Exploring Nakijin-Jo: Peaceful Historic Sights and Castles in Okinawa, Japan

I've shared a lot from my trip to Japan, I can't help it, I was so excited that my photos were not destroyed like I thought they were! One thing I haven't shared yet was a look at some of the beautiful historic sights on the island. I wasn't on the mainland so I didn't get to visit the shrine after shrine in cities like Kyoto, but Okinawa's castles were fascinating, exploring one is a peaceful way to spend the day, especially when visiting the tropical island during the mild fall months. Too bad I didn't visit this one, Nakijin-Jo, when the Hikan cherries are in bloom (Jan-Feb), these ruins are famous for them! Imagine the bare trees lining walk ways below filled with vibrant pink blossoms!

Construction of this castle went from the 13th to the 15th century. It was originally the palacial residence if the Ryukyuan kingdom governor. The strategic location on a lone hill (surrounded by natural defenses like a river, cliffs, and a deep valley) helped it double as a impenetrable fortress. It's currently in ruins, though a little reconstruction took place in the 1960s. I can't tell yet (I need to compare photos to ones from Google because a lot of the site name are written in characters I can't read), but I believe JR and I went to every major historic sight on the island! This one was one of my favorites.

/Comments Off  I couldn't throwing in one cat, this crazy cat lady is tempted to do a cats-around-the-world series. I shoot them wherever I go. The silver tabby above, so beautiful.

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