Hana City in Okinawa has a very long history. It used to be the center of the Ryukyu kingdom. When it was founded differs from source to source but sometime around 14th or 15th century should be about right.
Here is a model of what it looked like around the 18th century.
Walking the road up to the castle you passed a whole bunch of gates.
The castle was surrounded by a couple of wide walls.
Shuri Castle is still being resturated after it was totally blown to pieces during the battle of Okinawa in the end of World War II
Due to its historical value it it a world heritage site and Japanese high school students can be seen all over the place.
Stepping through the gate...
There were probably some more guards way back then...
And after one gate...
there was another gate.
Only two more gates.
But in the end you came to this...
Imagine that you are standing in the middle of the square then you would see the left building on your left. The building straight forward would be in front of you... and so on.
The reason two buildings are painted and one isn't is because one hasn't been painted yet. Its because the two painted buildings were inspired by Chinese culture and the gray one by Japanese culture.
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This is how they measured time. To make it more accurate they also used a devise with running water. They didn't have that thing now though.
On the Chinese inspired buildings you could find dragons...
In one of the buildings there was a model of what it was like when the king celebrated stuff.
All the people in the square were important people in the Ryukyu kingdom. The more important they were the closer to the castle they were.
At some point in time the Ryukyu king acknowledged the Chinese emperor as his superior and after that whenever there was a succession of kings in the kingdom there was a representative of the Chinese emperor who bestowed the title upon the new king.
I was lucky to visit a day when they had a free show
It was a show of ... plip.. plop... plip... plop.... Kind of....
But it was great :)
Here is what the kings throne looked like.
And this is what his crown looked like.
And this was what his garden looked like. It is said that his guests where particularly impressed by this part of his castle.
And now the "been there and done that" - photo.
If ever your journey takes you to Okinawa..
You have to go see this place.
Well everybody.
Stay awake.
Monsanto is out to steal your right to plant the seeds you want to plant.
Don't let them do it.
Love Ove.
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