Iha Castle Ruins

An Okinawa Prefecture cultural asset

Michael Flemming Nov 27, 2013 - 1 min read

<p>Like many of the more than 200 Ryukyuan historical sites on Okinawa, the Iha Castle Ruins has little more than crumbling walls to show that it was once the position of power in the local area</p>

<p>The large sign at the site shows an artist's rendition of the castle grounds and briefly describes the archeological finds in the area</p>

<p>This secondary entrance to the ruins is about 30 meters south of the stone torrii</p>

<p>There are a few shrines on the site and lots of crumbling limestone walls ringing the area</p>

<p>Follow the foot trails worn into the grass to find the way to the cliff side views of the ocean and northern Okinawa</p>

<p>The narrowest point in Okinawa is shown here; the Ishikawa district of Uruma City and Kinbu Bay are on the right while Onna Village is on the left</p>

The Iha Castle Ruins is a large preserved property in central Okinawa with spectacular views of the Ishikawa district of Uruma City and Kinbu Bay. Designated as an Okinawa Prefecture cultural asset, the ruins are really nothing more than a proud reservation set aside from development with limestone walls ringing much of the area. A large sign next to the stone torrii at the entrance details how the archeological finds in the area date the castle back to the 13th to 15th centuries. The site is a must see for die hard history buffs as the Iha Nuru Tomb site is located near the ruins 200 meters to the north.

The easiest way to access the Iha Castle ruins is to drive to the intersection of the Route 329 Bypass and Route 6 in northern Uruma City. This intersection is in between nearby Iha Park to the south and the Route 329 tunnel to the north. Head east along Route 6 from this intersection to the next lighted interchange; turn north (left) at this intersection and look to the right while driving down the narrow road to see the large stone torrii.

Michael Flemming @michael.flemming

I'm a wanderer in Okinawa turning over every stone I can find. I write, photograph and blog about my favorite finds here in Japan's southernmost prefecture.