I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of… oh wait, we’re in Japan! Welcome to one of Okinawa’s most unique destinations: Mihama American Village. With approximately 20% of Okinawa inhabited by US military bases, the island has developed a fascinating cultural blend and nowhere is this more apparent than American Village.
Visiting here is genuinely surreal. You’re surrounded by Okinawa’s rich cultural history, yet suddenly you stumble into this pocket of the island that’s unapologetically, in-your-face American. It’s like an American theme park without the rides.
The atmosphere changes throughout the day. During the daytime, it’s a holiday village with families and kids enjoying the colourful seaside location. By evening, the energy picks up as local military visit to hang out, drink, and enjoy weekend fireworks that light up the oceanfront.
I spent 3 months in Okinawa, visiting American Village often for the delicious food and uplifting atmosphere. I can’t feature every restaurant here, but I hope this blog gives you a visual guide to this cool resort nook of Okinawa.
Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you
Naha Essentials
Travel Insurance: I recommend True Traveller for EU/UK citizens and World Nomads for anyone outside of here.
Airalo is a super convenient e-sim that you can just download to your phone for mobile data! Prices start from $4.50. Please note that e-sim packages are data only and you will not get an international number.
Car Rental: DiscoverCars for the best prices
Best Tours: Keramas Island Snorkeling, Naha Bar Hopping
Visa: check here if you need an e-visa. Many countries only need a stamp on arrival.
How long to spend at America Village?
3-4 hours is plenty of time to explore, eat well, and soak up the atmosphere. There aren’t many structured activities, so a full day isn’t necessary.
When is the best time to visit?
Friday night and Saturday are peak times. The atmosphere buzzes with US military personnel socializing, and Saturday’s 8 PM firework show is a must-see. For a quieter experience, visit weekday afternoons.
Getting To America Village
Located in Chatan, getting to America Village is straightforward. It’s between 40 – 60 minutes from most of Okinawa’s most popular towns: Naha, Onna, Nago. There is also free parking throughout the entire complex.
Buses to American Village
From Northern Okinawa (Onna/Nago): Bus 20, 120 heading toward Naha (900-1800 yen).
From Naha: Bus 20, 28, 29, 120 (590-900 yen).
The last bus is between 8 – 9 PM, after this you’ll need to order a taxi which can be very expensive. We paid 7,500 yen to get back to Naha one night after we missed the bus.
What To Do In America Village
Christmas Land
Have you ever wanted it to be christmas all year round? Okinawa has the perfect place for you, Christmas Land.
Decorated in fairy lights, nutcrackers and santa’s, Christmas Land is a festive shop with handmade decorations from Germany. The ornaments are beautiful with delicate snow globes, reindeers, bears, and santas that line the shelves.
The decorations outside the shop though are the real eye catchers with large bears, santa sleigh, train and lots of tinsel. If this doesn’t make you feel Christmassy then I don’t know what else will.
We were in Okinawa from December to March, so the Christmas Land was welcome. It made us feel closer to home, and sprinkled some much needed festive energy that was otherwise lacking in Okinawa. However, once christmas was over it did feel strange to be here.
American Depot
The American Depot even had me, a 100% Irish woman feeling a tad American by the time I walked out of there.
With racks of thrifted items, either imported or left behind by the US troops, the theme is all American. Picture what the media typically portrays an American to wear, well this store is just rows and rows of that.
Inside, to me, a non-American, feels like a museum of outfits from classic American movies. For example you’ve got top gun bomber jackets, classic highschool jock jacket, rockabilly outfits from leather jackets to red bandanas, checked shirts and lots of army clothing. It’s over the top, kind of cheesy, and exactly how the movies make America look.
The best part of the shop is a small section upstairs which has old magazines and newspapers from the last 100 years. There’s a huge collection, you could probably find a paper or magazine on the day you were born. It’s not organised though, so you’ll need to rummage around for some time.
Highest Rated Hotels in America Village Okinawa
MB GALLERY CHATAN ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (9.3)
DoubleTree ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (9.0)
Vessel Hotel Campana ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (9.0)
Magic Ocean
We stumbled on this magic show without massive expectations and ended up having a great time. The staff were playful from the moment we walked in, and ordering through the QR code at the table made everything seamless.
