UNESCO · Cultural · 2000

Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu

琉球王国のグスク及び関連遺産群りゅうきゅうおうこくのぐすくおよびかんれんいさんぐんRyūkyū Ōkoku no Gusuku oyobi Kanren Isan-gun

Castles, tombs and sacred groves of a vanished island kingdom

The Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu are nine sites on Okinawa Island — five castle ruins, a royal mausoleum, a royal garden and two sacred places — that bear witness to the independent kingdom that ruled the Ryukyu Islands from the 15th to the 19th century. They were inscribed in 2000.

Inscribed 2000Criteria: ii, iii, viOkinawa

Overview

From about the 12th century, local chieftains on Okinawa Island built gusuku — stone-walled strongholds with curving ramparts of coral limestone that were also places of worship. By the 14th century three rival kingdoms, Hokuzan in the north, Chuzan in the centre and Nanzan in the south, had emerged; in 1429 Sho Hashi of Chuzan unified them as the Kingdom of Ryukyu, with its capital at Shuri.

The kingdom prospered as a trading hub. It sent tribute to Ming and later Qing China and carried goods between China, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia, absorbing influences from all of them into a distinct court culture of its own. In 1609 the Satsuma domain of southern Kyushu invaded and brought the kingdom under its control, while it continued its tributary relations with China. In 1879 the Meiji government abolished the kingdom and annexed it as Okinawa Prefecture.

The nine components span the whole of this history: the gusuku of the rival lords at Nakijin, Zakimi, Katsuren and Nakagusuku, the royal seat at Shuri with the tombs, garden and gate of the Sho dynasty, and Sefa-utaki, the kingdom's holiest site. The Battle of Okinawa in 1945 destroyed Shuri and damaged many others; what is inscribed are the historic remains, not the modern reconstructions built on some of them.

Why it is World Heritage

UNESCO inscribed the property under three criteria. For several centuries the Ryukyu Islands were a centre of economic and cultural exchange between Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan, and the monuments bear vivid witness to it (criterion ii).

The culture of the Ryukyu Kingdom evolved and flourished in this special political and economic setting, which gave it a unique quality, reflected in its castles, tombs and garden (criterion iii). The sacred sites, utaki, are an exceptional example of an indigenous form of nature and ancestor worship that has survived intact into the modern age alongside other established religions (criterion vi).

Component sites

Shuri Castle site
首里城跡Shuri-jō-ato
Royal palace and seat of government in Naha from the 15th century until 1879. Destroyed in 1945; the main hall was reconstructed in 1992 and burned on 31 October 2019, after which rebuilding began. The underground remains are the World Heritage element.
Nakijin Castle site
今帰仁城跡Nakijin-jō-ato
Seat of the kings of Hokuzan on the Motobu Peninsula, with some 1.5 km of sinuous limestone walls; known for early-blooming cherry trees in January and February.
Nakagusuku and Katsuren castle sites
中城城跡・勝連城跡Nakagusuku-jō-ato, Katsuren-jō-ato
Nakagusuku, with its finely fitted masonry, was held by the general Gosamaru; Katsuren was the stronghold of his rival Amawari, whose defeat in 1458 consolidated royal power. Zakimi, also built by Gosamaru, is the fifth gusuku component.
Tamaudun
玉陵Tamaudun
Royal mausoleum of the Second Sho dynasty in Shuri, built in 1501 in imitation of a palace with stone walls and chambers cut into the rock.
Sonohyan-utaki Stone Gate
園比屋武御嶽石門Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon
Stone gate of 1519 near Shuri Castle where the king prayed before leaving the capital; it is a place of worship rather than a passage.
Shikinaen
識名園Shikinaen
Royal villa garden completed in 1799, a stroll garden around a pond combining Japanese garden design with Chinese elements such as an arched bridge and a hexagonal pavilion; used to receive Chinese envoys.
Sefa-utaki
斎場御嶽Sēfa-utaki
The holiest site of the kingdom, in Nanjo in the south of the island: a sacred grove among limestone rocks, facing Kudaka Island, where the chief priestess (kikoe-okimi) was inaugurated.

History

12th c.
Gusuku strongholds begin to be built on Okinawa Island.
14th c.
Three kingdoms, Hokuzan, Chuzan and Nanzan, compete; Chuzan opens tributary relations with Ming China in 1372.
1429
Sho Hashi unifies Okinawa as the Kingdom of Ryukyu with Shuri as capital.
1470
The Second Sho dynasty begins; its kings are later buried at Tamaudun.
1609
The Satsuma domain invades; the kingdom remains nominally independent but under Satsuma control.
1879
Japan abolishes the kingdom and establishes Okinawa Prefecture.
1945
The Battle of Okinawa destroys Shuri, where the Japanese army had its headquarters beneath the castle.
1972
Okinawa returns to Japanese administration after 27 years of United States rule.
2000
Inscription on the World Heritage List.
2019
Fire destroys the reconstructed main hall and other buildings of Shuri Castle.

Visiting

Shuri Castle, Tamaudun, the Sonohyan-utaki gate and Shikinaen are in Naha and reached by the Yui Rail monorail to Shuri or by bus; the other components require a car or bus across the island.
Nakijin lies on the Motobu Peninsula in the north, about one and a half to two hours by road from Naha; Katsuren and Nakagusuku are in the centre of the island.
Sefa-utaki remains a sacred place of prayer: parts of the grove are closed on certain days for rituals, and visitors are asked to keep to the paths and not to touch the stones.
Information on the reconstruction of Shuri Castle and the areas open to visitors is published by the Shurijo Castle Park.

Frequently asked questions

What is a gusuku?

A gusuku is a stronghold of the Ryukyu Islands enclosed by curving walls of coral limestone. Many also contained sacred groves, so they served as both fortress and place of worship.

Is Shuri Castle still a World Heritage Site after the 2019 fire?

Yes. The inscribed property is the archaeological remains of the castle, not the reconstructed buildings; the fire destroyed reconstructions from 1992, and the site itself remains on the list.

Was Ryukyu part of Japan?

The Kingdom of Ryukyu was an independent state that paid tribute to China and, from 1609, was controlled by the Japanese domain of Satsuma. Japan annexed it in 1879 as Okinawa Prefecture.

What is an utaki?

An utaki is a sacred place of the Ryukyuan indigenous religion, usually a grove or rock formation where deities and ancestors are worshipped; it typically has no building.

Can all nine sites be visited in one day?

Only with a car and an early start. The four sites in Naha can be combined easily; Nakijin in the north, the central castles and Sefa-utaki in the south are better spread over two days.

Sources

1.Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
2.日本の世界遺産一覧 (opens in a new tab) — 文化庁
3.首里城公園 (opens in a new tab) — 沖縄美ら島財団
4.沖縄県 (opens in a new tab) — 沖縄県