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 23 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 is a major resort region of Japan, welcomes a total of over 10 million tourists per year. The island has an ideal accommodation environment with more than 1,800 accommodating facilities, from luxury resort hotels to comfortable homely hostels. One can choose among all the facilities that meet one’s needs for training camps such as food, laundry, auxiliary facilities, etc. for training.

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 Facility & Event

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 facility

International and national teams choose Okinawa to hold training camps for sports such as badminton, volleyball, handball, weightlifting and judo. Being the birthplace of karate, many karate practitioners from all over the world hold their training camp in Okinawa, not to mention many international tournaments are also held here as well.

Training Camps and Competitions

  • 2016 Japan National Judo (Men)
  • 2016 Japan National Wrestling (Women)
  • 2017 Singapore National Handball (Men & Women)
  • 2017 Czech National U19 Basketball (Men)
  • 2017 Japan National Weight Lifting (Men & Women)
  • 2018 Japan National Badminton (Men & Women)
  • 2018 France National U19 Volleyball (Men)
  • 2018 Japan National Fencing Sabre (Men & Women)
  • 2018 Japan National Fencing Foil (Women)
  • 2019 Hungary National Karate (Men & Women)
  • 2019 Germany National Karate (Men & Women)
  • 2019 Denmark National Handball (Women)
  • FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifying Tournament Scheduled

Outdoor sports facility

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 and Competitions

  • 2017 Japan National Rugby sevens (Women)
  • 2017 Japan National Rugby (Men)
  • 2017 Korea National Baseball (Men & Women)
  • 2017 Mongolia National Soccer (Men)
  • 2017 Japan National Softball (Women)
  • 2018 Japan Para Athletics (Men & Women)
  • 2018 Pro Baseball Spring Training Camp (Japan: 12 teams, Korea: 6 teams)
  • 2018 Pro Soccer Spring Training Camp (Japan: 17 teams, Korea: 1 team, China: 1 team)
  • 2019 Japan National Rugby sevens (Men)
  • 2019 Japan National Rugby
  • 2019 Samurai Japan (Baseball)
  • 2019 Japan National Baseball – Samurai Japan (Men)
  • 2019 Japan National Softball (Women)
  • 2019 Pro Baseball Spring Training Camp (Japan: 9 teams, Korea: 7 teams)
  • 2019 Pro Soccer Spring Training Camp (Japan: 19 teams, Korea: 1 team)
  • 2019 Germany National Athletics Team (Men & Women)

Okinawa Karate Kaikan

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 and Competitions

  • 2019 Hungary National Karate (Men & Women)
  • 2019 Germany National Karate (Men & Women)

Road Bicycle Racing

Since there aren’t many traffic lights in the northern part of Okinawa main island and remote island area, many athletes take this as an advantage for training. Cycling camps have become active and many Olympic athletes have been born within the prefecture.

Training Camps and Competitions

  • 2018 Japan National Road Race (Men)
  • 2018 Professional Road Race Team (Japan: 3 teams)
  • 2019 Japan National Road Race (Men)
  • 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 and Competitions

  • 2017 Sailing (470 Class) – Japan, New Zealand, Croatia teams
  • 2017 Sailing (RS:X Class) – Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, England teams
  • 2018 Sailing (470 Class) – Japan, France, Spain teams
  • 2018 Sailing (RS:X Class) – Japan team
  • 2019 Japan National Beach Soccer (Men)
  • 2019 Japan National Canoe (Men)
  • 2019 Australia National Triathlon (Men & Women)
  • 2019 Japan Beach Soccer Regional Champions Cup (Women)
  • All Japan Triathlon Miyakojima
  • Ishigaki Triathlon

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.