Car hire and driving in Okinawa
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In Japan traffic drives on the left. Picking up at OKA means 23 km (14 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q11185210 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648823 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2807090.
Drives from Okinawa
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa to Kanoya | Japan | 635 km (394 mi) | about 9 h 41 min |
| Okinawa to Kagoshima | Japan | 640 km (398 mi) | about 9 h 46 min |
| Okinawa to Kirishima | Japan | 666 km (414 mi) | about 10 h 10 min |
| Okinawa to Miyakonojō | Japan | 679 km (422 mi) | about 10 h 21 min |
| Okinawa to Miyazaki | Japan | 713 km (443 mi) | about 10 h 52 min |
| Okinawa to Honmachi | Japan | 737 km (458 mi) | about 11 h 15 min |
| Okinawa to Nagasaki | Japan | 741 km (460 mi) | about 11 h 18 min |
| Okinawa to Isahaya | Japan | 755 km (469 mi) | about 11 h 31 min |
| Okinawa to Kotō | Japan | 771 km (479 mi) | about 11 h 45 min |
| Okinawa to Kumamoto | Japan | 772 km (480 mi) | about 11 h 46 min |
| Okinawa to Sasebo | Japan | 782 km (486 mi) | about 11 h 56 min |
| Okinawa to Ōmuta | Japan | 787 km (489 mi) | about 12 h |
| Okinawa to Tokyo | Japan | 1,536 km (954 mi) | about 23 h 25 min |
| Okinawa to Yokohama | Japan | 1,515 km (941 mi) | about 23 h 6 min |
| Okinawa to Osaka | Japan | 1,186 km (737 mi) | about 18 h 5 min |
| Okinawa to Nagoya | Japan | 1,312 km (815 mi) | about 20 h |
| Okinawa to Fukuoka | Japan | 846 km (526 mi) | about 12 h 54 min |
| Okinawa to Kawasaki | Japan | 1,526 km (948 mi) | about 23 h 16 min |
| Okinawa to Kobe | Japan | 1,167 km (725 mi) | about 17 h 48 min |
| Okinawa to Kyoto | Japan | 1,228 km (763 mi) | about 18 h 44 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Okinawa?
The left, as everywhere in Japan.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.