The palm-lined approach to Michi-no-Eki Ogimi with the Yanbaru hills behind

Stations #15

Ogimi,
the longevity village

A visitor center for the World Heritage forest, in the village that declared itself Japan's longest-living — and grows most of the country's shikuwasa.

Ogimi VillageMoved here 2020Shop 9:00–18:00Fact-checked Aug 2026

Shikuwasa juice ¥200from the village that grows 60% of Okinawa's

Why shikuwasa

In short

three things to know before you walk into the forest

A visitor center, not just a shop

Built on the site of the old village middle school and shaped after the Okinawan leaf butterfly. Inside: a 360° dome theatre, the village tourism office, and a rooftop deck.

Sea in front, forest behind

From the rooftop you look out over the East China Sea — as far as Kouri Island on a clear day — and turn around to the Yanbaru forest. Few buildings sit on that line.

Check the closing days

Every part of this site closes on a different day: restaurant Tuesdays, parlour Mondays and Fridays, information center Wednesdays. The shop stays open.

In 1993 the old people's association of Ogimi put up a stone declaring this Japan's village of longevity. Three decades later, foreign visitors come looking for the reason — and this is the building where the village explains itself.

The visitor center

Lie down and
watch the forest

Yanbaru — the forest covering Ogimi, Kunigami and Higashi — joined the UNESCO World Natural Heritage list in July 2021. This station is where you get briefed before you go into it.

The dome theatre

360°A domed screen showing how to walk in the Yanbaru forest and why it matters, guided by bunagaya, the local forest sprite. The staff suggest lying down to watch it.

The tourism office

3 villagesOgimi's tourism association is based here, and its staff live in Yanbaru. One counter for all three World Heritage villages.

The rooftop

FreeSea one way, forest the other. On a clear day you can see as far as Kouri Island.

The station also books activities — sea kayaking on Shioya Bay, hiking in the forest — and has coin showers for afterwards, plus bike hire. The way it frames the forest is worth noticing: not untouched wilderness, but woodland people have lived and worked in for centuries. That's a more honest story than most nature centres tell.

The fruit

Sixty per cent
of Okinawa's

Shikuwasa — the small, sharp Okinawan citrus — is grown almost entirely in Okinawa, and Ogimi accounts for over 60% of the prefecture's crop. Since Okinawa grows nearly all of Japan's shikuwasa, this one village supplies much of the country.

You can drink it here for ¥200 in the restaurant, or take it home from the market as juice, ponzu, vinegar, jam, dressing or sweets. Its association with the village's longevity claim — via a flavonoid called nobiletin — is why the fruit ended up on the world's wellness radar.

Yanbaru pineapples stacked in the Gajumaru-kan market hall at Michi-no-Eki Ogimi — Gajumaru-kan: pineapple in summer, shikuwasa year-round.

The takeaway window at Parlour Kugani with its burger and soft-serve menu — Parlour Kugani — the shikuwasa burger is the house specialty.

The East China Sea seen from the covered plaza at Michi-no-Eki Ogimi — The covered plaza, looking out over Shioya Bay.

Eating here

and the days each place closes

Yanbaru Seaside · closed Tuesdays

The restaurant, with an English menu. Plain Okinawa soba ¥600, stewed pork soba ¥800, sōki soba ¥900, taco rice ¥1,000, tempura set ¥1,200. Shikuwasa juice ¥200. 11:00–15:00, to 15:30 at weekends.

Parlour Kugani · closed Mondays & Fridays

Kugani means golden — the color of a ripe shikuwasa. Hence the shikuwasa burger, with a house sauce made from the juice. Also Okinawan tempura, sata andagi, and soft serve made with village strawberries. 11:00–16:00.

Gajumaru-kan market · open daily

Yanbaru pineapple in four named varieties, mango, fish, vegetables, island tofu, eggs and chicken straight from local farms, and the full shikuwasa shelf. 9:00–18:00.

Getting there —
two hours north

By car

About 2 hours from Naha Airport. Expressway to Kyoda IC, then Route 58 north for roughly 40 minutes along the coast.

Free parking: 110 standard spaces and 9 for large vehicles. Toilets, parking and the payphone are open 24 hours, and there's Wi-Fi — but no EV charging.

By bus — the stop is at the door

The stop is called Michi-no-Eki Ogimi Visitor Center-mae and it's on the site. Route 67 (Hentona Line) reaches it from Nago Bus Terminal in about 30 minutes.

From the airport, take highway bus 111 or 117 to Nago (about two hours), or the slower 120. Services are infrequent — check the timetable before committing.

