A Site That Protected a Prince ~ Ginowan Kushinu Utaki ~

Hello everyone! M here, to introduce more cultural properties located within Futenma Air Station😊. Following our previous look at the Kamiyama Teragama Cave, I would like to introduce another designated historical site, the Ginowan Kushinu Utaki🙌.

This Uganju, which stands as a sacred place of worship for the people of the village, has been an important location etched with a deep history.

But did you know that this site was involved in an unfortunate accident in the past 😯?

Kushinu Utaki is located on the hills on the eastern side of Futenma Air Station at an altitude of 90 to 100 meters. This site holds two stone shrines that pass down the faith of Okinawan ancestors.

However, on November 30, 1989 (Heisei 1), these invaluable stone shrines were discovered to have been destroyed!

The Ginowan City Board of Education and the Ginowan Hometown Association reached out to the U.S. military authorities and the Naha Defense Facilities Bureau (currently the Okinawa Defense Bureau) and demanded an explanation for the damage, confirmation of who was responsible, and requested a full restoration of the site.

Upon investigation, it was revealed that a U.S. soldier had crashed a military vehicle. While attempting to cover up the accident, they accidentally plowed into and destroyed the shrines. Accordingly, it was agreed that the damaged shrines would be fully compensated for and restored.

Through this, the City Board of Education, Ginowan Hometown Association, and landowners saw this as an opportunity to learn even more about this precious sacred site and decided to conduct a thorough archaeological excavation in 1992 (Heisei 4).

To everyone's surprise, a total of 493 artifacts were unearthed during this survey! 😯 The majority of the finds were Gusuku-period pottery, but the site also yielded Gusuku-period ceramics, numerous unmarked coins often found at ritual sites, stone tools, and stone materials.

Over a 10-day period in October 1992, the restoration work was successfully completed, and the shrines regained their original appearance! 🫡

At the entrance of the Ginowan Kushinu Utaki Site, two grand stone lanterns stand tall. If you look closely at the inscriptions, the one in the front is engraved with the year 1791 and the one in the back with the year 1803. The inscriptions also note that the lanterns were donated by the Prince of Ginowan.

This prince (Chosho) was born as the fourth son of King Sho Boku (the 14th king of the Second Sho Dynasty). He later was appointed as the highest administrative post in the Ryukyu Kingdom during the reign of King Sho Ko and was also appointed as the top official of the Ginowan Magiri.

It is believed that Prince Chosho prayed for a safe journey at Kushinu Utaki before departing for his diplomatic missions to Edo (Tokyo) and donated these stone lanterns as a token of gratitude after successfully completing his great duties 😊.

📌 Fun Fact: These two lanterns are not made of Okinawan stone—they were crafted using stone materials brought all the way from Kagoshima!

Looking at the photo of the Kushinu Utaki lanterns, you might notice that one of them has fallen over 🤔. This is actually because of the growing tree roots! Over time, the slow, powerful force of the expanding roots tilted the lantern until it eventually toppled over 😌.

It is wonderful to see how this history is being carefully preserved thanks to the powerful devotion of the local community. Stay tuned for next month's post! 🫡