Okinawa's Aharen Beach ranked 13th best in the world

When I first moved to Japan, I was well aware of the winter sports culture here – a lot of my fellow countrymen and women head here to ski and snowboard at places like Niseko and Hakuba at that time of year. I wasn't really aware of the incredible beaches, however, with a lot of them absolutely world-class and postcard-worthy.

A recent list from sunscreen brand Banana Boat ranked the world's top 50 beaches, based on input from what they refer to as "beach ambassadors" and 1000 travel professionals from across the world. Okinawa's Aharen Beach came in at 13th spot on the list, and was praised because of it's easy-to-enter, calm waters (no scary deep drop-offs), and idyllic setting.

Pic Credit: Tomaž Vajngerl/CC By SA 3.0 

With summer just around the corner, it could be a good spot for some vacation inspiration.

Do you have a favorite beach in Japan?