Itokazu Castle

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Itokazu Gusuku 1.jpg

History

Itokazu Aji, the third son of Tamagusuku Aji, built Itokazu Castle in the first half of the 14th century. Itokazu Castle protected the western approaches to Tamagusuku Castle, where his father, Tamagusuku Aji resided. Itokazu Castle succumbed to an attack by a large army under Uima Aji in the early 15th century according to the information in a book about gusukus published by the Nanjo City Board of Education. In 1972, it was listed as a National Historic Site.


Visit Notes

Itokazu Castle is the biggest fortress in the southern part of the main island of Okinawa. It's situated on a plateau with near vertical cliffs on three sides. On the eastern side, where attackers are likely to approach from, there are stone walls stretching hundreds of metres, like a mini-version of the Great Wall of China. Outside the eastern side of the castle is the Kurayashiki Ruin (蔵屋敷跡), a settlement ruin which was extensively investigated between 2006 and 2013. The castle’s parapets looks accessible, but there are also “Do not climb” signs below them. For castle fans who like taking a lot of photos, you will probably need 2 hours on site, particularly if you also spend time walking around the Kurayashiki Ruin. All the photos uploaded with this profile were taken in December 2021.

RaymondW wrote this castle profile and contributed all the photos.


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Gallery
  • Great Wall of Itokazu
  • Stone walls, parapet
  • Main gate or Seimon(正門)
  • Stone walls, parapet near Main Gate
  • Northern Bastion
  • South Gate Bastion
  • Southern Bastion
  • Stairs up to walled South Gate
  • Walled South Gate
  • Stone walls, parapet near Main Gate
  • Stone walls
  • Kurayashiki Ruin


Castle Profile
English Name Itokazu Castle
Japanese Name 糸数城
Alternate Names Itokazugusuku
Founder Itokazu Aji
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 or Taxi
Visitor Information Free
Time Required 1 to 2 hours
Website https://www.kankou-nanjo.okinawa/bunka/details/19
Location Nanjo City, Okinawa Prefecture
Coordinates 26° 9' 4.97" N, 127° 45' 44.42" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle 2022
Contributor RaymondW
Admin Year Visited


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