Tamaudun is the royal mausoleum where successive kings of the Second Sho Dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom were laid to rest. Located in Shuri, Naha, it is one of the most important surviving monuments associated with the former Ryukyuan royal family.
The mausoleum was originally built in 1501 by King Sho Shin, the third king of the Second Sho Dynasty, for the burial of his father, King Sho En. The complex provides a rare insight into the traditions, beliefs, architecture, and royal succession of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Tamaudun consists of three main stone chambers known as the Central Chamber, East Chamber, and West Chamber. Each had a specific role in the traditional burial process.
The Central Chamber was used after a person’s death as part of the traditional Ryukyuan practice of secondary burial. The remains were initially left until the flesh had decomposed. Several years later, the bones were removed and washed in a ritual known as bone washing, or senkotsu.
After this ceremony, the bones of kings and queens were placed in the East Chamber, while members of the royal family who met the required status were placed in the West Chamber.
The tomb chambers are surrounded by stone walls, creating an outer courtyard and an inner courtyard. The inner courtyard is covered with fragments of coral, giving the space a distinctive appearance that reflects the natural environment of the Ryukyu Islands.
Tamaudun was constructed during the height of the Ryukyu Kingdom’s development as a maritime kingdom. Its location in Shuri, the political and cultural center of the kingdom, placed the royal mausoleum close to Shuri Castle and other important sites associated with the royal court.
The architecture combines the practical requirements of a royal tomb with distinctive Ryukyuan traditions. Its substantial stone construction and carefully enclosed courtyards create a solemn atmosphere appropriate to a royal mausoleum.
Like Shuri Castle and many other historic sites in southern Okinawa, Tamaudun suffered severe damage during the final stages of World War II. The mausoleum came under intense shelling, and the East and West Chambers were destroyed.
Much of what visitors see today was restored after the war, allowing the historic appearance of the royal mausoleum to be recovered.
Near Tamaudun are also memorial sites connected with the war, including the Monument to the First Middle School Students, which commemorates students of the former Okinawa Prefectural First Middle School, now Shuri High School, who died during the Battle of Okinawa.
In 1992, Tamaudun was donated to Naha City by Sho Hiroshi, a descendant of the Ryukyuan royal family. In 2000, it was inscribed as part of the UNESCO World Heritage property Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu.
The entire site is designated as a National Historic Site. The three burial chambers and two stone enclosure walls are designated as National Treasures as historic structures. The stone guardian lions and the Tamaudun Inscription are also designated as Okinawa Prefectural cultural properties.
One of the most fascinating historical elements of Tamaudun is the Tamaudun Inscription, carved into a stone monument standing in the outer courtyard.
The inscription describes, in Japanese kana, who was entitled to be buried in the royal mausoleum. On the surface, it appears to establish rules governing eligibility for burial at Tamaudun. However, historians have also interpreted it as reflecting a much more complicated issue: the struggle over succession within the royal family.
The inscription is believed to have been intended, at least in part, to exclude Sho Iko, also known as Prince Choman of Urasoe, the eldest son of King Sho Shin, from being buried at Tamaudun.
Choman had been designated crown prince but was later disinherited and did not succeed to the throne. The inscription is thought to have reflected the wishes of Yoso-udun, the mother of King Sho Shin, and therefore provides an intriguing glimpse into tensions within the royal family over royal succession.
History, however, took an unexpected turn. After King Sho Shin’s reign, King Sho Sei came to the throne, and Choman’s remains were eventually moved to Tamaudun.
The name Tamaudun is also used for other historic royal burial sites in Okinawa.
On Izena Island, the Izena Tamaudun is said to have been constructed during the reign of King Sho Shin and converted into a stone structure in 1688.
There is also the Yamakawa Tamaudun in Shuri’s Yamakawa area. This was used as a secondary royal tomb for members of the royal family who died young and were not buried at the main Tamaudun.
Tamaudun is more than a historic tomb. Its stone chambers reveal traditional Ryukyuan burial customs, while its inscriptions preserve clues about the complicated history of the royal family and the succession to the throne.
Its relationship with Shuri Castle and other World Heritage sites in the former royal capital makes it an important stop for anyone interested in the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
Standing quietly amid modern Naha, Tamaudun offers a powerful connection to the royal past of Okinawa. The carefully restored stone walls, coral-covered courtyard, and imposing burial chambers create a solemn atmosphere and provide a unique opportunity to encounter the heritage of the Ryukyuan royal court.
9:00-18:00
Open all year round
Adults 300 yen
Children 150 yen (junior high school students and under)
30 min. by bus from Naha Bus Terminal, get off at Shurijo Koen Iriguchi bus stop → 3 min. walk from Shurijo Koen Iriguchi bus stop
27 min. from Naha Airport Station to Shuri Station on the Yui Rail → 10 min. on foot from Shuri Station
5 minutes by bus from Shuri Station