This will be a bit of a long post, however I think you will enjoy the little history lesson about Okinawa and the photos that follow.

 A Little History

Approximately 32,000 years ago it is believed that the first humans lived in the Ryukyu Archipelago.  It is widely believed that the people of Okinawa are descendants of those who traveled from China to the islands during the prehistoric era.  And, there is archaelogical and current cultural evidence of a strong southern pacific influence on the island of Okinawa, the largest of the Ryukyu islands.

Let's leap forward to the Gusuku ("goo-skoo") period.  Gusuku is the word used for castle.   It is around the 12th century that strong political forces began to dominate the Okinawan political climate.  Warlords known as aji ("ah-gee") fought fiercely.  And, in order to protect their "kingdoms" they built castles.  

Fast forward again.  In the early 1300's the Three-Kingdom period began.  As a result of submission to stronger warlords and treaties three dominant kingdoms emerged: the southern, middle and northern kingdoms.   The Three-Kingdom period lasted until 1429 when Sho Hashi defeated the ajis thereby unifying Okinawa (known as Ryukyu at the time) and marking the birth of the Sho Dynasty.

Due to the stability brought through unification Okinawa created strong diplomatic and economic (through trade) ties with China, Japan, Korea and many regions of Southeast Asia.  And, because of its ideal location, Okinawa became a hub of trade.

Shurijo or Shuri Castle (Shurigusuku), located in the southern portion of the island  became the political, economical and cultural seat of Okinawa.  It is from this Castle that the Sho Dynasty ruled.  The first Sho Dynasty lasted 40 years until a farmer took the throne in a coup.  

The Okinawans had strong ties with China and out of respect for those ties the farmer took the title Sho En, keeping the Dynasty in name.  This began the second Sho Dynasty and it lasted for the next 400 years.  

Recognizing the value of controlling a hub of trade the Satsuma Clan from mainland Japan invaded, seizing Shuri Castle thus ending the second Sho dynasty.

Okinawa was then ruled by the Satsuma Clan followed by the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Still, Okinawa did not become a Japanese prefecture until 1879 when the Japanese government forcibly ousted the king from Shuri Castle therefore ending the "Kingdom of the Ryukyu".

Now for some pictures..... There are five gates that lead to Shuri Castle, two pictured here.  What gate you entered depended upon your social standing.   In accordance with feng shui as well as for strategical purposes, the castle was set on high ground nearby the pond and stream with a view of the ocean.  About the grounds you can see the caves in which the Japanese Army burrowed.  The castle, even during WWII, proved to be formidable.  However, in the end, it was destroyed.  I will write more, in the future, about Okinawa during WWII. This is the site of the castle's well.  You can see, in the background, there are remnants of the original wall. After WWII the grounds served as the campus for the University of the Ryukyus. When the university was relocated, the Castle was restored to its present condition. The present Shurijo Castle is modeled after the 18th Century structure and as you can see, the influence of Chinese culture is quite strong.   Above: The King's Throne.   We visited Shuri Castle during the yearly festival.  A parade that lasts 3 hours (yes, 3 hours!) begins at the port and marches up to the castle.  The photo below is the beginning of the parade.   The parade route runs along Kokusaidori (International Road) or as we call it "The Miracle Mile"  There are many stores and eateries.  We watched the parade as we browsed through stores and from the restaurant at which we had lunch.   And, of course, as an important part of Okinawa's modern history, the US Marines end the parade with their impeccable performance. A bit of fun on Kodusaidori.  There is a benimo tart store where you can watch the tarts being made.  Yes, that is me posing as the, ahem..., little tartlet! =D Some things just don't translate well.