# Okinawa > Okinawa’s water is at its clearest from April to June, before the typhoons and the jellyfish season, and its cherry blossom comes in late January — two months before Tokyo’s. This page as HTML: https://www.komorebis.cc/destinations/okinawa - Coordinates: 26.2124, 127.6809 - Nearest airport: OKA The main island is 100 km long, and the shoots worth booking are mostly in its middle and north. The Onna coast has the resort hotels and their chapels — Okinawa is Japan’s main destination for resort weddings — and Cape Manzamo’s elephant-trunk cliff. Further north, the Kouri Bridge runs about 2 km over shallow turquoise water to Kouri Island, and Sesoko Beach faces west for sunset. The Kerama Islands, 50 minutes by fast ferry from Naha, have some of the clearest water in Japan and a national park since 2014. Naha has Shuri Castle, whose main hall burned in October 2019 and is being rebuilt with completion scheduled for autumn 2026. Okinawa is open for drones away from Naha’s densely inhabited district and the airport — but it also hosts most of the US military facilities in Japan, and the Small Unmanned Aircraft Prohibition Act bans flights over and around Kadena, Futenma, Camp Schwab and other designated bases, including about 300 m around them. The Kerama Islands’ national park and many beaches add their own rules. We plan every flight against the map, file for permissions where needed, and do not fly over swimmers. From June to September, choose a beach with a jellyfish net: the box jellyfish (habu-kurage) is dangerous. ## When to go Kanhizakura, a deep-pink cherry, blooms from late January to February at Nago Castle Park and Mt Yaedake. The sea is swimmable from April to October; the rainy season comes earlier than on the mainland, roughly May to late June. July to September is hot, clear and the peak of typhoon season — a typhoon can stop ferries and flights for two or three days, so we keep a weather day. October and November have warm water and fewer crowds. Winter is mild, around 15–20 °C, windy and often cloudy. - **Cherry blossom**: Late January to February (kanhizakura) ## Getting there Naha Airport (OKA) is about 2 h 30 min from Tokyo and about 2 hours from Osaka. The Yui Rail monorail runs into Naha, but beyond it a rental car is the practical way around: Onna is about an hour north on the expressway and Kouri Island about 1 h 45 min. Kerama ferries leave from Tomari Port in Naha: about 50 minutes by fast ferry. ## Kimono A silk kimono is impractical in Okinawa’s heat and humidity. The local alternative is ryuso, the brightly dyed bingata costume of the Ryukyu Kingdom, rented with dressing from studios in Naha and near Shuri Castle; for casual sessions, a kariyushi shirt and a summer dress suit the beach better than anything formal. ## Rules on location Do not photograph or fly near US base fences and gates, and never fly a drone inside the restricted zones around them. Utaki — sacred groves such as Sefa-utaki — restrict where visitors may walk; we shoot from the permitted paths. Do not stand on live coral or take shells or sand. From June to September, swim only inside jellyfish nets, where vinegar is kept for stings. ## Drone Open countryside away from airports and towns, with a registered drone and the standard permissions. ## Photo spots ### Kouri Bridge and Kouri Island - Coordinates: 26.6947, 128.0171 - Best time: Late morning, when the sun is high over the shallows - Access and permits: Free — public bridge and beach A low road bridge over pale turquoise shallows, with a beach at the island end. Tinu Beach on the north shore has the heart-shaped rock. The water colour depends on the sun being high and the tide not too low, so this is a late-morning location, not a sunrise one. - **April–June**: Clearest water and fewer crowds than summer; the colour is strongest from 10:00 to 13:00. - **July–September**: Strong colour but harsh sun; we shoot early or late and add no more than an hour of extra time. ### Cape Manzamo - Coordinates: 26.5048, 127.8505 - Best time: Sunset - Access and permits: About ¥100 entry; opening hours apply A grassy clifftop with a rock arch shaped like an elephant’s trunk, facing west over the East China Sea. A railed path loops the top, so poses stay behind the rail. It is 10 minutes from the Onna resorts. ### Sesoko Beach - Coordinates: 26.6505, 127.8577 - Best time: The hour before sunset - Access and permits: Free access; paid parking; jellyfish net in summer A long west-facing beach of white sand on Sesoko Island, reached by bridge from Motobu, with the Sesoko Bridge in the background. It is one of the clearest swimming beaches on the main island and the best sunset session in the north. - **October–November**: Sunset around 18:00; warm water and soft side light without the summer haze. - **January–February**: Too cool to swim, but the beach is nearly empty and the light is golden from 17:00. ### Kerama Islands (Furuzamami Beach) - Coordinates: 26.2253, 127.3091 - Best time: Midday for the water colour - Access and permits: Ferry fare from Naha; beach free; national park rules apply A day trip to Zamami Island for some of the clearest water in Japan — “Kerama blue”. Sea turtles are often seen off Ama Beach, a short walk from the port. Ferries are cancelled in rough seas, so we keep a back-up day on the main island. ### Shuri Castle - Coordinates: 26.2171, 127.7195 - Best time: Morning - Access and permits: Outer grounds free; paid area about ¥400; reconstruction in progress The seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom on a hill above Naha, with red-lacquered halls and curving limestone walls. The main hall is being rebuilt after the 2019 fire, and the stone walls and Shureimon gate remain the best ryuso backdrop in Naha. ## Covered at no travel charge Naha, Chatan, Onna, Nago, Motobu, Kouri Island, Sesoko Island, Kerama Islands, Nanjo ## Popular here - [Okinawa beach photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/okinawa-beach-photoshoot.md) — from $240; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Pre-wedding photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/pre-wedding.md) — from $800; 15 edited photos within 7 days - [Honeymoon photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/honeymoon.md) — from $300; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Elopement](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/elopement.md) — from $1,000; 15 edited photos within 10 days - [Wedding photography](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/wedding-photography.md) — from $1,900; 15 edited photos within 3 weeks - [Couple photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/couple-photoshoot.md) — from $220; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Family photoshoot](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/family-vacation.md) — from $220; 15 edited photos within 3 days - [Aerial portrait in the landscape](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/drone-landscape.md) — from $530; 15 edited photos and 15 s vertical aerial clip within 7 days - [Drone photo & video](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/drone-photo-video.md) — from $470; 15 edited photos and 30 s aerial film within 7 days - [Property & resort drone](https://www.komorebis.cc/services/property-drone.md) — from $730; 15 edited photos and 45 s aerial film within 10 days ## Frequently asked questions ### Can we have a drone film of our beach wedding? Usually yes. Most Onna and Nago resorts are outside the restricted zones; we confirm with the venue, check the base and airport maps, and file any MLIT permissions needed. We do not fly directly over guests, and some resorts restrict drones on their beaches. ### What if a typhoon hits during our shoot dates? From July to October we ask clients to keep one spare day. If a typhoon is forecast, we move the session within your stay; if there is no window, we reschedule or refund the session in full. ### Is Shuri Castle open? The grounds and gates are open, and the main hall’s reconstruction is scheduled to finish in autumn 2026. We confirm what is accessible before your date and plan ryuso portraits around the walls and the Shureimon gate. --- Komorebi · https://www.komorebis.cc