The northern third of Okinawa island is called Yanbaru, and it is nothing like the beach resorts and American bases the south is known for. It is forest, thick subtropical evergreen forest with giant ferns and trees dripping with moss, rolling over steep hills that drop straight into the East China Sea. It is also one of the richest places for wildlife in Japan, with species found nowhere else in the world, including the Okinawa rail, a flightless bird only found by scientists in 1981, and the Okinawa woodpecker. Together with Amami and a few other islands, the area was added to the UNESCO natural heritage list in 2021.
The road tells the story. From Nago, a city of nearly sixty thousand, Route 58 follows the coast northwards, with the sea shifting between turquoise and deep blue, small villages with concrete houses and hibiscus hedges, and long runs of fast curves. The surface is generally excellent, but the road gets quieter and narrower the further north you go. At the northern tip, Cape Hedo, wind blows hard and the coral cliffs are impressive, with the Pacific and the East China Sea meeting below.
Fuel is easy in Nago but scarce further north, where stations are few and close early, so fill the tank before you commit. There are small shops and roadside restaurants in villages, with Okinawan soba, a wheat noodle in pork broth, and bitter melon stir-fry as local staples. The weather is warm for most of the year, but rain falls often, humidity is high and typhoons in late summer and autumn can close roads.
The forest roads inland are the best fun, with tight bends, steep climbs and tunnel-like canopy, but they can be slippery with leaf litter and moss, and the wildlife matters. Slow down at night, because the rails and other animals are killed by traffic, and it is considered poor form to ignore the signs. Cross the narrow roads gently, and bear in mind that the habu, the local pit viper, is best admired at distance. The cool, dry months of November to March are the most comfortable for riding.