Okinawa Naha Airport (OKA) Flights & Flight Status

Despite being one of Japan’s busiest airports, Naha Airport (OKA) in Okinawa is compact and easy to navigate, with a single terminal that’s split into international and domestic sections. The airport is well connected to the Okinawa Yui Rail monorail and has plentiful taxis available too, with most ground transportation located by the domestic end of the terminal.

Like many Japanese airports, most of the shops and restaurants are before security, so don’t head on through too early. Here are the rest of my top tips for Naha Airport.

Getting around the terminal at Okinawa

Okinawa’s single terminal is easy to find your way around, with the domestic flights at the southern end and the international flights at the northern end. Most public transportation is at the domestic end, but taxis can drop you off and pick you up at the international end, too.

The airport terminal is effectively a single building, and you can walk between the international and domestic areas inside on level 2 (departures) and level 3 (check-in), or outside on level 1 (arrivals).

If you have some extra time, level 3 is home to a pair of observation decks on the domestic side of the terminal. These are a pleasant way to soak up some sunshine and fresh air. There’s also one on the international side, up on level 4.

When departing, I’ll usually grab an onigiri rice ball or bento takeaway meal from one of the convenience stores and sit outside on the observation deck rather than heading to one of the restaurants.

Arriving at Naha Airport

Most passengers will arrive as domestic travelers from another Japanese airport, usually either Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT), both serving Tokyo.

If you are connecting from an international flight arriving elsewhere in Japan before heading to Okinawa, note that you will ordinarily need to go through passport control, baggage claim and customs at the first airport where you enter the country, then re-check your luggage. This can be quite the process, so make sure you have plenty of time.

Alternatively, I’d recommend connecting via an airport in another country, like Seoul (ICN) or Taipei (TPE), so you’ll arrive in Okinawa as an international passenger and won’t have to collect your luggage en route.

Departing from OKA

The monorail connector bridges bring you to level 2, while buses and taxis will drop you off at level 1, which is arrivals. From either, take the elevator or escalators to level 3 for check-in and then down to level 2 for departures.

Note that if you have a domestic-to-international connection, you may not be able to check in online, but you should be able to check your bags through – contact your airline for details, and always remember to verify the final airport on your bag’s luggage tag.

As with most places in Japan, you can send your luggage ahead of you for a very reasonable price, often significantly less than what you’d pay for a checked bag. It’ll usually take a couple of days, and you can have it delivered to your hotel (which is what I normally do), convenience stores, homes, offices and most airports.

I usually use Yamato Transport (Kuroneko Yamato, literally “black cat Yamato,” with the cute logo of the black cat carrying its kitten) but Sagawa Express is also popular. These luggage services can be especially useful if you’ve been shopping and your bag is overflowing. Send your souvenirs in a box ahead of you to the hotel where you’re staying for your last night in Japan, then do the big repack there.

Getting to and from OKA by public transit

The quickest and easiest way to get into Naha city itself is the monorail, which I love not just because it’s so easy but because the views are amazing.

Okinawa Airport is the westernmost station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail, also known as Yui Rail. The airport station is reached via the connecting bridges found between the A and B departures checkpoints in the domestic zone of the airport. Fares are really cheap, and you can either buy single tickets, 24- or 48-hour tickets. You can also use tap-to-pay transit cards across networks in Japan.

Trains run at least every 10 minutes during off-peak times, and as often as every 4 minutes in peak periods of the morning and evening. It takes around 10 to 20 minutes to get into the center of Naha, and tickets are very inexpensive. If you have luggage, there’s good news – there are elevators at all stations.

A dozen or so buses serve the airport, and the bus area is outside the domestic zone of the terminal. I generally wouldn’t recommend trying to figure out the bus systems from the airport unless you’re going to be spending a long time in Okinawa. Between the monorail and taxis you can get to most local places more easily than the bus. The information office can assist if you’re desperate for the bus.

How to get to and from Naha Airport by car

Taxis are plentiful at the airport, with taxi stands outside both the international and domestic areas of the terminal. Note that there are several types of taxi: short distance, long distance and larger wagon.

If you’re not fluent in Japanese, I’d recommend finding your hotel address in Japanese – not English – and taking a screenshot of it to show the driver. I speak a bit of Japanese and I still do this to avoid any confusion.

For taxi apps, GO has the biggest Japanese taxi network and works well on Okinawa. I’d recommend downloading the app and registering and linking your credit card before leaving home, though.

You can also call taxis via Uber, and I often find this really useful when I’m unsure of the best route somewhere. The ability to select your destination in English is especially useful if you don’t speak Japanese, and being able to pay by credit card is also handy.

Regional rideshare apps Didi and Grab also work in Okinawa, but I haven’t found any advantages to using these over the more common GO and Uber.

Okinawa Airport has a wide range of rental cars, and driving yourself is the best way to visit parts of the island outside Naha. Note that Japan is one of the few developed countries where most visitors will need additional documentation beyond just their local license in order to rent a car.

Most visitors to Japan, including those from the US, Canada and UK, will need an international driving permit. Getting one is usually pretty simple but you need to sort it out before leaving home. In the US, the international driving permit is issued by AAA.

Passport control and security lines at Naha Airport

If you’re arriving on an international flight, you’ll need to use Visit Japan Web online for your immigration clearance and customs forms. I like to do this well in advance of my flight to be sure everything is set and reduce stress on arrival.

The security lines at Okinawa generally move quite swiftly, although peak times can mean long lines, as with any airport. Good news if you’re traveling domestically, though: There’s no 3.4-ounce limit to your liquids, so you can bring drinks with you through security.

Lounges and free Wi-Fi at Naha Airport

Japan Airlines and ANA both have their own lounges at OKA for business class or first class passengers, along with certain frequent flyer loyalty members. Both of these lounges are pretty solid with a range of light refreshments, comfortable seating and power outlets.

There are also two lounges run by the airport: Lounge Hana (level 1 in arrivals) and Ryurin Lounge in international departures, which is used by some other airlines as their business class lounge. Neither is affiliated with Priority Pass, so it’s lucky that the terminal itself is quite nice, especially before security.

Free and fast Wi-Fi covers most of the terminal building. Look for the “Free Wi-Fi NAHA Airport” network.