Nakagusuku Castle

Nakagusuku Castle (中城城, Nakagusuku jō, Okinawan: Nakagushiku[1]) is a gusuku in the village of Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa, Japan. It is one of a number of castles built on the island of Okinawa by the Ryukyu Kingdom now in ruins. The legendary Ryukyuan commander, Gosamaru, built the fortress in the early 15th century to defend against attacks from the east by Lord Amawari of Katsuren Castle. Amawari attacked the castle in 1458 and defeated Gosamaru shortly before his own castle was attacked by Uni-Ufugusuku. The castle was visited by Commodore Matthew C. Perry 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 in 2000. It is regarded as one of the 100 most famous castles in Japan.[2] Less than 50 metres (55 yards) away from the castle is the Nakagusuku Hotel ruins.

See also: Nakagusuku, Okinawa

Nakagusuku Castle
中城城
Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa
Ruins of Nakagusuku Castle (west district)
TypeGusuku
Site information
Controlled byRyūkyū Kingdom (1440–1879)
 Empire of Japan (1879–1945)
United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands(1945-1950)
United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands(1950-1972)
 Japan(1972-present)
Open to
the public		yes
ConditionRuins
Site history
Builtaround 1440
Built byGosamaru
In useearly 1440-1611
MaterialsRyūkyūan limestone, wood
Battles/warsAttacked by Amawari (1458)
Garrison information
OccupantsGosamaru, Aji of Nakagusuku Magiri
  • Rampart of the 3rd district
  • Rampart of the 2nd district
  • Rampart of the 1st district

References
  1. "ナカグシク". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
  2. "Nakagusuku Castle Remains". Retrieved 2 April 2014.

Literature
  • Motoo, Hinago (1986). Japanese Castles. Tokyo: Kodansha. p. 200 pages. ISBN 0-87011-766-1.


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