Nakijin Castle

The same day that we went to Henoko, we went to Nakijin castle, which is located on the Motobu peninsula (near Nago, where Christina, Amy, and the Pineapple park all live). This was my first time to visit ANY of Okinawan's castles, if you'll believe it. I've halfheartedly been trying to hold out for my sister Sandi's visit at the end of this month, but I just couldn't make it. (Don't worry Sindi we'll go again.)

Here are some photos of the castle structures. The 1st and 3rd are of one of 2 shrines within the castle walls that have been preserved. One shrine is to water, the other to something I forgot.

"the remaining walls of Nakijin Gusuku (Castle) stand like stone ghosts amidst the surrounding wild mountains. After having survived the ravages of war, countless typhoons, and the aging process of time, this once magnificent fortress has become a symbol of Okinawa's ancient past. "

Yeah. What a random site on the internet said. I've no time for creating my own words! Nakijin is cool though. A long time ago (before the Ryukyu kingdom was unified) my island was roughly 3 different kingdoms: north, middle, south. And of course, the outer islands like Miyako and Ishigaki were something else entirely. Hokuzan, the northern kingdom, had its home base here at Nakijin, on a cliff overlooking the sea.

"Archaeologists estimate that construction on Nakijin Castle began at the end of the 13th century - over a hundred years before the beginning of the Ryukyu Dynasty."

Here are some nature shots from our rambles through Nakijin's grounds.

"One of Nakijin Gusuku's most striking features was its enormous size. The castle's total land area covered approximately 14 acres, making it the largest gusuku to have existed during its time."
So I guess they're saying that bigger is better. Or something. I don't know about that, but I sure liked the flowers.