This museum was a wonderful experience, and I really appreciated how deeply it explores the history of Okinawa, from the way people lived long before the island became what it is today, to how its unique culture and identity developed over time.
If you want to truly understand Okinawa’s past, this is absolutely a place you should visit.
Okinawa’s history is quite different from the typical cities in Japan and this museum highlights those differences in a meaningful way.
The building itself is impressive and the collections are thoughtfully presented and enjoyable to explore.
I highly recommend visiting this place and you’ll walk away with a deeper understanding of the island and it genuinely changes the way you see everything around you afterward.
A unique monolithically designed building with a variety of indoor and outdoor exhibits and galleries on Okinawa's cultural history and current art trends. You can pay for the exhibit you want to view or all of them for a combined price. The souvenir shop has a variety of gifts including more expensive items made locally. Please note that photos are restricted in multiple galleries.
Nice play to go and experience. What I really appreciate about this museum compared to other that I have been to is that almost all descriptions have English translation which is very conducive to foreigner. There is also a section for Kids which is interactive and give space for then to play and learn at the same time.
We caught the Mono-rail to Omoromachi Station and then did a " not too long" walk to the Museum. Along the way there is the T-Galleria Department store (attached almost to the Station) - full of "high class" Duty-Free apparel, jewellery, perfume and accessory stores - Chanel, Cartier, Bulgari, Coach, and Louis Vuitton... Further along, getting closer to the Museum is a huge 2 storey Department store complex called San-A which has much more affordable merchandise. But let's get to the Museum.
The Museum had 2 (or 3) Sections/Exhibition areas - there is an entrance fee for each section - the main area is what I would call the "museum". It has many archeological, historic and natural exhibitions, almost solely of Okinawa - which is why you would go there. We spent about an hour there. We didn't go to the "special" exhibitions.
Come learn about the history and culture of Okinawa / Ryukyu islands! There are many plaques already translated in English but a few in Japanese ( so I recommend using a translator app like Google Translate). It is worth visiting to see the history and Ryukyu culture evolution from being its own kingdom to being possessed by Japan to influence brought by US military after WWII. If you have a Yui Monorail pass or a ticket from visiting Shuri Castle that same day, you can get a discount on the admission ticket. They accept card here.
More about Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum from our blog
