Okinawa without a car – best way to get around?

Hey everyone, I’m planning a 2-week trip to Japan in mid-January (7 days in Tokyo, with day trips, and 6 days in Okinawa), and I am looking for advice on a couple of things:

Regarding Okinawa itself:

I’m thinking of staying a few days in Naha, and maybe some in Nago to have access to national parks. However, I don’t plan to rent a car, and I heard that the public transport is unreliable as compared to mainland Japan, and so I’m a bit concerned about accessibility to certain places. Are there any cheap or more reliable options of transport. (biking?) Or is it better to focus on Naha and nearby areas, and maybe doing some hiking there instead?

The second question is about the flight itself. I am considering two options:

Option 1: Fly into Narita/Haneda airport (11-12h flight btw), staying there overnight, and catching a flight to Okinawa the next day. This way I could spend a week there, and return to Tokyo for the remainder of the trip.

Option 2: Fly into Haneda, stay in Tokyo for 3-4 days, 6 days in Okinawa, and back to Tokyo for the rest of the trip.

Leaning towards option 2 just to have a few days to deal with the jet lag before the next flight, but not sure if it would be as convienient as option 1. Would love to hear your advice!

Thanks in advance!

by Jcob2020

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