Gusuku Sites and Related Properties of the Kingdom of Ryukyu
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How it came to be
In the 14th century Okinawa Island was divided between three powers, Hokuzan, Chūzan and Nanzan, and Nakijin Castle was the seat of the Hokuzan king. Finds at the castle go back to the 12th or 13th century, and about 1,500 m of its limestone walls survive. In 1416 Shō Hashi of Chūzan destroyed Hokuzan, and in 1429 he united the island.
Shuri Castle was the palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom from 1429 to 1879. Contact with China began in 1372, and when a new king took the throne, Chinese envoys came to Shuri for his investiture. In 1501 King Shō Shin built the Tamaudun mausoleum for his father, King Shō En. Ryukyu grew a culture of its own as a trading hub between South-East Asia, China, Korea and Japan.
In 1609 forces from Satsuma invaded, burned Nakijin Castle and took Shuri. Japan annexed the kingdom in 1879 and moved the last king, Shō Tai, to Tokyo. Shuri Castle was almost entirely destroyed in the Battle of Okinawa in 1945, and the University of the Ryukyus occupied the site from 1950 to 1975. Rebuilding of the main hall and walls began in 1992, and in 2000 nine properties, five gusuku, the Sonohyan-utaki stone gate, Tamaudun, Shikinaen and Sefa-utaki, were inscribed as a World Heritage site. A fire on 31 October 2019 destroyed the main hall and other buildings.
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