Edo
Okinawa · 江戸Browse Okinawa’s cultural heritage from the Edo period (1603 – 1868). Filter by type and keyword, with concise stories, maps, and travel tips.
Built in 1687, Ie Udun Baka is the tomb of a Ryukyu royal branch family and a rare securely dated turtleback tomb, an Important Cultural Property since 1999.
On a quiet lane in Ishigaki, the Former Miyara Dunchi housed a family that governed a Ryukyu district. It is the only samurai residence with national designation.
The Former Waukei Family Tomb on Ishigaki sets a 17th-century cave burial chamber within walled limestone courts, an early form in Okinawan tomb design.
Sesoko Toteikin on Sesoko Island in Motobu Town, Okinawa, is the largest worship facility dedicated to the Chinese earth deity Toteikin in the Ryukyu Islands. Believed to have been constructed in the mid-18th century, the compound features a main hall, worship hall, and courtyard enclosed by coral limestone walls, all remarkably well preserved within a sacred natural forest. Designated as a national Important Cultural Property in 1997, it stands as an invaluable testament to the cultural exchange between the Ryukyu Kingdom and China.
Discover Izena Tamaudun, a National Important Cultural Property on Izena Island, Okinawa. This royal mausoleum of the Second Shō Dynasty dates to 1688 and honors the family of King Shō En, founder of the Ryukyu Kingdom's last ruling dynasty.
Discover Chunnagā, a pair of beautifully crafted Ryukyuan stone springs in Ginowan City, Okinawa. Designated as a National Important Cultural Property, these 19th-century communal wells showcase exceptional stonework and reveal the spiritual water culture of the Ryukyu Islands.