Changes

The castle is separated from the main mountain mass of Motobu on the east by a steep drop into a gorge with a stream at the bottom. Another steep drop to the north and northeast from the castle drops down to the shoreline. A small harbor inlet here once served the castle, while [[Unten harbor]], the main port of the Hokuzan kingdom, lay roughly 5-6 miles to the east<ref name=kerr>Kerr, George H. ''Okinawa: the History of an Island People''. Revised Ed. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. pp. 61-62.</ref>.

The castle is separated from the main mountain mass of Motobu on the east by a steep drop into a gorge with a stream at the bottom. Another steep drop to the north and northeast from the castle drops down to the shoreline. A small harbor inlet here once served the castle, while [[Unten harbor]], the main port of the Hokuzan kingdom, lay roughly 5-6 miles to the east<ref name=kerr>Kerr, George H. ''Okinawa: the History of an Island People''. Revised Ed. Tokyo: Tuttle Publishing, 2000. pp. 61-62.</ref>.

The compound is divided into nine enclosures, which move up the hill from west to east. The widest enclosure, the ''ûshimi'' (J: ''ôsumi'') enclosure<!--大隅の郭-->, contains the Heirôjô<!--平郎門--> main gate of the castle, as well as areas for martial arts practice, training of horses, and a quarry. Though geographically located at what would seem to be the rear of the castle, the Heirôjô is described in the [[1713]] ''[[Ryukyu-koku yuraiki|Ryûkyû-koku yuraiki]]'' and elsewhere as the castle's main gate. Though it fell into disrepair by c. 1900, the gate was reconstructed in 1962 and serves as the main gate into the complex for visitors today.<ref name=plaques>Plaques on-site.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/47282420761/sizes/l/][https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/46367889655/in/photostream/][https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/40317885093/in/photostream/]</ref> Some accounts suggest that a secret passage once existed allowing besieged defenders or residents to escape to the ''ûshimi'' from inside the castle, but excavations have yet to be conducted in this area of the grounds.<ref name=plaques/>

The compound is divided into nine enclosures, which move up the hill from west to east. The widest enclosure, the ''ûshimi'' (J: ''ôsumi'') enclosure<!--大隅の郭-->, contains the Heirôjô<!--平郎門--> main gate of the castle, as well as areas for martial arts practice, training of horses, and a quarry. Though geographically located at what would seem to be the rear of the castle, the Heirôjô is described in the [[1713]] ''[[Ryukyu-koku yuraiki|Ryûkyû-koku yuraiki]]'' and elsewhere as the castle's main gate. Though it fell into disrepair by c. 1900, the gate was reconstructed in 1962 and serves as the main gate into the complex for visitors today.<ref name=plaques>Plaques on-site.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/47282420761/sizes/l/][https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/46367889655/in/photostream/][https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/40317885093/in/photostream/][https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/33406841328/sizes/h/]</ref> Some accounts suggest that a secret passage once existed allowing besieged defenders or residents to escape to the ''ûshimi'' from inside the castle, but excavations have yet to be conducted in this area of the grounds.<ref name=plaques/>

The ''kaazafu'' enclosure lies to the right, and stone steps lined with [[sakura|cherry trees]] lead higher and deeper into the compound. The ''uumyaa''<!--大庭--> enclosure contained the three chief palatial buildings in the complex: Hokuden and Nanden (North and South Halls), and Seiden (Main Hall), and served a similar function to the ''unaa'' at [[Shuri castle]], as the central plaza in which court rituals and political events took place.<ref name=plaques/> The next enclosure, moving further up the incline and closer towards the areas of central importance, is the ''uuchibaru''<!--御内原-->, which housed the women of the Nakijin court, and contained a sacred stone that represented the guardian deity of Nakijin. The topmost enclosure contains a shrine to the [[hearth deity]], or ''hinukan''.<ref name=kitahara/> The royal residence was located here, at the highest and innermost part of the complex, and was surrounded by a small garden with a spring.  Three shrines (''[[uganju]]'') stood at the highest point of the precipice.<ref name=kerr/>

The ''kaazafu'' enclosure lies to the right, and stone steps lined with [[sakura|cherry trees]] lead higher and deeper into the compound. The ''uumyaa''<!--大庭--> enclosure contained the three chief palatial buildings in the complex: Hokuden and Nanden (North and South Halls), and Seiden (Main Hall), and served a similar function to the ''unaa'' at [[Shuri castle]], as the central plaza in which court rituals and political events took place.<ref name=plaques/> The next enclosure, moving further up the incline and closer towards the areas of central importance, is the ''uuchibaru''<!--御内原-->, which housed the women of the Nakijin court, and contained a sacred stone that represented the guardian deity of Nakijin. This sacred space was known as the Tenchiji-Amachiji, or the "upper ''[[utaki]]'' within the castle" (城内上の御嶽); along with a site to the northwest of the ''ûmyaa'', identified in the ''Ryûkyû-koku yuraiki'' as the ''soitsugi'' or the "lower ''utaki'' within the castle" (城内下の御嶽), it was known as an ''ibe'' (イベ), a particularly sacred type of ''utaki''.<ref name=plaques/>

A path leads from here to a rear gate of the castle, called the Shijima-jô or Shigema-jô<!--志慶真門-->. Excavations in this area uncovered numerous Chinese [[celadon]]s, Vietnamese and Thai ceramics, and Chinese coins, indications of Nakijin's maritime power and activity.<ref name=kitahara/>

The topmost enclosure contains an additional shrine to the [[hearth deity]], or ''hinukan''.<ref name=kitahara/> The royal residence was located here, at the highest and innermost part of the complex, and was surrounded by a small garden with a spring.  Three shrines (''[[uganju]]'') stood at the highest point of the precipice.<ref name=kerr/> A path leads from here to a rear gate of the castle, called the Shijima-jô or Shigema-jô<!--志慶真門-->. Excavations in this area uncovered numerous Chinese [[celadon]]s, Vietnamese and Thai ceramics, and Chinese coins, indications of Nakijin's maritime power and activity.<ref name=kitahara/>

In a less inner enclosure, located at a somewhat lower elevation, were four wooden structures, including both administrative buildings and residences for certain of the castle's closest vassals<ref name=kerr/>. As was typical of ''gusuku'' construction at this time, the stonework of the walls was very solid, but quite rough, with a relative lack of precision fitting or fine cutting<ref name=kerr/>. Roughly 1500 meters of limestone castle wall remain today<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-42403-storytopic-121.html Nakijin-jô-seki]." ''Okinawa Konpakuto Jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). Ryukyu Shimpo. 1 March 2003. Accessed 29 September 2009.</ref>; stones are piled three to eight meters high, and two to three meters thick. A deep valley cut by the Shijima River which runs behind the castle makes it almost entirely unapproachable from that side.<ref name=kitahara/>

In a less inner enclosure, located at a somewhat lower elevation, were four wooden structures, including both administrative buildings and residences for certain of the castle's closest vassals<ref name=kerr/>. As was typical of ''gusuku'' construction at this time, the stonework of the walls was very solid, but quite rough, with a relative lack of precision fitting or fine cutting<ref name=kerr/>. Roughly 1500 meters of limestone castle wall remain today<ref>"[http://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/storyid-42403-storytopic-121.html Nakijin-jô-seki]." ''Okinawa Konpakuto Jiten'' (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). Ryukyu Shimpo. 1 March 2003. Accessed 29 September 2009.</ref>; stones are piled three to eight meters high, and two to three meters thick. A deep valley cut by the Shijima River which runs behind the castle makes it almost entirely unapproachable from that side.<ref name=kitahara/>