A Meditative Journey with the Okinawan Gods

Sefa-utaki is a sacred area from the Ryukyu Kingdom colored in myths. On December 2000, it was registered as a World Heritage Site as one of the nine “Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Ryukyu Kingdom”.

“Sefa” is the name of this area, whereas “utaki” are places of worship spread throughout the Nansei Islands, including Okinawa.

An utaki is similar to the shrines of Shintoism, the churches of Christianity, and the mausoleums of Confucianism and Daoism. Maintained as a place of worship for the royal family during the Ryukyu Kingdom, Sefa-utaki, one of the approximately 900 utaki remaining in the Nansei Islands, is a holy land of highest rank (comparable to Ise Jingu in mainland Japan).

Sefa-utaki may appear to be just forest and stones, but there is “accumulation of prayers” hidden on its grounds. To wander these grounds is to journey inside of your own heart.

This guide leads you into an unknown feeling of a special something. So, tread with respect. When you sense the unseen, your respect for this space will come naturally.