Kinjo-cho Stone Road

Kinjo-cho Stone Road (Kinjo-cho Ishidatami Michi) is a two-meter wide, 300-meter long path paved with large blocks of Ryukyuan limestone. It is located in Shuri, Okinawa, to the south of Shuri Castle.

Okinawa has many gusuku (castles), and Shuri Castle is the most well-known to tourists. The castle, which was constructed late in the 14th century, served as the administrative center of the Ryūkyū Kingdom for nearly five centuries. Kinjo-cho was built in the early 16th century to connect Shuri with southern Okinawa by way of Shikina, Madama-bashi, and Kokuba. The road originally spanned more than 10 kilometers, but most of it was destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in World War II.

Centuries after its construction, this cobblestone road is still used daily by the residents of Shuri. Surrounding it is a handful of traditional Ryūkyūan homes with red tile roofs. The towering trees that give shade to many parts of the road are also a vital part of Shuri’s heritage. Better known as aka-gi and kuwano-hae-no-ki among the locals, these trees stand anywhere from one to 15 meters tall and average 250 years of age. Signs lead to one tree in particular, the Oh Aka Gi, which is the subject of a local legend about mochi (rice cakes) and a boy-turned-demon falling to his death.

Kinjo-cho is one of several ishidatami on Okinawa. Others include Hijigabira in Shuri, Okoku Stone Road in Sashiki and Yamada Stone Road in Onna.