Before Okinawa became a Japanese prefecture in 1879 it was
the independent small kingdom of Ryukyu, ruled by the Ryukyu kings from the 15th
Century. The largest city is Naha and we
took a tour up to the Shurijo Castle.
This administrative center was originally the residence of the Ryukyu
kings and is situated on a hill with nice views of the city of Naha and the
coastline. A major venue for affairs of
state and ceremonies, it now is a restored UNESCO World Heritage site and Shurijo
Castle Park is a much visited tourist attraction by locals and foreign visitors
alike.
Surrounding the Seiden (Main Hall) are several other
buildings, including the Tamaudun, the mausoleum of the Ryukyu kings. It is divided into three closed
chambers; the left one for kings and
queens, the right one for princes and princesses and the center chamber for
storing recently deceased bodies unto a local ritual of bone cleaning is
conducted a few years later. I am sure
that Temperance Brennen would understand that process, but I haven’t a clue.
The photo of the model depicts what the palace courtyard
would look like during the celebration of Chou-hai-o-ki-shiki, held by the
Shuri Royal Court on the morning of New Year’s Day. Interestingly, Okinawa was the only island where there were ground battles during World War II on Japanese soil. American navel ships shelled the town of Naha during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 completely destroying the Shurijo Castle and all surrounding structures on this prominent hill. Not just knock a few buildings down but completely leveling the entire complex reducing it to nothing more than a pile of ashes and rubble. While that might sound a bit excessive, it must be pointed out that the Japanese Imperial Army was using the complex as their headquarters and garrison protecting the southern tip of the Empire. So, every structure, wall and monument you see below is a faithful reconstruction. The restoration was not completed until 1992.
After visiting the castle park we spent some time on
Kokusai-dori Street, the main market area in Naha. On Sunday they close the street down to
vehicle traffic and thousands of friendly, smiling people of all ages visit
the 500+ shops and stalls in this huge market.
The butcher section had dozens of stalls with everything from pig’s feet
and faces (a delicacy) to one of the largest lobsters I have ever seen and
prawns that were 10 inches long (see photos).
There were street performers on every block; singers, jugglers and
musicians of every kind. See next post for MORE PHOTOS.
This was our first visit to Japan and it was a good place to
start. Naha is a favorite tourist
destination for Japanese from the rest of the islands and it is easy to see
why. Hope you enjoy the photos.
We have a sea day tomorrow as we transit westward 407
nautical miles across the East China Sea.
Our destination, Shanghai, China.
Until then,
God Bless you all.
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