Visiting Japan - Tokyo vs. Okinawa?

I'm going to Japan this fall and trying to plan out my itinerary. My husband will be in Okinawa for work and we are debating if I should fly there direct from NYC or have him meet me in Tokyo. We will probably only go once and I feel like there will be much more culture in a major city than at a vacation destination. We would love to do both but probably won't have the time (or finances). If you had to pick one - where should I go? And, if you happen to be very familiar w/ Japan, we would be going in September which is when Okinawa becomes "Typhoon Alley" so if it's normally a bad time to go, that information would be helpful in our decision making as well. Thanks!