Shuri Castle

The Shuri castle is one of the many castles that have been restored after being destroyed number of times in the wars and fires over the centuries. The castle is built on an elevation of about 120 meters above sea level and is considered to be one of the largest castles of Okinawa.The compound of the castle is shaped like that of an egg and stretches to about 350 meters from east to west and about two hundred meters from north to south. There is a lot of controversy about the origin of the castle but reports suggest the presence of a castle by the second half of the fourteenth century.However there is a general consensus regarding the origin of the castle which suggests that the castle was built by King Satto and it was converted to a jewel among the castles by King Sho Hashi.

The castle has been the capital of the Ryuku kingdom for a long time, something, which can be attributed to the physical setting of the castle. The castle is surrounded by high ground, rivers and mountains, which act as deterrents against attacks and other forms of aggression. The physical proximity of the castle from the city of Naha also complements its natural setting for becoming an administrative capital.The castle has undergone a turbulent past with the final nail in the coffin being the battle of Okinawa in the mid 40's.However the process of restoration and reconstruction has touched this palace also and the process has commenced from the year 1992.The main buildings of the castle are situated on the top of a hill and one can enter the castle from various gates. Quite a few halls are present in the castle, which houses several exhibitions.

How to get to the castle

One can take several buses and get down at the Shurijo Koen Iriguchi and walk to the castle as it is few minutes walk away only. Alternatively one can take a train (mono rail) and get down at Shuri station. From there, one can walk to the castle and reach in nearly a quarter of an hour.

What else to see

There are quite a few places, which one can check out while taking a trip to the Shuri castle park, this includes a mausoleum consisting of three chambers to accommodate the dead kings, queens, prince and princesses. There is a chamber for the fresh dead bodies, which have to undergo a local ritual of bone cleansing after a few years.

Other than this one can checkout the Okinawa Prefectural Museum and a couple of temples.

Places to stay

There are several types of accommodation, which is available in Naha with the most convenient being the Okinawa Miyako hotel, which is just a quarter of an hour away from the Shuri castle park. The hotel is an amalgamation of the traditional culture along with the modern amenities that the hospitality industry has to offer.