Sefa-utaki, Okinawa
Okinawa 📜 History 📷 9

Sefa-utaki

斎場御嶽

Admission From 1 October 2026, individual admission: high-school age and above ¥600; elementary/junior-high ¥300. Group and worship-purpose admission have separate conditions.
Opening hours Restrictions apply as checked 5 October 2026: the area beyond the Sanguui entrance is closed to ordinary visitors; restoration also restricts parts of the site. March–October 09:00–18:00 (ticket sales end 17:15, last entry 17:30); November–February 09:00–17:30 (sales 16:45, entry 17:00). Closed lunar-calendar days 1–3 of months 5 and 10; check the current calendar.

Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-10-05 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site

Our guide

Sefa-utaki in Nanjō, Okinawa, is a sacred space overlooking Kudaka Island, and for a very long time it was one of the key places of worship in the native Ryukyuan religion. It was designated a National Historic Site in 2018 and is part of the World Heritage Site “Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu”.

We have not checked opening hours, fees or a public-transport route, so look for local information before you go.

Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.

Photos

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
  1. Sangui (Triangle Rock) of Sefa-Utaki — そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
  2. Kudakajima Island from Sangui of Sefa-Utaki 1 — そらみみ · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
  3. Seifautaki Okinawa Japan 沖縄 斎場御嶽 - panoramio (7) — Hiroki Ogawa · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
  4. Stone sign, Sefa-utaki 斎場御嶽 Jul 25, 2010 — Ippei Suzuki · CC BY 2.0 · source · resized
  5. Okinawa Nanjo Sefa-utaki Gusuku site Yuinchi 02 — Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
  6. Okinawa Nanjo Sefa-utaki Gusuku site Yuinchi 04 — Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
  7. Okinawa Nanjo Sefa-utaki Gusuku site Yuinchi 06 — Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
  8. Okinawa Nanjo Sefa-utaki Gusuku site Yuinchi 08 — Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
  9. Okinawa Nanjo Sefa-utaki Gusuku site Sangui hdsr VLux5 07 — Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized

What this place is

Sefa-utaki (Okinawan: 斎場御嶽, セーファウタキ, romanized: Sēfa-utaki), is a historical sacred space, overlooking Kudaka Island, that served as one of the key locations of worship in the native religion of Ryukyuan for millennia. It was designated a National Historic Site in 2018. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu in the city of Nanjō, Okinawa, Japan.

Visitor information checked: 2026-10-05 · 開館時間・休息日|世界文化遺産 斎場御嶽 · 斎場御嶽ご案内|世界文化遺産 斎場御嶽 · 斎場御嶽入館料改定のお知らせ(2026年10月1日~)|世界文化遺産 斎場御嶽 · 【令和8年度実施】7月1日から斎場御嶽の一部立入制限について|世界文化遺産 斎場御嶽

Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

What to expect at this type of place: History

Getting there

We do not have step-by-step transit directions for this spot yet. Open the location on Google Maps for routes from where you are staying.

Area: Nanjō, Okinawa Prefecture

Route on Google Maps

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