#tamaudun

[mizphotography]

[deadsummerdays]

Okinawa, Part 1: Shuri Castle and Tamaudun

Considering that we were supposed to have rain for our entire stay in Okinawa, we really lucked out the day we went to Shuri-jo. Blue skies! All the better for appreciating the lacquer-work on the castle, which is in the process of being restored. Dragons appear liberally in Shuri-jo’s design, including upon the Ryukyu King’s throne, which is also ornamented by mother of pearl. Another prominent detail of the castle grounds was the wave-like curve of the outer walls, which differs from the style of the Japanese mainland.

In Shuri-jo’s vicinity is a pond where I made friends with a very sociable duck. While I was taking pictures, he followed me everywhere! After we said goodbye, I headed on to Tamaudun, one of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s royal mausoleums. Isolated behind several imposing stone walls and stretches of empty earth, its sterile, quiet atmosphere sets it apart from the thickly-wooded park that lies just before it. Looking between the three burial chambers, each panel of the fence bears a unique design, depicting birds, dragons, horses, lions, and robed figures.