is a gusuku

Gusuku

, or just , is the term used for the distinctive Okinawan form of castles or fortresses. In standard Japanese, the same kanji is pronounced "shiro", but the word is probably cognate with a different Japanese word, "soko" , which means "fortress"...

in the village of Kitanakagusuku

Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa

is a village located in Nakagami District, Okinawa, Japan., the village has an estimated population of 16,269 and the density of 1,411.01 persons per km². The total area is 11.53 km².-External links:*...

, Okinawa Prefecture

Okinawa Prefecture

is one of Japan's southern prefectures. It consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands in a chain over long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū to Taiwan. Okinawa's capital, Naha, is located in the southern part of Okinawa Island...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

. It is currently in ruins. The legendary Ryukyuan commander, Gosamaru

Gosamaru

' was a Ryukyuan lord of the gusuku of Zakimi and, later, Nakagusuku. He supported Shō Hashi, first king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in his conquest of Hokuzan and unification of Okinawa Island....

, built the fortress in the early 15th century to defend against attacks from the east by Lord Amawari

Amawari

' was a Ryukyuan lord of Katsuren Castle , known for his ambitions for the throne of the Ryūkyū Kingdom and scheme and attack against Gosamaru, anji of Nakagusuku.-Life:...

 of Katsuren Castle. The six courtyards of this fortress with stacked stone walls make it a prime example of a gusuku.


File:Nakagusuku Castle02n2700.jpg|Rampart of the 3rd district
File:Nakagusuku Castle17n3104.jpg|Rampart of the 2nd district
File:Nakagusuku Castle22n3104.jpg|Rampart of the 1st district

External links

• Short history and directions to Nakagusuku Castle from Japan Guide
• Nakagusuku Castle site run by Nakamura-ke, located near the gusuku.
• The Amawari-Gosamaru dramatic episode