Rainy day · Okinawa · Japan
4 things to do in Okinawa when it rains
Indoor sights that make a wet day feel planned rather than lost.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: CEphoto, Uwe Aranas, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Start with Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, Daiichi Makishi Public Market and Himeyuri Peace Museum. Together the 4 picks below take roughly 7–10 hours across 3 areas; all charge for entry. June is usually the wettest month, with about 12 rainy days.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 4
- Free entry
- 0
- Time to see them all
- 7–10 hours
- Areas
- Motobu Peninsula, Naha (Kokusai-dori) and Nanjo and the south
Okinawa on a rainy day
Aquarium · Motobu Peninsula
1.Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium
Watch a whale-shark feeding session at the big tank, then walk to the free dolphin show and Emerald Beach in the same park.
- Time needed
- Half a day with the park
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Kids
- Rainy day
Market · Naha (Kokusai-dori)
2.Daiichi Makishi Public Market
Ask the fishmonger to recommend a cooking style and which upstairs restaurant to use before you buy.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Food
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Museum · Nanjo and the south
3.Himeyuri Peace Museum
It is emotionally heavy; combine it with a quiet walk or cliff-top café rather than a theme park afterwards.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Theme park · Nanjo and the south
4.Okinawa World and Gyokusendo Cave
Do the cave first while you are fresh; it is cool and humid inside, a good choice on a rainy day.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Motobu Peninsula | Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium | Half a day with the park |
| Naha (Kokusai-dori) | Daiichi Makishi Public Market | 1–1.5 hours |
| Nanjo and the south | Himeyuri Peace Museum and Okinawa World and Gyokusendo Cave | 1 hour + 2–3 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 4, 1 low cost, 3 mid-priced. None needs booking far in advance. The longest visit is Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium; group the rest by area to save travel time.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Motobu Peninsula): Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, at least 3 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Naha (Kokusai-dori) and Nanjo and the south): Daiichi Makishi Public Market → Himeyuri Peace Museum, at least 2 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Nanjo and the south): Okinawa World and Gyokusendo Cave, at least 2 hours.
The wettest months
- June: highs of 29°C (84°F), about 12 rainy days, moderate crowds. Rainy season usually ends around late June, followed by clear, hot weather; a good time for value if you can be flexible.
- August: highs of 32°C (90°F), about 12 rainy days, very busy crowds. Peak summer and peak typhoon risk; ferries and flights can be disrupted for a day or two at a time.
- January: highs of 20°C (68°F), about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds. Mild and often cloudy and windy, too cool for most swimmers; good for sightseeing, whale watching off the Keramas and the first cherry blossom in the north late in the month.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Naha (Kokusai-dori) — City base on the monorail with Kokusai-dori, the markets and late-night izakaya
- Motobu Peninsula — Northern peninsula with the aquarium, Bise's tree-lined lanes and island bridges
- Nanjo and the south — Cliff-top cafés, sacred sites and war memorials south-east of Naha
More of Okinawa
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Okinawa?
Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium. The aquarium's centrepiece is the Kuroshio Sea tank, holding about 7,500 cubic metres of water, in which whale sharks and manta rays swim behind one of the world's largest acrylic panels.