A Buddhist temple called Gokoku-ji was built alongside the shrine in 1367 by a monk from Japan's Satsuma province, creating an unusual blend of Buddhist and Shinto worship that lasted for centuries.

The shrine's name literally means 'above the waves,' and sailors entering Naha Port would look up at it from their ships to pray for safe voyages. The Ryukyuan kings themselves visited every New Year to pray for the entire nation's prosperity.