Okinawa Security for a tourist?

Question:

Hello!

I want to ask if Okinawa is a safe destination for a foreigner.

Some people told me that Okinawans don't like foreigners and think that everyone who doesn't look Japanese is American.

Since I am planning to visit Okinawa very soon, I am concerned about this.

Is it dangerous to go out in Okinawa? What about the night life (clubs, bars)?

What about the public transports (bus, monorail)?

Thank you very much for answering my questions, and I hope to visit these beautiful islands soon!

Answer:

There is a problem in Okinawa. It's a beautiful place with its own culture, but the Japanese government has allowed the U.S. military to maintain bases there since the American occupation after WW2. It's sort of convenient for the rest of Japan, keeping those bases in the southernmost part of the country, on an island, far away from everyone else. The typical Japanese doesn't think about their country being occupied much. So, that's where some of the resentment towards Americans lies.

It's up to you though. If you're going to be a prick while you're traveling, then don't expect much from the locals. For the most part, though, a typical Okinawan will be friendly and won't judge you simply for being American or foreign.

Okinawa is not known for being particularly dangerous. It's mostly just the friendly locals and a bunch of Japanese tourists.

Japan doesn't really do clubs and bars. I know it's a thing that young adult Westerners like to do at home and while on vacation, but it's not very Japanese. In Japan, it's more about going out to an izakaya, if you're even going to go out. Sitting down with friends or workmates at a Japanese-style pub, which is pretty much a restaurant. In Japan you eat while you drink, no matter how much you just want to drink. Of course you can find the odd drinking-only bars in Japan, but they're not the norm.

Clubs are almost non-existent. They usually just have dumb foreigners hanging out, and the diseased Japanese girls that can't make it in normal Japanese society. They're usually run by some loser foreigner who's found a good way of exploiting his fellow foreigners, while he's stuck in Japan married to his Japanese wife.

In Okinawa, just enjoy it. You don't need those foreign things to do. You can go to the market, go to the beach, eat some local food, and maybe spend the night soaking in a hot Japanese bath, being all fresh and ready the next morning to explore again.