Okinawa is one of Japan’s major prefectures, consisting of a collection of more than 150 islands.
It’s famous for its beautiful beaches, sea, warm climate, and tropical environments, which are a magnet for tourists.
And how could animators exempt themselves from taking this stupendous setting as the backdrop for their anime?
So get ready to see the best anime set amidst the gorgeous settings of Okinawa, to feel warm with your eyes only.
As always this listicle is purely based on our opinions and knowledge.
Table of Contents
9. Cat Planet Cuties

Cat Planet Cuties is a 2010 ecchi comedy with a romantic twist, released in only 12 episodes from the light novel.
The protagonist of the story is Kio Kakazu, a boy attending Okinawa High School whose life is turned upside down by a girl with cat ears who suddenly appears in front of him.
The mysterious girl’s name is Eris and she claims to be a danger. Kio will thus be forced to defend the girl from various threats.
Okinawa will be portrayed with its classic trees, sunshine, and beaches, but nothing too specific. For this reason, we don’t think it’s the best recommendation if you are into details.
Nonetheless, it’s a funny show if you want to turn off your brain for once.
8. Gyo: Tokyo Fish Attack

The story revolves around Kaori, a girl on vacation in Okinawa with her friends coming close to marrying Tadashi, a sound technician living in Tokyo.
But the unpredictable happens during the vacation: Kaori and her friends smell a terrible rotting stench coming from nothing else than a fish on metal legs.
Japan is being invaded by fishes of all types, including terrifying sharks and octopi, as Kaori loses every means of contacting her boyfriend.
The fishes in this anime are really scary creatures and will surely send chills down your spine.
The anime focuses on this particular zombie invasion, so the accuracy of the setting is not a priority.
This is because we will see a destroyed and blasted Yokohama but it’s still a nice take on how the city would look after a calamity.
7. SK8 The Infinity

An anime from 2021, which as you may have guessed if you’ve worked out the pun in the title, is based on skateboarding, particularly in street competitions.
The story follows the events of Reki, a student who loves skateboarding. One day he suddenly gets involved in the S, a dangerous street race with no rules held in an abandoned mine.
Ranga, who has returned to Okinawa from Canada and has never skateboarded before, becomes involved in the competition along with Reki.
We don’t need to tell you, that if you are a skateboarder, just go for it. Combining this sport and the tropical setting of Okinawa is a real highlight.
References to real-life locations won’t miss either, even though we are talking about details.
6. Azumanga Daioh

Azumanga Daioh chronicles in 26 episodes the daily routines of a diverse group of female high school students attending the same class.
This class includes Sakaki, Tomo, Yomi, and Kaorin, and are joined by Chiyo and Ayumu, forming a group that will get up to all sorts of mischief.
The anime is set in Tokyo, where the school the girls attend is located. But one of the story arcs is based on the school trip to Okinawa, shifting the setting to the warm island.
One of the characteristics of this anime is that the settings are never clarified or named, but the maritime environment of the island is unmistakable.
5. Aim to the Top! Gunbuster

Aim for the Top! Gunbuster is a 6-episode OAV series by Hideaki Anno, the mastermind behind Neon Genesis Evangelion.
With less budget but a lot of heart, he managed to churn out a gem of the mecha genre that still surprises with wise use of color and a fast-paced but still very poignant plot.
The plot describes a near future where the Earth is severely threatened by the arrival of a hostile alien race. The protagonist Noriko Takaya, a girl living in Okinawa by the sea, enrolls in a military training school for robot pilots to deal with this threat.
Unfortunately, being selected is not at all easy, and the anime will begin precisely with Noriko’s hard training, also with the help of Coach Ota.
Gunbuster isn’t focused on Okinawa because you will see more outer space than anything else. However, there are moments throughout the series where we get to see the island, like during the first episode.
4. Harukana Receive!

Beach volleyball and the iconic maritime beaches and settings make a picture-perfect postcard for Okinawa.
The protagonists of Harukana Receive! are Haruka and Kanata, two cousins at opposite ends of the spectrum, who move together to the warm island of Okinawa.
During one of her first explorations of the surroundings, Haruka meets 2 girls intent on practicing beach volleyball at the beach.
She talks to them but due to her unwise use of words, they end up challenging each other on the beach.
Haruka, confident of winning thanks to her experience in volleyball at school is sure to win, but she will suffer a heavy defeat due to the wind and sand of the beach.
She will then train together with her cousin and take her revenge.
Harukana Receive! features many locations scattered throughout Okinawa, such as Gushikawa Beach, the main beach throughout the anime.
The same goes for the school the girls attend, which is modeled on Maehara Senior High School, in Uruma.
3. Blood +

Blood + is a moderately well-known horror and action genre series released in 2005 with as many as 50 episodes.
The world is infested with Chiropterans, a race of immortal monsters that draw sustenance from blood. It will be up to the Red Shields to fight them.
The main character is Saya Otonashi, a high school girl who lives her life except for one detail: she does not remember her past.
One day, a monster will appear before her, along with a young and handsome cellist who hands her a Katana. Will Saya be able to find her true identity?
Although in horror and semi-apocalyptic key, Blood + is set in Okinawa, and when we don’t see terrible monsters we can admire the island in all its beauty.
2. Non Non Biyori Vacation

Non Non Biyori Vacation is one of the best anime set in the countryside.
This 2018 movie adapts the arc of the journey to Okinawa of the main girl group featured in the original manga.
And speaking of which, it’s beautifully rendered, making it look like a real postcard with the sea, sun, and tropical trees.
An audiovisual reference is worth a thousand words, so to fully experience the settings of this movie, we recommend you watch this excellent video.
Non Non Biyori is a mix of wholesome and fun, the peak of the Cute Girls Doing Cute Things genre with the great addition of the beautiful island.
1. The Aquatope of White Sand

The story is set at the Gama Gama Aquarium, a small aquarium in Okinawa.
Kukuru Misakino is an 18-year-old high school student who works there and knows the secret of the place: mysterious events happen from time to time.
If you want to find out what this secret is watch this interesting 2021 slice of life, released in 24 episodes.
The setting is mainly the aforementioned aquarium, but we will also see the iconic beaches and tropical settings of the location.
We know you are all wondering, but we have to disappoint you: the Gama Gama Aquarium doesn’t exist.
However, the parking lot where we see it located in the anime does, and it’s the Azama Sun Sun Beach parking lot. A meager consolation, but better than nothing.