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The bluff
The shrine sits on a bluff above the waves
Naminoue Shrine is the ichinomiya, the primary shrine, of Okinawa Prefecture. It sits atop a high bluff, overlooking Naminoue Beach and the ocean. Nanmin, the Okinawan reading of its name, means above the waves.
The legend
A fisherman's glowing stone is said to have started the shrine
According to legend, the shrine was founded after a fisherman who fished at the spot every day caught a mysterious stone. He began to pray to it, his hauls improved, and the stone glowed.
The sea
The shrine came to protect the ships of Naha's port
As Okinawa's trade with Korea, China, Japan and the south grew, the shrine became linked with the protection of ships at Naha's port. At the start of each year the King visited it and prayed for harvests, fishing and the peace of the nation.
Rebuilt
Destroyed in 1633 and in 1945, the shrine was rebuilt both times
In 1633 the shrine was destroyed by fire and rebuilt. It was destroyed again in the 1945 battle of Okinawa. The main hall and shrine office were rebuilt in 1953, and the worship hall eight years later.
Day 1, morning
Next is Naminoue Beach.
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The words are a retelling of the Wikipedia article Naminoue Shrine, and are shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. They are checked against those articles, and a fact that is not in them is left out.