Southwestern Japan is home to many islands surrounded by blue seas.
Endless stretches of blue water.
White beaches and colorful coral reefs.
Sugarcane fields moving in the breeze.
Cultures and ways of life passed down on each island.
There may be islands whose names you recognize and others you hope to visit one day.
Across the Pacific Ocean and East China Sea, airports are scattered among the islands like stars. At the center of this network is Naha Airport, which operates 24 hours a day.
Using data from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, we mapped passenger traffic at airports in Okinawa and the outlying islands.
Why not explore the airports of Japan’s southwestern islands on the map?
Okinawa and Islands Airport Passenger Map (2019, 2021 & 2024)
Select an airport on the map to view its international, domestic and total passenger traffic, along with its 2024 recovery rate compared with 2019.
Choose “Okinawa & Islands” with the region buttons to see the airports in this part of the country. You can also search by airport name.
Zoom in and look for islands you know as well as airports you are seeing for the first time.
Around 28 Million Passenger Movements in 2024
Airports in Okinawa and the outlying islands recorded 28,251,476 passenger movements in 2024.
This is not a count of unique individuals. It is an annual total of arriving and departing passengers, so a round trip is counted twice and frequent travelers are counted each time they use an airport.
Zoom in on the map and compare the airports on each island as well as the regional total.
What I Noticed While Creating the Map
Naha Airport immediately stands out for its large passenger volume.
At the same time, New Ishigaki Airport and Miyako Airport also handle many passengers.
Looking farther across the map, airports of many different sizes appear like stars among the islands of the Pacific Ocean and East China Sea.
As you search for airports with fewer passengers, you may discover an island or airport whose name you have never encountered before.
Why not use the map to explore the airports of Okinawa and Japan’s outlying islands?
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Airport Management Status Reports (2019, 2021 and 2024)
* Figures cover the calendar years 2019, 2021 and 2024 (January–December).
* Passenger traffic is the total number of arriving and departing passengers.
* For airports shared with the Japan Self-Defense Forces, only civil aviation traffic is included.
* The recovery rate is calculated by dividing 2024 passenger traffic by 2019 passenger traffic.