Urasoe
浦添市Urashii26°15′ N 127°43′ ECityPop. 115,082
Urasoe is the city of about 115,000 people directly north of Naha, and for about 220 years from the 12th century it was the seat of Okinawa's kings. Visitors come for the Urasoe Gusuku ruins and royal tombs, the café lanes of Minatogawa Stateside Town and the A&W and Blue Seal on the Makiminato strip.
Photo TurnOnTheNight · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0
Urasoe ruled Okinawa before Shuri did. The kings who reigned from the hilltop castle here gave the city its nickname Tedako, and their tombs at Urasoe Yodore sit on the same ridge. In 1945 that ridge became the Maeda escarpment, which American soldiers called Hacksaw Ridge, and the war killed 44.6 percent of the people of Urasoe.
The modern city spreads along the coast road north of Naha, and its west side makes an easy afternoon. Minatogawa Stateside Town fills a block of 1960s houses built for American families with cafés and shops. A&W and the Blue Seal main store sit on the Makiminato strip, and in nearby Iso, reviewers credit Takaesu Soba with inventing yushi-dofu soba. The Tokyo Yakult Swallows hold their spring training camp in Urasoe, and the city's tourism site published a guide to the 2026 camp.
Restaurants and cafés
Eat in Urasoe食べる
See and do
Things to do in Urasoe遊ぶ
FAQ
Quick answers about Urasoeよくある質問
Is Urasoe worth visiting?
Yes, for history and food. Urasoe holds the ruins of the castle Okinawa's kings ruled from before Shuri, the royal tombs at Urasoe Yodore, the Hacksaw Ridge battlefield and the cafés of Minatogawa Stateside Town.
What does the name Urasoe mean?
Urasoe comes from the Okinawan Ura-osoi, meaning to rule over the bays far and wide, worn down to Urashii in local speech.
Is Urasoe a good place to stay?
Urasoe suits travellers who want to stay close to Naha and the airport and range up the central west coast. Most visitors base in Naha or Chatan and come here for an afternoon.
How do you get to Urasoe?
The Yui Rail monorail serves Urasoe, with Urasoe-Maeda station on the line. Buses run along the coast road past Makiminato.
Within 12 km
Stay nearby宿
Within 12 km
Beaches and swims nearby浜
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