Let’s be honest, you can only prepare so much for the summer weather in Okinawa before it becomes a game of how to embrace it. It kind of just comes out of nowhere when you are least expecting it. We get a few weeks of beautiful weather then the rainy season hits and the humidity is here to stay. Okinawa is a sub tropical climate so the summers are hot and humid. Once the heat and humidity are here, it’s here for the long haul and you’ll find you don’t even get a break from it when the sun goes down.

Most of us don’t want to become hermit crabs and stay in our comfy, cool homes all day everyday, so there are a few things you can do to prepare for the heat so you can enjoy days outside and a few ways to embrace the summer weather and enjoy Okinawan summers.

Dehumidifiers

The first you are going to need would be a dehumidifier… or four. I want to say I’m exaggerating but depending on the type of home you live in you may want a dehumidifier for almost every room. With the hot and humid summers, your dehumidifiers will run almost constantly and you’ll find yourself emptying them multiple times during the day and waking up to full tanks.

If you have the option, dehumidifiers with hoses are great because you can set them up and never have to worry about emptying the tanks. Most people don’t have a permanent option for this in their homes but it’s a great option to have when you leave for extended periods of time.

Dehumidifiers will help keep your house cool alongside your AC unit. Some AC units come with a dehumidifying option. This is up to you whether you use it or not. It can wear down the unit faster and you may need to clean it more often but if you don’t want to spend the money on your own unit this is a great option.

Get Your AC Unit Cleaned

You are going to want to be able to enjoy your cool and comfortable house a lot once the temperatures start to rise. Don’t get caught half way through the summer with AC units that can’t keep up or just stop working completely. Most of the units in homes on the island are different from what we are used to in the states.

There are ways to clean them yourself if you are handy, YouTube offers plenty of how-to videos but your best, and safest, option is to hire someone. Talk to your housing maintenance office to see if they provide a cleaning service for you. Some will provide it free of charge others have a company they use but you may have to pay.

If your housing office doesn’t provide this service, you can do a quick google search or search through the many Okinawa Facebook groups and you’ll come up with a handful of companies. They all are to be about the same price so research the companies and choose the best fit for you. Just make sure to clean them before summer to ensure they work while the heat is here.

Stay Hydrated

This seems like a no brainer but a lot of people forget to drink and they pay for it with dehydration. Keeping hydrated will keep you feeling great even when the temperature seems to only ever get hotter.

Pocari Sweat or Aquarius are two local drinks that can help replenish your system with the things it needs to stay hydrated. They are the Gatorade and Powerade of Japan but way better and not so much sugar.

A rule of thumb when it comes to hydration is if you are thirsty you are already lacking hydration. So make sure to drink water every chance you get.

Wear the Right Clothes

The Japanese figured it out and sometimes more clothes will keep you cool. You’ll routinely see the local Japanese in clothing head to toe in the summer months. It’s cotton and loose fitting, enabling your skin to breathe while blocking it from the sun. They have big hats and visors, as well.

Now, most Americans aren’t going to suddenly adapt and wear clothing like the Japanese but keeping in mind loose, flowy clothes and something breathable will keep you cool. There are plenty of brands that have UV protection built in, moisture wicking capability and are breathable.

Buy a Fan and Get the Cool Wipes

Another thing you’ll notice about the Japanese in the summer months is they have fans. There are the paper ones that you’ll notice are stuck in all their car windows or small battery powered ones they wear around their necks. There are also fans in outdoor areas to keep the air moving. The mini necklace fans can be found at any conbini, 100 Yen shop or grocery store.

There are also cooling wipes, towels and mists that, like the name suggests, cool you off. Those can be found alongside the fans in most places. Once you know what you are looking for, you are going to see them everywhere. Do yourself a favor and stock up on these and keep them in every bag.

Find Indoor Activities

Indoor Kids Play Places

If you have kids, you know entertaining them through the summer heat is always a challenge. Indoor play places are great especially for those with younger kids but there are some that the older kids and teens can enjoy as well.

Wakuwaku Kidsland in Naha is a great place to take your kids with small climbing areas, slides and ball pits, your energetic toddler is sure to have no shortage of things to climb around, on or through. The space is a bit tighter and smaller but you can check their website for which play areas are appropriate for which ages.

Chikyu no Niwa Aeon Mall is at the Rycom Mall near Daiso. It’s like Wakuwaku and has play areas made for different ages. Chikyu no Niwa has two areas, one suitable for all kids up to 12 years old and the other is for toddlers 2 years old and younger. It has a bit more open concept compared to Wakuwaku so there is space for the older kids to move around and have fun.

Koru Piki Rock Climbing Gym and Coral Rock are indoor rock climbing gyms that the whole family can enjoy on those hot summer days. There are a few others in the north and south areas of the island but these two are central to most of the military bases. There are different walls to climb all with varying difficulties, with each gym having a specific kids wall as well. Each gym has hourly, daily, 1 month and 6 month passes available.

Malls

Okinawa has a handful of really amazing malls to choose from. Rycom Mall, Parco Mall and the iias Okinawa Toyosaki Mall are the big malls on the island. All of these malls have great indoor activities like aquariums, kids climbing areas and arcades. Malls are also a great place to just walk around and window shop then grab a bite to eat while enjoying some air conditioning.

