Katsuren Castle: A Ryūkyūan Gusuku and Maritime Stronghold in Japan
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.4
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Japan
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Ryukyu Kingdom
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page12 sections
History
Katsuren Castle is a Ryūkyūan gusuku, a fortified site that could combine defensive, administrative, residential, and religious functions, in Uruma, Okinawa, Japan. It was in use from the thirteenth century until 1611 and became a center of trade and culture during the medieval Ryūkyūan period. Positioned beside the Pacific Ocean, it developed connections with Japan, Korea, China, and Southeast Asia.
Origins and early development
The date of Katsuren Castle’s construction remains uncertain. One tradition places its foundation in the early fourteenth century and attributes it to the Katsuren Aji, a local lord identified as the fifth son of Taisei, the second legendary king of the Eiso dynasty. Other interpretations place the beginning of construction in the twelfth or thirteenth century. These traditions reflect the castle’s long association with the ruling history of the medieval Ryūkyū Islands.
Amawari and the fifteenth-century expansion
Katsuren reached its “golden age” in the mid-fifteenth century under Amawari, the tenth Katsuren Aji. His title identified him as the lord of the Katsuren territory. After overthrowing Mochitsuke Aji, the ninth Katsuren Aji, Amawari promoted international trade, increasing his wealth and political power. Katsuren became associated with a distinct cultural sphere, often described as “Katsuren culture,” in contrast with the Urasoe culture centered on Urasoe, Shuri, and Naha.
Amawari’s ambitions extended beyond Katsuren. After defeating the prominent Ryūkyūan lord Gosamaru in the Gosamaru–Amawari Rebellion, he sought to unify the Ryūkyū Islands and attempted to overthrow King Shō Taikyū. The Ryūkyūan royal court defeated him in 1458. The royal army attacked Katsuren Castle, after which the site fell into ruin.
Decline, archaeology, and recognition
Following the castle’s decline, parts of its walls were dismantled and their stones reused in road construction. Excavations and archaeological surveys later recovered ceramics, tiles, and metal objects associated with Katsuren’s commercial connections. Ten metal objects found in 2013 and 2016 included four Roman coins and one Ottoman coin. The Roman finds were the first Roman coins excavated in Japan, and their presence has been interpreted as evidence of maritime transmission into East Asia.
The Japanese government recognized Katsuren Castle as a National Historic Site on 15 May 1972. In 2000, it was inscribed within the UNESCO World Heritage group Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu under criteria ii, iii, and vi. It is described within that group as the oldest site. Katsuren was also included in the Japanese Castle Foundation’s list of the Continued 100 Fine Castles of Japan in 2017.
Remains
Katsuren Castle occupies a Ryūkyūan-limestone hill at the southern foot of the Katsuren Peninsula, approximately 60 to 100 metres above sea level, with another stated elevation of 98 metres. The Pacific Ocean lies on two sides of the hill, giving the site the descriptive designation “Ocean Gusuku.” The complex comprises a southern castle known as Hegusuku, a middle castle called Uchi, and a northern castle called Nishigusuku.
Nishigusuku and the defensive layout
Nishigusuku contains three baileys, enclosed defensive precincts separated by stone walls and changes in level. The first bailey occupies the highest position, followed by the second and third baileys in a descending, stepped sequence. The castle was constructed mainly with Ryūkyūan limestone and wood. Shingles were used for most roofs, while Japanese-style roof tiles have also been found near the remains.
First bailey shrine
A shrine associated with the Ryūkyūan religion occupies the first bailey. It is dedicated to Kobazukasa, giving the highest precinct a religious function within the fortified complex.
Second-bailey building
The second bailey contains the remains of a relatively large building measuring about 17 metres across the front and 14.5 metres in depth. Evenly spaced pillars and foundation stones indicate that it was a shrine building. Its surviving foundations provide evidence for the organization of an important structure within Nishigusuku.
Walls and lower baileys
The baileys are linked by surviving stone walls that preserve the castle’s stepped arrangement. Some wall sections are damaged, dismantled, or reconstructed. An outer wall on the northeastern side of the third bailey was damaged in the 2010 Okinawa earthquake, and the present ruin therefore includes both original and rebuilt portions.
Settlement, port, and excavated objects
Haebaru settlement
The Haebaru settlement, also called the Haebaru Furushima ruins, extended south of the castle and functioned as its trading port. A rice field lay north of Katsuren, placing agricultural activity within the wider landscape associated with the castle.
Ceramics, tiles, and coins
Excavated materials include Chinese ceramics from the Yuan dynasty, including blue-and-white porcelain, as well as valuable roof tiles. These objects indicate the material prosperity and broad commercial connections associated with Katsuren. The metal assemblage included four Roman coins and one Ottoman coin dating to the seventeenth century, finds linked to long-distance maritime trade into East Asia.
