Uchima Palace

Japanese: 内間御殿 - うちまうどぅん

<br /> The remains of a mansion in Kadekari, Nishihara-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa Prefecture. Located in the southern part of Okinawa Island, this is the site of the residence of King Sho En ( Kanamaru ), the first king of the Second Sho Dynasty who ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom, when he became Uchima Jito, and is said to have lived there for 15 years before ascending to the throne. After King Sho En's death, the site of his residence was made into a sacred place as a place associated with the Second Sho Dynasty, and a thatched shrine ( Agarii Palace) was built in the 17th century. After that, the Iiri Palace was built, and the roof was changed to tiles and the bamboo fence was replaced with stone walls. During the reign of King Sho Kei (reigned 1713-51), a stone monument to the former king's former residence was built, completing the site as a sacred place. The stone walls, made of Ryukyu limestone in a lattice pattern, remain as they were at the time, and on the grounds there is a 450-year-old sawafuji tree, which was protected within a temple building before the war, but was damaged during the Battle of Okinawa, leaving only the former king's former residence monument and the foundations of the palace. As rituals took root in the village, places of worship were built in the surrounding area, and they are considered important for understanding the reality of ritual beliefs in Okinawa, and were designated a national historic site in 2011 (Heisei 23). It is about a 32-minute drive from Naha Airport.

Source: Kodansha National Historic Site Guide Information

Japanese:

沖縄県中頭(なかがみ)郡西原町嘉手苅にある屋敷跡。沖縄本島の南部に位置し、琉球王国を治めた第二尚氏(しょうし)初代の尚円王（金丸(かなまる)）が、内間地頭になったときの住居跡で、王位につくまでの15年間住んだといわれている。尚円王の死後、第二尚氏ゆかりの地として、住居跡の聖地化がはかられ、17世紀に茅葺きの神殿（東江(あがりぃ)御殿）が建設された。その後、西江(いぃりぃ)御殿が築かれ、屋根を瓦葺きに変えたり、竹垣を石垣に変えたりしながら、尚敬王（在位1713～51年）のときには、石造の先王旧宅碑が造られて聖地として完成する。琉球石灰岩を相方(あいかた)積みにした石垣は当時のままで、敷地には樹齢450年以上のサワフジ（サガリバナ）があり、戦前には堂宇の中に守られていたが、沖縄戦の被害を受けて、現在ではほぼ台座だけの状態になった先王旧宅碑、御殿の基壇などが残されている。村落における祭祀の定着にともなって、周辺には拝所などもできており、沖縄における祭祀信仰の実態を知るうえで重要とされ、2011年（平成23）に国の史跡に指定された。那覇空港から車で約32分。

出典　講談社国指定史跡ガイドについて　情報

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