Okinawa Athletic Stadium is a sports facility in Okinawa City with a seating capacity of 25,000 people. The stadium is part of the Okinawa Comprehensive Athletic Park, which is a huge sporting ground, as well as a recreational park. It is a wonderful place for a day out for the entire family with lots of greenery, besides several amenities. The park has a camping ground, a cycling center, running tracks, a gymnasium, a water park and a lot more to keep the whole family busy for the entire day. It is a famous football ground of Japan.
Built in 1368, the Gokoku Temple grounds also contain the Bettelheim Monument, the Kozakura Monument, and the Naminoue Shrine. Originally built to propagate Shingonshu Buddhism, it was used for foreign reception by the Tokugawa Shogunate, and also as a residence of the British missionary, Bettelheim. The Kozakura Monument honors the 700 children who died when an evacuation ship was bombed during World War II.
The Sakura Zaka is a movie theater in Naha. You can watch American, Japanese and other foreign language movies here. The biggest attraction of the hall is that you will not find the films that are shown here at other theaters of the city. Women get special discounts here on Tuesdays. You can find information about the ongoing films and details on other events such as live performances on their website. But, if you just want to spend some time with a friend or by yourself, you can visit the Cha-gwa cafe next door or visit the bookstore-cum-gift shop nearby.
Naminoue Shrine which means ‘Above the Waves Shrine’ is a Shinto Shrine. Shinto is an ethnic religion of the people of Japan, a religion made to establish a connection between the present and the ancient past. The shrine is situated atop a bluff overlooking the Naminoue Beach. The shrine is a beautiful Red Japanese structured hall. The place is very quiet and peaceful, very soothing to one’s mind. The shrine is open to visitors. Silence is strictly followed, no noise in any manner is allowed. A beautiful place to visit when in Naha.
As the Ryuku nation's palace, Shurijo Castle was the economic, religious and administrative epicenter of the chain of islands now known as Okinawa. Once bound to pay tribute to China and Japan while also doing trade with Southeast Asia, the influences of all these cultures can be seen in the architecture, decor, and most of all the blazingly red walls of the castle. Since being built in the 1400s, Shurijo has served as a royal residence, a Japanese military base, and as a school. It is the only Okinawan castle to be completely restored to its 18th Century state after being bombed during World War II, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site easily accessed by monorail or bus. Traditional Ryukyuan dances are performed in the main courtyard three times daily. See the website for more details.
At the Busena Marine Park on the southern outskirts of Nago City, tourists and locals alike can go underwater to explore the coral that thrives in the ocean, or board a glass-bottom boat to admire what lies beneath. The observatory looks like a tube perched off the coast of the island, and takes visitors down to the ocean floor for a panoramic view of Okinawa's marine life. Glass-bottom boats that go further out are on the beach.