Category: Ruins in Okinawa
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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.
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Tamaudun in Shuri, Okinawa
Tamaudun is located near the ruins of Shuri Castle, a short walk from the Shureimon Gate, and is a mausoleum of successive generations of the Ryukyu royal family nestled in greenery. It was built in 1501 by King Sho Shin of the Ryukyus (reigned 1477-1526) to rebury the remains of his father, King Sho En, from a place called Mikamimoriryo. have become. The last person to be buried at Gyokuryo was King Sho Tai in 1901. You can see the situation at that time in the photograph. The tomb chamber of Tamaudun is divided into three. In the above photo (composite), the entrance gate to the courtyard is visible, and three entrances can be […]
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Sonohyan Utaki Stone Gate of Shurijo Castle, Okinawa
Sonohyan Utaki Ishimon is a stone gate located near Shureimon after exiting the castle gate of Shurijo Castle. It is a rustic gate that you will not notice anything if you pass it, but it is designated as one of the World Heritage Sites. Utaki is a place of worship in Ryukyu, and there is a place called Shurimori Mitake in Shurijo Castle. Sonohyan Utaki was once an important place where the Ryukyu King prayed for the safety of his journey to and from Shurijo Castle. It seems that the mountain area that spreads out behind the stone gate was a sanctuary, and there used to be a stone worship hall. It is said […]
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Enkakuji Temple Ruins and Benzaitendo in Shuri
I drove to Shuri Castle from Kokusai Street in Naha where I stayed. Enter Shuri according to the car navigation system and look for a parking lot from the Shurijo Castle Park Management Center, but no parking lot is full. When I had no choice but to go around Shurijo Castle, I found a small parking lot on the street (Tokura-dori) on the north side of Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts. There seemed to be few people coming to this side, so it was empty. Even if you park your car here, it will take less than 10 minutes to reach Shuri Castle. We headed for Shurijo Castle through a narrow street called Ryutan – dori . Enkakuji […]
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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 […]