- Address: 3 Chome-1 Shuritōnokurachō, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken 903-0812, Japan
- Site: oki-park.jp
The country of the rising sun has its interesting and exciting history. A strong and brave people built cities and beautiful castles. But in Japan they do not look much like European fortifications - mostly beautiful, bright and elegant buildings. One of the popular tourist places is the castle of Schuri.
More about the castle
The Castle of the Scuri is territorially located in the same area of the city of Naha and belongs to the prefecture of the island of Okinawa . The castle is built like a Ryukyu castle-sanctuary gusuku. He suffered several times from fires, but he was always restored. Now this is the most beautiful structure of the whole archipelago of the Scuri.
Since 1925, the castle of the Shuri in Okinawa has been entered in the register of national treasures of Japan. During the Second World War, the castle was destroyed by the bombing of the US Air Force. Its comprehensive restoration began only in 1986, when Okinawa returned to Japan, and the castle of Schuri was declared a historical monument of national importance.
Since 1992, this territory is part of the Okinawa State Cultural Reserve. And already in 2000 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Of all the buildings of that era, only the castle of Schuri is now the brightest decoration of Okinawa.
What is interesting about the castle of Sury?
The exact date of construction of the archaeologists was not established. It is assumed that this happened in the era of Sanzan (1322-1429 biennium). During the reign of the Ryukyuska state, monarchs lived in the castle of Sury for 450 years.
The total area of the entire territory of the Scuri is 46.167 sq. Km. m. According to the plan, the castle is somewhat similar to an oval with dimensions of 270 m from north to south and 400 m from west to east. Throughout the outer boundary the castle is fortified with a large stone wall made of coral limestone: the outer wall and the outer courtyard of the fences have 4 arched gates, and the inner ones - eight gates. The height of the protective wall varies from 6 to 11 m in places, the total length of the walls is 1080 m.
On the territory of the courtyard was built the main royal palace and all the government buildings of the Ryukyu state. The second gate of the outer wall of the fortifications is known in Japan as the Ceremonial Gateway - today it is a tourist symbol of Okinawa. In summer, traditional national holidays and festivals are held here.
Around the castle of Sury developed a city that during its heyday was a major cultural and commercial center. Behind the outer walls is a beautiful garden with paths for walks, where the castle itself is located, and the mausoleum Tamaudun, where the members of the royal family were buried for centuries.
How to get to the castle of Sury?
The castle of Sury is located in the central area of the modern city of Naha . From Tokyo , you can fly here by domestic flight, the flight time is about 2.5 hours.
In the city, it is more convenient to get to the castle by taxi or on city buses Nos. 1 and 17, stop - Sury-mae. If you plan to walk to the castle, then look at the map and coordinates: 26 ° 13'01 "N, and 127 ° 43'10 "E. From the city center, the journey takes about 40 minutes.
The Castle of the Schuri is open to visits every day, except Saturday, from 9:00 to 18:00. The entrance to the mausoleum and the main building to tourists is closed.