Iha Castle : Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Iha Castle

26°25′17.6″N 127°49′2.4″E / 26.421556°N 127.817333°E / 26.421556; 127.817333TypeGusukuSite informationControlled by

Ryūkyū Kingdom (15th century–1879)

Empire of Japan (1879–1945)

United States Military Government of the Ryukyu Islands(1945-1950)

United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands(1950-1972)

Japan(1972-present)Open to
the publicyesConditionRuinsSite historyBuiltearly 14th centuryIn useearly 14th century–15th centuryMaterialsRyukyuan limestone, woodGarrison informationOccupantsAji of Misato Magiri Map

Iha Castle (伊波城, Iha jō, Okinawan: Ifa Gushiku^[1]) is a Ryukyuan gusuku in Uruma, Okinawa. It sits on a cliff that separates Iha from Ishikawa, with a grand view of the Ishikawa Isthmus. The castle is in ruins, with nothing left of the original structures save the walls. There are also multiple Ryukyuan shrines in the bailey. Based on artifacts found in and around the castle, it has been estimated to have been in use around the 13th to 15th centuries.^[2] The Okinawa Prefectural government erected a stone Torii in front of one of the castle gates, along with a plaque describing it.

View of the bailey from a battlement.
Bailey of Iha Castle.
A battlement of Iha Castle.

References

^ "イファ". 首里・那覇方言音声データベース (in Japanese).
^ Flemming, Michael. "Iha Castle Ruins - An Okinawa prefecture cultural asset." Stars and Stripes Okinawa Nov 2013, n. pag. Web. 3 Feb. 2014. <http://o.okinawa.stripes.com/starsandstripesokinawa/#!/entry/iha-castle-ruins-an-okinawa-prefecture-cultural-asset,52959ba2025312186c91f668/1>. ^{[dead link]}