Kokusai Dori Travel Guide

Literally translating to “international road,” Kokusai Dori is the lively main street in downtown Naha, Okinawa’s capital city. A central hub for all things shopping and entertainment, Kokusai Dori stretches for approximately 2 kilometers across the city center, brimming with tourists and locals alike. Colorful and chaotic, Kokusai Dori sports a friendly vibe with restaurants boasting the best in local food like “champuru” stir-fries and Okinawan soba. Shops sell signature brown sugar snacks and crackers made with local salt, as well as Okinawa’s famous Blue Seal Ice Cream with a branch around every corner. Enjoy local live music at open bars or keep Okinawa’s local “awamori” sake flowing at cozy izakayas. About halfway along Kokusai-Dori, the shopping arcades of Mutsumi Dori, Heiwa Dori, and Ichiba Hondori lead down to family-run shops selling local fruits and produce, while vendors of Daiichi Makishi Market serve up succulent sashimi and seafood. Not far along, the stores and studios of the Tsuboya Pottery District feature local ceramics, with a history dating back to the days of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Kokusai Dori is Naha’s go-to attraction that leads to all kinds of mouthwatering foodie adventures!