Okinawa Park-PFI Overview
Full picture of the three prefectural cases and Okinawa's unique characteristics
Unit costs and amounts in financial examples without a cited source are illustrative assumptions, not statistically established market rates. Use estimates and comparable records appropriate to the target facility, location and business when preparing a project plan. Distinguish these assumptions from cited statistics and case expenditure.
Park-PFI cases in Okinawa
3
As of 2026
Prefecture's first in-park store opening
Sep 2025
Starbucks Naha Kyohara
Visitor arrivals in Okinawa (FY2025, the highest on record for a fiscal year)
10.94M
Since 2023, Park-PFI adoption has accelerated rapidly in Okinawa Prefecture. As of 2026, the following three projects are underway:
| Park | Location | Launch | Anchor Facility | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koza Sports Park | Okinawa City | August 2023 | Hotel "ref Okinawa Arena" | Hotel-anchored |
| Manko Park (Kyohara side) | Naha City | September 2025 | Starbucks Naha Kyohara | Environmental symbiosis |
| 21st Century Forest Park | Nago City | Construction began August 15, 2025 | Dining/retail/marine complex | Stay-type tourism transition |
The essential premise for understanding Okinawa's Park-PFI is the scale of visitor arrivals. In FY2025 the prefecture recorded 10,935,800 arrivals, 9.9% more than the year before and the highest on record for a fiscal year. This tourism demand creates a dual user base of "local residents + tourists" for park revenue facilities, generating business viability conditions distinct from mainland parks.
Manko Park: Starbucks Coffee Naha Kyohara
The prefecture's first in-park store, coexistence with mangrove nature, and environmental circulation initiatives
The Prefecture's First In-Park Store
As part of Naha City's Manko Park Kyohara Side Park-PFI project, "Starbucks Coffee Naha Kyohara" opened on September 1, 2025. It is Okinawa Prefecture's first full-scale in-park store through Park-PFI.
Store Design and Environmental Symbiosis
The store is positioned to leverage the park's overall landscape and existing trees and terrain, with a large banyan tree and green lawn in front of the store as distinctive features.Key design characteristics include:
- Location: Positioned to preserve the park's natural landscape by leveraging existing trees and terrain
- Architecture: Large windows on both sides allow natural light in, creating a space where visitors can feel Okinawa's breeze
- Seating: 50 total seats (35 indoor, 14 terrace)
- Hours: 7:00–21:00 (irregular holidays)
Environmental Circulation Initiatives
An experimental project is planned to compost coffee grounds from the store together with mangrove saplings removed during conservation activities at the Manko Waterbird and Wetland Center, with the resulting compost to be used in the park and community as part of local natural circulation.
Koza Sports Park
Hotel 'ref Okinawa Arena' anchored park-integrated facility operation
Hotel-Anchored Park-PFI
The Park-PFI project at Okinawa City's Koza Sports Park launched on August 1, 2023. Centered on the hotel "ref Okinawa Arena by Vessel Hotels" as the anchor facility, the project includes a convenience store and park-integrated management of parking and green spaces.
Business Structure Characteristics
Koza Sports Park's Park-PFI features a distinctive hotel-anchored model. While typical Park-PFI projects use cafés or dining facilities as anchors, Koza Sports Park places an accommodation facility at the core of Park-PFI.
Behind this design is the adjacent Okinawa Arena (a 10,000-capacity multi-purpose arena). By capturing accommodation demand from attendees of basketball (Ryukyu Golden Kings) games and concerts, the design secures hotel operational stability.
Integration with Green Space Development
At Koza Sports Park, the former soccer field site has been greened and developed into a relaxation plaza called "Ashagi Terrace." Designed as a shared space for both hotel guests and park users, it creates a circulation route of "hotel → park → arena."
21st Century Forest Park (Nago City)
Multi-function Park-PFI designed to shift from pass-through to stay-type tourism
Transitioning from Pass-Through to Stay-Type Tourism
A Park-PFI project is under way at Nago City's 21st Century Forest Park. The certified plan holder is YAMBARU GATEWAY PARK, led by Yugaf Holdings Co., Ltd. The city certified the installation plan on October 31, 2024; construction on the tendered park facilities began on August 15, 2025, and the certification runs twenty years from that date. Nago City certified a change to the plan on March 13, 2026.
