Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium and Northern Okinawa Day Trip 2026: Tickets, Kouri Island, Manzamo and Transport Guide

Must-See Highlights of the Churaumi Aquarium and Northern Okinawa: 13 Sights Explained

The sights below are arranged in order, from inside the aquarium to Ocean Expo Park to stops around northern Okinawa.

Kuroshio Sea Tank: Home of Whale Sharks Over 8 Meters and Manta Rays

The Kuroshio Sea is the aquarium’s signature exhibit. A whale shark over 8 meters long and manta rays circle there, and watching can easily use up half an hour. Check the daily “whale shark vertical feeding show” schedule for exact times. Go soon after opening or in the last hour for fewer crowds.

Coral Reef Voyage and Tropical Fish Sea: Living Coral Under Natural Light

The entrance leads first to the “Coral Reef Voyage” touch pool, where you can touch starfish and sea cucumbers and children often won’t leave; next come large tanks with an open design that bring in natural light to grow living coral.

Further along is the Tropical Fish Sea, where reef fish such as clownfish and butterflyfish dart among artificial corals in the most saturated colors. The route is one-way, so take your time and see it all in one pass to avoid walking back against the crowd.

Staff guide the touch pool, and you must wash your hands before and after touching as instructed; please do not lift animals out of the water.

Dolphin Theater and Dolphin Lagoon: A Blue-Sky Dolphin Show With No Ticket

The dolphin show takes place outdoors against blue sky and the East China Sea. It lasts about 20 minutes and is free to watch. It is a free facility of Ocean Expo Park, so you do not need an aquarium ticket. Seating is tiered, and the front rows get splashed easily, so sit in the back if you want to stay dry.

The venue and show times have been adjusted in recent years, and some shows are now held at the adjacent Dolphin Lagoon, so check the day’s schedule on arrival. At other times you can also see dolphins swimming up close at the lagoon, where it is less crowded.

The stands have almost no shade, so bring a hat and water in summer; shows may be canceled in rain or poor sea conditions.

Sea Turtle Hall and Manatee Hall: Two Separate Free Pavilions

The Sea Turtle Hall and Manatee Hall stand outside the main aquarium building. They are free facilities of Ocean Expo Park and can be visited without an aquarium ticket. At the Sea Turtle Hall you can watch loggerhead and green turtles, species common in Okinawan waters, from both above and below the water; the Manatee Hall shows huge, slow-moving manatees, and watching them munch vegetables through the glass is soothing. Both are only a few minutes from the aquarium exit and fit well after the Kuroshio Sea, on the way to the Dolphin Theater. They are small, taking about 15 minutes each, and are also good to visit when the lines are long.

Ocean Expo Park and Emerald Beach: A Free Half Day Beyond the Aquarium

Besides the aquarium, Ocean Expo Park has Emerald Beach, the Oceanic Culture Museum, the Tropical Dream Center and the Okinawa Village, mostly free or low-cost to enter, enough to fill a whole day.

Emerald Beach offers white sand, clear water, and a popular, photogenic northern coast with changing rooms and showers. The swimming season runs from April 1 to October 31 each year, and from July the beach is open until 17:00. Outside the season, you may walk and take photos, but swimming is prohibited, so please follow the posted notices.

It is about a 10-minute walk from the aquarium to Emerald Beach; if you are pushing a stroller or with older relatives, the electric shuttle car inside the park is easier.

Kouri Bridge: A 1,960-Meter Straight Sea Crossing and “Kouri Blue”

The Kouri Bridge is 1,960 meters long and crosses the sea from Yagaji Island straight to Kouri Island, with layered shades of “Kouri Blue” sea along the way.

There is a parking lot and a viewpoint on the south side where you can get out for photos. Stopping on the bridge is prohibited, and traffic may be restricted in strong winds or when a typhoon approaches, so check live road conditions before you set out.

There is a convenience store at each end, a rare place to stock up in the north, where you can use the restroom, buy drinks and confirm your route.

Kouri Island Heart Rock: The Heart-Shaped Reef Featured in an Arashi Commercial

Heart Rock sits on Tinu Beach on the north side of Kouri Island. It is two reef rocks eroded by waves into a heart outline, and it became famous after the Japanese idol group Arashi filmed a commercial here, making it a must-visit photo spot for couples.

Most nearby parking is private, costing about ¥100 to ¥300, and it is about a 5-minute walk down to the beach, with the last stretch over gravel and reef rock, so wear sturdy shoes. You can only reach the best photo spot at low tide, so check that day’s tide before you go.

The island also has Kouri Beach and several seaside cafes, and it is easy to lose half a day if you linger.

