Cape Manzamo (万座毛), also known as Cape Manza, is a distinctive rock formation located near Onna Village on Okinawa Island. It is a highly popular location among tourists visiting Okinawa.
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It is said that Cape Manzamo was given its name after Shō Kei, the king of the Ryukyu Kingdom visited the area in the 1700’s. Shō Kei is supposed to have seen the cliff, and made a comment that it was large enough for 10,000 people to sit on. The kanjis which make up the name can be translated to “field for 10,000 people to sit“.
From Cape Manzamo there is a terrific view over the East China Sea, and the ocean shows off some of it’s best blue tones right here. The rock formation itself is a bit of an attraction too, since part of it (slightly) resembles an elephant with it’s trunk in the ocean.
When the tide is low, a number of tidal pools appear at the bottom of the cliff. The area in front of those pools is very popular for scuba diving, despite it’s not so flattering nickname “the toilet bowl”. Getting down to the toilet bowl and tidal pools is not exactly straight forward, but possible. There is a path through the vegetation near the parking area. Show Cape Manzamo Toilet Bowl on a map.
All photos above © touristinjapan.com
There are souvenir and snack shops near the parking area and the cape, so make sure to grab a local snack before you leave. The parking area has recently been moved a bit further away from the cape, so it is a short hike along the road back up to the actual attraction. If you travel with people who are disabled or can’t walk well, then it may be a good idea to let them get off near the cape, and then continue to park on your own.
Getting there
By car: Cape Manzamo is located just north of the small Onna Village. From Naha, take route 58 north to Onna, and then follow the signs to Cape Manzamo (万座毛). From Nago, take route 58 south to Onna, and then follow the signs.
By bus: from Naha Bus Terminal, take bus 120 or bus 20 to the stop “Onna Son Yakuba mae“. From there, it is a 1km (12min) walk to Cape Manzamo. The bus ride is about 1 hour and 45 minutes and costs ¥1390 each way (2021).
From Nago Bus Terminal, take bus 120 south to the stop “Onna Son Yakuba mae“. From there, it is a 1km (12min) walk to Cape Manzamo. The bus ride is about 35-40 minutes and costs ¥890 (2021).
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Cover photo by Shinya Suzuki. CC BY-ND 2.0.
