Changes

An additional external gate, the Bifukumon (美福門), used to face the southeast. There are no known extant photographs of the gate, only a painting by oil painter [[Yamamoto Hosui|Yamamoto Hôsui]] which is believed to depict the gate; Hôsui visited Okinawa in [[1887]], and the gate is believed to have been lost soon afterwards. Excavations on this, and other sections of the site continue, and the gate may be rebuilt someday, along with other parts of the castle compound.<ref>This and seven others of Hôsui's Okinawa paintings are now held by the [[Museum of the Imperial Collections]] (''Sannomaru shôzôkan'') in Tokyo.<br>Takashina Erika 高階絵里加. "''Yamamoto Hôsui no Okinawa hômon ni kansuru shiron''" 山本芳翠の沖縄訪問に関する試論. ''Bijutsushi'' 144:2 (Mar 1998). pp141-142.</ref>

An additional external gate, the Bifukumon (美福門), used to face the southeast. There are no known extant photographs of the gate, only a painting by oil painter [[Yamamoto Hosui|Yamamoto Hôsui]] which is believed to depict the gate; Hôsui visited Okinawa in [[1887]], and the gate is believed to have been lost soon afterwards. Excavations on this, and other sections of the site continue, and the gate may be rebuilt someday, along with other parts of the castle compound.<ref>This and seven others of Hôsui's Okinawa paintings are now held by the [[Museum of the Imperial Collections]] (''Sannomaru shôzôkan'') in Tokyo.<br>Takashina Erika 高階絵里加. "''Yamamoto Hôsui no Okinawa hômon ni kansuru shiron''" 山本芳翠の沖縄訪問に関する試論. ''Bijutsushi'' 144:2 (Mar 1998). pp141-142.</ref>

Upon entering the Kankaimon or Kyûkeimon, a visitor, official, or royal would next ascend a set of stairs flanked by seven stone tablets of investiture, representing prior kings and the authority of the Throne. Even the king himself would dismount here from his [[palanquin]] and bow before proceeding further into the complex.

Upon entering the Kankaimon or Kyûkeimon (both built c. [[1477]]-[[1526]]),<ref name=ryufuan>''Earth Exhibit of Ryukyu Kingdom''. Ryûfûan Hawaii. 2010. p12.</ref> a visitor, official, or royal would next ascend a set of stairs flanked by seven stone tablets of investiture, representing prior kings and the authority of the Throne. Even the king himself would dismount here from his [[palanquin]] and bow before proceeding further into the complex.

These stairs lead to the Zuisenmon, a red-painted wooden structure perched atop a gap in the stone wall. ''Zuisen'' means, essentially, "spring of beauty/purity/youth and good fortune."

These stairs lead to the Zuisenmon, a red-painted wooden structure perched atop a gap in the stone wall. ''Zuisen'' means, essentially, "spring of beauty/purity/youth and good fortune." This gate was originally built in [[1470]].<ref name=ryufuan/>

The path into the castle is never straight, the gates often situated at right angles to one another, in theory slowing an invading army and leaving attackers quite open to fire from defenders, stationed in the wooden gate structures and armed with Chinese-style firearms or bows & arrows. [[Stephen Turnbull]] notes, however, that the gates, and castle walls in general, lacked loopholes or other defensive features for defenders to hide behind. All in all, when the castle was invaded by Satsuma samurai in 1609, it fell quite quickly.

The path into the castle is never straight, the gates often situated at right angles to one another, in theory slowing an invading army and leaving attackers quite open to fire from defenders, stationed in the wooden gate structures and armed with Chinese-style firearms or bows & arrows. [[Stephen Turnbull]] notes, however, that the gates, and castle walls in general, lacked loopholes or other defensive features for defenders to hide behind. All in all, when the castle was invaded by Satsuma samurai in 1609, it fell quite quickly.