Okinawa, Japan was once an independent group of islands known as the Ryukyu Kingdom and kings built castles just like Wal-Mart builds shopping centers today. There are around 300 castle ruins, remnants of the 12th through 15th Century castle boom, scattered throughout the Ryukyu chain.
The largest castles were severely damaged or destroyed during World War II and over the past thirty years tremendous efforts have been put forth in restoring them to their original condition. Designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the year 2000, they are well maintained and contain a wealth of information for anyone interested in architecture, history, artifacts, photography, culture or just plain, ordinary sightseeing.
The island is only about 65 miles long and the castles are probably within a 40 mile radius of each other, but if you’re really into spending a lot of time researching in one spot; plan on staying a week!
After a visit to the castle, it is well worth the 200 Yen fee charged to enter the museum. Besides being in a climate-controlled atmosphere, there are 400,000 items on exhibit to see, photograph or to study.
Pictured here are some of the items associated with the fishing culture of Okinawa. There’s much more to be seen; artifacts from the Ryukyu Dynasty, farm implements, textiles, art and a few items that’ll make the hair stand-up on the back of your neck!
More info: http://www.wonder-okinawa.jp/002/001/e_index.html
