Kankaimon

This is the first gate that leads to the inner castle walls of Shurijo, and the name Kankai means “to welcome”. Long ago, Chinese envoys dispatched by Chinese emperors were invited to Shurijo Castle, and this gate was named Kankaimon to welcome these important guests.
Kankaimon was constructed between 1477 and 1500 (during the reign of King Sho Shin), but it was destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa, and rebuilt again in 1974.
On both sides of the gate are Shisa, a pair of stone Shishi lions. The Shisa are placed here for protection and to ward off evil.