A practical English guide to Haebaru in Okinawa: the wartime sites, the town life and access from Naha.
Operational details such as opening hours, admission fees, and train times can change. Prefer official pages and reconfirm before you travel (sources checked on 08 November 2026).
Why visit
- Haebaru is a town in southern Okinawa, just east of Naha, and it is one of the places where the battle of Okinawa left its mark. The town was on the Japanese defensive lines in 1945, and the tunnels and sites of that period are still there, recorded in small museums and memorials.
- Today Haebaru is a residential town, close to Naha and the expressway, with shops, schools and a landscape of low hills and small fields. It is not a resort, and it is a good place to see the ordinary life of the island alongside its history.
- Haebaru is within reach of the peace memorial park and the southern coast, which makes it a practical base for the southern part of the island, and it is much quieter than the resort areas to the north.
Top places and highlights
Wartime sites
Tunnels and memorials from the battle of Okinawa, with small museums.
Town life
A residential town with shops, schools and everyday Okinawan streets.
Southern sites
The peace memorial park and the southern coast within a short drive.
Hills and fields
Low hills and small fields around the town.
Food and drink
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Getting there and around
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Where to stay
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Best time to visit
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Practical tips
- The wartime sites deal with a serious subject; allow time and keep the tone appropriate.
- Bus services are infrequent; check timetables if you are not driving.
- Some sites are in residential areas; be respectful.
Suggested day-trip outline
- Morning: drive or bus from Naha.
- Late morning: the wartime sites and the museum.
- Lunch: Okinawan soba at a local shop.
- Afternoon: a walk through the town.
- Late afternoon: the southern coast or the peace memorial park.
- Evening: dinner in town, or back to Naha.
Before you go
Timetables, fares, admission fees, and seasonal access rules can change. Check the official tourism and transport sites linked below for the latest information before you travel.
Explore More of Japan
Published guides that pair with this one:
- Yaese Travel Guide: Farm Country in Southern Okinawa
- Chatan Travel Guide: Sunsets and Old Ryukyu on the Okinawa Coast
- Nakagusuku Travel Guide: Castle Ruins in Central Okinawa
- Nishihara Travel Guide: A Quiet Town in Central Okinawa
- Yonabaru Travel Guide: The Hill Town Above Naha
Browse every Okinawa guide on this site for the rest of the region.
Sources
- town.haebaru.lg.jp (checked 2026-11-08)
- okinawastory.jp (checked 2026-11-08)
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