, officially , is a Ryukyuan

gusuku often refers to castles or fortresses in the Ryukyu Islands that feature stone walls. However, the origin and essence of ''gusuku'' remain controversial. In the archaeology of Okinawa Prefecture, the ''Gusuku period'' refers to an archaeologica ...

built in

Nanzan Nanzan (), also known as Sannan (山南) before the 18th century, located in the south of Okinawa Island, was one of three independent political entities which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. The political entity was identified as a tiny ...

and used until 1429. It, and the village of Ōzato, are named after the

Ōzato Dynasty Nanzan (), also known as Sannan (山南) before the 18th century, located in the south of Okinawa Island, was one of three independent political entities which controlled Okinawa in the 14th century. The political entity was identified as a tiny ...

of Nanzan. It is in ruins, and is an officially designated historical site in Nanjō City, Okinawa.Tokumori, Lima, and Mark Ealey. "Cultural Affairs Council Recommends Two Okinawan Sites to Minister of MEXT." Ryukyu Shimpo aha19 November 2011: n. pag. Ryukyu Shimpo. Web. 13 January 2014.

History

Nanzan was established in 1314 when the Lord of Shimajiri-Ōzato, Ōzato Ofusato, broke away from the chieftain

Tamagusuku was a legendary local ruler of Okinawa Island. According to Ryukyu's official history, Okinawa was split into three polities during the reign of Tamagusuku.Kerr, He was the third son of Eiji (r. 1309-1313), he was the fourth ruler of the Eis ...

Urasoe Castle is a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' which served as the capital of the medieval Okinawan principality of Chūzan prior to the unification of the island into the Ryukyu Kingdom, and the moving of the capital to Shuri. In the 14th century, Urasoe was the la ...

. The castle was built in the 14th century West of the farming village of Ōzato, and became the seat of the

Aji Aji or AJI may refer to: Location *Aji (town), Tieling County, Liaoning, China *Aji Island, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan *Aji, Kagawa, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan * Aji River (disambiguation), rivers with the same name Other * Aji (Go), a latent tr ...

of Ōzato

Magiri The administrative divisions of the Ryukyu Kingdom were a hierarchy composed of districts, ''magiri'', cities, villages, and islands established by the Ryukyu Kingdom throughout the Ryukyu Islands. Divisions There were three or ''hō'': , , and ...

. It fell into disuse after the capture of

Nanzan Castle , officially , is a Ryūkyūan gusuku and was the largest in, and capital of, Nanzan until 1429. It is in ruins, and is located in Itoman. History Nanzan Castle was built in the early 14th century, and became capital of Nanzan in 1314 when the L ...

in 1429. During an excavation of the site, Chinese ceramics were found, showing the extensive trade that Nanzan had done with

Ming China The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han peop ...

. In 2012, Ōzato castle became an officially designated historical site on

Okinawa Island is the largest of the Okinawa Islands and the Ryukyu (''Nansei'') Islands of Japan in the Kyushu region. It is the smallest and least populated of the five main islands of Japan. The island is approximately long, an average wide, and has an ...

References

External links

*http://english.ryukyushimpo.jp/2011/11/29/3883/ *http://okininjakitty.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/ozato-castle-ruins/ Castles in Okinawa Prefecture {{castle-stub