95 Aza-Tsuha, Ogimi
Okinawa 905-1318

Shop 9:00–18:00 · restaurant closed Tuesdays · parlour closed Mon & Fri · info center closed Wednesdays

Open in Google Maps →

Need a taxi? Here's how it works in Okinawa

Ogimi is a village strung along one coastal road, and taxis are scarce. Three ways to get one:

Use an app. GO — Japan's main taxi app — works in Okinawa with an English interface. DiDi and Uber cover parts of the island. Install before your trip.

Dial with +81. From a foreign phone, replace the leading 0: 0980-XX-XXXX → +81 980-XX-XXXX. Wi-Fi calling works too.

Ask the staff — show them this:

タクシーを呼んでください

Takushī o yonde kudasai

Nearest stations from here

Ogimi sits on the coast road between Nago and the top of the island — the middle link in the northern chain, and the one where the forest starts to feel close.

See the whole series →

11 km · ~20 minMichi-no-Eki Yui-Yui Kunigami, Kunigami — The island's northernmost station, at the edge of the Yanbaru forest.

14 km · ~25 minKouri Sorahashi, Kouri — Where the sky bridge lands, with showers for after the beach.

16 km · ~25 minRikarika Warumi, Nakijin — A drive-in at the foot of Warumi Bridge, on the way to Kouri.

16 km · ~25 minMichi-no-Eki Sunrise Higashi, Higashi — Sunrise, pineapples and mangrove country on the east coast.

Practical information

Address95 Aza-Tsuha, Ogimi Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-1318

Phone0980-44-2233 (from abroad: +81 980-44-2233)

Market (Gajumaru-kan)9:00–18:00, daily

Restaurant11:00–15:00 weekdays, to 15:30 weekends and holidays. Closed Tuesdays. English menu available.

Parlour Kugani11:00–16:00. Closed Mondays and Fridays.

Information center9:30–17:00. Closed Wednesdays.

Parking110 standard, 9 large. Parking and toilets open 24 hours.

Facilities360° dome theatre, tourism office, rooftop deck, covered plaza, meeting rooms, coin showers, bike hire, Wi-Fi. No EV charging.

HistoryRegistered as a michi-no-eki in 1999 and opened in 2000; moved to this site — the old village middle school — in February 2020.

Officialyambaru-vc.com

Questions, answered

What days is it closed?+

It depends which part you want. The market is open daily 9:00–18:00, but the restaurant closes on Tuesdays, the parlour on Mondays and Fridays, and the information center on Wednesdays. Plan around whichever matters to you.

What is shikuwasa?+

A small, sharp Okinawan citrus. Ogimi grows over 60% of the prefecture's crop, and since Okinawa grows nearly all of Japan's, this village effectively supplies the country. Try it as juice at ¥200 before buying the ponzu.

Is the dome theatre worth it?+

If you're heading into the Yanbaru forest afterwards, yes — it explains what you're about to walk into, guided by the local forest sprite. There's no published schedule or price on the official site, so ask at the counter.

Can I get there by bus?+

Yes, more easily than most northern stations. The stop 'Michi-no-Eki Ogimi Visitor Center-mae' is on site, served by route 67 from Nago Bus Terminal in about 30 minutes.

Sources

Michi-no-Eki Ogimi official site for hours, closing days and the May 2026 menu, checked August 2026 · Okinawa General Bureau for parking and facilities · Okinawa Bus route 67 timetable · 道の駅おおぎみ（おきなわLovers 日本語版）. We corrected every opening time, added the closing days our Japanese article omits, fixed the bus routes, and dropped two menu items no longer listed by the restaurant.

Every station

nearest first, from where you are now

Michi-no-Eki Yui-Yui KunigamiKunigami · 11 km Kouri SorahashiKouri · 14 km Rikarika WarumiNakijin · 16 km Michi-no-Eki Sunrise HigashiHigashi · 16 km Yanbaru Pineapple HillKunigami · 17 km Nakijin no Eki So-reNakijin · 19 km Haneji-no-EkiNago · 21 km Wansaka Oura ParkNago · 24 km Michi-no-Eki KyodaNago · 33 km Michi-no-Eki GinozaGinoza · 33 km Onna-no-Eki NakayukuiOnna · 57 km Umi-no-Eki AyahashikanUruma · 58 km Uru MarcheUruma · 60 km Michi-no-Eki Kina BanjoYomitan · 67 km Michi-no-Eki KadenaKadena · 69 km Happy More IchibaGinowan · 78 km Michi-no-Eki ToyosakiTomigusuku · 101 km Minami-no-Eki YaeseYaese · 102 km Michi-no-Eki ItomanItoman · 104 km

Ogimi,the longevity village