Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
---|---|
Location | Okinawa Prefecture, Japan |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii), (iii), (vi) |
Reference | 972 |
Inscription | 2000 (24th Session) |
Area | 54.9 ha (136 acres) |
Buffer zone | 559.7 ha (1,383 acres) |
Coordinates | 26°12′31″N 127°40′58″E / 26.20861°N 127.68278°E |
The 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, Ryūkyū ōkoku no gusuku oyobi kanren'isangun) is an
History
The construction of gusuku began throughout the
The
A significant change in status for the kingdom happened in 1609[5] with the invasion of Ryukyu by Satsuma Domain of Japan. Satsuma destroyed both Nakijin Castle and Urasoe Castle, as well as capturing Shuri Castle, during the war. Satsuma won the war, vassalized the Ryukyu Kingdom, and annexed the Amami Islands. Gusuku-building stopped after the 17th century. After Japan annexed Ryukyu in 1879, some gusuku were used by the Imperial Japanese Army. During the Battle of Okinawa in World War II, most of the Gusuku used by the Japanese military, especially Shuri Castle, were damaged or destroyed. Shuri Castle was rebuilt during the 1990s, and in 2000 it and a number of gusuku and other related sites were added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.
Preservation
The world-heritage listing of the "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu"[6][7] represents more than 500 years[8][9] of Ryukyuan history, specifically from the 12th to the 17th century. On November 30, 2000, UNESCO inscribed it, along with 60 other global sites, on the World Heritage list. It was selected on the basis of three of the 10 criteria[10][11] set by UNESCO. Specifically, the Gusuku sites were selected for the way that they (1) exhibit the importance of human values over a span of time (Criteria ii), in this case covering more than 500 years of cultural and ethnic history; (2) show an exceptional cultural tradition by a civilization that has disappeared (Criteria iii); and (3) are regarded for tangibly linking events and traditions with ideals and beliefs with literary and artistic works (Criteria vi).
List of sites
Name | Type | Location | Picture |
---|---|---|---|
Shuri Castle Site (首里城跡, Shuri-jō ato, Okinawan: Sui Gushiku) | Gusuku on site of ruins | ReconstructedNaha, Okinawa | |
Nakijin Castle Site (今帰仁城跡, Nakijin-jō ato, Okinawan: Nachizin Gushiku) | Gusuku ruins | Nakijin, Kunigami, Okinawa | |
Zakimi Castle Site (座喜味城跡, Zakimi-jō ato, Okinawan: Zachimi Gushiku) | Gusuku ruins | Yomitan, Nakagami , Okinawa
|
|
Katsuren Castle Site (勝連城跡跡, Katsuren-jō ato, Okinawan: Katchin Gushiku) | Gusuku ruins | Uruma, Nakagami , Okinawa
|
|
Nakagusuku Castle Site (中城城跡, Nakagusuku-jō ato, Okinawan: Nakagusiku Gushiku)[12] | Gusuku ruins | Nakagusuku, Nakagami, Okinawa | |
Tamaudun (玉陵) | Mausoleum | Naha, Okinawa
|
|
Sonohyan-utaki Ishimon (園比屋武御嶽石門, Okinawan: Sunuhwan-utaki) | utaki | Stone gate atNaha, Okinawa | |
Shikinaen (識名園)
|
Garden | Naha, Okinawa | |
Sefa-utaki (斎場御嶽, Seefa-utaki) | Utaki | Nanjō , Okinawa
|
See also
- Gusuku
- Ryūkyū Kingdom
- Tourism in Japan
- List of World Heritage Sites in Japan
Notes
- Motoo, Hinago (1986). Japanese Castles. Tokyo: Kodansha. pp. 200 pages. ISBN 0-87011-766-1.
- Kerr, George H. (2000). Okinawa: the History of an Island People. (revised ed.) Boston: Tuttle Publishing.
- Smits, Gregory (1999). "Visions of Ryukyu: Identity and Ideology in Early-Modern Thought and Politics." Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press.
References
- ^ "Advisory Body Evaluation" (pdf). 25 June 1999. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu — World Heritage List Nomination Cultural Property". Agency for Cultural Affairs. 2000. Retrieved 2009-08-01.
- ^ "Gusuku Period". Wonder Okinawa. Archived from the original on 2010-01-03. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "The Sanzan Period". Wonder Okinawa. Archived from the original on 2008-10-04. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "Early History of The Ryukyu Kingdom and its Relationship with China and Japan". Shitokai. Archived from the original on 2012-05-25. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "Japan World Heritage Sites". Japan Guide. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "Gusuku Sites and related properties of the kingdom of Ryukyu". JAL Guide. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "World Heritage Committee Inscribes 61 New Sites on World Heritage List". Virtual Heritage. Archived from the original on 2010-07-07. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu". Trip Wolf.
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(help) - ^ "Criteria for Selection". Unesco. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ "World Heritage Comm. Enshrines 61 new Sites". Unesco. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
- ^ Okinawa Prefectural reserve cultural assets center (2015). "ふたつの中城御殿跡". Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan. Retrieved 2016-09-02.
External links
Media related to Gusuku sites and related properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu at Wikimedia Commons
- Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu at UNESCO
- Gusuku Sites Type and the Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu at Wonder Okinawa
- Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan, Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
- (in Japanese) Gusuku List