Car rental in Naha

Discover Naha and Okinawa Japan by hired car

Explore the long history of Okinawa and one of the most cultural areas of whole Japan. Best to explore the area starting with your hired car in Naha which you can easily compare and book with Driveboo. A good starting point to get to your hired car experience to explore the huge cultural heritage which Japan offers, is to start picking-up your car upon your arrival at the Naha Airport (OKA). If you are rather want to pick-up your car later on, simply choose one of the city stations we compare for your specific research. After selecting your pick-up station and dates, you can decide where you want to drop-off your hired car after your journey. We want to ensure to make your experience with us and your journey as easy as possible. Therefore, we offer you to choose between alternative drop-off points. Choose among our popular filters, which are choosing a hired car without excess, the best fuel option, unlimited mileage, station in the terminal and directly available. 

Things to explore in and around Naha

Naha is more than only the gate to the beautiful Okinawa area. Nevertheless, to say, Naha is the perfect start point to extend your journey to Japan and get the most out of your journey, as it is connecting everything that comes up to your mind when you think about Japan like Sushi, temples, politeness of the citizens, sleepy fishing towns, a great culture. While things like the Osaka Castle, Mount Fuji and gazing Tokyo are a bit more popular and more far off from Naha and Okinawa, Okinawa is connecting typical Japanese sights with the more southern tropical area which much might think are not possible to see in Japan.

What to visit in Naha? 

Shurijo castle

The first thing you should come across after picking up your hired car is the Shurijo Castle Park. The castle is the most popular sight of whole Okinawa and since year 2000 UNESCO World Heritage. Sadly, the castle got nearly destroyed during the World War 2, but luckily it gets build up ever since. You will come across a lot of traditional dressed women, which will take you into a journey back in time which makes you feel like being a part of the Ryukyu Kingdom. 

While Japan itself has been awarded with an UNESCO Cultural Heritage for their cuisine, the dishes in Okinawa differ a bit from the typical Japanese cuisine. As Okinawa is closer to the tropical area, through history it was natural, that they developed their own characteristics and elements into their cuisine.  

What are typical dishes in Okinawa?

• Champuru: different stir fried ingredients
• Okinawa Soba: made out of wheat, like the udon noodles
• Taco Rice: a dish which established during the World war 2 
• Rafute: a pork dish, mainly made out of pig's belly
• Mimiga: pork dish which is steamed or boiled 
• Umidudo: a famous seaweed dish
• Tofuyo: main ingredient are soya beans 
• Yagi Sashimi: raw goat meat

An impressive shopping mall, which architecture itself is worth the visit. It is a quick 20 minutes ride from the Naha Airport, and you will find there anything you need for your travel through Okinawa. If you need to buy anything for yourself, your friends or relatives at home, you will find it in the only duty-free shopping centre in Japan. You will find a varied range of domestic and international brands for every sector. 

The Kokusai street is the most famous street in Naha and the heart of the city. It is only 15 minutes away from the the Naha Airport by car. If you are hungry and want to taste traditional Japanese dishes, this is the perfect location for you. If you prefer to do your shopping outside of shopping males, you will also be able to find everything you want at the Kokusai street, as the stores are open daily until 11 pm. You will find a bunch of different metered parking options close to the Kokusai Street. Close to the street are also the Asato Station, Makishi Station, the Kenchomae Station and Miebashi Station.

Fukushu-en Garden

The beautiful garden was build in 1992 and is only a quick 10 minutes walk away from the Kokusai Street. There are some limited free parking spots next to the park. Furthermore, the park is open every day except Wednesday and open from 9AM until 6PM, while the last admission is at 5:30PM. 

Entrance fee:

• 12 years or older: ¥200 
• 6-12 years old:     ¥100
• below 6 years:      free

The Shuri Kinjo-cho is a road close to the Shuri Casle park and can be easily connected to visit both sights in Naha, Okinawa. Formerly the path was 10 km long, but unfortunately after the World War 2, it became destroyed. It was made long before the WWII and goes back to the Ryukyu Kingdom era and is one of the most traditional sights from that era. You will be able to share the now 300m long path with some tourists and many locals which makes a very beautiful contrast. 

Okinawa islands

As mentioned above the main island of Okinawa is connected to more tropical paradises and makes you feel like escaping traditional Japan and moving towards a tropical paradise, which you normally would suspect from the Maledives, or the Caribic, but never would link to Japan. All of the islands are connected with bridges and therefore accessible by your hired car. For most of the islands you can use either the Okinawa Expressway which is directly accessible from the Naha Airport, or use the general road. 

Islands connected with Okinawa main island:

Important things to remember when driving a car in Naha, Okinawa

Driving a car in Okinawa, Japan is compared to south-east Asian countries very simple and can be compared to central European countries or North American countries driving style. Driving a car in Japan is the most common means of transport. The road system and overall infrastructure is especially in Naha and Okinawa in general very good. 

Important things to remember:

• Japan drives on the left side
• You must use a child seat for kids aged below 6 years
• Keep in mind that you are not allowed to drive on the bus lanes, which are common in Japan