The first stone wall you see down the path is the first uganju called Ufugui. This is one of the six uganju we mentioned earlier. This uganju shares the same name as the large hall on the second floor of the main temple in Shuri Castle.
This is where the ritual for being inaugurated as a “kikoe-ogimi”, the highest ranking “miko” (shrine maiden) in the Ryukyu Kingdom, took place.
“Kikoe-ogimi” means “most revered goddess” and holds the highest rank in Ryukyu faith. She is a spiritual protector of the king and the Ryukyu Kingdom and is usually the king’s sister or another member of the royal family. In the inauguration, a ritual called “Oaraori” is held here in Ufugui.
On the day of the ritual, the kikoe-ogimi departs from Shuri Castle early in the morning and she arrives at Sefa-utaki. Attended upon by several miko called “noro,”she is there from midnight to 3 am the following day to prayer and become one with the gods.
During the ritual, coral sand brought from Kono-shima (Kudaka-jima) imbued with spiritual powers is laid out and a bonfire is lit. At the end of the ritual, the representative of the miko wets her fingertips and caresses the kikoe-ogimi’s forehead as part of “o-mizu-nade”. At that moment, the kikoe-ogimi is purified and joins the ranks of the gods.
This mystical ritual is conducted here.
There are several koro in front of a large stone here. This stone is the object of worship here—or in other words nature is the object of worship. In Okinawa, nature itself is worshipped even now. As World Heritage Sites, these parts of nature carry on and preserve the forms of prayer from ancient times.
On a side note, in Okinawan uganju, prayer starts with one putting their hands together and stating their address and name.
One has to be clear about who they are to connect with the gods, after which one may make a wish.