Long ago, before the Ryukyu Kingdom was unified, the main island of okinawa was divided into three minor kingdoms, the Northern, Central and Southern. The Northern Kingdom, or Hokuzan(Northern Mountain), was based at the site of Nakijin Castle. Located on a cliff one and a half kilometers south of Imadomari Hamlet in Nakijin Village, the castle overlooks the East China Sea and is the only remaining castle site in the northern region of okinawa. Covering an area of 19,000 square meters, it is the largest of the castles on okinawa. Looking in a northerly direction from the court of the castle, one can see the islands of Iheya and Izena and Hedo Cape.

The exact date when the castle was built is not clear, but it is known that about 1322 King Haneji came to rule the Northern Kingdom which included Motobu, Nago, Nakijin and Kunigami. In 1429, the fourth King of Nakijin Castle, Hananchi, was defeated by King Sho Hashi of Shuri Castle, who eventually also conquered the Southern Kingdom, Nanzan, and unified the entire island under the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Thereafter the Sho Kingdom used Nakijin Castle as a base to guard and protect the northern region. However, the castle fell to ruin when Shuri decided to abandon it in 1665.

A walk through the castle grounds may bring to mind images of the great power of the Nakijin Kings and battle scenes between the warriors of Nakijin and Shuri Castle.