On Public Transportation in Okinawa (not Japan)

Everyone knows Japan has one of the best public transportation systems the world over.

And, like most other things, what applies to mainland Japan does not apply to Okinawa.

(Read: Okinawa public transportation is pretty much the most inconvenient excuse for public transportation this side of the rickshaw.)

First off, let’s start with just getting to this spec of land in the middle of the Pacific. There’s only one real way, and that is to fly. Shinkansen don’t run to Okinawa folks.

Or you could take a ferry from Tokyo to Naha. If you like a medieval traveling time of nearly 2 days.

Flying takes about 3 hours (To Tokyo), and will set you back at least $200. So you better make your trips to the mainland count.

Once here, getting around the island relying on public transportation is pretty much an expensive bitch and a half.

The only way around the entire island are the buses which are never on time and sporadic.

In Naha you have a few other options.

There’s taxis that charge an automatic 500 yen just for stepping through the automatic back door (which is admittedly cool, but not that cool).

But wait!

Naha also has the wonderful monorail!

It has exactly two cars per train, a capacity of like 60, moves at about 20 mph, and has a total distance of something like 8 miles! And this was just opened in 2003, so I have no idea what people did before then.

Plus it’s crazy expensive and most of the stations are within walking distance from each other.

In short it feels like a ride at Disney World (which has a cooler monorail, by the way), but it probably beats walking in Okinawa heat.

Barely.

Maybe.

If you’re really drunk.

However, don’t blame the Japanese for this public transportation SNAFU.

Blame the United States. Yup.

Okinawa was basically a U.S colony until the 1970’s (the currency of Okinawa was the U.S dollar until 1972, despite being part of Japan. Crazy!) meaning that like the rest of the U.S, people relied mainly on cars for transportation, and the U.S was not about to invest in a public transportation in Okinawa.

So there you have it, the U.S spreading its total lack of support for public transportation across the Pacific.

If you ever thought macro government policies and decisions had no effect on the individual, even in other countries, think again.

I’m reminded of it every time I spend $15 on a five minute cab ride, despite being in the country where 200 mph trains arrive at their destinations on time to the second.