Naha Skyline and the Yui Rail

The Yui Rail in motion

The scene is defined by the Okinawa Urban Monorail, known locally as the Yui Rail, whose two-car trains run along an elevated guideway above the streets. Linking Naha Airport with the city centre and Shuri, it is the prefecture's only rail line and a constant presence in this panoramic frame.

A capital-city panorama

Spread across the horizon are the offices, hotels and apartment blocks of central Naha, home to roughly 300,000 residents. The Ryubo department store and the Palette Kumoji complex anchor the scene beside the prefectural government district.

Streets toward Kokusai-dōri

The avenues below funnel toward Kokusai-dōri, the kilometre-long 'International Street' that is Naha's best-known shopping and dining artery. Buses, taxis and pedestrians keep the central intersection in steady movement.

An Asahi Shimbun vantage

The feed is broadcast from the Asahi Shimbun Okinawa Naha Bureau, perched high enough to take in the sweeping rooftops of the Kumoji district and the subtropical capital beyond.