Yachimun no Sato is a cooperative village of artisans located in Yomitan. The village centers around three large kilns, though more than 40 studios and smaller kilns are scattered throughout the area.
Katusuren Castle is located on the Katsuren Peninsula on the eastern coast of Okinawa. Today, the ruins of the castle are an educational attraction, hosting tourists, schoolchildren, amateur historians, and curious passersby.
Chatan Town is located in the central portion of Okinawa, bordered by Kadena Town to the north, Ginowan City to the south, and Okinawa City, Kitanakagusuku Village, and Futenma to the east. Chatan is particularly well known to Americans on the island, as the presence of three bases (Kadena Air Base, Camp Lester, and Camp Foster) within the town?s borders gives it a very western feel.
The ruins of Zakimi Gusuku (Zakimi Castle) are located in Yomitan Village, in the central portion of Okinawa. Built during the era leading up to the consolidation of the three kingdoms of Ryukyu, the castle sat in an optimal location, perched some 125 meters (425 feet) above sea level, with views of Onna and Motobu to the north, the territory of the Chuzan (Central Kingdom) to the east and south, and the Kerama Islands to the west.
Images from the quiet area of Okinawa known as Katsuren. The most traveled part of Katsuren is Katsuren Castle, yet the area surrounding Katsuren Castle is covered in sugarcane farms and beautiful beaches that line the western side of the island of Okinawa. Pictured below is an 80-year-old sugarcane farmer in Katsuren Village.
Nakamurake (Nakamura House) is located in Kitanakagusuku Village in the south-central portion of Okinawa, and was the home of the Nakamura family for eleven generations. It is considered one of the best examples of traditional Ryukyuan architecture, and the basic methods used to develop its structure date back to the Kamakura and Muromachi periods of mainland Japan (1185-1572). The edifice was constructed sometime after 1720, and while the influence of traditional Japanese architecture is present, local materials such as the limestone and coral used to construct the walls surrounding the house make it distinctively Okinawan.
Rich with a cultural heritage that goes back 600 years this area of central Okinawa offers a relaxing area that visitors to Okinawa can enjoy the natural beauty and traditions that Yomitan village offers.
Futenma Shrine (Futenma Gongen) is a Shinto shrine located in Futenma on Highway 330 between Gates 6 and 7 of Camp Foster. Rich in history, Futenma gives visitors a glimpse at religion in the times of the Ryukyu Kingdom as well as in modern Japan.
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Images from the quiet area of Okinawa known as Katsuren. The most traveled part of Katsuren is Katsuren Castle, yet the area surrounding Katsuren Castle is covered in sugarcane farms and beautiful beaches that line the western side of the island of Okinawa. Pictured below is an 80-year-old sugarcane farmer in Katsuren Village.
Rich with a cultural heritage that goes back 600 years this area of central Okinawa offers a relaxing area that visitors to Okinawa can enjoy the natural beauty and traditions that Yomitan village offers.
