I initially wasn’t going to write too much about Okinawa but well… months after the trip, I felt like hopping back to the start of the year and telling you why visiting Okinawa in January was a great idea.

Good (no, PERFECT) Weather

Coming from hot and humid Singapore, Okinawa in January was perfect. Temperatures were about 16 to 20 degrees celsius, which meant it was the perfect air-conditioning type of weather for us. I didn’t find it cold either – most of the time, we went around in short sleeves!

In general, winters in Okinawa are pretty mild, so while you may not be able to do all the water sports, you can still get out and about without feeling uncomfortable. To be fair, I had a friend who arrived in Okinawa the week it was raining and she felt it was cold, but my experience was fantastic.

Whale Watching

Apart from great weather, one nice thing about the winter season in Okinawa is that it’s also whale season. Apparently, whales migrate to the warmer waters of Okinawa to give birth and it’s very easy to spot them if you take a whale watching tour (which can be as short as a couple of hours). In fact, we were told that it would be unusual if we didn’t see a whale on this tour!

While you may not see the whales leap, you should be able to see their fins and/or their humps. During my whale watching tour, we even saw a baby whale with its mama!

Sakura

Most of Japan experiences its sakura season in late-March to early-April but in Okinawa, sakura season is from mid to late-January! So yes, you can experience whales and sakura at the same time (though I have to caveat that the exact flowering season will vary every year, it’s best to check the forecasts closer to the date). Additionally, Okinawan sakura are unique as they tend to be a deeper pink colour.

We were a bit early since the sakura bloomed later this year but we still got to see some of the deep pink blossoms.

Other (year round) reasons to visit Okinawa

Apart from seasonal activities, other reasons to visit Okinawa include:

• Pork Tamago onigiri (I am a huge fan of this chain!!)
• Unique Okinawan culture that’s a mix of Chinese and Japanese culture due to its history as a vassal state of both countries
• Amazing beaches
• Lots of crafts – I really enjoyed the glass-making experience at Onna glass
• Great spot for road trips – my friends and I drove and we had a blast

These are all off the top of my head but there are probably loads of other reasons to go to Okinawa too. I really enjoy the chill, laid-back vibe of the island and if I had more time/money, I would have loved to go to a resort at one of the smaller islands as well! While it’s true that Okinawa isn’t like the rest of Japan (and therefore you shouldn’t go and expect the same experience you would get in Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto), it’s got its own unique culture and heritage that should be appreciated for what it is.

And if you’d like to read more about Okinawa and/or look at more photos, I made a small online zine about my trip (which sparked this post). You can read it here at Canva or you can check out my itinerary over at Google Docs.