Ogimi

Ogimi (大宜味村, Ōgimi-son) is a small village in the northern part of Okinawa Island, Japan, known as part of the Yanbaru region (Northern Okinawa) — a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The village sits between lush subtropical forest and the East China Sea, and is famous for its longevity: it has one of the highest concentrations of centenarians in the world.

Ogimi is part of the Yambaru (やんばる) wilderness area, which became a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2021. The village is quiet and rural, far from the tourist crowds of southern Okinawa. Its population is small and the pace of life is slow — exactly why many visitors come here.

The area is known for:

• Some of the oldest people in the world (centenarian culture)
• Dense subtropical jungle and rare wildlife
• Traditional Okinawan fishing and farming culture
• Clear seas and unspoiled coastline

Ogimi is about 80 km north of Naha, roughly 1.5–2 hours by car via National Route 58.

• By car: Rental car from Naha Airport is the most practical option. There is no train service in northern Okinawa.
• By bus: Okinawa Bus route 67 (やんばる急行バス, Yambaru Express) runs from Naha Bus Terminal to the northern villages, stopping near Ogimi. Journey time is approximately 2.5 hours.

A rental car is essentially required. Public buses are infrequent. The village roads are narrow and scenic.

• Nerome Beach (根路銘ビーチ) — A quiet, unspoiled beach with clear turquoise water, rarely crowded even in summer.
• Kijoka Bashofu (喜如嘉の芭蕉布) — A UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage craft. Bashofu is a traditional Okinawan textile woven from banana plant fibers, and Kijoka in Ogimi is the last remaining place where it is still made by hand. Visitors can watch artisans at work.
• Shioya Ungami (塩屋のウンガミ) — An ancient sea-worship festival held at Shioya Bay each lunar August. One of Okinawa's most sacred and rare traditional rituals, rarely seen by outsiders.

• 26.75128.251 Yambaru National Park. Subtropical forest home to the Okinawa rail (ヤンバルクイナ), an endangered flightless bird found nowhere else on earth.  
  • Ta-taki Waterfall hike (ター滝) — A short jungle hike through dense Yambaru forest leads to a beautiful freshwater waterfall. A popular spot for cooling off in summer.
• Blue Zone & Ikigai experience — Ogimi is one of the world's famous Blue Zones, featured in the international bestseller Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. The village's centenarian culture, diet, and way of life inspired readers worldwide. Walking through the village feels like stepping into the book.
• Hentona Sabani — Experience traditional Okinawan sabani (wooden outrigger fishing boat) sailing. A rare hands-on cultural experience.
• Sea kayaking and snorkeling — The coastline has excellent water clarity and calm conditions, especially in summer.

• Ogimi Village Roadside Station (道の駅おおぎみ やんばるの里) — Local products including bitter melon (ゴーヤ), shikuwasa citrus, and Okinawan crafts.
• Shikuwasa juice and products are a local specialty — the small citrus fruit is linked to Ogimi's longevity culture.

Dining options are limited in the village itself. The roadside station has a small café. Most visitors eat at their accommodation or drive to nearby Nago (approximately 30 minutes south).

• Wassa Wassa. A small 3-room inn (民宿) directly on Nerome Beach, run by a husband-and-wife chef team. The inn offers accommodation with or without meals; dinner features fresh local seafood from Hentona fishing port and Okinawan seasonal vegetables, prepared by a former Tokyo restaurant chef. Rooms include two Superior Twins and one Deluxe Twin villa (Yambaru Routine), a self-contained cottage. Superior Twin rooms feature an outdoor bath (swimwear required). The Deluxe Twin villa includes a private bathroom and access to Ayurvedic wellness treatments performed by a Japan Ayurveda Association-certified therapist trained under a therapist from Indus Valley Ayurvedic Centre, India. Treatments include Abhyanga (full or half body oil massage) and Shirodhara, from ¥13,200. Advance reservation required. (updated Jun 2026)

Mobile coverage (au, SoftBank, Docomo) is generally available along the main roads. Some areas deep in the forest may have weak signal.

• Nago — The largest city in northern Okinawa, about 30 minutes south. Shopping, restaurants, and services.
• Kunigami — The village to the north, home to Yambaru National Park visitor centers.
• Motobu — Home to the Churaumi Aquarium, about 40 minutes south.
• Naha — Okinawa's capital city, 1.5–2 hours south.