The late 13th century Nakijin Castle is a sprawling fortress located on the Motobu Peninsula of northern Okinawa Honto that represents five hundred years of Ryukyu culture and history.
Nakijin Castle was a castle of the Hokuzan’s King who ruled the area from northern Okinawa to the Amami Island region. Such is the importance of the castle that it was deemed a world heritage site in 2000.
The length of the castle wall is 1.5 kilometres, and the height is 8 meters tall at the highest place, and the scale of the entire castle makes it the 2nd biggest castle behind Shurijo Castle. The castle wall was built with the oldest known construction technique Nozura-zumi. This technique utilises the rocks’ natural shape to pile them up giving the wall a rough, natural appearance. The stones appear to be piled up randomly, but the technique makes use of stone groupings and gravity to create a resilient wall.
Spend half a day exploring the ruins and walking across the undulating wall, soaking up the rich history and surroundings. Take in the stunning view of the East China Sea. There is also the Nakijin Village History and Culture Center with a small museum displaying items unearthed on the castle grounds, such as Chinese pottery, coins and documents.
Fly to Tokyo, Japan on JAL and ANA Airlines. Connect to Naha, Okinawa or Fly to Taipei on China Airlines Connect to Naha, Okinawaa. Renting a car and self driving is the recommended way to reach the many sights of the main island of Okinawa providing easy access.