Nakagusuku_Castle

Nakagusuku Castle

Nakagusuku Castle

UNESCO World Heritage Site

See also: Nakagusuku, Okinawa

Nakagusuku Castle (中城城, Nakagusuku jō, Okinawan: Nakagushiku) is a gusuku in the village of Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan. It is one of a number of castles built on the island of Okinawa by the Ryukyu Kingdom now in ruins.

Quick Facts Nakagusuku Castle 中城城, Type ...

History

The legendary Ryukyuan commander, Gosamaru, built the fortress in the early 15th century to defend against attacks from the east by Lord Amawari of Katsuren Castle. Amawari attacked the castle in 1458 and defeated Gosamaru shortly before his own castle was attacked by Uni-Ufugusuku. The castle was visited by Commodore Matthew C. Perry in 1853, who noted that the walls seemed to be designed to absorb cannon fire. The six courtyards of this fortress with stacked stone walls make it a prime example of a gusuku.

Status

The castle was added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2000. It is regarded as one of the 100 most famous castles in Japan.[1] Less than 50 metres (55 yards) away from the castle is the Nakagusuku Hotel ruins.

Model
  • Rampart of the 3rd district
  • Rampart of the 2nd district
  • Rampart of the 1st district

References

  1. [1]
    "Nakagusuku Castle Remains". Retrieved 2 April 2014.

Literature

  • Motoo, Hinago (1986). Japanese Castles. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 200 pages. ISBN 0-87011-766-1.
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26°17′02″N 127°48′05″E
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