Why this ride
228 km from Tomigusuku to Tomigusuku, about 5 h 39 of riding. It goes by way of Katsuren-jô site, Sêfa-utaki, Zakimi-jô site and back through Sêfa-utaki.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Tamaudun and Zakimi-jô site
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 228 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 5 h 39
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Tamaudun
Tamaudun is the royal mausoleum of the Ryukyu kings, a walled complex of grey coral limestone at the foot of Shuri hill, and it feels a little like a stone ship, heavy, low and enclosed. King Sho Shin had it built in 1501 to house the remains of his father and later the kings of the Second Sho dynasty. The Ryukyu kingdom was an independent maritime state with ties to China, Japan and Southeast Asia, and its rulers were buried in a tradition that blended Chinese and Okinawan styles. The tombs have three chambers: one where the bones were laid, one where they were washed, and one for the remains of lesser royalty.
Read the complete Tamaudun write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tamaudun is where the day begins. Next is Katsuren-jô site.
2. Katsuren-jô site
Katsuren castle stands on a limestone hill on the east coast of Okinawa, near the base of the Katsuren peninsula, and its curving walls step up the slope in a series of enclosures to a summit with sweeping views across the sea. It is one of the gusuku, the castles of the old Ryukyu kingdom and the warring lords who came before it, and it was inscribed in 2000 together with Nakijin, Zakimi, Nakagusuku, Shuri and several sacred groves.
Read the complete Katsuren-jô site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Katsuren-jô site comes up about 33 km into the recorded legs. Next is Sêfa-utaki.
3. Sêfa-utaki
For the people of the old Ryukyu Kingdom, there was no holier place than Sēfa-utaki, a grove of forest and rock on the southeastern tip of Okinawa island. An utaki is a sacred site in the Ryukyuan religion, often a grove, a rock or a spring, where gods are believed to descend, and this one was the most important of all. The kingdom's highest priestess, the Kikoe-ōkimi, usually a woman of the royal family, was inaugurated here, and for centuries men were not allowed to enter.
Read the complete Sêfa-utaki write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 72 km into the recorded legs you reach Sêfa-utaki. Next is Zakimi-jô site.
4. Zakimi-jô site
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.
Read the complete Zakimi-jô site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Zakimi-jô site, about halfway. Next is back through Sêfa-utaki.
5. back through Sêfa-utaki
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Sêfa-utaki write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Sêfa-utaki sits at 135 km, about halfway. Next is back through Katsuren-jô site.
6. back through Katsuren-jô site
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Katsuren-jô site write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Katsuren-jô site comes up about 195 km into the recorded legs. Next is Tamaudun.
7. Tamaudun
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Tamaudun write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tamaudun closes the day.
Leg by leg
Tamaudun to Katsuren-jô site
Tamaudun → Katsuren-jô site is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Katsuren-jô site to Sêfa-utaki
Katsuren-jô site → Sêfa-utaki is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Sêfa-utaki to Zakimi-jô site
Sêfa-utaki → Zakimi-jô site is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Zakimi-jô site to back through Sêfa-utaki
Zakimi-jô site → back through Sêfa-utaki is 42 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Sêfa-utaki to back through Katsuren-jô site
back through Sêfa-utaki → back through Katsuren-jô site is 39 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Katsuren-jô site to Tamaudun
back through Katsuren-jô site → Tamaudun is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.