is a ''

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 ...

'' in the village of

Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. , the village has an estimated population of 16,040 and the density of 1,400 persons per km². The total area is 11.53 km². It is home to Nakagusuku Castle and the ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It is one of a number of castles built on the island of Okinawa by the

Ryukyu Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom, Middle Chinese: , , Classical Chinese: (), Historical English names: ''Lew Chew'', ''Lewchew'', ''Luchu'', and ''Loochoo'', Historical French name: ''Liou-tchou'', Historical Dutch name: ''Lioe-kioe'' was a kingdom in the ...

now in ruins. The legendary Ryukyuan commander,

Gosamaru was a Ryukyuan people, Ryukyuan Lord (aji (Ryukyu), Aji)"Gosamaru." ''Okinawa konpakuto jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia")Ryukyu Shimpo(琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 25 July 2009. of Yomitan, Okinawa, Yomi ...

, built the fortress in the early 15th century to defend against attacks from the east by Lord

Amawari {{nihongo, Amawari, 阿麻和利, , extra=d. 1458 was a Ryukyuan Lord (Aji) of Katsuren Castle, known for his ambitions for the throne of the Ryukyu Kingdom and scheme and attack against Gosamaru, Aji of Yomitanzan and Nakagusuku. Life Amawar ...

Katsuren Castle is a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' in Uruma, Okinawa. In 2000, Katsuren Castle was designated as a World Heritage Site, as a part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. History Katsuren Castle was built on a large hill of ...

. Amawari attacked the castle in 1458 and defeated Gosamaru shortly before his own castle was attacked by

Uni-Ufugusuku Uni-Ufugusuku (鬼大城), or Ufugusuku Kenyu/Ufugushiku Kenyu/Ōshiro Kenyu (大城賢雄 also 大城賢勇) ( fl. 15th century), was a samurai martial arts master and Ryukyuan general who served the Ryukyu Kingdom. "Uni" is an Okinawan cognate ...

. The castle was visited by Commodore

Matthew C. Perry Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a commodore of the United States Navy who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War (1846–1848). He played a leading role in the o ...

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. It was added to the list of

UNESCO World Heritage Sites A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

in 2000. It is regarded as one of the 100 most famous castles in Japan. Less than away from the castle is the

Nakagusuku Hotel ruins The , also known as the Royal Hotel or , is an abandoned, unfinished hotel in Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa. It sits no more than 50 meters from the walls of Nakagusuku Castle. As of May 2020, the hotel has been fully demolished. Background It is be ...

Gallery

File:Nakagusuku Castle02n2700.jpg, Rampart of the 3rd district File:Nakagusuku Castle17n3104.jpg, Rampart of the 2nd district File:Nakagusuku Castle22n3104.jpg, Rampart of the 1st district File:Nakagusuku Castle40n3104.jpg File:Nakagusuku_Castle35n3000.jpg File:Nakagusuku_Castle18n3104.jpg File:Nakagusuku_Castle42n3104.jpg

References

Literature

External links

Short history and directions
to Nakagusuku Castle from Japan Guide

site run by Nakamura-ke, located near the gusuku.

dramatic episode Buildings and structures completed in 1440 15th-century fortifications World Heritage Sites in Japan Castles in Okinawa Prefecture Historic Sites of Japan Former castles in Japan {{castle-stub