Okinawa in January
Why Okinawa?
In short: because its versatile, beautiful, safe and full of culture.
Versatile
You will most likely arrive in Naha.
It is the capital city and in the very south of the main island. From here you can take a boat to any of the Okinawa Prefecture islands which are the tropical islands of your dreams: bright blue water, white sand beaches and palm trees; or a bus to any place on the island. You can find century old villages (Ryukyu Mura), mountains, beaches and much more!
Beautiful
Well, if you are dreaming of calm, clean and beautiful nature, Okinawa is your place to be. Especially if you move away from the mainstream places (like Naha).
Safe
This island is still part of Japan and every person you meet is just the kindest. I've been picked up by my driving instructor because he didn't want me to walk. He even offered to wait in the car while I do groceries and drive me home after!
Especially out of season, which is in winter and in the beginning of the year it is very very safe, also as a female solo traveller. It probably becomes more problematic the more tourists arrive since they are mostly from the US. But as long as you are with locals, it is more than safe.
Full of culture
Depending on the time of the year, you can visit many different cultural events and festivals. We went to a Sakura Ceremony where locals celebrated the beginning of the cherry blossom season.
For a day trip I can highly recomment Ryukyu Mura, a place full of history and a little bit of magic.
Okinawa in January
Visiting Okinawa should be on everyones bucket list. Since it is getting insanely hot (even so much as the heat is melting the asphalt) in summer, I advise you to visit in the beginning of the year. It will be off-season, very very few tourists, amazing weather and moderate temperatures.
Activities
I booked all my activities via ActivityJapan.
Here you can search for areas and kinds of activities. Some pages are translated, others you'll have to translate yourself (I used DeepL for that). You can see the prices in ¥ and book directly and safely.
I highly recomment going for a dive. If you don't feel comfortable scuba diving, it is already very rewarding to just go with a snorkel. The water in some places is very shallow with coralls and colourful fishes very close to the beach. In January the water is still a very warm 20°C but if you book a diving session via ActivityJapan you'll get a wet suit which will keep you warm for sure.
Whale-watching
Okinawa is famous for the possibility to see whales in the time from January to early April. Whale mothers come here to give birth and nurture their babies since the water stays at a moderate temperature and there are many bays where the babies are safe.
If you visit Okinawa in this time, you'll probably want to go on a whale watching tour. Please be aware that no matter how much they want to convince you that you won't "feel the waves", they are lying. It will get VERY shaky and especially on high speed boats you should know your limits before booking.
If you are now disappointed and reconsider your visit: you still have a chance to see whales! I personally saw whales on a random day while taking the bus! So if you are lucky and at the right spot at the right time, you can still see whales!
ATTENTION! Please DO NOT book swimming with whales. This stresses the sh*t out of the whales and can cause them to DIE. They are very sensitive animals, especially when they just gave birth. So please do not do that and book a whale-watching tour which keeps its distance!!
Events
One of my favorite parts of my experience in Okinawa where the Sakura events. We went to a ceremony in Nakijin in the very north of the main island but after a quick research you will find them all over Okinawa (I can't tell you the exact dates since it is different each year).
Those events are the best chance you'll get to experience authentic culture. At the Sakura Ceremony in Nakijin we did not only hear traditional music played by very talented artists but also saw traditional fighting presented by local highschool students and traditional dances presented by local children and teenagers. All that against the backdrop of a dilapidated ruin.
It was amazing and we were the only foreigners at the ceremony, which they absolutely loved. The moderators of the event directly spotted us and tried to include us. They were so kind and welcoming!
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