[A little sidenote: Okinawa is part of the Ryukyu (pronounced "rye-you-koo") chain of islands, Okinawa being one of the biggest. Before Okinawa was taken over by the Japanese, it was its own kingdom, and a major hub for the Asian trade routes.]
We also combined our Shuri Castle tour with a mini battle sites tour. Zac took his MEU platoon on the "official" tour at the end of June, so he took us to the same spots and shared the knowledge that he got from the tour guide.
Gun hole (I know there's a better/real name for it, I just can't remember). It's a place through which someone shot a machine gun back in WWII.
From a lookout point. All of the buildings you can see from this vantage point are from after WWII. During the war, most of the buildings and vegetation were wiped out and it was all basically mud. I also think this is a funny pic with the Japanese grandpa and grandson.
A fighting cave from the war.
On to Shuri...
One of the main gates/entrances to the palace grounds.
The Castle has its own centuries-old water system combined of little pools like this and small ditches running throughout.
Bell building.
I think this building was a main eating hall
The workers at the castle wore old Japanese/Okinawan dress
These rooms were where the emperor would conduct his daily business and meetings. The floors are covered with grass mats called tatami mats, which are still very common in Japanese homes. Not your average office, huh?
Gardens surrounding the emperor's work place.
A gateway within the grounds.
The emperor's throne for official business.
exit gate.
We really enjoyed the historical part of our vacation with ya'll. As you know, I was quite moved by some of the writings in the underground Naval Headquarters. Okinawa is truly an amazing place and we enjoyed it so much.
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