Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu

Okinawa's coral-stone castle walls curve like waves — the gusuku, fortress seats of chieftains and kings who forged the Ryukyu Kingdom, a maritime realm trading between Japan, China and Southeast Asia. The listed ensemble spans five centuries of island history, from the 12th to the 17th, and includes castle ruins on commanding heights along with utaki sacred groves where an ancient indigenous religion survives in practice. UNESCO inscribed the sites in 2000 as testimony to a distinct island civilization.