Ryukyuan religion
Originally a sacred space of the native Ryukyuan religion, due to its location and natural beauty, it was dedicated to "nirai kanai", the mythical source of all life, and to the sea. At some point it came to be known as "Hana gusuku" and "Nanminsan"; "Nanmin" is the Okinawan reading of 波上, meaning "above the waves", which is pronounced as Naminoue in Japanese.