Changes

*''Built: c. 12th-13th century''

*''Built: c. 12th-13th century''

*''Destroyed: [[1458]]''

*''Destroyed: [[1458]]''

*''Japanese/Okinawan'': 勝連城 ''(Katsuren-jou, Katsuren gusuku / Kacchin gushiku)''

*''Japanese/Okinawan'': [[勝連]] 城 ''(Katsuren-jou, Katsuren gusuku / Kacchin gushiku)''

Katsuren castle was an [[Okinawa Island|Okinawan]] ''[[gusuku]]'' fortress on the Katsuren (or Yokatsu) peninsula, in the northeast of central Okinawa. Built around the 12th or 13th centuries, the castle flourished in the 14th and [early] 15th centuries through overseas trade, up until its fall in [[1458]], as the tenth lord of the castle, [[Amawari]], was defeated by the armies of the royal government of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]].

Katsuren castle was an [[Okinawa Island|Okinawan]] ''[[gusuku]]'' fortress on the Katsuren (or Yokatsu) peninsula, in the northeast of central Okinawa. Built around the 12th or 13th centuries, the castle suddenly became a major center of regional trade in Chinese [[porcelains]] and other high-quality items in the 14th and [early] 15th centuries, and flourished until its fall in [[1458]], when the tenth lord of the castle, [[Amawari]], was defeated by the armies of the royal government of the [[Ryukyu Kingdom|Ryûkyû Kingdom]].

==History==

==History==

The first lord of Katsuren, or ''Katsuren [[anji]]'', was the fifth son of King [[Taisei]] (r. [[1300]]-[[1308]]). His son and successor, the second lord of Katsuren, married his daughter to King [[Satto]] (r. [[1355]]-[[1395]]), further strengthening the ties between the lineage of the lords of Katsuren and that of the royal family.

The first lord of Katsuren, or ''Katsuren [[anji]]'', is said to have been the fifth son of King [[Taisei]] (r. [[1300]]-[[1308]]). His son and successor, the second lord of Katsuren, married his daughter to King [[Satto]] (r. [[1355]]-[[1395]]), further strengthening the ties between the lineage of the lords of Katsuren and that of the royal family.

The fifth lord of Katsuren died without an heir, however, and so the sixth son of Ifa ''anji'' became the sixth lord of Katsuren. He too died without an heir, and the 7th and 8th lords of Katsuren came from the line of Hamakawa ''anji''; the ninth, Mochizuki ''anji''<!--茂知附-->.

The lineage continued for several generations, but after the fifth lord of Katsuren died without an heir, the sixth son of Ifa ''anji'' became the sixth lord of Katsuren. He too died without an heir, and the 7th and 8th lords of Katsuren came from the line of Hamakawa ''anji''; the ninth, Mochizuki ''anji''<!--茂知附-->.

 

The tenth lord of Katsuren is easily the most famous. Amawari, who married [[Momoto Fumiagari]], a daughter of King [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]], warned the royal government of treasonous plots by [[Gosamaru]], lord of [[Nakagusuku gusuku|Nakagusuku]], and helped the royal armies attack and take Nakagusuku castle in 1458. However, before the end of that same year, the royal government turned on Amawari, after some number of people at court suggested that Gosamaru may have been innocent, and that Amawari's accusations may have been a plot on his own part to destroy Gosamaru, and further, that Amawari might even be plotting against the royal government himself. Thus, Katsuren was also besieged and taken by the royal government, and Amawari killed. Today, some suggest that the entire affair may have been a scheme by the royal government to eliminate both of these strong and dangerous political rivals.<ref>"Amawari." Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p10.; "Gosamaru-Amawari no hen." Okinawa konpakuto jiten (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). Ryukyu Shimpo (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 25 July 2009.</ref> Others, particularly locals of the Nakagusuku and Katsuren areas, support stories presenting one side or the other as the tragic hero. Indeed, local tradition has it that earlier lords of Katsuren, and the 9th lord in particular, were tyrannical despots and drunkards, that Amawari was the popular choice and was actively supported by the local people in his overthrow of the 9th lord, and that as ruler, he was a most gracious lord who brought great prosperity to the domain. By contrast, the plot of the popular ''[[kumi udui]]'' play ''[[Nidu tichiuchi|Nidû tichiuchi]]'' features fictional sons of Gosamaru as the protagonists, and paints Amawari as the villain against whom the two sons seek vengeance.

The tenth lord of Katsuren is easily the most famous. Amawari, who married [[Momoto Fumiagari]], a daughter of King [[Sho Taikyu|Shô Taikyû]], warned the royal government of treasonous plots by [[Gosamaru]], lord of [[Nakagusuku gusuku|Nakagusuku]], and helped the royal armies attack and take Nakagusuku castle in 1458. However, before the end of that same year, the royal government turned on Amawari, after some number of people at court suggested that Gosamaru may have been innocent, and that Amawari's accusations may have been a plot on his own part to destroy Gosamaru, and further, that Amawari might even be plotting against the royal government himself. Thus, Katsuren was also besieged and taken by the royal government, and Amawari killed. Today, some suggest that the entire affair may have been a scheme by the royal government to eliminate both of these strong and dangerous political rivals.<ref>"Amawari." Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"). Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p10.; "Gosamaru-Amawari no hen." Okinawa konpakuto jiten (沖縄コンパクト事典, "Okinawa Compact Encyclopedia"). Ryukyu Shimpo (琉球新報). 1 March 2003. Accessed 25 July 2009.</ref> Others, particularly locals of the Nakagusuku and Katsuren areas, support stories presenting one side or the other as the tragic hero. Indeed, local tradition has it that earlier lords of Katsuren, and the 9th lord in particular, were tyrannical despots and drunkards, that Amawari was the popular choice and was actively supported by the local people in his overthrow of the 9th lord, and that as ruler, he was a most gracious lord who brought great prosperity to the domain. By contrast, the plot of the popular ''[[kumi udui]]'' play ''[[Nidu tichiuchi|Nidû tichiuchi]]'' features fictional sons of Gosamaru as the protagonists, and paints Amawari as the villain against whom the two sons seek vengeance.

