Kouri Ocean Tower

The Kouri Ocean Tower stands on a hilltop on Kouri Island, a small, near-circular island off the northern tip of Okinawa's main island, reached by the spectacular Kouri Bridge. The tower is a purpose-built observation and leisure attraction, and from its upper decks the whole of Kouri's fringing reefs, the brilliant turquoise sea and the graceful arc of the two-kilometre bridge spread out in a 360-degree panorama that is among the best sea views in northern Okinawa.

Kouri Island itself is celebrated for the clarity and colour of its water, and the bridge that connects it to the Yagaji and Nakijin coast is one of Okinawa's iconic drives, running low and straight across shallows that glow in bands of jade and aquamarine. The Ocean Tower makes the most of this setting by lifting visitors high above the island. From the base you ride an automated open-air cart up through landscaped gardens, passing a quirky shell museum with a huge collection of shells from around the world, before reaching the tower and climbing to its open observation deck.

The reward at the top is the view. On a sunny day the sea around Kouri is astonishing, and from the tower you can see the reefs, the beaches, the sweep of the bridge and the neighbouring coastline all at once, with the horizon of the East China Sea beyond. It is a photographer's favourite, and the elevated vantage gives a fuller sense of the island's shape and its jewel-like waters than you get from the shore.

A notable feature is how the tower packages the Kouri experience for all ages. The cart ride, gardens, shell museum, café and shop make it an easy, comfortable outing rather than a strenuous climb, and it pairs the panorama with enough to keep families occupied. The island also carries a gentle romance, associated with an Okinawan version of the Adam-and-Eve legend and home to a heart-shaped rock formation on its shore, so the tower fits into a day of easygoing sightseeing.

The visiting experience is relaxed and accessible. There is parking at the base, the cart carries you up the hill so little walking is required, and facilities include restrooms, a café serving local flavours and a shop. Allowing around an hour covers the ride, the museum and the observation deck. The design makes it suitable for most visitors, including those who find steep walks difficult.

The best time to visit is a bright, sunny day around midday, when the sea colour is most vivid; spring through autumn offer the warmest and clearest conditions. Okinawa's mild climate keeps Kouri appealing year-round.

Getting there is easiest by car, about ninety minutes north from Naha, crossing the Kouri Bridge from the Nakijin side, itself a highlight of the trip, onto the island, where the tower rises on the hilltop. Parking is provided. Combined with a stop at Kouri's beaches and the drive across the bridge, the Ocean Tower gives the definitive high view of one of northern Okinawa's most beautiful island landscapes.