Naha

From WikiJET, the interactive website for the JET Programme

Naha (那覇市, Naha-shi^?), with a population of about 300,000 people, is the largest city in Okinawa Prefecture and also its capital. It is located in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa. With its plentiful shopping, dining, and entertainment options, it is a major hub of social activity for the Okinawa JET community.

Contents 1 Transportation 1.1 Getting to/from 1.1.1 By air 1.1.2 By boat 1.1.3 By bus 1.1.4 By car 1.2 Getting around 2 Working 2.1 JET placements 2.1.1 Incoming/Outgoing JETs 2.2 Foreign community 3 Sightseeing 3.1 Places to visit 3.2 Festivals 4 Shopping 4.1 Supermarkets 4.2 Department stores 4.3 Home & Garden stores 4.4 Book shops 4.5 Others 5 Eating 5.1 Fast food 5.2 Japanese food 5.3 Foreign food 6 Drinking 6.1 Izakayas 6.2 Bars 7 Living 7.1 Banks 7.2 Post offices 7.3 Medical facilities 7.4 Libraries 7.5 Hair dressers 7.6 Sports facilities 7.7 Travel agents 8 Map 9 External links

[edit] Transportation

[edit] Getting to/from

[edit] By air

Naha is home to Naha Airport (那覇空港, Naha Kūkō^?) (OKA), Okinawa's main commercial airport. The domestic terminal, served by ANA, JAL, JTA, Skymark Airlines, and Ryukyu Air Commuter, offers daily flights to Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka-Itami, Osaka-Kansai, Kobe, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Sendai, Fukushima, Komatsu, Okayama, Hiroshima, Matsuyama, Kochi, Kitakyushu, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Amami, Ishigaki, Miyako, Kume-jima, Yoron, Minami-Daito, Kita-Daito, Aguni, and Yonaguni airports. The international terminal, served by China Airlines, Asiana Airlines,　China Eastern Airlines, and Phillipine Airlines, offers daily flights to Taipei, with additional service two or three times a week to Seoul, Shanghai, and Manila.

[edit] By boat

Tomari Port (泊ふ頭, ???^?) connects Naha to many of Okinawa's outer islands, including Aguni-jima, Ie-jima, Kume-jima, Minami-Daito, Kita-Daito, and the Kerama islands (Tokashiki-jima, Zamami-jima, and Aka-jima). Naha Port (那覇ふ頭, ???^?) provides access to Kagoshima, with stops at Motobu, Yoron, and several of the Amami islands. Shinkō Port (新港ふ頭, ???^?) offers service to various ports on the mainland, including Kobe, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Kagoshima, as well as to Ishigaki, Miyako, and Taiwan.

[edit] By bus

Numerous bus lines connect Naha with the rest of the island. The Naha Central Bus Terminal (near the intersection of routes 58 and 329, next to Asahibashi monorail station) is the hub for bus transportation.

[edit] By car

From points north, Naha is accessible by route 58 or from the Naha interchange of the expressway. From points south or east, Naha can be reached by route 331 or route 329.

[edit] Getting around

Naha is perhaps the only place in Okinawa where you can get by without a car. The Yui Rail monorail system, which runs from the airport to Shuri, provides convenient access to many parts of the city. There are also a number of bus routes that run through Naha. However, while a car is not necessary for transportation within the city, the lack of trains and the cost (both in time and money) of using the bus system make cars preferrable for transport to other parts of the island.

[edit] Working

[edit] JET placements

There are currently 18 JETs who work in Naha, although several others who work in nearby towns also choose to live there. There are 13 ALTs, all of whom are employed by the prefecture and work at senior high schools. There are also 6 CIRs, all of whom work at the prefectural office. Of these, 3 are English-speaking, 1 is Chinese-speaking, 1 is Korean-speaking, and 1 is Spanish-speaking.

[edit] Incoming/Outgoing JETs

[edit] Foreign community

[edit] Sightseeing

[edit] Places to visit

Shuri Castle (首里城, Shurijo^?) was home to the royalty during the days of the Ryukyu kingdom, before Okinawa was annexed by Japan. The original buildings were destroyed in World War II, but the reconstruction (opened in 1992) is well worth a visit.

[edit] Festivals

The Naha Festival, held every year in October, includes a massive tug-of-war with the world's largest hand-made rope. Everyone is welcome to participate, but be sure to wear sturdy shoes to protect your feet from the inevitable trampling!

[edit] Shopping

[edit] Supermarkets

• Shop name here, Description here

[edit] Department stores

• Shop name here, Description here

[edit] Home & Garden stores

• Shop name here, Description here

[edit] Book shops

• Shop name here, Description here

[edit] Others

• Shop name here, Description here

[edit] Eating

[edit] Fast food

• Restaurant name here, Description here

[edit] Japanese food

• Restaurant name here, Description here

[edit] Foreign food

• Restaurant name here, Description here

[edit] Drinking

[edit] Izakayas

• Bar name here, Description here

[edit] Bars

• Bar name here, Description here

[edit] Living

[edit] Banks

• Service name here, Description here

[edit] Post offices

• Service name here, Description here

[edit] Medical facilities

• Service name here, Description here

[edit] Libraries

• Service name here, Description here

[edit] Hair dressers

• Service name here, Description here

[edit] Sports facilities

• Service name here, Description here

[edit] Travel agents

• Service name here, Description here

[edit] Map

Use the controls on the left to scroll and zoom around the map below. For instructions on how to edit this Google map and add labeled marker pins, please see Help:Googlemaps.

[edit] External links

• Naha city official homepage (Japanese)