Shuri Castle

Shuri (首里, Okinawan: スイ Sui or Shui, Northern Ryukyuan: しより Shiyori) is a district of the city of Naha, Okinawa. It was formerly a separate city in and of itself, and the royal capital of the Ryūkyū Kingdom. A number of famous historical sites are located in Shuri, including Shuri Castle, the Shureimon gate, Sunuhyan-utaki (a sacred space of the native Ryukyuan religion), and royal mausoleum Tamaudun, all of which are designated World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Originally established as a castle town surrounding the royal palace, Shuri ceased to be the capital when the kingdom was abolished and incorporated into Japan as Okinawa prefecture. In 1896, Shuri was made a ward (区, ku) of the new prefectural capital, Naha, though it was made a separate city again in 1921. In 1954, it was merged again into Naha.

Enkaku-ji (円覚寺, Okinawan: ウフティラ ufutira, lit. "the great temple") was a Rinzai Buddhist temple and royal bodaiji of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, in Naha, Okinawa. The temple was erected during the reign of King Shō Shin (r. 1477–1526), the first abbot being Kaiin Shōko (芥隠承琥). It was also used as bodaiji of Ryukyuan kings. Ryukyuan kings would visit Enkaku-ji, Tennō-ji and Tenkai-ji after their genpuku and investiture.Enkaku-ji was recognized as a national treasure of Japan in 1933, but it was destroyed in the 1945 battle of Okinawa. Only the sōmon (general gate) and Hōjō Bridge (放生橋) were reconstructed in 1968 because of lack of historical records. The government of Okinawa Prefecture began plans to reconstruct its sanmon in 2014.

Sonohyan-utaki (園比屋武御嶽, Okinawan: スヌファンウタキ Sunufan-utaki) is a sacred grove of trees and plants (utaki) of the traditional indigenous Ryukyuan religion. It is located on the grounds of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa, a few paces away from the Shureimon castle gate. The utaki, or more specifically its stone gate (石門, ishimon), is one of a number of sites which together comprise the UNESCO World Heritage Site officially described as Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, and has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese national government.While the gates were once opened only for the king, today they are always closed, and so the gates have in a way become a sacred space themselves, representative of the actual sacred space behind them. Many travellers and locals come to pray at the gates.The stone gate was first built in 1519, during the reign of Ryukyuan king Shō Shin, though the space had been recognized as a sacred utaki prior to that. Whenever the king left the castle on a journey, he would first stop at Sonohyan-utaki to pray for safe travels. The site also played an important role in the initiation of the High Priestess (聞得大君, kikoe-ōgimi) of the native religion. The gate is said to be a prime example of traditional Okinawan architecture, and shows many signs of Chinese influence, along with a Japanese-influenced gable in the karahafu style. It was severely damaged in the 1945 battle of Okinawa, but was restored in 1957, and officially designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, along with a number of other sites across Okinawa Island. The utaki, i.e. the sacred grove itself, was once much larger than it is today, an elementary school and other buildings having encroached upon the space.

Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts (沖縄県立芸術大学, Okinawa kenritsu geijutsu daigaku) is a public university in Naha, Okinawa, Japan, founded in 1986.

Shureimon (守礼門) is a gate in the Shuri neighborhood of Naha, the capital of Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is the second of Shuri Castle's main gates.

Tamaudun (玉陵) is one of the three royal mausoleums of the Ryukyu Kingdom, along with Urasoe yōdore at Urasoe Castle and Izena Tamaudun near Izena Castle in Izena, Okinawa. The mausoleum is located in Shuri, Okinawa, and was built for Ryūkyūan royalty in 1501 by King Shō Shin, the third king of the Second Shō Dynasty a short distance from Shuri Castle.

The Kinjo Dam (金城ダム, Kinjō Damu) is a concrete gravity dam on the Li River in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is designated as a cultural property and is located 500 m (1,640 ft) south of Shuri Castle. Construction on the dam began in 1989 and it was completed in 2000. Its main purpose is flood control and on average, it can control an intake of 40 m3/s (1,413 cu ft/s); releasing 23 m3/s (812 cu ft/s). The 19 m (62 ft) tall and 120 m (394 ft) long dam was constructed on fragile rock and is set on a deep concrete staircase foundation.

Shuri Station (首里駅, Shuri-eki) is a railway station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail) located in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The station was originally planned to be named Tera Station (汀良駅, Tera-eki) after the neighborhood within Shuri, but opened as Shuri Station on August 10, 2003. It serves the center of downtown Shuri, Shuri Castle, and its environs. Shuri Station was originally the eastern terminus of the line. On October 1, 2019, a new eastward extension to Tedako-Uranishi was opened.The chime played to announce trains' arrival and departure is the traditional Okinawan nursery rhyme Akata Sunduchi.

Gibo Station (儀保駅, Gibo-eki) is a railway station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail) in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.

Okinawa Shrine (沖縄神社, Okinawa Jinja) is a Shinto shrine in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Established at the end of the Taishō period on the site of Shuri Castle, the main hall of which was reused as the haiden (hall of worship), the shrine buildings were destroyed in May 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa. Both castle and shrine have since been rebuilt while this phase has been written out of the "official history" currently told at Shurijō Castle Park.

The gardens of Shikina-en (識名園) are located on a small hill to the south of Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa. The residence and its gardens are also known as Shichina-nu-Udun (シチナヌウドゥン) or Southern Gardens (南苑), as opposed to the Eastern Gardens (東苑) or Uchayaudun (御茶屋御殿), laid out on a small hill east of Shuri Castle in 1677. In 1992 Hiroshi Shō, the great-grandson of Shō Tai, the last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, donated the royal mausoleum of Tamaudun and Shikina-en to the City of Naha.

Ishimine Station (石嶺駅, Ishimine-eki) is a railway station on the Okinawa Urban Monorail (Yui Rail) in Naha, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan.