The walls of Zakimi gusuku curve across the top of a hill in Yomitan like a ribbon of pale limestone, following the contour of the land in graceful arcs rather than straight lines. Built in the early fifteenth century by Gosamaru, a celebrated castle builder of the Ryukyu Kingdom, the fortress is small but beautifully made. Its arched stone gateways, held in place by a wedge-shaped keystone, are among the oldest stone arches in Okinawa. Zakimi is part of the UNESCO site of the Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu, listed in 2000.
Gosamaru was a powerful lord who served the king in the period when the island was being unified. He later moved to Nakagusuku, where he built another fine fortress, and his story ended in tragedy, caught up in the struggles between rival lords. His walls at Zakimi have survived much: in the Second World War the Japanese army used the castle as an anti-aircraft position, and after the war the US military took over the site. It was later returned and restored.
From the top of the walls the views stretch over the surrounding countryside to the East China Sea. The site is quiet, with grass, trees and the sound of the wind. Nearby is the Yomitan pottery village, Yachimun no Sato, where potters work in traditional climbing kilns, and you can buy plates and cups in the distinctive Okinawan style. Cape Zanpa, a few minutes away, has a white lighthouse on dramatic coral cliffs.
The riding around Yomitan is easy and pleasant. The roads are mostly flat or gently rolling, through sugar cane fields and small villages, with occasional glimpses of the sea. Traffic is moderate, heavier on the main roads towards Naha. The coast road north along the west side of the island, towards the resorts of Onna and Nago, is scenic, with views of beaches and coral reefs.
Yomitan has fuel, supermarkets and restaurants. Try Okinawa soba, thick wheat noodles in broth with pork, or taco rice, an Okinawan invention combining Tex-Mex ingredients with rice. The weather is subtropical: hot and humid in summer, mild in winter, with typhoons possible from summer to autumn. Bring sun protection; the sun is fierce. Climb the walls late in the afternoon, when the light turns golden and the heat begins to ease.