Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters
Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters
Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters
4.5
Historic SitesPoints of Interest & LandmarksMilitary Bases & Facilities
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
About
The Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquaters is located where Rear Admiral Ota and his men desperately fought to the end on 13 June,1945. You can view the commanding officer's room and the operations room as it was during the battle.Also the tunnnels,which were comstracted utilizing hoes and picks,still exist in their original condition.
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4.5
427 reviews
Excellent
206
Very good
181
Average
38
Poor
2
Terrible
0
ongwl82016
Singapore, Singapore799 contributions
Mar 2019 • Family
If you drive, it is convenient to get there. The museum is not huge but very informative. The tunnel is also not long but we took our time to cover every corner and understand from the boards that have English narrative. Tunnel was easy to navigate and floor are quite even, except at some junctions we had to be careful not to have our head hit.
Written 4 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
phalanxye
Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan643 contributions
July 2018
If you are into history, this is a very good place to learn part of the Battle of Okinawa. Hard to imagine their lives underground. This place is very close to the airport, affordable entrance fee of $6, short tour that can be completed in less than an hour but well worth it.
Written 28 July 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
EmmaLee2010
Boone, NC1 contribution
Apr 2016 • Friends
I've been to this place several times throughout middle and high school. It's stuffy, damp, and aggravates my claustrophobia. I give it 5 stars because of the supernatural experience I had in 2005. On a school field trip a classmate took a photo of me and my teacher. After the photos came out we discovered a Japanese solder was standing right behind us. He was so clear we could see the pockets on his uniform! I was told by the locals, ghosts appearing in photos happens occasionally there.
Written 28 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DanishAdventurer
Aarhus, Denmark220 contributions
July 2017 • Couples
Very close to Naha city you can get insights of the Japanese World War II story and see the Navy Underground. It's a very strong story and pictures too. Most of the story is translated into english, so you are able to understand it.
Written 16 July 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Malcolm S.
Singapore, Singapore579 contributions
Feb 2020
Best way to go about this museum is to start at the exhibition area where there were some artifacts and facts on the naval division and the war. Then, you will enter the tunnel down to where used to be the hold out area for the naval division. It was chilling to be in the room where it was thought that the officers committed suicide by grenade and also to see the cramped holding areas where the sick or soldiers hold out during the war. Probably will take a maximum of an hour here as the area wasn’t very big.
Written 7 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Niameow
Canada240 contributions
Feb 2020
First, you will go through the museum part where it educates you about the war on Okinawa. Then, you will enter the tunnel which used to be the headquarters. I thought I was somewhat familiar with and understood what happened during the war. Going through the tunnel, it still gave me chill looking at the marks of grenades where officers committed suicides. There are no blood marks (that I could see), but seeing the marks on the wall really hit me hard in a different way from reading about the war. I don't think I would have experienced that any other way. If you are interested in history, I believe this place is a must visit.
Written 28 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
YinzerTakesAWalk
Pittsburgh, PA37 contributions
Apr 2019
For those with historical interests - lots of steps for those that have a hard time with them, as it IS underground. Though there's an elevator that can take you down to the one room museum that has a fascinating variety of historical documents, medical and military items, and statistical charts. English translations of the Japanese captions are basic and straightforward.
The rooms of the tunnels themselves are well preserved. Highlight of our trip.
The rooms of the tunnels themselves are well preserved. Highlight of our trip.
Written 10 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
MTM75
New Orleans, LA198 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
Visit the small museum and tour the underground tunnel system that protected the Japanese Navy commanding unit during WWII.
Written 16 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
lithlith
Michigan918 contributions
July 2019 • Couples
We visited the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters as part of a cruise ship excursion while in Okinawa. It was nice to have a guide give an explanation while we were visiting. There are a few monuments outside of the museum and tunnel area as well. Inside there is a small one room museum most of which is written in Japanese. The tunnel part is very interesting. Everything pretty much winds around, so you can't really get lost. There is minimal signage in the tunnels as to what room was what. Once you exit the tunnels there is a gift shop and bathrooms.
Written 19 July 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Penelope
Amsterdam, The Netherlands255 contributions
May 2019
Small museum with pictures and information in Japanese and English about the battle of Okinawa. The tunnels and headquarter were a bit sinister to us. Keeping in mind that we were almost the only visitors and more than 175 people committed suicide in those tunnels. But to know more about World War 2, Japan and especially Okinawa, it's a must see.
Written 1 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I understand there is 105 steps to go down into the tunnel. Do you come back out the same way or is there a different way out so you don’t have to climb up the stairs. Thanks Linda
Written 21 September 2019
Yes there is another way out which puts you near little shop. May want to go thru museum area first before go to tunnels as you can leave if want when done with tunnels
Written 22 September 2019
Yes although keep in mind there is lighting in the tunnels so may need to adjust, plus there is some area which do not have lighting which will need flash.
Written 1 September 2019
Hi, will be in Okinawa beginning of August on a cruise ship and really hoping to get to the tunnels, probably get a taxi as mentioned but is there a facility nearby at the tunnels where we can get a taxi back (seen a review that says no taxi rank at the tunnels and their taxi driver waited at no cost) I don't want to be on a time constraint hoping that a waiting taxi is outside!
Failing that....anybody know what public transport is needed to get there and back from the cruise port?
Thanks
Alex
Written 21 June 2019
Hi Alex,
If you get a taxi to the Navy Underground HQ, it should be no problem getting a taxi back; the helpful staff at the exit volunteered to phone for a cab for me (no charge and the taxi driver doesn't start the clock until you get in). I would recommend that you take the taxi from the underground HQ to the lesser known "Kateramui Old Military Base" in Tabaru Park (near Oruku Monorail Station). Send the taxi away and spend 1/2-hour exploring the hill, finding the various tunnel entrances (not open to the public) then take the monorail from nearby Oruku Station to the end of the line at Shuri (a more economical means of transport compared to expensive taxis). At Shuri head straight to the "Tam-u-dun Mausoleum" (you will not be disappointed) then see if you can find the entrance to the "Former 32nd Army HQ" before heading up towards the Castle. If you look up these attractions on Trip Advisor in advance, you should have no problem locating them on your phones' GPS.
Written 22 June 2019
Hi Andream0402,
Do you recall what the taxi cost? Were there other options to the site? Thanks so much!
Written 8 August 2018
Hi I have a rough idea it was under 2000 yen. There are probably other options to get to the site but as we were on a cruise this was the quickest way to see several sites. hope this helps.
peter
Written 9 August 2018
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