Even as adults we were laughing and genuinely surprised by the tricks. It’s interactive, fast paced, and way more entertaining than it sounds on paper. Buy the fake Marine dollars to tip your favourite magicians and get photos with them afterwards.
Book ahead because tables fill up quickly, especially on weekends. They rotate different magicians so the show changes if you go multiple times.
Our entire bill with food, drinks, tips, and the show came to under 10,000 yen, which felt like excellent value for the entertainment. You don’t need to speak Japanese to enjoy it. The performers are so expressive and engaging that language doesn’t matter. Families, couples, groups of friends all seemed to be having a great time. This is one of those hidden gems that doesn’t get enough attention but absolutely should.
Depot Island Boardwalk
After visiting Christmas Land and browsing through America’s top vintage finds, you can then go for a seaside walk along the boardwalk.
It’s not that long, maybe 400 metres but you have uninterrupted seaviews on one side while the other has rows of colourful restaurants. Along the boardwalk are installations like the crescent moon and a white frame with love hearts.
It’s especially beautiful during sunset where you can see the sun seemingly sink into the ocean.
Restaurants In America Village
There are sooo many restaurants in America Village that I can’t name them all. But I will share what my personal favourite places are, and the ones I saved but didn’t have the time or appetite.
KAPUKA Hawaiian
Tucked away down a basement, this restaurant is anything but dark. The vibe is beach cafe, with surfboards, ocean decorations and colourful hues.
If you are looking for a different meal, away from burgers then I highly recommend here. The brunch menu is excellent, a set menu that includes a large plate of meat, rice and vegetables along with a drink and soup all for 1200 – 2200 yen. This is great value for the portion.
I ordered the garlic shrimp plate that arrived with 6 large pieces of shrimp, 2 servings of saffron rice, an avocado, pasta, and fried mashed potatoes. The shrimp was seasoned to perfection, the rice was full of flavour and all the extras were a great addition to the meal.
I also appreciated they had a self serve water with 3 different flavours, this was a nice touch.
Okinawa and Hawaii go back decades. Thousands of Okinawans immigrated to Hawaii in the 1900’s to work on plantations, today there’s a large Okinawan community in Hawaii.
NY Pizza Stand
Capturing the essence of a New York Pizzeria, as soon as you walk in to NY Pizza Stand you’re hit with that amazing pizza crust aroma, a solid green flag for how delicious it’s going to be. Oh, and of course the green ninja turtles.
The pizzas are huge, you can either get a full one or just a slice. It really tastes like an authentic NYC slice. The dough is thin and crispy, not floppy – perfect for folding in half while there is a good cheese, sauce and toppings balance. The counters also have italian herbs, garlic and parmesan.
Flavours include chicken bacon ranch, pepperoni and meat jesus. I tried the meat jesus which has pepperoni, ground sausage and bacon – yum!
The restaurant itself is cosy, with both indoor and outdoor seating. It can get busy on the weekends but most people appear to grab and go.
Double Decker
Taking me back to college when I’d be trying to finish my naggin on the double decker on my way in for a night out. Well I’ve changed, much more sophisticated, this bus is stationary and much more expensive.
Dark and cosy with jazz music playing in the background, sip on cocktails on the red double deck where nothing by a small table light illuminates your area.
The food is a Japanese/Western menu with omurice, hamburger steaks, salmon in a cream sauce and pizza.
Pork Tomago
Okinawa has its own unique twist on onigiri that might surprise you: pork tamago onigiri. This is rice wrapped in seaweed, topped with a slice of egg (tamago) and a thick, juicy slab of SPAM.
Before you raise an eyebrow, there’s actually a fascinating reason behind it. When US servicemen arrived in Okinawa, they brought SPAM with them. Its high fat content, calorie density, and long shelf life made it practical, and eventually, locals embraced it as a staple ingredient.
I’ll admit I was skeptical. Growing up in Ireland, SPAM sat in our cupboards and I absolutely hated it. But Okinawan pork tamago onigiri completely changed my mind. The pork fat melts into the warm rice, creating this rich, savory combination that’s genuinely delicious.
You’ll also find variations with goya (bitter melon), a distinctly Okinawan vegetable with an acquired taste. It wasn’t my favourite, but I appreciated trying something so local and unique.
Burrito Gang
With classics like carnitas and chipotle and the not so classic Korean BBQ, Burrito Gang is the best place to get a burrito in America Village.
