The Nakajin Castle Ruins are located at the northern part of Okinawa Island. It was built as a gusuku castle for the king of Hokuzan in the 13th century during the Sanzan period when Okinawa was split into three areas (Hokuzan, Chuzan, and Nanzan) fighting for power. Even today the castle is sometimes referred to as Hokuzan Castle. The castle is located at the top of a 100-meter-high hill and surrounded by solid walls made of stacked limestone. It is also registered as a World Heritage Site.
The history and culture of Nakijin Village is introduced at the History and Culture Center, and here visitors will find ceramics and porcelain excavated from the Nakijin Castle Ruins as well as historical artifacts from Nakijin Village. The area around the Nakijin Castle Ruins boasts rows of bellflower cherry trees, known as the earliest-blooming cherry blossoms in Japan, and the Nakijin Gusuku Cherry Blossom Festival is held here from late January to early February. At the festival, there are illuminations on the castle walls, regional traditional crafts, and taiko drum performances on a special stage, so make sure not to miss it.

Photograph provided by Okinawa Convention＆Visitors Bureau