American Village

American Village is a seaside shopping, dining and entertainment district on the west coast of Okinawa Main Island. Its official name is Mihama Town Resort American Village, and it sits in the Mihama area of the town of Chatan. Its pastel-painted buildings, US-style diners and boardwalks make it the most American-looking corner of the island. There is no gate or ticket; you walk in and pay only for what you buy.

History of American Village

The district stands on reclaimed coastline next to the former Meimoscolor firing range, a US military site returned to Japan in 1981. Chatan town drew up the plan for a resort modeled on San Diego in 1994, and the shops, cinema and hotels grew around it over the following years.

The American look reflects the US military presence on Okinawa since World War II.

What to see and do at American Village

The district is a cluster of themed buildings rather than one mall. The main groups are:

• Depot Island: several buildings of fashion, vintage clothing and cafes on the waterfront, linked by a seaside promenade

• Distortion Seaside and the fashion buildings: streetwear, surf brands and souvenir shops

• Gourmet building and waterfront restaurants: burgers and tacos as well as Okinawan food and ice cream

• Entertainment: the Mihama 7 PLEX cinema, a bowling alley, a live house and a venue for live Okinawan music

The Ferris wheel that used to mark the area has gone; dismantling started in 2022. The landmarks now are the colorful facades of Depot Island and the sea wall.

Sunset Beach and the seaside promenade

The west edge of the district faces the East China Sea, so the sun sets over open water. Sunset Beach in Mihama sits right behind the shops and is a calm, netted swimming beach in season. A promenade runs along the sea wall past Depot Island, and it fills with people in the hour before sunset.

Arriving in the late afternoon works best. You can browse the shops while it is hot, walk the sea wall at sunset and stay on for dinner. Weekends and summer evenings are the busiest times.

For an hour-by-hour plan, see our guide to a day in Mihama and Chatan.

How to get to American Village

• Bus from central Naha: routes 20, 28 or 29 to the Kuwae stop, then about 3 minutes on foot. The fare is about 700 yen.

• Bus from Naha Airport: route 120 to Kuwae.

• Airport limousine bus: to The Beach Tower Okinawa hotel, about 3 minutes from the village, for about 800 yen.

• By car: about 35 minutes north from Naha Airport on Route 58. Turn left toward the sea at the Kuwae or Mihama intersection.

• By taxi: about 45 minutes from the airport, roughly 3,500 to 4,000 yen.

From the Churaumi Aquarium or Nago, you need to change buses to route 120. The village's English access guide lists current bus routes and fares, which change from time to time.

Visiting on an Okinawa trip

Chatan sits between Naha and the resort coast, so the village is an easy evening stop on the way north. This 15-day Tokyo, Kyoto and Okinawa route spends its first Okinawa day on this stretch of coast at Sunset Beach.