Itokazu Castle

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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