Charm of Okinawa
About Okinawa
Sports Islands OKINAWA
Okinawa has a warm climate all year round, easy and convenient access for air travel, fully-equipped sports facilities and a great variety of accommodation facilities. Okinawa, the most popular resort destination of Japan, offers the perfect environment for sports training camps.
Access to Okinawa
Situated at the center of East Asia, Okinawa represents the southern gateway to Japan. Main airports of East Asian countries including mainland Japan have direct flights to Okinawa. Big cities such as Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo are only a two and a half hour flight distance. There are approximately 40 flights between Okinawa and Tokyo every day, which assures a smooth transport of athletes to and from the island.
Warm Climate
Okinawa boasts the only subtropical oceanic climate in Japan and has an average annual temperature of 24 degrees. It is the only place in Japan where sports athletes can achieve both the perfect and ideal training even during the winter period. Additionally, there are almost no cedars and hinoki in Okinawa, so many athletes in the mainland of Japan have hay fever are free from distress.
Accomodation Facilities That Fit All Needs
Okinawa, one of Japan’s leading resort destinations, attracts approximately 10 million tourists annually from both within and outside of Japan. It offers a wide variety of accommodations, ranging from luxury resort hotels to home-away-from-home guesthouses. You can choose the accommodation that best suits your team’s specific requirements and needs, including strict diet meals, uniform laundries, and other amenities unique to training camps.
Nature & Culture
Rich Nature and Original Culture
Okinawa consists of 160 islands including 47 inhabited islands over a vast ocean spanning 400km north to south and 1000km east to west. The beautiful natural sceneries of coral reefs, crystal -clear blue seas, and white sandy beaches present their own unique views on each island. You can feel and experience the unique Ryukyu culture of Okinawa, quite distinct from mainland Japan.
Development of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s Original Culture
Since the mid 15th century for a period of about 450 years, Okinawa was the Ryukyu Kingdom with Shurijo Castle at its center. Through trade with Asian countries, the kingdom flourished in arts and entertainment, differing from the Japanese culture at the time, forming a richly unique international culture.
The birth place of karate – Okinawa
With this kind of historical and cultural background, “Karate” wasborn and has been passed down as a martial art that contributes tobuilding a strong body through strict training and cultivates anindominable spirit and also shapes and develops one’s personality tolove peace and have respect for good manners. Karate is a traditionalculture that Okinawa is proud of and is passed down even until thisday.
Sports Facilities and Training Camps & Competitions
Rich Training Environment
Many top athletes are looking for an attractive training environment and choose Okinawa for their sports training camp location. In Okinawa, one can find a sports camp training facility for any type of sport. The surrounding beaches make an ideal place even for marine sports training camps such like triathlons or sailing.
Indoor Sports
International and national team’s training camps for badminton, volleyball, handball, weightlifting, judo, and other sports have been held here. International tournaments such as the FIBA Basketball World Cup was held here in 2023.
Training Camps
- Volleyball
- Japan National
- France Men’s National
- France Men’s National (Pre-camp for FIVB Volleyball Nations League 2022)
- France Men’s National (Pre-camp for Tokyo 2020 Olympics)
- Handball
- Japan Women’s National
- Hong Kong Women’s National
- Denmark National (Pre-Camp for Tokyo 2020 Olympics)
- Basketball
- Japan Men’s National U19
- Czech Republic Men’s National U19
- Badminton
- Japan National
- Table Tennis
- Japan Men’s National
- Judo
- Japan Men’s National
- Weightlifting
- Japan National
- Gymnastics (Trampoline)
- Japan Men’s National
- Fencing
- Japan National
- Wrestling
- Japan National
- Short Track Speed Skating
- Japan National
- Speed Skating
- Japan National
Competitions
- FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023
Outdoor sports
With more than 100 sports training camps held annually, track and field training camps are the most numerous sports training camps held in Okinawa. With many indoor stadiums and well-conditioned grass fields attract many soccer and baseball teams to come to the island for their spring training camps before the tournament season begins.
