, also known as was a Ryukyuan '' gusuku'' on Okinawa Island. In the Chibana district of

Okinawa City is the second-largest city in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan, following Naha, the capital city. It is located in the central part of the island of Okinawa, about north of Naha. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 138,431 a ...

, the castle site sits on a hill and is surrounded by jungle."知花城跡." おきなわ物語. Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau, n.d. Web. 27 Jan 2014. .

History

Chibana Castle was in use during the reign of the

First Shō Dynasty First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...

and served as the residence of the

Aji Aji or AJI may refer to: Location *Aji (town), Tieling County, Liaoning, China *Aji Island, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan *Aji, Kagawa, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan * Aji River (disambiguation), rivers with the same name Other * Aji (Go), a latent tr ...

of Goeku

Magiri The administrative divisions of the Ryukyu Kingdom were a hierarchy composed of districts, ''magiri'', cities, villages, and islands established by the Ryukyu Kingdom throughout the Ryukyu Islands. Divisions There were three or ''hō'': , , and ...

. The castle and Goeku Magiri was given to the Ryukyuan general

Uni-Ufugusuku Uni-Ufugusuku (鬼大城), or Ufugusuku Kenyu/Ufugushiku Kenyu/Ōshiro Kenyu (大城賢雄 also 大城賢勇) ( fl. 15th century), was a samurai martial arts master and Ryukyuan general who served the Ryukyu Kingdom. "Uni" is an Okinawan cognat ...

by King

Shō Taikyū was a king of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the sixth ruler of the first Shō dynasty. His reign saw the construction of many Buddhist temples, the casting of the , and the battle between the lords Gosamaru and Amawari. Life and reign Shō Taikyū was ...

in return for defeating the Aji of

Katsuren Castle is a Ryukyuan '' gusuku'' in Uruma, Okinawa. In 2000, Katsuren Castle was designated as a World Heritage Site, as a part of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu. History Katsuren Castle was built on a large hill of ...

Amawari {{nihongo, Amawari, 阿麻和利, , extra=d. 1458 was a Ryukyuan Lord (Aji) of Katsuren Castle, known for his ambitions for the throne of the Ryukyu Kingdom and scheme and attack against Gosamaru, Aji of Yomitanzan and Nakagusuku. Life Amawar ...

. After the fall of the First Shō Dynasty, Uni-Ufugusuku was expelled from the castle and later committed suicide. His tomb, and that of his wife, was built at the bottom of the hill that Chibana Castle is atop. In the early 1960s, a structure was built on top of the hill to commemorate the castle and serve as a tourist attraction, from which all of the former Goeku Magiri can be seen."知花城をゆく(ちばなグスク)." 日本のお城めぐり. L-internet, n.d. Web. 27 Jan 2014. . Tomb of Uni-Ufugusuku

References

Castles in Okinawa Prefecture {{castle-stub