Postwar Okinawa's History and Cultural Development Route

This is a history and culture facility named after "Kimutaka no Amawari," a hero of the Katsuren area. With Katsuren Castle Ruins at the heart of it, enjoy learning about Uruma City through exhibits of artifacts excavated from the site and introductory photographs and videos. You can also discover its relationship as a "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu" World Heritage Site.

Katsuren Castle Ruins was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000 as one of the "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu." It is said to be an impregnable castle built on a natural cliff, but its gracefully curved walls are also artistically beautiful. From the top, the cobalt blue Pacific Ocean can be seen, making it one of the most popular scenic spots in Okinawa.

The park is a combinaiton of a zoo that exhibits animals from around the world such as white lions, elephants, and giraffes in addition to creatures from the Ryukyu Arc, and the Wonder Museum facility where children can find wonder and amazement for themselves. The zoo offers programs such as feeding the animals and a wide variety of workshops, allowing families to learn and experience while having fun together.

Since the end of World War II, Okinawa City has developed an extremely unique culture as a result of its contact with the U.S. military bases and other cultures. At Histreet, the Okinawa City Museum of Postwar Culture and History, visitors can get a sense of postwar Okinawa City, a military town, which is described as a microcosm of postwar Okinawa. To examine this period until Okinawa's reversion to Japan, the museum exhibits and widely disseminates photos and materials from that time.

The museum serves as the center for Okinawa's traditional performing art of eisa. It exhibits various items related to eisa, a large screen for eisa viewing, eisa performances, sanshin performances, and other hands-on activities, as well as information on various eisa from various parts of Okinawa, Japan, and the world. There is also an area where visitors can try eisa costumes and take pictures.

Uruma City is the first city in Japan to declare itself "the city of bullfighting." The facility, built in May 2007, is the prefecture's first domed bullring where about 20 bullfight competitions are held in a year, including the prefecture's largest all-island bullfighting competition. The clashes between the bulls weighing more than one ton are so powerful it is almost like watching a martial arts tournament.

This market offers fresh vegetables from farmers in Uruma City and other parts of Okinawa, fish caught in nearby seas, and fresh meat of livestock raised with care by local farmers. Also available for sale are beautiful flowers to add color to your dining table, specialty products of the city, and dishes and boxed lunches prepared using ingredients available at the Urumarche. There are also restaurants and an outdoor food court.