Category: Castle in Okinawa
-
Zakimi Castle Ruins
The Zakimi Castle Ruins is one of the Ryukyu World Heritage Sites. It seems that it was once used as a signal station for the US military. It is a small but beautiful castle with curving walls. About Zakimi Castle in Okinawa Zakimi Castle is located in Yomitan Village, Okinawa. The castle, which was built during the late 14th or early 15th century, is considered one of the most important examples of Ryukyuan gusuku, a type of fortress found in the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. The castle was used as a military fortress during the Ryukyu Kingdom period, and it played a key role in the defense of the kingdom against […]
-
Katsuren Castle
Katsuren Castle is one of the castle ruins that are part of Okinawa’s World Heritage Sites. Although the scale is smaller than that of Nakijin Castle Ruins , it is a beautiful castle ruin standing on the seaside. There is no regular tours to Nakajin Castle. Take one of customizable tours. The entrance to Katsuren Castle is across the street from the parking lot and small museum. Katsuren Castle doesn’t have much to offer, but the view of the sea is beautiful.
-
Okinawa Shurijo Castle Shureimon
The famous Shureimon gate was the main gate of Shurijo Castle, and was used on the 2,000 yen note. It came to be called Shureimon because the word “守禮之邦 (守礼之邦)” is written on the plaque (the plaque on the top of the gate). It is said to have been built by King Shosei (reigned 1527-1555). It is said that when the envoys from China, the Sapposhi, came to visit, they would raise the plaque of “Shurei no Kuni” to show that Ryukyu is a country that values etiquette. At other times, the forehead “Shuri” was displayed. The former Shureimon was burned down during the Battle of Okinawa, and the current Shureimon was rebuilt in […]
-
Okinawa’s World Heritage Nakagusuku Castle Ruins
I was ashamed to say that I didn’t know that there was a medieval castle with stone walls in Okinawa until it was registered as a World Heritage Site. The fact that there was a time when multiple dynasties fought for supremacy in Okinawa is somehow different from the image of a peaceful southern island. Had it not been for the power struggle, there would have been no need for such a strong stone wall. Tours to visit Nakagusuku Nakagusuku Nakagusuku was on top of a small mountain. After driving up the hill, there was a parking lot, and there was a stone monument indicating Nakagusuku. Nakagusuku Castle is said to have been built […]
-
Shurijo Castle Ruins and its surroundings
Shuri is the capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The castle of Nakayama Province was built on this land during the Sanzan period when Ryukyu was divided into three, and it became the capital in 1429 when Ryukyu was unified. Shuri was the political and cultural center of Ryukyu until 1879, when the abolition of feudal domains and establishment of prefectures put the prefectural government in Naha. Shurijo Castle Shurijo Castle is the royal palace of the Ryukyu Dynasty. It is located in Shuri in Naha City, and it seems that Shuri was the center of the Ryukyu government during the Ryukyu dynasty era and was also a castle town. During World War II, Shurijo […]
-
World Heritage Sites in Okinawa: Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
“Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu” is the official name of the World Heritage sites in Okinawa. It was registered as a World Heritage Site in 2000. The ruins of Shuri Castle, Tamaudun, Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate, Shikinaen Garden, Sefa Utaki, Nakijin Castle Ruins, Zakimi Castle Ruins, Katsuren Castle Ruins, and Nakagusuku Castle Ruins are all nine heritage sites. Nakijin Castle Ruins, Zakimi Castle Ruins, Katsuren Castle Ruins, and Nakagusuku Castle Ruins are from the era of conflict between the three mountains. Shurijo Castle Ruins, Tamaudun, Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate, Shikinaen, and Sefa Utaki are the ruins of the era after Ryukyu was unified and the Ryukyu Dynasty […]