Aerial view of Warumi Strait with the drive-in in the foreground and Warumi Bridge beyond

Drive-ins #16

Rikarika,
let's go, let's go

A free rooftop over Warumi Strait, ten minutes from Kouri Island — and a burger counter run by three people who rescue failing roadside stations.

Nakijin VillageReopened 202210:00–17:00Free rooftop

Pork egg burger ¥1,200terrace opens at 9:00, an hour before the shop

See the view

In short

three things to know before you cross the bridge

A free viewpoint that isn't a tower

The rooftop looks straight down Warumi Strait to Unten Port, Yagaji Island and Kouri Bridge. No ticket, no queue — and you can't stop on the bridge itself, so this is effectively the only place to look at it.

A drive-in, not a roadside station

This is a privately run drive-in, formerly the 'Bridge Station'. It's included here because it does the same job — parking, toilets, food, a view — on the road everyone takes to Kouri.

A rescue story

The current operator was founded in 2021 by three people who describe themselves as specialists in turning around failing roadside stations. This was the one they turned around.

Warumi Bridge is a 315-meter concrete arch across a strait so narrow it looks like the island split open. You can't stop on it. You stop here instead — and it costs nothing.

The rooftop

Nothing
in the way

Two levels of terrace, and then a roof deck with no railing-height obstruction — the strait, the green headlands, the port where the ferries leave for Ie and Iheya, and the arch of the bridge itself.

The front of DRIVE IN Rikarika Warumi with its store, burger and rooftop signage — Store, burgers, terrace and roof deck, all signposted.

Warumi Bridge

315 mOpened December 2010, 37 m above the water. Built by a steel-pipe-and-concrete arch method, it is the longest of its kind in Japan.

Terrace hours

From 9:00The terrace and rooftop open an hour before the shop — useful if you're driving north early.

Dogs welcome

On the terraceSofa seating and round couple seats, and pets are allowed outside.

"Rikarika" is Okinawan for let's go, let's go. "Amesoko" — the name on the shop and the terrace — is simply the name of the district it stands in.

Nakijin Burger

Takeaway
only

The kitchen is a takeaway counter with mobile ordering, open from 11:00. The house burger is the pork-and-egg at around ¥1,200 — Okinawa's own combination, in a bun. There's a rafute version at the same price, a fried chicken at ¥980, a fish burger, and sliders if you'd rather share.

Sides run to Nakijin fried chicken, deep-fried sōki ribs, onion rings and chips; there's an 18 cm chorizo hot dog at ¥980, and soft serve at ¥500. Prices are from the published menu — worth confirming on the day.

Five burgers and onion rings on a wooden table with greenery behind — The counter's range, on the terrace table.

The AMESOKO store interior with local products and photo panels of Nakijin Castle — AMESOKO Store — Nakijin products and Okinawan food.

What to buy

The store carries Nakijin village products and a tighter Okinawan food selection than most souvenir halls — the brown-sugar butter is the one people come back for, and it's used as a hometown-tax return gift for the village.

One caution: older listings mention a beef soba restaurant, an eel rice bowl and free Ryukyuan costume hire. All of that belonged to the previous operator. What's here now is the burger counter, the store and the view — and the terrace café is still listed as in preparation.

Getting there —
at the bridge

By car

About 90 minutes from Naha Airport: expressway to Kyoda IC, Route 58 north, then Route 505 and Prefectural Route 248 to Warumi Bridge. The drive-in is on the Nakijin side, before you cross.

About 20 minutes from Churaumi Aquarium, 10 from Kouri Island, 10 from Nakijin Castle, and 10 from Junglia. Free parking — around 30 cars and 2 coaches.

By bus — one line, few services

The Yanbaru Express Bus Sanshima line stops here. The stop is listed under the current name, DRIVE IN Rikarika Warumi, between Amesoko Kominkan and Kouri Island.

Services run several times a day rather than hourly, so check the current timetable before you plan around it. Most people arrive by car.

