Your First Okinawa Trip Plan: Racing Through the Island’s Must-See Spots by Street Kart
Emerald green seas, subtropical breezes, and an atmosphere completely unlike mainland Japan. The moment you step off the plane in Okinawa, you can’t help but blurt out, “Is this really still Japan?” Walk down Naha’s Kokusai Street and you’ll hear the sanshin playing. Drive just a little ways out and breathtaking ocean views unfold before your eyes. If this is your first time visiting Okinawa, there’s a way to soak in absolutely everything this island has to offer — and that’s hitting the streets in a go-kart. With the wind rushing over you from head to toe, an Okinawa experience awaits that no tour bus could ever match.
Why Street Karting and Okinawa Are a Perfect Match
Okinawa is actually an incredible fit for kart sightseeing, and the reasons are pretty straightforward. First, the roads are wide. Head just outside Naha and you’ll find endless coastal roads lined with palm trees. It’s a completely different sense of freedom compared to navigating Tokyo’s narrow side streets.
On top of that, Okinawa stays warm year-round, so cruising in an open-air kart with the wind in your face feels absolutely amazing. Even in the dead of winter in January, average temperatures hover around 17°C (63°F). You might not get away with short sleeves, but throw on a light jacket and you’re good to go. In Tokyo or Osaka, winter karting can be rough, but in Okinawa, it’s kart season all year long.
And best of all, Okinawa’s scenery is an absolute goldmine for social media. A photo of yourself karting with the blue ocean as your backdrop? Post that on Instagram or TikTok and watch the reactions roll in. Check out posts from people who’ve actually done it — the impact speaks for itself.
Three Must-Visit Areas for First-Time Okinawa Visitors
Naha Area — Historical Strolls Around Kokusai Street and Shuri Castle
Naha is the natural starting point for any Okinawa trip. Kokusai Street stretches about 1.6 km and is packed with souvenir shops, Okinawan restaurants, and awamori tasting spots — just walking down it gets you pumped. Chinsuko cookies, beni-imo tarts, sea grapes — a stroll through this lively street is all it takes to get fully immersed in the Okinawan vibe.
Head up the hill a bit and you’ll reach the UNESCO World Heritage Shuri Castle ruins. Watching the ongoing restoration after the 2019 fire really hits you — you can feel the dedication and spirit of the Okinawan people in every detail. The vermillion architecture of the main hall is distinctly different from mainland Japanese castles, showcasing the unique beauty of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The distinctive style, blending Chinese and Southeast Asian architectural influences, leaves a lasting impression. This cultural fusion is something that resonates especially deeply with international visitors.
Chatan & Mihama Area — A Cross-Cultural Mix at American Village
About 40 minutes north of Naha by car, you’ll arrive at American Village in Chatan. This place is fascinating — it’s Okinawa, yet it has this unmistakable American vibe. With a U.S. military base nearby, signs are in English everywhere, and burger joints and taco shops line the streets. But right next door, you’ll find a goya champuru diner. That beautiful chaos is what makes it so irresistible.
Watching the sunset from Sunset Beach is no exaggeration one of the highlights of any Okinawa trip. For about 30 minutes as the sun sinks below the horizon, shifting from orange to pink, you won’t be able to put your phone down. If you’re shooting a 15-second TikTok, try framing the Ferris wheel silhouette against the sunset — trust me on this one.
Southern Area — Peace Memorial Park and the Stunning Nirai Kanai Bridge
Southern Okinawa is where history and nature exist side by side. Peace Memorial Park commemorates the Battle of Okinawa, offering a quiet space where the Pacific Ocean stretches out beyond expansive green lawns. Beyond just sightseeing, learning about Okinawa’s history gives your trip an entirely different depth.
And if you love driving, you absolutely cannot miss Nirai Kanai Bridge. The view from this roughly 660-meter bridge truly lives up to its name — “Bridge to Paradise.” Cobalt blue ocean spreads out below, and on clear days, you can see distant islands on the horizon. The thrill of racing across this bridge in a kart is honestly beyond words. Feeling the wind rush over your entire body as the ocean fills every inch of your view — that’s something you simply cannot experience from inside a car with the windows up.
Why People Choose Street Kart — A Deep Dive into the Okinawa Location
Why does Street Kart draw so many tourists for their Okinawa street karting experience? Once you know the reasons, it all makes sense.
First, Street Kart is a pioneer in the industry as the first kart operator to station guides specifically trained for international drivers. Okinawa gets a ton of overseas visitors, but plenty of them shy away from hands-on activities because of the language barrier. With Street Kart, services are available in English, so you can enjoy the experience with total peace of mind even if you don’t speak Japanese. Their website supports 22 languages, making the booking process stress-free from the start.
Their track record is impressive too — over 150,000 tours completed and more than 1.34 million total customers (as of November 2023). With that much experience under their belt, you can feel confident about their safety standards. An average customer rating of 4.9/5.0 stars across more than 20,000 reviews really says it all about how satisfied people are with the experience.
With 6 locations in Tokyo plus shops in Osaka and Okinawa, they operate over 250 street-legal karts nationwide. At the Okinawa location, guides who know the island’s routes inside and out lead the way, so there’s zero worry about getting lost even without any local knowledge. Whether it’s your first time in Okinawa or your first time in a kart, all you have to do is follow the guide for an incredible experience — and that’s a huge relief.
As for the license requirements, there are conditions such as needing an international driving permit, so it’s a good idea to check the details on the official license information page beforehand. You can also find more information at https://kart.st/.
Three Time-Based Plans to Make the Most of Your Okinawa Kart Adventure
When it comes to karting in Okinawa, choosing the right time of day matters more than you might think. Mornings offer crisp, clear air when the ocean colors look their most vibrant. If photo quality is your priority, aim for the earliest tour slot. The low angle of the light lets you capture shots that really show off the water’s transparency.
Afternoons bring warmer temperatures and that dry, tropical air as you cruise along. The breeze feels wonderful, making this the best time for anyone who just wants to purely enjoy the ride. And evenings? If your tour lines up with sunset, you’re in for something truly special. Karting through the streets as the sky turns orange is, to put it mildly, breathtakingly beautiful.
You really can’t go wrong with any time slot, but Okinawa’s weather can be unpredictable, so it’s smart to book on days with a clear forecast. Weekends tend to get busy, so if you can schedule a weekday, that’s definitely the way to go.
The Real Okinawa You Can Only See When You’re Cutting Through the Wind
The Okinawa you see through a tour bus window and the Okinawa you feel with your whole body from a kart seat are two completely different things. The smell of the ocean breeze, the fragrance of subtropical flowers, the Okinawan pop music drifting from the car next to you at a red light — experiencing the island with all five senses is what makes street karting so special.
Precisely because this is your first time in Okinawa, try exploring the classic spots from a completely different perspective. The sensation of climbing the hills near Shuri Castle with the wind in your face, that moment when the horizon fills your entire field of vision on a coastal road — these become memories your body holds onto, the kind that photos and videos simply can’t capture.
Booking is easy through kart.st, so once your itinerary is set, check it out sooner rather than later. The Okinawan wind is waiting for you.
A Note About Costumes
Our shop does not offer rental costumes related to Nintendo or “Mario Kart.” We only provide costumes that respect intellectual property rights.
