Shurijo Castle

Sorry it has been so long since we wrote a blog. There hasn't been much to write about and I have been in a bad habit of forgetting my camera! We have been a little busy as well. Our final shipment arrived this past Thursday and I could not be more excited! My house finally feels like a home with all of my belongings in it and not some hideous government furniture. It is still quite crazy in here, so I'll post pictures once it is clean and things are put away!
















Ok, so I will get after it. After church, John and I decided to visit Shurijo Castle. It has been here since the 1400's and they still hold large festivals there.

I am not exactly a fan of history, so if you want to know the details, check it out on Google! Besides all that, the majority of the plaques were in Japanese, and the ones that were in English weren't translated very well! Needless to say, it was quite beautiful and we were glad we got to see it! Haha!


Right outside the gates you could pay to dress up and have your picture taken. I wanted to do it, but it was crazy hot outside and those long kimonos didn't seem too comfortable!



When we went inside, we had to take our shoes off. Now if you know me at all you could probably imagine how grossed out I was having to walk barefoot in the same place as hundreds of other bearfoot people! Note to self: Always keep a pair of socks on hand!

There was a large part of the castle where cameras were not allowed, but here is where they held traditional tea ceremonies for the king.




















I loved the architecture of the entire place. The walls were all made of bamboo.
Outside were beautiful views of Okinawa and the Naha Harbor.













Here is the throne the kings sat on. John wishes he had one in his house. For now he will have to stick to the couch!













So there you have it! It was a pretty short tour, but certainly interesting!