This manuscript was updated on March 20, 2020, when the following words were added to the afterword.

Restoration of Shuri-jo Castle is still incomplete, but at this time they are nearing completion. The next time you visit, you may or may not be able to see the castle in its fully restored form. You will see the site registered in the World Heritage Site as the Shuri-jo Castle Ruins. Here, we want you to remember why this site was chosen as a World Heritage Site. It’s because it’s an Okinawa Gusuku or castle where the gods are said to reside. It’s because it was, and continues to be, a place of worship.

Try to imagine climbing up Agari-no-azana at the break of dawn. Azana is a lookout point, and this one stands at the easternmost point of Shuri-jo Castle. From there, what do you see? You see the origin of all the islands, Kudaka Island. You see the heavens from which the gods descended, Nirai Kanai. Without a doubt, this scene will become the highlight of your journey.

Until Shuri-jo Castle is completed, this guide will remain incomplete. For now, this guide will be stored in the archives while Shuri-jo Castle is under construction. While you can’t follow the route of this guide in person, we hope you can still enjoy the virtual tour with our photos and audio to guide you on your inner-journey.

And one day, once the reconstruction is completed, this guide will too see the light of day again.

ON THE TRIP Editorial Staff
Writer: Akihito Shiga
Translator: Sara Scarf, Autumn Smith
Photographer：Hiroshi Homma
Narration: Kate Beck

Reference Documents
The Story of Shuri Castle／Boukei Maehira
Tempest／Eiichi Ikegami
The More You Know: All About The Ryukyu Dynast／Takashi Uezato Kina Daisaku
The Restoration of Shuri Castle／Shuri-jo Castle “Tomo No Kai” Association
The Real Okinawan History ／Kiyoshi Nakamura

*This guide was created based on documents and interviews and includes some interpretation done by us at ON THE TRIP. Theories differ between experts, so try to find out what really happened on your travels.