This is the southern, tropical end of Japan. Naha, the Okinawa prefectural capital, at 26 degrees north, is the same latitude as Miami, Florida.

Japanese think of going to Okinawa as like a domestic holiday version of going to Hawai’i - tropical islands, beaches, warm water & sunshine.

Okinawa was almost totally obliterated near the end of WWII - and there is still a large and controversial US military presence on the main island.

While most Japanese visitors fly into Naha and stay at resorts on Okinawa-hontō (the main island), adventurous types can explore smaller islands from there by taking a ferry out to the Kerama Islands.

A true adventure is to had by heading way further southwest to Ishigaki-jima in the Yaeyama group, then exploring islands such as jungle-covered Iriomote-jima and historic Taketomi-jima. These islands are much closer to Taiwan than to mainland Japan.