Category: World Heritage 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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Sefa Utaki
One of the places I wanted to visit the most in Okinawa was Sefa Utaki. It is a traditional sacred place in Okinawa, and at the same time, it is a place designated as a World Heritage Site. It has a deep connection with the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Tours to Sefa Utaki Sefa Utaki is not very far from Naha City. So some city tours include the visit to Sefa Utaki.
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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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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]