Nakagusuku gusuku
Nakagusuku was an Okinawan gusuku fortress, on the east coast of central Okinawa Island. Built in the Xth century, the castle fell in 1458 when its lord, Gosamaru, was defeated by forces of the Ryûkyû Kingdom; the ruins have today been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as part of the broader umbrella grouping "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu."
History
The castle is most famous for the circumstances surrounding its fall. The fourth lord of Nakagusuku, Gosamaru, was assigned there by the royal court at Shuri in order to keep an eye on Amawari, lord of Katsuren gusuku, who the court suspected of plotting against the king.[1] There, Gosamaru oversaw a renovation or expansion of the castle; though many accounts indicate that Nakagusuku was built at this time, Gosamaru was the fourth lord of the castle, so clearly it must have been built earlier.
Amawari flipped the tables on Gosamaru, however, by reporting to the court that it was Gosamaru who was plotting against the throne,[1] and before long, royal armies, aided by Amawari's own forces, had taken the castle. Gosamaru committed suicide. According to some accounts, he nobly refused to fight back, in order to show his loyalty to the kingdom.[2] However, as both Nakagusuku and Katsuren locals maintain today lionizing legends about their local heroes, it is difficult to separate fact from fiction regarding the identity of either Gosamaru or Amawari as being truly as noble, or as evil, as the other town's legends would have it.
However, Amawari's wife, Momoto Fumiagari (according to some accounts, a granddaughter of Gosamaru), then reported to the court that the entire thing had been a plot by Amawari to eliminate his rival (Gosamaru) and to seize power for himself. As a result, that same year, Katsuren was also attacked and taken by royal forces, and Amawari killed. Today, some accounts suggest that the entire affair was actually a scheme by the royal government to eliminate both lords, thus consolidating power for the throne.[3]
At some point, the magiri (district) of Nakagusuku became the traditional seat of the Crown Prince. As a result, the Crown Prince's residence in Shuri was named Nakagusuku udun ("the Nakagusuku Palace"); it is not to be confused with the castle.
Layout
References
- Plaques on-site at Nakagusuku castle ruins.
- Pamphlets available on-site at Nakagusuku castle ruins.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Okinawa G8 Summit Host Preparation Council. "Three Castles, Two Lords and a Ryukyuan Opera." The Okinawa Summit 2000 Archives. Accessed 25 July 2009.
- ↑ "Gosamaru." Okinawa rekishi jinmei jiten (沖縄歴史人名事典, "Encyclopedia of People of Okinawan History"), Naha: Okinawa Bunka-sha, 1996. p29.
- ↑ "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.
