Okinawa - Mie Castle Ruins

There is not much to see in the Mie Castle Ruins area, but being in the area, I had to stop and take a look around. It was on a hill and had a small shrine area and an open flat area about the size of a football field.

 

Information About Mie Castle from Jcastle:

Mie Castle was a coastal fortress built in the second half of the 16th century. Along with Yawaramori Castle on the opposite shore, Mie Castle controlled the narrow entrance to Naha Port during the Ryukyu Kingdom era. They had gun loops for small-bore firearms and some large-bore cannons mounted in them as well. There was also a chain, which could be strung out between the two fortresses, to block ships from the entering the harbour. Nineteenth century paintings of Naha Port, such as the Ryukyuboekizubyobu (琉球貿易図屏風), show Mie Castle was connected to another smaller fortress called Naka Mie Castle (仲三重城) by a stone bridge. This is in turn was connected to Rinkaiji Temple (臨海寺) before another stone bridge linked it to the main part of Naha Port. In effect, it looked akin to a long breakwater with a temple and two coastal forts. Naha Port was connected to Shuri Castle by a military road built in 1522 by King Sho Shin. In May 1609, these coastal fortresses successfully prevented the Satsuma fleet from entering the Naha Port, forcing them to land their soldiers further north up the coast. The fortresses suffered heavy damage during the Battle of Okinawa in WWII. Yawaramori Castle was completed demolished by the Americans post-war when they built Naha Military Port, while the area around Mie Castle was landfilled and built over, with a modern hotel situated right next to the remnants of Mie Castle.

If you are interested in Japanese Castles, check out my Castle Page, with links to posts on the castles I have visited.

Please Stand Still

 I really like these posters that tell us how to behave in public.

Okinawa - Omono Castle Ruins

The gate and some stone walls from this castle ruin can be seen from across the river, but not actually visited.  It is located in an off-limits part of the Naha Military Port. 

This is what JCastle has to say about the history of this castle:

It is unknown exactly when this port fortress was built. However, Omono Gusuku can be found on the Ryukyu Kokuzu (琉球国図), a map dated to around 1452. Omono Gusuku along with Mie Gusuku and Yarazamori Gusuku guarded Naha Port during the time of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Unlike the other two forts, which guarded the entrance into Naha Port, Omono Gusuku functioned mainly as a customs post and storage area for traded goods and weapons.

If you are interested in Japanese Castles, check out my Castle Page, with links to posts on the castles I have visited.

Okinawa - Onoyama Park and Okinogu Shrine

Across the river from Tsubogawa monorail station is Onoyama Park, where there are sporting areas, several shrines, a children's playground, and open areas for walking or other exercise.

 

Looking back toward Tsubogawa Station.

The day I was there, Okinogu Shrine was preparing for the New Year celebration.

This person in yellow is one of the workmen.

The shrine is up on a hill, and in addition to being a pretty shrine to visit casually (like I did), is an important shrine that hosts many celebrations and event. The shrine dates back to 1451 in several different locations.  After burning down during WWII and changing locations, it was rebuilt in Onoyama Park in 1975.

An interesting feature is the many orchids all around the shrine area.

The vendors were getting ready for the new year celebration.

This park is a great place to visit and enjoy the open air.

Work in Progress Wednesday

The Rose bell pull is progressing. There are only ten colors of thread with very little backstitching, so it is pretty easy cross stitch. This is the top half of the design.  I haven't started on the bottom half yet.

The blackwork sampler continues to hold my attention and I've worked on it quite a bit this week.                                                            

Okinawa - Nakagusuku Castle

The next adventure in Okinawa, was visiting Nakagusuku Castle, another World Heritage site. 

This is what Jcastle has to say about this castle: 

Nakakgusuku Castle was built by Sakinakagusuku Aji in the mid 14th Century and expanded upon by Gosamaru in the early 15th Century. Gosamaru was moved to Nakagusuku by the king to check the rising power of Amawari Aji in Katsuren Castle. In 1458 the castle fell to attacks by Amawari the lord of Katsuren Castle. The castle is made up of 6 baileys, each of a different elevation. It is said that Commodore Perry was impressed by the strength of the castle and the engineering displayed in its construction.

Nakagusuku is spread out over a large area.

The view from the top is very nice.

(I love these stone doorways!)

I was careful and didn't see any snakes.

If you are interested in Japanese Castles, check out my Castle Page, with links to posts on the castles I have visited.