Jiri gusuku

• Type: Okinawan gusuku
• Status: Chiefly Excavations Only
• Japanese: 勢理城 (Jiri gusuku)

Jiri gusuku is an Okinawan fortress located in what is today the town of Yaese, in the Shimajiri district of southern Okinawa. It is located on a hill a short distance to the north of another fortress, Yaese gusuku. The castle is particularly known for its shisa (guardian lion-dog) statue, the oldest and largest in all of Okinawa prefecture, erected by King Shô Tei in 1689 to guard against fire and against evil.

Steep cliffs drop off to the western and southern sides of the castle grounds, while a gentler slope leads away from the castle to the east, towards the town. Banyan trees surround the site.

Nothing remains of the castle's stone walls, and little is known of its history or the date of its construction. However, excavations have, as at many other gusuku, yielded ceramics, beads, and iron objects.

References

• Kitahara Shûichi. A Journey to the Ryukyu Gusuku 琉球城紀行。 Naha: Miura Creative, 2003. p79.