travel
You can almost feel the loud , pounding of their feet on the ground in rhythm with your now fast beating heart . The moment you push the red , end button on your Facetime call , your mind starts racing with the ‘ what ifs ,’ ‘ what will we dos ’ and ‘ but , how will theys .’ Your palms are sweaty and your fingers race over the keyboard as you begin your new research project ; your deadline an arrival date .
The frenzy will soon subside and perhaps you are , dare I say , looking forward to this visit from friends or family . In all fairness , it can be a daunting task to plan out two weeks of activities for people who may or may not share the same interests in food , recreation or even life in general but I promise you , with a bit of help , this too shall pass . We do this thing here in FSS , maybe you ’ ve heard about it , where we do our best to make your life better , easier and a bit more fun . And , here on Okinawa , you ’ ve basically hit the historical , tropical , beach jackpot . We want you to take full advantage of this and that means occasionally playing tour guide … Or , if you ’ d prefer , we do have professional tour guides for some trips around the island if your history prowess isn ’ t quite up to par . Oh , and the answer is yes , you can take your visitors on many excursions FSS offers even if they ’ re not DoD card holders .
Nakagusuku Castle Ruins
Kadena ITT takes tours to many of the castle ruins on Okinawa including the Nakagusuku Castle ruins . It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1972 and with good reason . It is one of the oldest , most well preserved castle ruins on the island . It was home to many rulers and functioned with multiple purposes ; it has served Okinawa as a royal dwelling as well as a primary school and a village office . Nakagusuku
Castle is still a sight to behold even after hundreds of years of typhoons , multiple wars and many repurposings . The gardens have a wild beauty about them even though they ’ re not quite as manicured as an imperial garden might have once been ; their perennial spirit proving that Okinawa is as resilient as it is beautiful .
Shuri Castle
Shuri Castle is unique . It ’ s a reconstruction of what was . The original structure was almost completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 and as it stands now , the castle was rebuilt based on photos , memories and historical record . It is the most accurate depiction of a Ryukyuan castle that we have here on Okinawa and just like Nakagusuku Castle , Shuri Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site . Visitors can tour the multi-level Shuri castle or just enjoy a walk around the beautiful grounds . Inside you ’ ll find lavish colors and paintings as well as a throne fit for a king ; there ’ s beauty in the juxtaposition of old and new as modern society encroaches upon Shuri ’ s walls .
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