Okinawa bike tour in Naha

Naha is the capital city of the Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 persons per km2. The total area is 39.98 km2. Naha is a city on the East China Sea coast of the southern part of Okinawa Island, the largest of Okinawa Prefecture. The modern city was officially founded on May 20, 1921. Before that, Naha had been for centuries one of the most important and populous sites in Okinawa. Naha is the political, economic and education center of Okinawa Prefecture. In the medieval and early modern periods,[4] it was the commercial center of the Ryūkyū Kingdom.

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (Nansei) Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. The island is approximately 106 kilometres (66 mi) long, an average 11 kilometres (7 mi) wide, and has an area of 1,206.98 square kilometers (466.02 sq mi). It is roughly 640 kilometres (400 mi) south of the main island of Kyushu and the rest of Japan. It is 500 km (300 mi) north of Taiwan. The total population of Okinawa Island is 1,384,762. The Greater Naha area has roughly 800,000 residents, while the city itself has about 320,000 people. Naha is the seat of Okinawa Prefecture on the southwestern paOkinawa Island.

Shuri Castle was a Ryukyuan gusuku castle in Shuri, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Between 1429 and 1879, it was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom, before becoming largely neglected. In 1945, during the Battle of Okinawa, it was almost completely destroyed. After the war, the castle was re-purposed as a university campus. Beginning in 1992, the central citadel and walls were largely reconstructed on the original site based on historical records, photographs, and memory. In 2000, Shuri Castle was designated as a World Heritage Site, as a part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. On the morning of 31 October 2019, the main courtyard structures of the castle were again destroyed in a fire.

Shuri Kinjo-cho stone paved path is a designated cultural property. The path was made during the Ryukyu Kingdom era. The length of the path was 10km long, but after WWⅡ, it was destroyed. Now the path is 300m. People live on the path and it is also a designated cultural property. It has also been chosen as“the 100th best road in Japan”. On the way to the path, there are spiritual sites and fancy cafes.

Tsuboya Odori Pottery Street is a stone-paved road that winds approximately 300 meters through the neighborhood and constitutes its epicenter. The street is lined by a multitude of shops purveying many different types of wares from crockery and cutlery to vases and even urns. The different stores sell varying interpretations of the old Okinawan craft, with some focusing on traditionally styled items while others specialize in decidedly modern wares. The street is picturesque and makes for a pleasant place to stroll even for those not looking to shop.