Nakijin Castle Ruins

Nakijin was the seat of the Hokuzan kingdom, one of three that divided Okinawa before unification in the fifteenth century, and it fell in 1416. What remains is the wall: about 1,500 metres of dry-laid coral limestone running along a ridge in long curves rather than the straight lines and angles of Japanese castle stonework, following the ground - a gusuku, the Okinawan form, and part of the UNESCO Ryukyu inscription. The stone is pale and the joints are close. There are no buildings; the interior is grass terraces with excavated foundations marked. The view runs to the East China Sea. Cherry trees line the approach stair and along the walls, and because these are kanhizakura, a deep pink southern variety, they flower in the second half of January - the earliest blossom in Japan, and the site is lit at night through the festival.

What you actually see

• 1,500 metres of curving wall - dry-laid coral limestone following the ridge line.
• A gusuku, not a castle - the Okinawan form, with no buildings and grass terraces inside.
• January cherry - deep pink kanhizakura, the earliest blossom in Japan.
• The Hokuzan seat - a kingdom capital that fell in 1416.

When to go

Late January to early February for the blossom festival. Two hours.

Honest expectations

There is nothing standing but walls - visitors expecting a castle building will be disappointed. The site is exposed with little shade. The approach involves a long stone stair. Blossom festival evenings are crowded and parking fills.

Nearby

Churaumi Aquarium is west on the Motobu peninsula; Kouri Island is north-east.