Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Naha is also the transportation hub for passenger ferries although there is less and less of
this service every year. More often, it's cheaper to fly and, of course, it's much faster. If you are
taking a ferry to or from Okinawa, note that Naha has three ports, all downtown and within
several kilometers of one another.
Naha New Port (
那覇新港
; Naha shin-kō), which is also commonly called Aja Port (
安
謝港
; Aja-kō), is the terminus for the long-distance ferries to Tokyo, Osaka and, on occa-
sion, other northern Japanese cities. There are six to seven departures every month to Tokyo
and Osaka. Operated by the “A” Line, the full run to Tokyo takes approximately 48 hours. It's
40 hours to Osaka. A one-way ticket to Tokyo in second class costs about $250, double that
amount for first class. To Osaka, it's less, about $200. An average sized car costs approxim-
ately $1,400 to Tokyo and $1,200 to Osaka. There are several stops along the way on each of
these routes.
Naha Port (
那覇港
; Naha-kō) is the departure and arrival place for both the “A” and Marix
Line alternating daily ferries to the Amami Islands and Kagoshima. It is also Okinawa's main
commercial freighter port and used by the military and the Japanese Coast Guard. But if
you're going north to the Amami Islands, you don't necessarily have to depart from there.
Worth considering is that two hours north (sailing time), the ferries stop at Motobu Port (
本
部港
; Motobu-kō), located near the end of the Motobu Peninsula. The drive from Naha to
Motobu using the tolled expressway is 50 miles (80 kilometers) and takes about an hour. The
savings on the ship's fare is about $15 per person, plus more for your vehicle if you're bring-
ing one along. So it can make sense to drive to Motobu and catch the ferry from there. Also,
if you're leaving your car, parking at Motobu is free. At Naha Port, there is no free parking.