1124-5 Amesoko, Nakijin
Okinawa 905-0411

Shop 10:00–17:00 · food from 11:00 · terrace & rooftop 9:00–18:00 · free parking

Open in Google Maps →

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

You're at a bridge between two islands with no town attached. Three ways to get a taxi:

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

Warumi is the hinge of the Motobu–Kouri circuit. Everything in the northern cluster is within half an hour, which makes this a good place to decide what to do next.

See the whole series →

3.2 km · ~5 minNakijin no Eki So-re, Nakijin — A farm market run by the village women who founded it.

4.5 km · ~10 minKouri Sorahashi, Kouri — Where the sky bridge lands, with showers for after the beach.

8.2 km · ~15 minHaneji-no-Eki, Nago — Local chicken and eggs, and a free view over the inland sea.

16 km · ~25 minMichi-no-Eki Ogimi, Ogimi — A forest visitor center in the village of longevity.

Practical information

Address1124-5 Amesoko, Nakijin Village, Kunigami District, Okinawa 905-0411

Phone0980-56-1223 (from abroad: +81 980-56-1223)

HoursStore 10:00–17:00 · Nakijin Burger 11:00–17:00 · terrace and rooftop 9:00–18:00

ClosedThe operator lists no regular closing day, but other sources disagree — check the shop's social media before a special trip.

ParkingFree — around 30 cars plus 2 coach bays

PaymentSources conflict on which cards are accepted. Carry cash.

TypeNot a nationally registered michi-no-eki — a privately run drive-in, formerly the 'Bridge Station', reopened under new management in 2022.

OperatorNakijin Kitene Co., Ltd., founded April 2021

Officialrikarika-warumi.com (Japanese and Traditional Chinese)

Questions, answered

Is Rikarika Warumi a michi-no-eki?+

No. It's a privately run drive-in — it was previously called the 'Bridge Station' — and it isn't one of Okinawa's ten registered roadside stations. It's in this series because it plays the same role on the road to Kouri Island.

Is the rooftop free?+

Yes. There's no admission to the terrace or the roof deck, and parking is free. They also open at 9:00, an hour before the shop.

What's the story behind it?+

The current operator was set up in April 2021 by three people who describe their specialty as turning around failing roadside stations. This one had been struggling as the Bridge Station; they reopened it as a drive-in in 2022.

Can I still hire Ryukyuan costume or get the beef soba?+

No. Both belonged to the previous operator and appear only in older listings. The current line-up is the burger counter, the AMESOKO store and the view — with the terrace café still in preparation.

Sources

DRIVE IN Rikarika Warumi official site and its company page for hours, tenants and the founding story, checked August 2026 · published menu listings for burger prices · Yanbaru Express Bus stop list · DRIVE INリカリカワルミ（おきなわLovers 日本語版）. We corrected the opening hours and the prefectural route number, and removed several menu items and services that belonged to the previous operator.

Every station

nearest first, from where you are now

Nakijin no Eki So-reNakijin · 3.2 km Kouri SorahashiKouri · 4.5 km Haneji-no-EkiNago · 8.2 km Michi-no-Eki OgimiOgimi · 16 km Wansaka Oura ParkNago · 19 km Michi-no-Eki Sunrise HigashiHigashi · 22 km Michi-no-Eki KyodaNago · 23 km Michi-no-Eki Yui-Yui KunigamiKunigami · 25 km Michi-no-Eki GinozaGinoza · 30 km Yanbaru Pineapple HillKunigami · 33 km Onna-no-Eki NakayukuiOnna · 44 km Uru MarcheUruma · 50 km Umi-no-Eki AyahashikanUruma · 52 km Michi-no-Eki Kina BanjoYomitan · 54 km Michi-no-Eki KadenaKadena · 57 km Happy More IchibaGinowan · 67 km Michi-no-Eki ToyosakiTomigusuku · 90 km Minami-no-Eki YaeseYaese · 92 km Michi-no-Eki ItomanItoman · 94 km

Rikarika,let's go, let's go