One Week in Okinawa, Japan | Off the Beaten Path Without Driving

Yonabaru acommodation: Minshuku Agaihama

DAY 6) NAKAGUSUKU

As always, I woke up early. I left Yonabaru for good and caught the 07:59am bus to Ishadô stop (30 Awase Higashi Line, 390¥, 25min). From there it’s a half hour uphill walk to Nakagusuku castle. It seems like nobody really comes out here because I only met a couple other Japanese tourists all day, besides a few locals here and there. The castle is far up so it offers good views over the main island. It’s mostly just limestone walls but there are many nooks and crannies and full of a diversity of plants. And giant snails.

Next to the castle is Nakagusuku hotel which was abandoned during construction because there were many mysterious deaths and injuries. Some Okinawans believe that the hotel was being built on negative ground, negative spirits often get angry if their living quarters are disturbed and may hurt people who trespass. The hotel is right next to the castle so there were many signs telling people to be careful!

After the castle I went to the Nakagusuku residence a little bit further down the road, a traditional Okinawan house, very beautiful and big, it even had a Hinukan (shrine area dedicated to the fire God). At the residence café I had some tea and local brown sugar sweets before actually going for some lunch (asa soup). Before going back down to the bus stop I also stopped by Lord Gosamaru’s tomb.

I was supposed to go to Katsuren Castle in the same day, but I took the wrong bus and ended up at the final Yakena Bus Terminal instead (bus change required at Koza bus stop either way), so I just headed straight to my guest house.