Wave-like walls
On the hilltop.
Kazuhiro Tsugita — CC BY 3.0 · Hiroaki Kaneko — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Kentagon — CC BY-SA 4.0 · FoxyStranger Kawasaki — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Suicasmo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Suicasmo — CC BY-SA 4.0 · CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · 沖縄発！役に立たない写真集 — Public domain
The ruins of a gusuku castle on a rocky outcrop on the Motobu Peninsula, looking over the East China Sea. In the late 14th century it was the capital of Hokuzan, one of the three kingdoms into which Okinawa Island was divided, and the seat of its king, before the island was unified as the Ryukyu Kingdom. It joined the World Heritage List in 2000 among the Ryukyu Kingdom sites and has been a National Historic Site since 1972. Its highlight is the long stone walls that snake along the hilltop like waves, with views over forest and sea. A steep gorge with a stream separates it from the Motobu mountains to the east, and to the north it drops to the shore. It is known for its hikan cherries, which bloom from mid-January to early February, the first cherry blossoms in Japan each year. Tickets are about 1,000 yen for adults, per visitor guides. It is about 15 minutes' drive from the Churaumi Aquarium.
On the hilltop.
Japan's first bloom.
From the walls.
Nakijin village, Motobu Peninsula
From mid-January to early February, the first cherry blossoms in Japan each year.