The burritos come in big, however they tend to go very heavy on the rice so if that’s not your thing ask for a small portion of rice when ordering. Stuffed inside a perfectly toasted tortilla is refried beans, cheese, pico de gallo and sauce. Unfortunately, guacamole, sour cream and jalapenos are an extra 100 yen each. Every burrito is also available in a bowl.
Funky Delica by Poegg
Fresh Okinawan style onigiri by Po egg. They use a different brand of spam called Tulip, generally the regular SPAM brand is used around the island, so it makes a nice difference. I found it to be more tender.
Flavours include ginger agu pork, bitter melon, tuna avocado + wasabi mayo, and jerk chicken. The menu is ordered by the most popular which is super helpful if you don’t know what to order (agu pork is the #1).
Sushi Ichiba Mihama
We were told we had to come here but unfortunately it just never worked out for us. This is a gourmet conveyor belt sushi restaurant that is super popular.
You can either grab the sushi from conveyor belt or order directly on the table. They allow you to order less rice which means more room in your belly for the good stuff.
There is always a queue, so if possible it’s best to arrive 20 minutes before it opens.
Thursday to Tuesday 11:30 AM–2 PM + 4:30–9:50 PM. Closed on Wednesdays.
190 yen to 490 yen per plate.
Guts Fried Chicken
Juicy, fresh, and crispy fried chicken is Guts game. They have 9 different flavours of fried chicken including Korean spicy, garlic honey butter, cheese, garlic, and lemon pepper.
The menu includes bone and boneless chicken, rice flour waffle (gluten free) and chicken, chicken burger, and tacos. They have a special UFO chicken where you get 12 pieces of chicken, 3 different flavours served on a plate where the middle is filled with melted cheese.
Portions are large with prices averaging 1,300 – 2,000 yen per meal.
Cafes In America Village
Zhyvago
Not only the best cafe in America Village, but also one of the best cafes in Okinawa.
The atmosphere is great across this two story cafe. It’s a laptop friendly cafe in Okinawa with many people on the second floor working away on their laptops.
The coffee is so good, velvety smooth cappuccino with non-dairy milk options.
The pastries all look delicious, I got the strawberry tart which was lovely, not too sweet.
Smoothie Boo
Not a fan of caffeine? Then Smoothie Boo is the answer, with a wide range of fresh smoothies.
There are lots of flavours but the strawberry and mango yogurt smoothie is highly rated, it’s served with an aesthetic mango and strawberry flower design.
Prices are 550 – 800 yen.
Blue Seal
A day out in Okinawa has to always include a Blue Seal, it’s a must! Although originating from America it’s now completely Okinawan owned, with local flavours like ben-umo and Okinawan salt and cookies.
The best place to sit is outside overlooking the boardwalk, it’s a great spot for sunset in Okinawa.
Shops In America Village
America Village is not a shopping centre, you won’t find ZARA or H&M here, however there are a handful of clothes and souvenir shops.
One of the coolest shops is SNOOPY’S Surf Shop, lots of cute Snoopy merchandise, and is one of just 3 stores in Japan.
Weekend Fireworks In American Village
Every Saturday night at 8 PM there is a 3 – 5 minute firework show in America Village. The best place to watch them is the boardwalk along the ocean front.
Should You Stay In America Village Okinawa?
America Village is actually a great base to explore the rest of Okinawa. It sits in the middle of the island, 23 minute drive from Yomitan, 50 minute drive from Naha + Onna, and 1 hour drive from Nago.
There are many restaurants in the village, frequent buses and a general good atmosphere, especially in the night. It’s the best place to stay in Okinawa for families as it offers so much entertainment on your doorstep.
Hotels In America Village
Lequ Okinawa Chatan Spa + Resort for ultimate luxury in the heart of America Village. Swim in the rooftop outdoor pool or lounge on the sun beds with sprawling sea views. This hotel also offers a hot spring bath, sauna, fitness centre, and public bath. Rooms are comfortable and modern, and are fitted with a kitchenette and balcony.
Vessel Hotel for beachfront views with Sunset beach just 2-minutes away. Rooms are bright, modern, some with ocean view. Hotel includes an outdoor swimming pool and spa.
Condominium Hotel Monpa for budget-friendly rooms just 5 minute walk to America Village. All rooms have a private balcony, kitchenette and sofa.
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