The Beauty of Okinawa: Shuri Castle

Hi Steemians! I am continuing my tour of Okinawa. Don’t miss the first post about Okinawa, which you can find here.

I may have mentioned it before, but I spent some time living in Germany. On the weekends I toured many of the beautiful castles of the Rhine river valley and Bavaria, as well as Ireland and Italy. I’ve been to a lot of European castles! So, it was very exciting for me to finally visit a castle in Asia, and Okinawa did not disappoint!

The first castle I visited was Shuri Castle, which was built some time around or before the 1300’s C.E. Over it’s long history, the castle had been partially destroyed and then rebuilt many times. During WWII, the castle was almost completely demolished and many of the surrounding buildings were completely obliterated. The buildings surrounding the castle now are rebuilt modern structures. Shuri Castle is listed as a UNESCO World Heratige Site, and the ruins have been restored to a sprawling park with walk ways and modern amenities.

In this ancient castle, the residents told time traditionally with a water clock. In the 1700’s a sun dial was installed, which still marks the passing of hours to this day.

This castle had a wonderful strategic benefit. It is situated on a freshwater spring that could provide water to all the residents of the castle, without them having to leave the protection of the castle walls.

My favorite part of the castle tour was the traditional dances that are preformed on a small stage just outside the main entrance of the inner court yard. Sure, it’s touristy, but I value the educational aspect of this performance. The dancers wore brightly colored garb and danced with precision and elegance. The display is not to be missed!

I was very much impressed by this castle, the fortifications, and the beautiful views of Okinawa. If you ever visit, I hope you have the opportunity to see this wonderful example of Ryukyuan engineering.

Thanks for looking friends!