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Tamaudun

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Tamaudun

Tamaudun: royal mausoleum in Shuri

Tamaudun is the burial site of the Second Shō Dynasty, the royal line that ruled the Ryukyu Kingdom from Shuri Castle. King Shō Shin built it in 1501 to inter his father, King Shō En, and it served as the resting place for Ryukyuan kings and their families for centuries. The site consists of stone-walled chambers carved into a coral limestone outcrop, roofed in a style that echoes traditional Ryukyuan tomb architecture. It's one of three royal mausolea of the dynasty, and along with Shuri Castle it's part of the UNESCO-listed Gusuku Sites group. Visitors come mainly for the stonework and the sense of the site's role in Ryukyuan royal history, rather than for elaborate interior displays, since the burial chambers themselves are not open for entry.

Getting there

Tamaudun sits just outside Shuri Castle's grounds, a short walk from central Naha. From the Yui Rail monorail's Shuri Station, it's roughly a 15-20 minute walk uphill. Many visitors combine the walk with a visit to Shuri Castle itself, arriving from the same direction.

How much time to allow

Most people spend 20-30 minutes here, enough to walk the grounds and view the tomb structures from outside.

When to go

Mornings tend to be quieter, especially before Shuri Castle's crowds build up later in the day. Because much of the site is outdoors on stone paving, summer heat can make midday visits uncomfortable.

Nearby

  • Shureimon (0.2km) - the well-known gate marking the approach to Shuri Castle
  • Sonohyan-utaki (0.3km) - a sacred grove and ritual site tied to Ryukyuan royal ceremony
  • Enkaku-ji (0.5km) - the former royal temple of the Ryukyu Kingdom

These sites, along with Shuri Castle, can reasonably be covered together in a single half-day outing.

Updated September 20, 2026 · Edited by the World by City editors

Tickets & tours

Admission prices and opening hours change often, so we don't list them here. Check what's on sale and at what price below — booking ahead can cut the queue at some places.

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Good to visit alongside

Shureimon

Heritage & monuments

Shureimon

Shureimon is a gate in the Shuri district of Naha, Okinawa, that once served as the main gate to Shuri Castle, former royal seat of the Ryukyu Kingdom. It was originally the second gate on the approach to the castle, but with the first gate, Shuzanmon, no longer standing, it now functions as the entrance to the Shuri Castle historic site.

0.2 km away
Sonohyan-utaki

Heritage & monuments

Sonohyan-utaki

Sonohyan-utaki is a sacred utaki, a traditional place of worship dating back to the Ryukyu Kingdom, taking the form of a small forest thick with trees and plants. It stands right beside Shureimon Gate within the grounds of Shuri Castle; since the object of worship lies deep within the forest, general visitors cannot enter and instead view the stone gate at the entrance.

0.3 km away
Enkaku-ji

Temples & religious sites

Enkaku-ji

Enkaku-ji was a Rinzai Zen temple built as the mortuary temple for successive kings of the Second Sho Dynasty of the Ryukyu Kingdom. It enshrined a trio of principal images — Shakyamuni Buddha flanked by the bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra — and, together with Shuri Castle, served as a center of the kingdom's political and religious life.

0.5 km away
Sueyoshi-gū

Temples & religious sites

Sueyoshi-gū

Sueyoshi-gū is a shrine in the Sueyoshi area of Shuri, Naha, and one of the "Eight Shrines of the Ryukyus" that received royal patronage during the Ryukyu Kingdom era. Its main hall is nestled among the rocks of a limestone valley within Sueyoshi Park, giving it an atmosphere quite different from that of a typical shrine. The grounds were designated a National Historic Site in 1972.

1.3 km away
Shikina-en

Parks & gardens

Shikina-en

Shikina-en is a royal garden villa of the Ryukyu royal family, situated on a hill south of Shuri Castle. Used to entertain envoys from China and as a retreat for royalty, it features a strolling garden centered on a pond with paths winding around it. Seeing the Ryukyu Kingdom's garden design and architecture together offers a glimpse of royal life that Shuri Castle alone doesn't show.

1.6 km away
Okinawa Shrine

Temples & religious sites

Okinawa Shrine

Okinawa Shrine is a small shrine within the grounds of Shuri Castle in Naha, built in the late Taisho era. It originally reused part of the castle's buildings as its main hall, but was completely destroyed during the Battle of Okinawa in 1945 and later rebuilt alongside the castle. Though modest in size, it shows the layers of history built up on the Shuri Castle site, making it worth a brief stop rather than skipping past.

1.6 km away