Located in the heart of Naha city on Okinawa’s main island: Nami no ue shrine ( the shrine above the waves) is a must see for travelers to the island. A short walking distance from the cruise ship terminal the Shrine is very easy to access.
This area has been the sacred area to offer prayers to Nirai Kanai (world of gods) since the day of old. Each boat going in and out of the commerce base of Naha port looked up to the shrine on top of the high cliff, prayed for a safe journey and expressed their appreciation. The shrine was venerated, and people prayed for a rich haul of fish and rich harvest.
Every New Year, the King himself, on behalf of his people visited the shrine to pray for the peace and prosperity of the nation. The shrine was admired as the “primary shrine of the kingdom”, head of the Eight Shrines in Ryukyu. It was classified as Kanpei-shousha (nationally significant shrine) in the Meiji Era and became the Okinawa Sochinju (shrine that protects the whole of Okinawa) but it was destroyed during the war.
After the war, Shamusho (shrine office) and Honden (main shrine) were reconstructed in 1953, and Haiden (hall of worship) was reconstructed in 1961. In 1993, reconstruction of Honden (main shrine) and other shrines was completed during the Heisei reconstruction project. It was designated as the Naha City Historical Site of Cultural Property in 2006.
