There are gates at Shurijo Castle Park with names that have the words “right” and “left” as part of their names, making them appear to be twin gates. They are called Uekimon （右掖門） and Saekimon （左掖門）. The kanji character “右” means right, while “左”means left.

On the current park pathway, Uekimon can be seen on the left side if you go down the stairs from the exit on the north side of the Hokuden. This gate, which is also known as Yosufichi-ujo, is said to have been built around the 15th century, but it was dismantled due to aging. Similar to the Zuisenmon Gate and Roukokumon Gate, it is a “yaguramon,” a type of gate in which a watchtower that is sandwiched between the castle walls serves as a passageway.

There is a passageway below buildings that were open to the public on January, 24. 2014. These buildings are Kinju-tsumesho, Kugani-udun, and Okushoin. There is a door on this passageway, which leads from Kinju-tsumesho to Kugani-udun and Okushoin. This door is Saekimon; it is also known as “Kurashin-ujo.” Structurally, it is a “type of gate attached to a building,” like the Kofukumon Gate and Hoshinmon Gate. Saekimon has been dramatically featured in a TV drama series broadcast several years ago. It was adapted from a Japanese novel titled “The Tempest.” In the drama, Saekimon was a place where the main character changed her appearance (switching between a man and a woman). In front of Saekimon (the Una side) was the “front” where the king conducted political affairs – a place restricted to men. Toward the “back/interior” of Saekimon was a private space where the king and his family members lived called “Ouchibara.” Men were forbidden to enter this place. In other words, it was a women’s world. Currently, Saekimon is a popular spot for visitors, and it can be viewed from the Nanden side of the Una. Unfortunately, however, visitors are not allowed to pass through this door.

As for the position of these twin gates, Saekimon is located to the right side facing the Seiden, while Uekimon is on the left side. This is because from the viewpoint of having the Seiden at the center and standing directly facing the Hoshinmon Gate, Uekimon would be on the right, Saekimon would be on the left, and Ouchibara would be at the back.

This is similar to the case of Okinawan tombs where if you face the tomb, the right corner is called “mifijai” or “fijai”（both meaning “left”）.

Although they have different shapes, these two restored gates surround the Seiden and peripheral buildings. （Mayumi Kuba）

• 
  Currently, the gates serve a return path from the paid area; visitors can see masonry relics of the Ryukyu Kingdom era on the castle walls on the right.
• 
  Saekimon（Kurashin-ujo）