Sefa-utaki

Sefa-utaki is the principal utaki, sacred grove, of the Ryukyuan religion, and its significance is bound to a female priesthood: the kingdom's high priestess, the kikoe-okimi, was invested here, and the site was for centuries closed to men. It is not built - there are no shrine buildings. What is there is limestone: a path through subtropical forest to a series of prayer places, ending at Sangui, where two enormous slabs of rock have fallen against each other leaving a triangular passage, and through the gap at the far end Kudaka island is visible offshore, the island where the Ryukyuan creation account places the descent of the gods. That alignment is the point of the place. It is part of the UNESCO Ryukyu inscription. It remains in religious use and visitors are asked to keep quiet and stay on the path.

What you actually see

• A triangular rock gap - two fallen limestone slabs forming a passage at Sangui.
• Kudaka island framed - the creation-account island visible through the far end of the gap.
• No buildings - a grove and rock formations rather than a constructed shrine.
• A female priesthood - the site where the kingdom's high priestess was invested.

When to go

All year; early morning for quiet. Two hours.

Honest expectations

It is a live religious site and worshippers use it - silence and staying on the path are expected. Certain areas are closed to entry. The path is stone, uneven and slippery in rain. Tickets are bought at a visitor centre a short walk away, not at the site.

Nearby

Kudaka island is reached by ferry from Azama port; Naha is north-west.