Park-PFI in Okinawa — A Model Fusing Parks with Tourism Resources

Since 2023, Park-PFI adoption has accelerated rapidly in Okinawa Prefecture. As of 2026, the following three projects are underway:

The essential premise for understanding Okinawa's Park-PFI is the annual tourism arrivals exceeding 10 million. This tourism demand creates a dual user base of "local residents + tourists" for park revenue facilities, generating business viability conditions distinct from mainland parks.

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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.

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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."

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Transitioning from Pass-Through to Stay-Type Tourism

At Nago City's 21st Century Forest Park, development of a multi-function facility using the Park-PFI system is underway, with phased opening scheduled from March 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."

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Design Defined by Fusion with Tourism Resources

Common to Okinawa's three cases is a Park-PFI design premised on fusion with tourism resources.

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].

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Fundamentals

Complete Guide to Park-PFI

Comprehensive explanation of the system, procedures, and cases

Park-PFI Latest Cases and Statistics [2026 Edition]

Nationwide statistics across 165 parks and policy trends

Beppu Harukigawa Park

Park-PFI in a hot spring city and the ¥14M annual revenue structure

References

Manko Park Kyohara Side Park-PFI Project (2025)

Prefecture's First In-Park Store: Starbucks Coffee Naha Kyohara (2025)

Okinawa City Koza Sports Park Park-PFI Project Launched (2023)

Creating New Vibrancy at Nago's 21st Century Forest Park — Multi-Function Facility via Park-PFI (2025)