Manzamo: An Uplifted Coral Reef Cliff Shaped Like an Elephant’s Trunk

Manzamo is the best-known viewpoint in Onna Village, an uplifted coral reef cliff about 20 meters high whose side looks like an elephant’s trunk, with views across the East China Sea. Its name comes from a Ryukyu king’s praise that the place could seat ten thousand people. Manzamo is an uplifted coral reef cliff about 20 meters high in Onna Village, known for its elephant-trunk-like side.

Buy a scenic walkway ticket at the ticket machine, ¥100 per person, free for preschool children. Opening hours vary by season; follow the announcements of Onna Village. Walking and taking photos takes under about 30 minutes, so it suits as the first stop of the morning.

Manzamo Revitalization Facility: Restaurants and a Souvenir Shop Beside the Ticket Office

At the Manzamo entrance is the “Manzamo Revitalization Facility” (万座毛周辺活性化施設), with ticketing, a shop and dining, air conditioning for a rest, and parking nearby.

The facility has a Ryukyuan restaurant and a souvenir shop selling Onna Village sea grapes, brown sugar, awamori and other gifts, a good place to cool off after the cliff walk.

Each shop has different opening hours, and you have more choice if you arrive before evening. Manzamo is in Onna Village, and the resort hotels and beaches around it are also worth a visit, so you can combine them with the northern itinerary.

Nago Pineapple Park: An Automatic Guide Car Through the Pineapple Fields

Nago Pineapple Park is a long-established family attraction in the north. Ride a driverless pineapple-shaped guide car through pineapple fields and a subtropical botanical garden, with Chinese-language commentary all the way. Small children are very fond of it.

The exit leads to a large pineapple-products shop where you can sample pineapple cake, pineapple wine and jam, so you can buy northern-region souvenirs in one place. It is right on the way to the Churaumi Aquarium and works as a rainy-day backup or a rest stop.

The park is mostly indoors and shaded, one of the few attractions in the north that works as normal in the rain, which is especially handy if the weather turns and you need to adjust your plans, and the parking lot is also roomy.

Bise Fukugi Tree Road: A One-Kilometer Green Tunnel of Thousands of Fukugi Trees

Bise Fukugi Tree Road is about a 5-minute drive north of the Churaumi Aquarium. It is a traditional village that uses fukugi trees as windbreaks, and centuries-old trees weave together into a green tunnel with beautiful light and shadow.

You can walk, rent a bicycle or ride a water buffalo cart, and a loop takes about 30 to 60 minutes. People still live here, so keep your voice down and do not enter homes; it is a good stop after the aquarium.

The village roads are narrow and residents’ cars come and go, so if driving, park in the paid lot at the entrance and do not drive into the tree road.

Nakijin Castle Ruins: World Heritage-Class Ryukyuan Hilltop Castle Walls

Nakijin Castle Ruins were the residence of the King of Hokuzan, with winding limestone walls rising and falling along the hills. It is inscribed as part of the World Heritage listing “Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu” and is an important historic site in the north.

The walls offer superb views across the East China Sea in good weather. From late January to early February, the Taiwan cherry (hikanzakura) blooms, Okinawa’s earliest cherry blossom. It is about a 20-minute drive from Kouri Island, so both fit into one day.

Admission requires a ticket, shared with the Nakijin Village History and Culture Center; for the actual price and opening hours, follow the official website announcement.

Futenma Shrine: A Cave Shrine and One of the Eight Ryukyu Shrines

Futenma Shrine is in Ginowan City and is one of the Eight Ryukyu Shrines. Behind the main hall is a stalactite cave you can apply to enter during reception hours, which is rare among Japanese shrines.

It is known for matchmaking, safe childbirth and business prosperity, and the shrine office sells omamori charms and goshuin stamps. It lies along Route 330 on the way back to Naha, making it the last stop, but cave visits are limited to certain hours, so confirm opening hours first.

The entrance is not conspicuous, so set your navigation directly to the shrine name; the grounds have a parking lot, so you don’t need to find parking elsewhere.

American Village: An American-Style Night Finish by the Chatan Shore

American Village in Chatan Town packages US military culture into a tourist complex with a Ferris wheel, colorful murals and a seaside promenade, creating an exotic atmosphere. It is a convenient dinner spot on the way back from the northern day trip. Next door, you can watch the sunset at Sunset Beach in the evening, then dine in the district on options such as A&W and taco rice. Many free parking lots are available. It is about 40 minutes back to central Naha.

The district is crowded in the evening and parking fills up easily, so park first and then wander; on the way back, take Route 58 south along the coast, which is easier to drive than the expressway and more scenic.