Training Camps
- Baseball
- Japan National
- Canada Men’s National, South Korea Men’s National and China Men’s National
- Softball
- Japan Women’s National
- Hong Kong Men’s National U19
- Track and Field
- Japan Women’s National
- Germany National (Pre-camp for IAAF World Relays 2018 Yokohama)
- Soccer
- Japan Women’s National
- Mongolia Men’s National
- Rugby
- Japan Men’s National Rugby Union
- Japan National Rugby Sevens
- USA Men’s National Rugby Union (Pre-camp for the Rugby World Cup 2019)
- Argentina National Rugby Sevens (Pre-camp for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics)
- New Zealand National Rugby Sevens
- Tennis
- Japan Men’s National
- Lacrosse
- Pakistan Women’s National
- Other
- Pro Baseball Spring Training Camps (Japan, South Korea, China and Taiwan)
- Pro Soccer Spring Training Camps (Japan, South Korea, China and others)
Competitions
- WBSC U-18 Baseball World Cup
- Lacrosse Okinawa Open
Karate
Okinawa Karate Kaikan is a base facility that aims to preserve and develop Okinawan Karate as Okinawa’s unique cultural heritage, and at the same time spread and promote Okinawa as the “birthplace of karate” to people within and outside Japan. The facility is made to be enjoyed by not only karate practitioners but also anyone from all over the world.
Training Camps
- Japan National
- Germany National and Hungary National
Competitions
- Okinawa Karate World Tournament
Cycle Sport
The northern part of the main island and the outlying islands have few traffic lights and are ideal for training, making them a popular training ground for cycling. Thus, cycling training camps are also popular, and the prefecture has even produced Olympic athletes. The Tour de Okinawa, held every November, attracts top athletes from Japan and abroad, as well as the local amateur racers, for a thrilling race amid the beautiful scenic outdoors.
Training Camps
- Track
- Japan National
- Road
- Japan National
- Professional Road Race Team
Competitions
- Tour de Okinawa
Marine Sports
Thanks to its rich marine environment, Okinawa holds canoe, sailing and triathlon training camps and tournaments. Teams and athletes can achieve their ideal sports training, taking advantage of the beach resort area.
Training Camps
- Sailing
- (470 Class) Japan National
- (RS:X Class) Japan National
- (Laser Class) Japan National
- (49er Class) Japan National
- (iQ FOiL Class) Japan National
- (470 Class) New Zealand National, Croatia National , France National and Spain National
- (RS:X Class) South Korea National, Hong Kong National and British National
- Canoeing
- (Sprint) Japan National
- Other
- (Open Water Swimming) Japan National
- (Triathlon) Japan Men’s National
- (Dragon Boat) Japan Women’s National
- (Beach Soccer) Japan Men’s National
- (Frescoball) Japan Frescoball Assosiation Training Camp
- (Triathlon) Australia Men’s National
- (Beach Soccer) Germany Men’s National
Competitions
- Ishigaki Triathlon
- All Japan Triathlon Miyakojima Tournament
Disability sports
We have a (comprehensive and an integrated) support systems in place to enable people with physical disabilities to actively participate in sports.
As a result, the number of training camps held are increasing every year, and we will continue to strive to further improve our support in the future.
Training Camps
– Para-Sports –
- Track and Field
- Japan Wheelchair National
- Japan Standing National
- Turkey Visually Impaired National
- Rwanda National (Pre-camp for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics)
- Wheelchair Rugby
- Japan National
- Wheelchair Tennis
- Japan National
- Sitting Volleyball
- Japan Women’s National
- Rwanda National (Pre-camp for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics)
- Wheelchair Basketball
- Japan National U-23
- Cycling
- Japan National
- Triathlon
- Japan National
Training Camps
– Deaf Sports –
- Track and Field
- Japan National
- Soccer
- Japan Women’s National
- Tennis
- Japan National
- Volleyball
- Japan National
Competitions
– Deaf Sports –
- Deaf Volleyball World Championships in Tomigusuku, Okinawa
Medical Care and Relaxation
Hospitals and emergency medical centers areavailable near every sports facility. Okinawa alsohas many sports doctors. Everything is preparedto quickly cope with any kind of emergency.Plenty of relaxation facilities are also available to alliviateany mental and physical fatigue from sports.
