Begin your journey at Ganjyu Station in Nanjo City, where you’ll meet your guide. Head to Sefa Utaki, a sacred grove perched above the southeastern cliffs of Okinawa Island. Unlike the shrines of mainland Japan, this site is marked by the power of nature itself—towering limestone formations, dense forests, and paths once walked by priestesses and royalty.

Learn about Sefa Utaki’s significance as the ceremonial heart of Ryukyuan spiritual life. Discover how the kingdom’s highest spiritual figure, a female priestess appointed by the royal court, was inaugurated here in secret rites. Believed to be the living intermediary between the human world and the realm of the gods, she played a vital role in linking divine will with earthly governance.

Admire the sanctuary’s eastward orientation, facing Kudaka Island, revered as the mythical birthplace of life and the land where ancestral spirits reside. In Ryukyuan belief, this direction symbolizes the spiritual source of creation, rebirth, and blessing.

Explore the site’s unique layout, said to mirror the design of the royal palace in Shuri, emphasizing the unity of sacred and civic leadership. Walk along stone paths where ancient ceremonies once unfolded, feeling the lingering presence of a deeply rooted cosmology that defined Okinawa long before it became part of modern Japan.

With the guidance of a local expert, gain insights into the layered meanings of Ryukyuan spirituality and how this enduring tradition shaped the soul of the islands.