Uchibaru Ward
The Uchibaru Ward is the highest enclosure of the castle. Oral tradition suggests that the living quarters of the ladies of the court were located here. The ward occupies a raised area immediately behind the North Hall (Hokuden) and would have provided convenient access for ceremonies and other functions. Then as now, women played the primary role in religious ceremonies, and the most important spiritual site (utaki) at Nakijin, the Tenchiji Amachiji, is located within this enclosure. Not much is known about the number of women who may have lived here or their actual roles and relationships, but this section of Nakijin has a strongly feminine identity. Although the surrounding walls were higher when the castle was in use, occupants undoubtedly enjoyed the same breeze that cools us today. The recent lowering of the walls has opened up a stunning panoramic view of the ocean, the surrounding mountains and villages, and the walls of the Ushimi Ward below.