World heritage which shows prosperity of Ryukyu kingdom

Shurijo Castle proud of dignified appearance to as King of Ryukyu state politics, diplomacy, center of culture.
Shurijo Castle which came to trifle by the Battle of Okinawa of 1945 was restored in commemoration of the mainland return 20th anniversary of Okinawa as state-run park in 1992.
In addition, it was said to unique architecture and making a rock garden technology that fused that China and Japanese construction of a castle culture were worth being like high cultural history, and they were registered with Shurijo Castle trace as the eleventh world heritage in Japan in December, 2000.
The figure colored by vivid cinnabar red is majestic figure telling history of kingdom, breath of culture, and it may be said that it is symbol itself of Okinawa.

With Shurijo Castle

Shurijo Castle is castle symbolizing history, culture of Okinawa, and history of Shurijo Castle is history itself of Ryukyu kingdom.

Shurijo Castle is located on the small hill and is surrounded in castle wall representing curve, and many facilities are built in that. We have many open spaces, and religious sacred place exists again, too. It was not limited to Shurijo Castle, and these characteristics were characteristics to be common to castle of Okinawa called gusuku. We lost for competition with Shurijo Castle, and other gusuku had fallen, but Shurijo Castle accomplished new development while maintaining characteristic of gusuku.

Shurijo Castle is greatly divided into second enclosure (the inside castle) and outer fence (the outside castle), and, in the second enclosure, outer fence is completed at the mid-16th century early in the 15th century. Each facility in castle including Tadashi is located along East-West axes and assumes the west the front. Point that assumes the west the front is one of the characteristics to have of Shurijo Castle. Because there was history of long interchange with China and Japan, Shurijo Castle is affected by China and Japanese building culture in everywhere. Tadashi and south palace, Kita are the representative examples.

It was the headquarters of administration "King Shuri prefecture" of the kingdom rule at the same time as Shurijo Castle was "the royal palace" where the king and the family lived in. In addition, through God women (dumplings) placed in each place, it was base of religious network which ran kingdom religious service (face). Furthermore, entertainment, music was played flourishingly and there were many specialists in art, crafts and played an active part in Shurijo Castle and the outskirts. Shurijo Castle was the center of culture art.

Shurijo Castle was used for Japanese army post, various schools in spring for 1,879 years (Meiji 12) after the king being ousted from Shurijo Castle, and having become "Okinawa". Large-scale repair was carried out in the 1930s, but was reduced to ashes by attack of U.S. forces in 1945. Ruins became campus of University of the Ryukyus after the war, but the reconstruction business is promoted after university move and amounts at the present. Restored Shurijo Castle assumes the after 18th century model. In December, 2000, Shurijo Castle trace was registered with world heritage.

Country of monarchy that there was in the Japanese South-West Islands for about 450 years

Ryukyu kingdom is established now in (1429) about 570 years ago and last for about 450 years between to (1879) about 120 years ago, and they are country of monarchy that existed in the Japanese South-West Islands.

In the north, the south understands that the human lived in Ryukyu Islands to Yaeyama Islands for about 32,000 years from Amami Islands. Constant political power has begun to appear in Ryukyu Islands from the around twelfth century equal to the Kamakura era in Japan after the prehistoric age. Powerful family called "feudal lord of old Okinawa" (taste) appeared in each place and while they repeated rivalry and settlement each other, they gradually arranged and were screened. Hashi Sho (Shohashi) summarized main feudal lord of old Okinawa before long in 1429 and established united power for the first time. This is beginning of Ryukyu kingdom which still assumes house (shoke) top.

Original national unification advanced in Ryukyu and developed into marine kingdom through Japan, Korea, diplomacy, trade with Southeast Asian countries afterwards including China. Shurijo Castle was the center of marine King state politics, economy, culture.

During history of Ryukyu kingdom, there was big change of government only once. In 1469 about 40 years later, Kanemaru (Kanamaru) of farmer native place of Izena-jima Island (izenajima) recaptured the government by coup d'etat after united dynasty was formed and opened new dynasty. Kanemaru still succeeded to royal family in consideration for relations with the Chinese emperor according to precedent again and still gave with King Madoka (carry we do not obtain chase). Therefore, in history of Ryukyu kingdom, he imperial descendant "still still calls it afterward the first" with he imperial descendant" in dynasty before this change of government.

In addition, we counted from Japanese yen (carry act), and, in he imperial descendant, the first king still continued this second (about 400 years) until the Tai Sho (sea bream to carry) times of the king for the 19th generation. Meanwhile, Japanese Satsuma feudal clan invaded and attacked in Ryukyu having army of 3,000 people in 1609 and occupied Shurijo Castle. Since then ostensibility of Ryukyu kingdom retained the fact in delicate international relations to be Satsuma and dependency of Tokugawa shogunate government for 270 years while being under the control of China. However, we dispatched the armed forces in 1879 (Meiji 12), and Japanese Government formed by the Meiji Restoration of Japan before long expelled king Tai Sho (sea bream to carry) from Shurijo Castle and declared setting of Okinawa. In here, Ryukyu kingdom was ruined.

History of Okinawa

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  In December, 2000, "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu" was registered with cultural heritage as the eleventh world heritage in Japan.

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  Shurijo Castle which people of Shuri called "castle" (ugushiku) and looked up at with look of respect and affection once. It is history essay talking about trivia related to Shurijo Castle and the outskirts.

Please read before visiting

Shurijo Castle Park is located on the small hill of 120 meters - 130 meters above sea level.
There was town of Naha on hill to be able to look down at, and hill of this Shuri was a sacred place-like person.
Because we restore figure of the Ryukyu kingdom era, and Shurijo Castle Park is maintained,
Slope and stairs, stone pavement ways increase, too. On visiting, we recommend that you come with footwear comfortable to walk in.

In Shurijo Castle conveying breath of Ryukyu in now, ceremony and party reminding me of former times are reproduced and invite all of you to the times of far-off Ryukyu kingdom.