Make the trip to the real Zakimi Castle Ruins to see these ingenious ramparts in person. You’ll get it once you stand in front of the gate. The first and second quarter walls overlap from that perspective to make them look like one colossal, imposing wall. That sight alone is enough to rout one’s enemies, but there’s still so much more to these walls. As soon as you enter the First Quarter, you’ll find another, smaller gate that leads to the Second Quarter. The detour to the left is a blind alley that would have led invaders into a dead end, where the last thing they’d have seen was a hail of arrow fire.
Fun fact: Okinawa has many other castle ruins to explore. Lord Gosamaru took his experiences building Zakimi Castle to reinforce another castle, Nakagusuku. Additionally, you can visit the ruins of Nakijin Castle, a northern outpost which was built in the Sanzan Period, before the Ryukyu Kingdom’s time. ON THE TRIP has prepared guides for each of these castles, so be sure to take a look!