Kokusai-dori, the “International Street,” is Naha’s mile-long main artery and the easiest place to feel the pulse of modern Okinawa. Souvenir shops, izakaya, music bars and street food stalls run shoulder to shoulder, and the energy lasts well into the evening.

Shopping and Souvenirs

Look for Okinawan specialties: shisa figurines, bingata textiles, Ryukyu glassware and the famous purple beni-imo sweets. The covered Heiwa-dori and Ichiba-hondori arcades branch off the main street and lead to the lively Makishi Public Market, a great spot to try local seafood.

Food and Nightlife

This is the place to sample Okinawan cooking, from goya champuru and rafute pork to taco rice and awamori, the island’s distilled spirit. Side streets hide tiny live-music bars where sanshin players perform traditional Ryukyu folk songs.

Getting Around

The street sits between Kencho-mae and Makishi monorail stations, so you can enter at one end and exit at the other. It is also the natural base for exploring Naha on foot, with most city-centre hotels within a few minutes’ walk.

Kokusai-dori is where Naha relaxes and celebrates. After a day of castles and museums, it is the perfect place to eat, browse and soak up island life.

More Okinawa Travel Guides

• Shuri Castle and Old Naha: A Ryukyu Kingdom Walk
• Churaumi Aquarium and Northern Okinawa
• Okinawa Beaches and Island Day Trips

See our Okinawa Travel Guide for the full overview. Planning the whole trip? Visit The Complete Okinawa Guide for every guide and hotel in one place.