Zakimi Castle: A Ryūkyūan Gusuku Fortress in Japan
Site at a Glance
- Rating
- 4.3
- Popularity
- Medium
- Country
- Japan
- Primary era
- Medieval
- External website
- Open
- Eras represented
- Medieval
- Civilizations
- Ryukyu Kingdom
- Site type
- Military
- Remains
- Castle
On this page10 sections
History
Zakimi Castle is a Ryūkyūan gusuku fortress in Japan, on a hill above Yomitan in Okinawa Prefecture. It was built between 1416 and 1422 by Gosamaru, a prominent military commander of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, the independent maritime kingdom that governed the Ryūkyū Islands before their incorporation into modern Japan. The fortress served military, political, residential, and religious purposes typical of a gusuku, and its position allowed it to oversee a broad part of the Nakagami region.
Construction and Gosamaru’s stronghold
Workers brought from the Amami Islands took part in building Zakimi Castle. Some of its materials came from nearby Yamada Castle, linking the new stronghold to an earlier fortified site. Zakimi remained Gosamaru’s base until 1430, when he was transferred to Nakagusuku Castle.
Continued use and wartime destruction
Archaeological excavations have produced trade objects dating from the middle of the fifteenth century onward. These finds indicate that activity at Zakimi continued after Gosamaru’s transfer, although the later history of the castle is not fully known.
In August 1944, the Imperial Japanese Army established an anti-aircraft gun position in the first enclosure to defend Yomitan Auxiliary Airfield. Aerial bombardment severely damaged the castle in October of that year. After the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, United States forces occupied the site.
Military reuse and heritage protection
After the war, the ruins became part of the Bolo firing range. The Government of the Ryūkyū Islands designated Zakimi an Important Cultural Property in 1958. Construction of a Nike surface-to-air missile battery and radar station then caused further damage to the castle. The Nike system was designed for air defence.
Japan has protected Zakimi Castle as a National Historic Site since 1972, a designation for places recognized for their historical or cultural value. Excavations and repairs to the walls began in 1973, and the radar installation was decommissioned in 1974. The castle subsequently returned to Japanese control. In 2000, Zakimi became part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, administered through UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Remains
The surviving castle occupies a hill approximately 125 meters high, overlooking a broad area of the Nakagami region in northern central Okinawa. The sea and surrounding islands, including the Kerama Islands, can be seen from the site. Its fortifications enclose two inner courts and are formed mainly from Ryūkyūan limestone, with curved projecting sections and arched entrances.
Courts and entrances
Inner courts and gates
Two enclosed courts form the main internal arrangement of Zakimi Castle. Each court is entered through an arched gate. The gates use keystone construction, in which wedge-shaped stones are arranged so that a central locking stone holds the arch in place. This technique represents an early form of stone arch construction in the Ryūkyū Islands.
Walls and interior buildings
Limestone fortifications
The walls combine interlocking masonry with courses of regularly arranged stone. Their strongly curved, projecting sections rise from approximately 3 meters to 13 meters. The outer perimeter measures about 365 meters, while the enclosed area covers approximately 7,385 square meters. Limestone and wood are among the construction materials associated with the castle.
Buildings within the enclosures
The castle is now in ruins, with foundations and sections of its walls partially restored. The buildings that once stood inside the enclosures are believed to have had thatched roofs. Some wall sections were destroyed during the installation of postwar radar equipment and later repaired.
