is a Ryukyuan ''

gusuku often refers to castles or fortresses in the Ryukyu Islands that feature stone walls. However, the origin and essence of ''gusuku'' remain controversial. In the archaeology of Okinawa Prefecture, the ''Gusuku period'' refers to an archaeological ...

'' in

Naha, Okinawa is the Cities of Japan, capital city of Okinawa Prefecture, the southernmost prefecture of Japan. As of 1 June 2019, the city has an estimated population of 317,405 and a population density of 7,939 people per km2 (20,562 persons per sq. mi.). ...

. It is located on the northern mouth of the

Kokuba River The is a river in Naha, Okinawa, and is the hydrographic resource for domestic urban fresh water. A number of geographical places on Okinawa bear its name, such as and . The river flows into the East China Sea. Poisoning The river and people ...

in Naha Port.

History

Mie Castle was built on the northern mouth of Naha Port in 1546 by King

Shō Sei was king of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1526 to 1555.Kerr, George H. (2000). He was the fifth son of King Shō Shin, who he succeeded. Life Shō Sei suppressed a rebellion on Amami Ōshima in 1537 and took steps to improve defenses against '' wak ...

.Turnbull, Stephen. ''The Samurai Capture a King: Okinawa 1609''. Oxford, Osprey Publishing, 2009. Page 26-29, 40-43, 46-47. It was built to defend the Port and city of Naha, alongside its sister

Yarazamori Castle was a Ryukyuan ''gusuku'' in Naha, Okinawa. It was located on the southern mouth of the Kokuba River in Naha Port. History Yarazamori Castle was built on the southern mouth of Naha Port in 1546 by King Shō Sei.Turnbull, Stephen. ''The Samurai ...

. Between the two castles, an iron chain boom-net could be drawn up to deny ships access to the harbor.Smits, Gregory. "Examining the Myth of Ryukyuan Pacifism". ''Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus''. 2010. http://www.japanfocus.org/-Gregory-Smits/3409/article.html accessed 16 November 2015. Mie Castle, although the smaller of the two, was armed with 7–9 cm cannons. The defenders were also armed with pikes and native-made hand cannons. These defenses were intended for use against pirates, however they proved successful in driving away the fleet of Satsuma during their 1609 invasion. The castle would continue to be used for anti-piracy, however it became generally used by civilians for seeing ships' departures. Originally, the castle was built in the middle of the water, with a long causeway connecting it to the mainland. Over time however, land became deposited between the causeway and the land to the north until the causeway served as the coast. After the

Ryukyu Kingdom The Ryukyu Kingdom was a kingdom in the Ryukyu Islands from 1429 to 1879. It was ruled as a Tributary system of China, tributary state of Ming dynasty, imperial Ming China by the King of Ryukyu, Ryukyuan monarchy, who unified Okinawa Island t ...

was annexed by Japan in 1879, a watchtower was built on the castle. Today, a

Japan Coast Guard The is the coast guard responsible for the protection of the Geography of Japan#Composition, topography and geography, coastline of Japan under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. It consists of about ...

watchtower stands on the site, although the site itself is open to the public.

References

Castles in Okinawa Prefecture {{castle-stub