The next gate that appears is Kankai-mon, which is the first gate leading into Shuri-jo Castle. At the entrance to the gate lie two statues of Shīsā, the Ryukyuan protective gods.
“Kankai” means to welcome with pleasure, and Kankai-mon served as the reception gate for important visitors to Shuri-jo Castle.
So exactly what kind of people would come visit?
First, there were the Chinese envoys. Their visits to the castle were infrequent, with just a few visits every few decades to participate in the crowning of a new king. Though visits were few and far in between, each one was a grand gathering that would welcome crowds of 400 to 600 guests at a time.
Another group of visitors were the Satsuma Regime officials. As the Ryukyu Kingdom was invaded by the Satsuma Regime in the beginning of the Edo period, Japan gained control of Ryukyu and its trade with China for the next 270 years. It was during this time that Shuri-jo Castle built the Japanese-style palace, honoring the Satsuma Regime.
American Commodore Matthew C. Perry had also tried to visit Shuri-jo Castle. But given the situation at the time, with Japan under national isolation and the Ryukyu Kingdom on good terms with China, they were not in an ideal position to greet the U.S. envoy. The “rules of courtesy” of Shurei-mon were momentarily put on hold as they dealt with their unwanted visitor, eventually settling on negotiations with Perry without including the king.
The Ryukyu were skilled in avoiding conflict, even with unwelcome visitors. No doubt that their unwavering hospitality was the key to their long survival. As they say, “Better to bend than break.”
By the way, there’s a side entrance called Kyukei-mon that the servants used back then. If you’re interested, please check out the long course guide to hear more about it.
