Naminoue Shrine
Okinawa, Japan
Kokusai-dori, Okinawa
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Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia CommonsFit in nearby today
The essentials in 10 seconds
- Entry
- Free
- Hours
- The street is always open; shops usually from 10:00 to evening; Sundays 12:00–18:00 car-free
- Time on site
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A typical visit without queueing. In high season add 15–30 minutes. - 1 h 30 min
- With kids
- Fine with kids
- Length
- About 1.6 km
- Pedestrian zone
- Sundays 12:00–18:00, cancelled in rain
officiali
Confirmed by an official source: the venue, a ministry or the operator. - Makishi Market
- Fish downstairs, cooked upstairs
verifyingi
From reliable travel sources; we are still checking it against an official one. Double-check before you go. - Food
- Okinawa soba, taco rice, seafood
- Getting there
- Yui Rail to Kencho-mae or Makishi
Key facts
≈ 1.6 kmlength of the street
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naha-kokusaidori.okinawa'Miracle Mile'the street's nickname
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naha-kokusaidori.okinawaSundaythe street is car-free 12:00–18:00
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naha-kokusaidori.okinawa≈ 1.3 kmclosed to cars on Sundays
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naha-kokusaidori.okinawa2023Makishi Market opened in a new building
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travel guides2 minutesfrom the street to the market by covered arcade
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travel guides15 minutesby monorail from the airport
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travel guidesFreeto walk the street
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travel guidesWhat is Kokusai-dori?
Kokusai-dori, 'International Street', is the main street of Naha, Okinawa's capital. It runs about 1.6 km between the Kencho-mae and Makishi monorail stations to the Asato area and is nicknamed the 'Miracle Mile'. Both sides are lined with palms, souvenir shops, Okinawan restaurants, izakaya with live music and cafés.
Covered shopping arcades branch off the street — Ichiba-dori, Heiwa-dori — selling fruit, sweets and local produce. Along one of them you reach Makishi Market, Naha's main market, in a couple of minutes, and beyond it begins the Tsuboya potters' quarter.
When to go
The street is always open, and shops usually run from 10:00 until late evening; izakaya stay open into the night. According to the street's official site, every Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00 a stretch of about 1.3 km is closed to cars — the 'Transit Mall', with musicians and Eisa dancers; it's cancelled in rain.
Makishi Market opens in the morning and its upstairs cafés run until evening; the market has closing days during the month, so check the schedule before you go. The market is best around lunchtime, and the street in the evening, when the signs light up.
What to see
- Souvenir shops — shisa, Ryukyu glass, beni-imo crisps.
- Makishi Market — fish downstairs, cafés upstairs.
- The covered arcades of Ichiba-dori and Heiwa-dori.
- Tsuboya pottery street — yachimun workshops.
- Izakaya with live sanshin music.
- The Sunday pedestrian mile with Eisa.
How to get to Kokusai-dori
Step-by-step directions are below; the map shows where you arrive.
Where are you starting from?
We’ll draw it on the map on foot and by taxi; metro and buses open in your maps app. Your location isn’t stored.
More tips
- Yui Rail monorail — to Kencho-mae (west end) or Makishi (east end), about 15 minutes from the airport.
- Miebashi station — closer to the middle of the street.
- To Makishi Market — via the Ichiba-dori arcade, about 2 minutes from the street.
- To Shuri Castle — monorail from Makishi, about 15 minutes.
- To Naminoue Shrine — about 15–20 minutes on foot.
Kokusai-dori or Kuromon Market in Osaka
| Kokusai-doriyou are here | A street with a market beside it | Souvenirs and Okinawan food | Lively | Free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kuromon | A covered market | Seafood and wagyu | Closed | Free |
How long do you need?
Allow 1.5 hours to walk the street and market, or the whole evening with dinner. Kokusai-dori is the natural place to come back to after trips round the island: it's handy for dinner and souvenirs.
Try Okinawan cuisine: Okinawa soba with braised pork, taco rice, goya champuru with bitter melon, rafute — pork in sauce — and sweet sata andagi doughnuts. For dessert, Blue Seal ice cream in local flavours such as beni-imo.
For crafts, turn into the Tsuboya quarter a few minutes' walk away: yachimun pottery has been made here since the 17th century, and small shops sell bowls, plates and shisa figures straight from the workshops.
Is Kokusai-dori worth visiting?
Yes: it's the heart of Naha and the best place for souvenirs, Okinawan food and an evening stroll.
The YesGo take: the street itself has many identical tourist shops, and prices are higher than in supermarkets. The most interesting bits are the side arcades, Makishi Market and the Tsuboya quarter. And on Sundays come for the pedestrian mile — that's when the street really comes alive.
Before you go: checklist
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You are ready for the visit
Naha in a day
Shuri Castle and the Ukejo rite in the morning, the royal Shikina-en garden at midday, and Kokusai-dori and Makishi Market in the evening. Add them to your route — YesGo fits in the timing and transfers.
- Shuri Castle2 h · ¥400; from 23.11.2026 ¥1,000
- 26 min walk from the previous stopShikina-en Garden45 min · ≈ ¥400
- 53 min walk from the previous stopKokusai-doriyou are here1 h 30 min · free
3 places · about 5 h 34 min with walks · 79 min on foot in total
Nearby — add to your day
How to do it right
- Lunch at Makishi Market.
- On Sundays the street is car-free.
- Explore the side arcades.
- The Tsuboya pottery quarter is nearby.
- In the morning: Shuri Castle.
Questions
What is Kokusai-dori?
Naha's main shopping street, about 1.6 km long.
Does it cost anything?
No, walking is free.
When is it pedestrianised?
On Sundays from 12:00 to 18:00, except in rain.
What is Makishi Market?
Naha's main market: buy fish downstairs and have it cooked upstairs.
How do I get there?
Yui Rail to Kencho-mae or Makishi, 15 minutes from the airport.
What should I eat?
Okinawa soba, taco rice, goya champuru and sata andagi.
How long do you need?
About 1.5 hours; an evening with dinner.
What's nearby?
The Tsuboya quarter, Naminoue Shrine and Shuri Castle.
Have you been? Was it worth your time?
1 — no, 5 — absolutely
Your vote counts towards the YesGo score.
Sources and fact-check
- Street official site (naha-kokusaidori.okinawa) — length, nickname, the Sunday pedestrian mile (via search 09.11.2026)
- Travel guides — Makishi Market and its new building, arcades, Tsuboya, food, access (unofficial)
- Wikidata Q4616917 — coordinates
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