Katsuren is a model example of ''gusuku'' layout, with five enclosures, or ''kuruwa'', nested into one another, moving down the hill, from the smallest and highest "first enclosure" (''ichi no kuruwa''), where the castle's treasures may have been kept, down to the largest and lowest sections of the castle, which served to support and protect what was located further uphill.

Katsuren is a model example of ''gusuku'' layout, with five enclosures, or ''kuruwa'', nested into one another, moving down the hill, from the smallest and highest "first enclosure" (''ichi no kuruwa''), where the castle's treasures may have been kept, down to the largest and lowest sections of the castle, which served to support and protect what was located further uphill.

The first enclosure is located to the northwest, roughly 98 meters above sea level at its highest point, atop a limestone hill. From the top, one can see Kin Bay and the Pacific Ocean to the north, and the Chinen peninsula, Nakagusuku Bay, and Nakagusuku gusuku to the south. It's believed this smallest, highest, and most well-protected of the enclosures may have been used chiefly as a storage site.

The first enclosure is located to the northwest, roughly 98 meters above sea level at its highest point, atop a limestone hill. From the top, one can see Kin Bay and the Pacific Ocean to the north, and the Chinen peninsula, Nakagusuku Bay, and Nakagusuku gusuku to the south. It's believed this smallest, highest, and most well-protected of the enclosures may have been used chiefly as a storage site, and for protecting and enshrining the castle's chief sacred spaces. The [[hearth deity]] (''fii-nu-kan'') was likely enshrined here, and a stone known as Tamanomiuji-taki, where the deity Kobatsukasa would have been worshipped, still stands in the center of the first enclosure. Excavated stones suggest that a stone arch with carved arabesque designs, fairly ornate for the time, once stood here.

 

 

 

The second enclosure, just down the hill from the first, held the main residence of the lord and his family, and the main administrative buildings of his court.

This overall shape of the fortress, long and narrow, with elevations at both ends and dipping in the middle, has traditionally often been compared to the image of a sailing ship. Excavations in the area of the fourth enclosure in 2012-2013 revealed foundation stones and other indications that the fourth enclosure likely once held sizable wooden buildings like the second enclosure (the main palace) did. Archaeological work in 2014-2015 then uncovered a cobblestone (''ishi-tatami'') path leading from the main gate of the compound, the Nishihara Gate (''Nishihara ujô''), into the fourth enclosure. They also discovered some 73 gun emplacements, and some number of bunkers, built in the 1930s when defensive positions were being constructed across much of Okinawa Island, in anticipation of the Pacific War. While the Nishihara Gate stood on the northeast side of the compound, a second gate, known as the Haebaru Gate (''Feebaru ujô'') stood on the opposite side of the fourth enclosure, to the southwest.

The fortress then continues downhill, through a third and fourth enclosure, with the fourth being at the bottom of a valley, representing the ground level of the fortress complex, and including the main gates of the complex as a whole. Beyond the fourth enclosure is the east enclosure (''higashi no kuruwa''), which sits on a slight elevation compared to the fourth. This overall shape of the fortress, long and narrow, with elevations at both ends and dipping in the middle, has traditionally often been compared to the image of a sailing ship. Excavations in the area of the fourth enclosure in 2012-2013 revealed foundation stones and other indications that the fourth enclosure likely once held sizable wooden buildings like the second enclosure (the main palace) did. Archaeological work in 2014-2015 then uncovered a cobblestone (''ishi-tatami'') path leading from the main gate of the compound, the Nishihara Gate, into the fourth enclosure. They also discovered some 73 gun emplacements, and some number of bunkers, built in the 1930s when defensive positions were being constructed across much of Okinawa Island, in anticipation of the Pacific War.

Excavations over the years have discovered numerous examples of Chinese porcelains, Chinese and Japanese coins, and Japanese weapons and armor, dice, hairpins, smoking pipes, roof tiles, as well as objects from Southeast Asia, evidence that Katsuren was well-connected into rich networks of maritime trade; this also shows that medieval Okinawan warriors/lords employed Japanese (samurai) weapons and armor. In 2013, archaeological efforts uncovered a group of ten coins from outside of East Asia; later research determined that four of these coins were likely minted in the Roman Empire in the 4th century, and one in the 17th century Ottoman Empire. This is the first discovery of Roman coins anywhere in Japan; while it is believed that the older coins were likely obtained from [[Ming Dynasty]] China in the 14th or 15th century (the time of Katsuren's prominence), or perhaps even at a later date (given the inclusion of a 17th c. Ottoman coin), this nevertheless shows Okinawa's great interconnection into East Asian and world networks, perhaps in some ways (at some times) even greater than that of mainland Japan merchants or elites. Lines in the ''[[Omoro soshi|Omoro sôshi]]'' describe Katsuren as featuring two splendid ports, with boats arriving both at Terumahama on [[Kin Bay]] and at Hamakawa on [[Nakagusuku Bay]].

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*"Katsuren jôseki kara Rôma teikoku, Osuman teikoku jidai no koin wo hakken," ''Kôhô Uruma'' magazine, November 2016, 2.

*"Katsuren jôseki kara Rôma teikoku, Osuman teikoku jidai no koin wo hakken," ''Kôhô Uruma'' magazine, November 2016, 2.

*Gallery labels, Yonashiro Museum of History, November 2016.

*Gallery labels, Yonashiro Museum of History, November 2016.

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