Kokusai-dori (Kokusai Street)
那覇 国際通り商店街
Naha's main street, born from the ruins after the war and nicknamed the "Miracle Mile": about 1.6 km lined with some 600 souvenir shops, restaurants and more.
The "Miracle Mile"
Kokusai-dori is the main avenue running through the centre of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture. It stretches about 1.6 km from the Kencho Kitaguchi (Prefectural Office North Exit) crossroads to the Asato Sansaro junction.
Its name, which means "International Street", comes from the Ernie Pyle International Theatre, a cinema that opened in 1948. Because it was reborn in a short space of time as a busy shopping and entertainment district from land left in ashes by the Battle of Okinawa, and because it is roughly a mile long, it is also known as the "Miracle Mile".
Things to enjoy on the street
The street is lined with about 600 shops and businesses, including department stores, restaurants, souvenir shops and hotels. Stone statues of shisa, the lion-like figures that ward off evil in Okinawa, are also among its landmarks.
Every Sunday afternoon, about 1.3 km of the street from the Kencho Kitaguchi crossroads is closed to traffic for the Transit Mall. Open-air cafés and stalls set up on the road, and there are performances and more. It is cancelled in bad weather such as typhoons or heavy rain, and cancellations are announced on the official website and social media.
Step off into the market
Turn into one of the covered shopping arcades branching off Kokusai-dori, such as Ichiba Hondori, and you will find more shops that give you a feel for local life. About 150 m along Ichiba Hondori is the Daiichi Makishi Public Market. It started out as a black market after the war, and after being rebuilt it reopened in a new building in March 2023.
The market has its own special system called mochiage: you buy fish or other ingredients from a shop on the ground floor, then take them up to a restaurant on the first floor, where they will cook them for you.
Getting there
Kenchomae, Miebashi and Makishi stations on the Okinawa Urban Monorail, known as the Yui Rail, are all close to the street. Plenty of local buses run here too.
Along the street there are also coin lockers, ATMs and places to change foreign currency.
Tips
- The Transit Mall is on Sunday afternoons only. If you want to enjoy the street given over to pedestrians, plan your visit for a Sunday. Recent cancellations were announced for 9 August, 6 September and 27 September 2026, so check the official website on the day.
- If you want to eat as well as shop for souvenirs, give mochiage at the Daiichi Makishi Public Market a try.
- Besides the Transit Mall, the official Kokusai-dori website also lists events such as the "10,000-Person Eisa Dance Parade". Once your travel dates are fixed, have a look.
Sources
Updated 28 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
