishing and when the tide is low the whole area changes shape a bit and you can walk pretty far out into the water. If you're into photography, this is a great place to get some nice shots of the setting sun. A wedding studio holds regular sessions with couples on the beach as well. Many Americans live in the buildings on the coast and it's about a 10 minute walk to American Village from the basketball court. The path along the beach can take you all the way there. Great spot to visit if you don't mind lots of people, there's always people on this beach and ALWAYS people on the basketball courts.

Araha Beach

#thingstodo A nice beach with a park right in front of it. I didn't get into the water, but it looked clear. It was a great place to take a break. I can't wait to play with my family here this summer. It is close to Camp Foster. There are lots of restaurants near this area.A very nice and beautiful beach. We have spent the whole afternoon here and enjoyed it. Toilets and shower (100yen) are available but not that clean.