Katsuren Castle
Pictures donated by Terry P.
History
The 10th lord of the castle, Amawari Aji, is the last and most well known lord of Katsuren Castle. He is famous for fostering prosperous international trade and many shards of Chinese pottery and tiles were found on the site of Katsuren Castle. He was also a cunning and deceiving lord. It is said that he pushed the 9th lord Mochizuki Aji off the top of the walls when he tricked Mochizuki to come up there one night and thus assumed lordship of the castle. Mochizuki was considered to be a tyrant so Amawari was a savior to the people of Katsuren. As his strength grew, Lord Gosamaru was moved to Nakagusuku Castle to keep Awamari in check. Awamari deceived the king in Shuri that Gosamaru was the bigger threat and got his support to defeat Gosamaru. Later, he also planned to seize control of the whole kingdom and overtake the king at Shuri, but this time the king was warned in time and Amawari was defeated. Some stories say it was Amawari's wife (the king's daughter) found out about the plot and warned her father in time. After Amawari, no powerful lords rose from Katsuren Castle.
Field Notes
Pictures donated by Terry P.
Gallery
| Castle Profile | |
|---|---|
| English Name | Katsuren Castle |
| Japanese Name | 勝連城 |
| Founder | Katsuren Aji |
| Year Founded | early 14th Century |
| Castle Type | Mountaintop |
| Castle Condition | Ruins only |
| Designations | Next 100 Castles, UNESCO World Heritage Site, National Historic Site |
| Historical Period | Pre Edo Period |
| Features | stone walls |
| Visitor Information | |
| Access | Bus from Naha Bus Terminal |
| Hours | |
| Time Required | |
| URL | Castle Website |
| Location | Uruma, Okinawa Prefecture |
| Coordinates | 26.33049, 127.87887 |
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| Admin | |
| Added to Jcastle | 2008 |
| Contributor | TerryP |
| Admin Year Visited | Viewer Contributed |
