Shuri Castle, located on a hill in the northeastern corner of Naha City, overlooks the city. Built in the late 14th century, it served as the official residence of the kings of the Ryukyu Kingdom and the political center, witnessing the rise and fall of the kingdom. The main hall of Shuri Castle is the largest wooden structure in Okinawa and was used for handling official affairs and important ceremonies by the Ryukyu monarchs. In front of the main hall, there is a gate for enshrining gods and a courtyard, with the South Hall and the North Hall on either side. The North Hall received envoys from China, while the South Hall was used to entertain artists from Satsuma. The main hall of Shuri Castle has experienced a turbulent history, being destroyed and heavily damaged during wars, but thanks to the efforts of Ito Chuta and Kanesaki Yoshitaro, it was preserved and registered as a World Heritage site in 2000. The interior of the main hall is now open to the public, while the North Hall and the South Hall serve as exhibition halls, allowing visitors to learn about the daily life and ceremonies of the Ryukyu Kingdom. Additionally, there are many gates within Shuri Castle worth seeing, especially the Shureimon, which is the main gate of the castle and a symbol of Okinawa. Although the character "之" is no longer used on Japan's 2000 yen banknotes issued by the government, it remains a must-see for tourists.
The whole park is big with not many people, and there is also a free children's entertainment area. It's also beautiful to enjoy the sunset in the small pavilions along the coast.
There's a children's playground area here! The sandpit can be used to dig sand, and there are supporting toys and tools inside. There are slides of all sizes to meet the needs of different age groups, as well as climbing areas and a variety of game facilities, including rope net and rock climbing structures. And there are even two trampolines here!
The park on Okinawa Island is the only park with an underwater observatory tower. It is one of the best places for close observation of marine life. Visitors can observe many interesting marine creatures through the underwater observatory tower.