Rycom Mall has a small indoor kids area Chikyu no Niwa, mentioned earlier in this article. There is also a large fish tank with sharks, sting rays and lots of fish that kids love to sit and watch.

The iias Okinawa Toyosaki Mall is home to the DMM Kariyushi Aquarium which features a huge glass floor looking down into their biggest tank.

The Parco Mall has a lot of higher end shops that may be fun to do some window shopping at and then check out their food court for some good food.

Arcades

Arcades are a childhood staple. I think every mall I’ve been to on the island has an arcade of some sort inside. The bigger malls have huge arcades filled with claw machines, racing games, skill games and more.

American Village has an arcade called Gigo, that’s sure to impress the kids with the darkened atmosphere and rows of claw machines.

Across the street from American Village there is also Joy Jungle. This is a giant arcade with every game you can think of, claw machines and gachapons for days and all the medal games you could want.

Medal games are a great feature in Japanese arcades. The medals, or tokens, have zero cash value, and you can play them in penny pusher type games or other video games to gain tokens. All the medals you earn you have to use up that day and cannot be returned for cash.

It’s a family friendly activity and you’ll quickly find yourself going back for more.

Libraries

All the libraries on base have storytimes for the younger ages. During the hot summer months they all also run a summer reading program for all ages where you can earn prizes the more minutes you log reading.

There are craft activities and stem activities as well for all ages. Besides these formal activities, the libraries are a great place to go to relax and get some reading in.

Go to the Movies

Each Marine Corps Base and Kadena have movie theaters, they are air conditioned and a perfect way to escape the sun. It’s always fun going to the theater on base, don’t forget you stand for the National Anthem at the beginning!

Base theaters are cheaper than movie theaters off base, even here in Japan, and provide typical theater snacks.

Off base theaters occasionally have english speaking movies playing and the individual theaters websites would have a schedule of movies playing.

Take an Art Class

Kadena Arts & Crafts shop near the Exchange on Kadena Air Base hosts weekly art classes. You can paint shisa or kokeshi dolls, create bingata, learn to paint watercolor or make a charcuterie board with resin.

They offer a painting camp for kids in the summer, as well. You could also check out their retail shop and buy some art supplies to create something as a couple or family.

Go Ice Skating

Dig out those winter hats and gloves and visit the only ice rink on the island of Okinawa. Located just east of Naha, the Sports World Southern Hill Ice Arena offers open skate hours daily.

There are daily passes and monthly passes available. At 1800 Yen for adults and kids under 1600 Yen depending on their age, it’s a reasonably priced activity that’ll be sure to cool you off.

Just make sure to check their website before going for business hours and to make sure you have the proper attire. They recommend long pants and long sleeves as well as gloves to protect you from possible falls on the ice.

Along with ice skating, Sports World Southern Hill also has ice skating lessons, bowling, table tennis, batting cages, restaurants and a spa.

Go to a Beach

Head to a beach and enjoy the Oki Blues. There are netted beaches to keep the critters out and give you peace of mind especially if you have littles. You can also find all sorts of great snorkeling spots around the island as well.

While the water is warm, it’s still a great way to cool off. Beaches with lifeguards usually have umbrellas or beach tents available for rent if you don’t have one of your own or forget it that day.

Pack a cooler with ice or ice packs and stuff it with cold drinks to keep you hydrated while there. Between the sun and the salt water you will feel dehydrated faster. While you may feel like you are cooling off in the water just be sure to drink water.

Find a Pool

Same as the beach, going for a swim at one of the many pools available to military families is a great way to cool off. You have lots of options including a pool on all of the Marine Corps bases, Hagerstrom Pool on Kadena, which has two water slides and a water slide at Torii Beach.

There are also options off base like the Chatan Water Park and Comprehensive Water Park. The off base options do have a fee to enter but it is all very reasonably priced.

Take the Ferry to Another Island

You could always escape to one of the many smaller islands around Okinawa. Some are accessible by car but most you can access by catching a ferry.

There are a few ports on the island that take you to the many islands. Port Motobu in the north and the Naha port in the south.

There are a few smaller ports on the east side of the island near Nanjo and Uruma that will take you to some small islands nearby as well.

Whew! That was a lot for us to cover! Here’s a list of all the things you can do to prepare and escape the heat.

• Get Dehumidifiers
• Clean your AC Unit
• Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!
• Wear the right clothes. Looser the better!
• Buy all the mini fans and cooling wipes.
• Find indoor activities. Library, play places, malls, arcades.
• Take an art class
• Go to the beach
• Go to the pool or water park
• Escape to a smaller island

Preparing for the heat will set you up for success to enjoy the summer weather in Okinawa. I always tell people to watch what the locals do and then follow along. They are really good at finding ways to adapt to the weather here so they can enjoy their days.

Head to Don Q as a fun escape from the heat and stock up on all the mini fans, cooling wipes and all the Aquarius you can and then enjoy the beautiful Okinawa summers.

Looking for more? Check out these other popular articles on activities in Okinawa.