Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum
沖縄県立博物館・美術館26°14′ N 127°42′ EMuseumOne of its roots is the Higashionna Museum founded in 1946
The Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum in Omoromachi, Naha, tells the story of the Ryukyu islands from their geology to the present, and its art museum wing shows modern Okinawan art. Adult tickets cost ¥530 for the museum's permanent exhibition, and it stays open until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Photo 663highland · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.5 and others, credited in the gallery
The museum grew partly out of the Okinawa Civil Administration's Higashionna Museum, founded in 1946 in the year after the Battle of Okinawa. The museum side covers geology, biology, anthropology, archaeology, folklore, history and the decorative arts, and the art museum shows Okinawan oil paintings, sculpture, prints, photographs and film from the modern era. Together they hold about 94,000 museum objects and 3,700 artworks by the institution's 2017 count, the largest collection in the prefecture.
The permanent exhibition is called Living with the Sea and Islands, and it follows the people of these islands in search of abundance, beauty and peace. One of its treasures is the Bankoku Shinryo bell, a national Important Cultural Property. In autumn 2026 the museum is also running an exhibition on Shuri Castle with a lecture series on Ryukyu's relations with China.
It makes a good first stop for a trip to Okinawa and a reliable plan for a wet or windy winter day. The hands-on room lets children handle 37 kits on nature and traditional know-how, and the information centre opens the archive behind the galleries. Curators lead a backyard tour of the stores once a month on the museum side.
Visiting with care
The museum explains its rules on touching and photography as the way it protects Okinawa's treasures for the future.
- The museum's permanent exhibition costs ¥530 for adults and ¥270 for high school and university students; the art museum's collection show costs ¥400 and ¥220
- A one-day passport covering both costs ¥750 for adults from 25 September to 28 November 2026
- Children of elementary and junior high age from outside Okinawa pay ¥150 for the museum; visitors 70 and over enter the permanent galleries free
- Children in grade 3 or below must come with someone 18 or older
- The museum closes about two hours before Naha's buses stop for a typhoon and reopens about two hours after they restart
- Follow the photography signs in each gallery
- Keep hands off the cases and the objects; the hands-on room is the place to touch things
Worth knowing
- It is about 10 minutes on foot from Omoromachi Station on the Yui Rail, and the free car park holds 158 cars.
- Go on a Friday or Saturday evening, when it stays open until 20:00.
- The museum shop Yuimui sells crafts and books on Okinawa and closes at 18:00.
- Pay by cash, credit card or e-money at the ticket desk.
FAQ
Quick answers about Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museumよくある質問
How much is the Okinawa Prefectural Museum?
The Okinawa Prefectural Museum's permanent exhibition costs ¥530 for adults and ¥270 for high school and university students. The art museum's collection show costs ¥400, and a one-day passport for both cost ¥750 in autumn 2026.
When is the Okinawa Prefectural Museum closed?
The Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum closes on Mondays, and it opens on a Monday holiday and closes the next weekday instead. It also closes from 29 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 and during typhoons.
Can you visit Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum?
Open to visitors. The museum's permanent exhibition costs ¥530 for adults and ¥270 for high school and university students; the art museum's collection show costs ¥400 and ¥220. A one-day passport covering both costs ¥750 for adults from 25 September to 28 November 2026. Children of elementary and junior high age from outside Okinawa pay ¥150 for the museum; visitors 70 and over enter the permanent galleries free. Children in grade 3 or below must come with someone 18 or older. The museum closes about two hours before Naha's buses stop for a typhoon and reopens about two hours after they restart.
How should you behave at Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum?
At Okinawa Prefectural Museum and Art Museum: Follow the photography signs in each gallery. Keep hands off the cases and the objects; the hands-on room is the place to touch things.
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