Nakagusuku show tells tale of Gosamaru with new perspective

The show with its video mapping generated backgrounds is quite impressive. Admission to the event is free on both days.

The show with its video mapping generated backgrounds is quite impressive. Admission to the event is free on both days.

The most famous character in Okinawa’s history is without doubt Gosamaru, a 15th century chief of the Zakimi Castle who later moved to the Nakagusuku Castle. Legends and stories of his life and demise have been told in books, plays, kumiodori and even operas.

gosamaru-%e5%8f%82%e8%80%83%e5%86%99%e7%9c%9f%e3%88%acPeople of Nakagusuku Village have for three years organized a two-day event at the Nakagusuku Castle Ruins Park to tell the tale using projection mapping techniques, a.k.a. video mapping and spatial augment reality. It’s a projection technology used to turn objects into a display surface for video projection.

This year, the show takes place this Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 19 and 20, and presents a different version of the old tale with a title “Adventure of Gosamaru and Three Children.”

It tells a fantasy of three friends, Chutaro, Tidanosuke and Asano Gushiken who are close friends and go to same elementary school in Nakagusuku. One day they all fall in sleep during the class, and in their dream they slip back in time to Gosamaru’s days and meet Gosamaruko, a member of the royal family of the Ryukyu Kingdom.

Then the four start an adventure together. The year is 1458 and the story goes on to tell what the three children learn from the adventure and Gosamaruko.

gosamaru-%e5%8f%82%e8%80%83%e5%86%99%e7%9c%9f%e3%88%abThe venue opens at 16:00 on both days with the stage show starting at 18:00. It closes at 20:00 on Saturday and ten minutes earlier on Sunday. Admission to the show is free.

In addition to the show, there are live performances by Vanessa Oshiro and Kenichi Mikawa on Saturday, and BuheeeN and Misako Koja on Sunday.

The story is very popular among local people. More than 13,000 people came to see the show over its two days last year. As there is practically no parking at the venue, people are advised park their cars at AEON Mall Okinawa Rycom and other temporary parking sites at Naritasan temple and Yoshinoura Hall, from where shuttle buses will run to the Nakagusuku Castle Ruins Park, the venue of the show, starting 15:30. The buses run as needed.

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23:26 29 Mar , 2024