What to know
The Okinawa Prefectural Museum (沖縄県立博物館, Okinawa Kenritsu Hakubutsukan) is an excellent place to delve into Okinawa's distinctive culture. Formerly located near Shuri Castle, the museum moved to a modern building and reopened in 2007. It comprises two separate museums: a history museum and an art museum.
The history museum covers Okinawa's entire timeline, from pre-Ryukyu Kingdom days to the present. Its broad scope includes natural history, folklore, crafts, and archaeology. Visitors can spend hours exploring the well-presented exhibits on Okinawan culture and history.
The art museum is slightly smaller and showcases a range of art forms across multiple galleries, including sculptures, paintings, sketches, and videos. The collection focuses on local artists and themes, with mostly modern or contemporary works. Special exhibitions are also held, requiring separate admission fees.
The Okinawa Prefectural Museum is located in central Naha, a ten-minute walk northwest of Omoromachi Station on the Okinawa Monorail. It is also accessible by several bus lines, including bus number 10 from Naha Bus Terminal along Kokusaidori. Get off at Kenritsu Hakubutsukan-mae (県立博物館前, 240 yen, hourly).
Visitor information
Practical details to check before planning this stop.
- Hours
- 9:00 to 18:00 (until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays)
- Closed
- Mondays (or following day if Monday is a national holiday or June 23)
- Admission
- 530 yen (~$3.39) (history museum), 400 yen (~$2.56) (art museum)
- English name
- Okinawa Prefectural Museum
- Original name
- Okinawa Prefectural Museum
Verify details before visiting. Currency conversion is indicative and may vary over time.