21st Century Forest Park is located along Route 58 in front of Nago City Hall. It is Nago City's core urban park, equipped with a gymnasium, soccer field, rugby field, civic hall, outdoor stage, and beach.
Facility Composition
Facilities being developed through Park-PFI encompass diverse elements:
- Dining facilities: Restaurants and cafés
- Retail facilities: Local product sales hub
- Event space: Outdoor events and markets
- Marine activities: Ocean leisure linked with the beach
- Large play structures: Installation of Okinawa Prefecture's largest play structure is planned
Design Intent: "Pass-Through → Stay-Type"
Nago City is the core city of northern Okinawa, through which many tourists pass on their way to Churaumi Aquarium and Nakijin Castle Ruins, but the motivation to "stay in Nago" has been weak. The 21st Century Forest Park's Park-PFI is designed as a mechanism to convert this "pass-through tourism" into "stay-type tourism."
Structure of the Okinawa-Type Park-PFI
Why fusion with tourism resources defines Okinawa's Park-PFI and design principles
Design Defined by Fusion with Tourism Resources
Common to Okinawa's three cases is a Park-PFI design premised on fusion with tourism resources.
| Park | Tourism Resource Fused | Impact on Design |
|---|---|---|
| Koza Sports Park | Okinawa Arena (sports/entertainment) | Adoption of hotel-anchored model |
| Manko Park | Mangrove wetlands (natural environment) | Environmental symbiosis store design |
| 21st Century Forest Park | Northern Okinawa tourism route (pass-through → stay) | Multi-function facility development |
While mainland Park-PFI often takes "everyday use by local residents" as its primary design premise, in Okinawa the "presence of tourists" becomes a fundamental design condition. Park functions and revenue facilities must be designed after incorporating tourists' dwell time, spending behavior, and movement patterns.
Three Design Principles of Okinawa-Type Park-PFI
Principle 1: Design for a "dual user base"
Facility design that serves both local residents and tourists. Operating hours, pricing, and service content must accommodate the needs of both groups.
Principle 2: Embed environmental symbiosis in the design
Okinawa's natural environment (mangroves, coral, subtropical vegetation) is the core value of its tourism. Park-PFI that degrades this environment undermines the very premise of the business. Environmental conservation should be actively positioned as a design constraint for revenue facilities.
Principle 3: Address seasonal variation
While Okinawa's tourism demand peaks in summer, there is also winter demand from mainlanders seeking warmer climates. Facility composition and operational planning for stable year-round visitor draw are necessary.
→ For the latest nationwide Park-PFI statistics, see Park-PFI Latest Cases and Statistics [2026 Edition].
Complete Guide to Park-PFI
Comprehensive explanation of the system, procedures, and cases
Park-PFI Latest Cases and Statistics [2026 Edition]
Nationwide statistics across 203 parks and policy trends
Beppu Harukigawa Park
Park-PFI in a hot spring city and the projected ¥14M a year in usage fees
What to do next
When considering Park-PFI, examine the park's conditions, use and operator interest.
| # | What to check or consider | Responsible team or contact |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check the park's site area and the footprint of existing buildings, including rest and sports facilities, to establish current building coverage | Parks team |
| 2 | Check the building coverage limits and exceptions in the local ordinance. Compare them with existing building footprints to assess whether new facilities can be added | Parks team |
| 3 | Study visitor numbers and patterns of use, including weekday, weekend and seasonal differences, to assess likely demand | Site surveys and existing survey records |
| 4 | Check actual fees at comparable parks, taking account of differences in area, location and facility use | Other municipalities and published records |
| 5 | Present the survey results and proposed use to private operators. Ask about their interest and the conditions needed for a viable project | Market sounding |
Assess the scope for new buildings against existing building footprints and the local ordinance. If there is no room to add buildings, consider reuse of existing facilities and other project methods.
References
Manko Park Kyohara Side Park-PFI Project — Naha City (2025)
Prefecture's First In-Park Store: Starbucks Coffee Naha Kyohara — Starbucks Coffee Japan (2025)
Okinawa City Koza Sports Park Park-PFI Project Launched — Sukoyaka Holdings Co., Ltd. (2023)
21st Century Forest Park Area Utilization Project (Park-PFI) — Nago City (2026)
Related Articles
5 Park-PFI Success Cases
Success patterns from large parks to small cities
Park-PFI in the Kanto Region
Adoption status and success patterns in Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama
