Furusutobaru Ruins
History
Archaeological excavations on the site have found artefacts such as Chinese ceramics and Yaeyama pottery which indicates that this walled settlement was inhabited from the 14th century until early 16th century. Ishigaki City states in one of its pamphlets that Furusutobaru is considered by some people to have been the residence of Oyake Akahachi, the lord who ruled Ishigaki Island. According to Kyuyo(球陽), a historical chronicle compiled by the Ryukyu government between 1743 and 1745, the island was absorbed into the Ryukyu Kingdom in 1500 when an invasion force of 3,000 soldiers attacked and took over the island.
During World War 2, the limestone walls were dismantled and used in the repairs the Old Ishigaki Airfield after American air raids. The airfield was constructed by the Imperial Japanese Navy in 1943. It was located around 200 metres west of Furusutobaru Ruins. After its listing as a national historic site in 1978, seven of 15 stone-walled enclosures have been partially restored with the walls rebuilt to their original height of 1.8 to 2.1m.
References
名嘉正八郎(1996), 沖縄の城
当真嗣一(1996), 沖縄のグスクめぐり
上里隆史, 安斎英介(2019), 沖縄の名城を歩く
Signs at Furusutobaru Ruins
Online PDF file by Ishigaki City
Visit Notes
Furusutobaru Ruins is a 15-minute walk from the Obama bus stop, which is located not far from the Obama Post Office. There were hardly any people at this site on my two visits there with my wife, so castle fans can pretty much have the whole place to themselves. The restored stone-walled enclosures are signposted with a number out of 15, and there are several signs on site giving a brief history of the site and about the wildlife found in the area.
On my second visit there on a weekday, there were a couple of workers there painstakingly restoring a section of the second enclosure’s wall by methodically piling on the limestone rocks on each other in the Nozura-zumi style.
RaymondW wrote this profile and contributed all the photos.
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Furusutobaru Ruins |
| Japanese Name | フルスト原遺跡 |
| Founder | Unknown |
| Year Founded | Unknown |
| Castle Type | Hilltop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Designations | National Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | stone walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Bus |
| Visitor Information | Free |
| Time Required | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Website | https://www.city.ishigaki.okinawa.jp/material/files/group/41/furusutochirashi.pdf |
| Location | Ishigaki, Okinawa Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 24° 21' 2.63" N, 124° 11' 42.90" E |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2024 |
| Contributor | RaymondW |
| Admin Year Visited | |
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