“Kankai” means to welcome. And its purpose is just as one would expect. Kankai-mon served as the reception gate for visitors to Shurijo Castle, from the Chinese envoys to the government officials from the Satsuma regime. As a result, those working in the castle had to take a roundabout way and enter through Kyukei-mon in the back.

Shurei-mon is more of a decorative element than an actual gate, so Kankai-mon is considered the first gate leading into Shurijo Castle.

At the entrance to the gate lies two statues of shisha or the Ryukyuan protective gods. However, this is all there is. If you think about it, to have only these statues to protect the center of the kingdom would leave them pretty defenseless. This is because the Ryukyu Kingdom placed an emphasis on diplomacy. In order to maintain this, the king used Shuri Castle as more of a reception hall for guests.

The Ryukyu Kingdom was a nation which lasted for 450 years. As the kingdom stabilized, there was no longer a need to continuously prepare for war, instead, they focused on expanding Shurijo Castle which slowly grew to twice its original size.

In the 15th century, the Ryukyu Kingdom made a pact with China to become a tributary state and in turn, they were given the privileges to use Chinese power and influence. Setting sail across eastern and southeastern Asia, they found themselves prospering as a powerful center of trade.

Let’s delve a bit further into this period of time.

Before the Ryukyu Kingdom, the country was in a state of civil unrest. Hokuzan, Chuzan, Nanzan. Divided into three, the country was in a constant state of war. This is when Shurijo Castle was first built, as a base for the Chuzan. This is when trade with China was first initiated and all of these three groups had some kind of relationship with China. However, Chuzan, which had the most frequent trade with the Chinese, stood out from the rest. This was partially due to the ideal location of Shuri Castle which overlooked Naha Port.

Before long, the king of Chuzan, Sho Hashi, defeated Hokuzan and Nanzan and succeeded in uniting the island. After establishing the Ryukyu Kingdom, the country’s ties to China continued to deepen. By establishing themselves as a tributary state to China, they gained access to tools as a civilization which propelled their trade efforts with countries across Eastern Asia. It was an era of prosperous trade and commerce. The symbol of this prosperity were the envoys who would travel to Ryukyu from China to appoint the next king.

Those who are interested in learning more about this era of trade and commerce, feel free to also check out our Ancient Naha Guide.