Gushikami Castle Ruins, known locally as Gushichan-jo, is a castle site in Yaese Town, in the south of Okinawa’s main island.
It is said to have been built in the mid-14th century by the Gushikami Aji, a local lord, and it served as the seat of six generations of his line.
Covering roughly 25,700 square meters, it is one of the largest gusuku, or Okinawan castles, in the south of the main island.
Today the site is maintained as Gushikami Castle Ruins Park, and from the top of the cliff you can look out over the Pacific Ocean.
This article covers the highlights and history of Gushikami Castle Ruins, along with access and parking.
Gushikami Castle Ruins Ratings
Gushikami Castle Ruins Essentials
| Opening hours | No set hours |
| Closed | No set hours |
| Admission | Free |
| Time needed | About 30 minutes |
| Parking | Yes (free) |
| Restrooms | Yes |
| Address | Gushikami, Yaese Town, Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture |
The site is maintained as a park, so there is no admission fee and you can look around freely.
Highlights of Gushikami Castle Ruins
One of the largest gusuku in southern Okinawa
Gushikami Castle Ruins covers roughly 25,700 square meters, making it one of the largest gusuku in the south of the main island.
It was a hilltop castle built on a rise 58 meters above sea level, laid out in a linear plan with several enclosures running one after another.
Along the northern slope of the hill, a stone wall 2 to 3.5 meters high still runs for about 140 meters.
A glance at the map makes it clear: the southern side is a cliff, with the Pacific directly below, which made it easy to defend.
The Pacific seen from the cliff
The greatest appeal of Gushikami Castle Ruins is, without question, the view.
An observation deck stands on top of the cliff, with the Pacific Ocean spread out in front of you.
There are not many places where you can take in the whole southern coastline of the main island, so it is worth visiting for the scenery alone, quite apart from the castle site.
Gushikami Jonai no Utaki
In one corner of the gusuku is a prayer site called Gushikami Jonai no Utaki, where a small shrine still stands.
Set among the memorial towers of the park, it is a place where you can sense that a site of worship dating back to the castle’s own era is still being cared for today.
Local people sometimes come here to pray, so please look around quietly and do not touch the incense burners or other objects.
Tosa no To and Kai no To
Two memorial towers, Tosa no To and Kai no To, stand within the park.
They were built to honor people from Kochi Prefecture and Yamanashi Prefecture respectively who died in the Battle of Okinawa.
The south of the main island was the scene of some of the fiercest fighting in the Battle of Okinawa. As you walk the castle grounds, we hope you will take a quiet moment with that history as well.
Time needed: about 30 minutes
Visiting Gushikami Castle Ruins takes about 30 minutes.
That is roughly how long it takes to walk past the stone wall, the observation deck, and the memorial towers.
If you also plan to visit the nearby Yaese Town Gushikami Museum of History and Folklore, allow about an hour and a half to take your time.
Points to Note
- There are spots where you can walk right up to the cliff edge. Please take care not to lean out over the railing
- The grounds are uneven, so wear comfortable walking shoes
- Memorial towers stand here, so please look around quietly
- The summer sun is strong, so bring a hat and something to drink
- Please take all your rubbish home with you
The History of Gushikami Castle Ruins
Gushikami Castle Ruins is said to have been built in the mid-14th century by the Gushikami Aji.
The first Gushikami Aji is thought to have been the third son of King Taisei, the second ruler of the Eiso dynasty.
Six generations of the Gushikami Aji then made this castle their seat and governed the surrounding area.
In the latter half of the 14th century, however, the castle is said to have been destroyed by the king of Nanzan.
Even after the castle was lost the hill itself remained, and centuries later it became one of the fiercest battlegrounds in the south during the Battle of Okinawa.
After the war the site was laid out as Gushikami Castle Ruins Park, and memorial towers from various prefectures were built on the grounds.
More than 600 years after the castle was built, this is a place where the history of the gusuku and the memory of the Battle of Okinawa overlap.
Getting there and parking
| Access | About 40 minutes by car from Naha Airport |
| Address | Gushikami, Yaese Town, Shimajiri District, Okinawa Prefecture |
| Parking | Yes (free) |
| Restrooms | Yes |
It is about 40 minutes by car from Naha Airport. Turn off National Route 331 onto a narrow road and you will reach the site.
By bus, it is about a 7-minute walk from the Gushichan Baiten-mae stop on the Ryukyu Bus network.
The park has free parking and restrooms.
Please check the Google Map below for the location of Gushikami Castle Ruins.
Around Gushikami Castle Ruins
Yaese Town Gushikami Museum of History and Folklore
This museum is about a 10-minute walk from Gushikami Castle Ruins.
Its displays center on the Minatogawa Man fossil remains found in Yaese Town, dating back roughly 22,000 years, and it also covers Jahana Noboru, known as the father of Okinawa’s freedom and people’s rights movement, along with the town’s history and traditional performing arts.
Visiting it together with the castle site gives you a much fuller picture of this area’s history.
| Opening hours | 9:00-17:00 (last entry 16:30) |
| Closed | Mondays (the following day if Monday is a public holiday) The day after a public holiday Okinawa Memorial Day (June 23) Year-end and New Year (December 29 to January 3) |
| Admission | Adults: 200 yen (groups 160 yen) Children: 100 yen (groups 80 yen) ※Preschool children free |
Activities in southern Okinawa
Southern Okinawa offers plenty of activities such as diving and snorkeling.
You can book through GetYourGuide or Viator, so do take a look at what is on offer.
The Southern Links Resort Hotel
The Southern Links Resort Hotel is a resort hotel where every room has an ocean view.
The hotel sits on the grounds of a golf course, so you can take in the green fairways and the blue sea of Okinawa at the same time.
It is a good choice if you want to relax and enjoy a resort atmosphere in Okinawa.
A rental car is the way to go in Okinawa
For sightseeing on Okinawa’s main island, a rental car is by far the best option.
Shuri Castle in Naha, the beautiful beaches up north, American Village in Chatan – the places worth seeing are scattered across the island, and having a car lets you explore at your own pace. Buses are infrequent and rarely run on time, so having a car makes a real difference to the trip.
Cars book up quickly in peak season, so reserve as soon as your dates are set.
Summary
This time we covered Gushikami Castle Ruins.
It is a gusuku built in the mid-14th century by the Gushikami Aji, and one of the largest in the south of Okinawa’s main island.
The highlights are the roughly 140 meters of stone wall along the northern side and the view of the Pacific from the cliff, and the grounds also hold memorial towers from the Battle of Okinawa.
When you are in Yaese Town, do make time to visit Gushikami Castle Ruins.
Thank you for reading to the end.
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