Home > About Shurijo Castle > Ugushiku Monogatari (Story of Shurijo Castle) > Shurijo Castle Kobikimon Gate
Do you know the “Kobikimon Gate” near the Iri-no-Azana (the western lookout point of the innermost wall of Shurijo Castle) in Shurijo Castle Park? This is a gate that looks like a gaping mouth located toward the end of the slope that is currently used as a course for guiding visitors on wheelchairs.
Anyway, there are roughly five types of gates at Shurijo Castle: (1) a pailo-style gate like the Shureimon Gate, which has a tile roof; (2) an arch-type gate made of stone like the Kobikimon Gate; (3) a gate with a watchtower on top of the arched gate like the Kankaimon Gate; (4) a yaguramon gate like the Zuisenmon Gate; and (5) a gate that comes with a building like the Kofukumon Gate. The Shureimon Gate is a gate that serves as the entrance to Shurijo Castle, and there are no doors, but this Kobikimon Gate also has no doors. What may be the reason?
Actually, during the Ryukyu Kingdom era, the arched section of the Kobikimon Gate was blocked with stones. The gate was opened only at a time when Shurijo Castle underwent repairs. It came to be called Kobikimon Gate because it was used to carry in lumber for repair work. There is a popular song called “Kunjan Sabakui,” which describes the scene of trees being cut in the mountains in the Yanbaru region in northern Okinawa and many workers pulling them to Shurijo Castle. Since there are many steep steps in Shurijo Castle, the Kobikimon Gate was a solution that the people of the Ryukyu Kingdom era came up with for dragging in the lumber.
This gate was built around the 15th century, but it was destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa. However, it was restored and opened to the public in 1992. It measures 2 meters wide and 2.5 meters high. Every day, after sunset, it is lit up together with the Iri-no-Azana, and the gentle curve of the castle walls is popular not only among visitors but also among the local residents as a walking course. Enjoy strolling along the castle park pathway where Easter lilies and sannin (Spanish Jasmine) flowers bloom during the early summer. (Mayumi Kuba)
© Shurijo Castle Park All Rights Reserved.